EN

PDFTests Originals

Past Continuous vs Past Simple – Worksheet 1

A2 Elementary WorksheetEnglish

This printable A2 worksheet practises the past continuous and the past simple and how they work together. Learners form positive, negative and question forms, choose the right tense with when and while, correct mistakes and build sentences. It suits teenage and adult learners in class or at home.

items
38
Time
30 min
PDF
5 pages
Answer key
Included
Download PDFPDF · 5 pages · 166 KB Do the worksheet online
  • 100% free
  • No sign-up or email
  • Print-ready A4 PDF
Preview of page 1 of Past Continuous vs Past Simple – Worksheet 1 Open PDF
New to this topic? Read the guide first: Past Continuous vs Past Simple: Rules, Examples and Common Mistakes

Do the worksheet online

Type your answers, then press “Check my answers”. Alternative correct answers are accepted.

Exercise 1: Past continuous forms

Complete the sentences with the past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

Example: She ___ (read) at 9 pm. → was reading

  1. At 8 o'clock last night, I (watch) TV.

  2. The children (play) in the garden at 5 pm.

  3. Maria (not / sleep) when I called.

  4. We (not / listen) to the teacher.

  5. (you / work) at 10 am yesterday?

  6. It (rain) when we left the house.

  7. What (Sam / do) at midnight?

  8. My parents (cook) dinner at seven.

Exercise 2: Choose the correct form

Complete the sentences with the words from the box. There are two extra words.

Word box was cookingwere walkingbrokesawwas drivingwere havingfellarrivedwas seeingdid break

  1. I dinner when the phone rang.

  2. We in the park when it started to rain.

  3. Leo his leg while he was skiing.

  4. While I was waiting for the bus, I an old friend.

  5. She to work when her car stopped.

  6. They lunch when the doorbell rang.

  7. The baby asleep while we were watching the film.

  8. Our train ten minutes late, so we missed the start of the concert.

Exercise 3: Past simple or past continuous?

Complete the sentences with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

Example: I ___ (walk) home when I saw Paul. → was walking

  1. I was reading a book when the lights (go) out.

  2. While Anna (have) a shower, someone knocked on the door.

  3. Yesterday I (get) up at seven, had breakfast and went to school.

  4. When I arrived at the party, everyone (dance).

  5. Ben (cut) his finger while he was making a salad.

  6. What (you / do) when the accident happened?

  7. I (not / see) the sign because I was looking at my phone.

  8. (she / call) you while you were on holiday?

Exercise 4: Find the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.

Example: He were sleeping at 11 pm. → He was sleeping at 11 pm.

  1. I was walk home when I saw the accident.

  2. We was watching a film at 9 pm.

  3. While I was cooking, I was burning my hand.

  4. She didn't went to school yesterday.

  5. What did you doing at 6 pm?

  6. Tom was runing for the bus when he fell.

  7. Were you see the film last night?

  8. The phone rang while I were having a bath.

Exercise 5: Make sentences

Put the words in the correct order to make sentences or questions.

Example: was / he / cooking / at 7 pm → He was cooking at 7 pm.

  1. was / I / when / sleeping / rang / the phone

  2. you / were / what / doing / at 9 pm

  3. weren't / we / TV / watching

  4. did / see / you / while / her / you / were / shopping

  5. she / while / was / dropped / her phone / she / running

  6. were / they / playing / tennis / it / when / started / to rain

Was this page helpful?

Report a mistake

Spotted a wrong answer, a typo or an unclear explanation? Tell us and we will fix it.

Preview

Preview of page 1 of Past Continuous vs Past Simple – Worksheet 1 Preview of page 2 of Past Continuous vs Past Simple – Worksheet 1

About this test

Free A2 worksheet on Past Continuous vs Past Simple: form, negatives, questions, when/while, error correction and word order. Includes answers.

Topics covered

Past continuous formPast simple vs past continuousWhen and whileNegatives and questionsInterrupted actions

Notes for teachers

Start with a simple timeline: draw a long line for the past continuous (background action) and a cross for the past simple (short action that interrupts). Typical mistakes are 'was walk' instead of 'was walking', 'we was', spelling errors such as 'runing', and using the past continuous for short completed actions ('I was burning my hand'). As a follow-up, ask pairs to tell each other what they were doing at specific times yesterday and what happened that interrupted them.

All English A2 tests →