Past continuous use – Exercise 219

Drag each element from the list below to the right gap.

when the waiter took my plate away.

when the water stopped running.

when it started to rain heavily.

when the program crashed.

when the power went out.

We were watching our favourite show

Leo was shampooing his hair

Lucy was typing the last sentence

Sue was going to an important interview

I was finishing my dessert

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Past continuous with past simple

The past continuous tense often goes together with the past simple. The past continuous shows longer background action and the past simple — shorter action:

I was doing something when something happened.

Examples

I was having a shower when you rang the doorbell. was having — longer background action, rang — short action

Helen was cooking dinner when the children came back. was cooking — longer background action, came back — short action

It wasn't raining when I woke up. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. wasn't raining, was shining, were singing — longer background action, woke up — short action