Yellow Level Quiz #17 – the Past Continuous Tense vs. the Past Tense

Part A.

Directions: Complete each question and answer in the past continuous tense or the past tense. Use the verbs in parentheses to fill in the blanks. (10 points)

1a. What __________ you ___________ when the phone ___________? (do / ring)

1b. I ___________ ______________. (sleep)

2a. What __________ she ___________ before she ___________ the phone. (do / answer)

2b. She ___________ ___________ the dishes. (do)

3a. Where ___________ John ___________ before he ___________ to Houston? (live / move)

3b. He __________ ___________ in Miami. (live)

4a. What kind of a car ___________ the thieves ____________ after they ___________ the house? (drive / leave)

4b. They __________ ____________ a 2008 Chevy Malibu. (drive)

5a. What ___________ everyone ___________ about after the election _________ over. (talk / be)

5b. They ___________ ___________ about what the President will probably do in the next few months. (talk)

Part B.

Directions: Use either the past continuous tense or the past tense in each question or sentence. Some verbs are negative. (10 points)

1. Why __________ you ___________ me last night? (call — negative)

2. She ___________ _____________ when the teacher called on her for an answer to a question. (listen — negative)

3. What kind of food were you eating when you ____________ in Sri Lanka? (live)

4. How many people ____________ they _____________ yesterday? (call)

5. Why __________ the young man ____________ more cooperative with the police? (be — negative)

6. I ___________ ____________ it was raining. (know — negative)

7. You mother ___________ ____________ to get ahold of you on your cell phone. (try)

8. How long ___________ the house _____________ on the market before it sold? (stay)

9. We ___________ ____________ so much fun at the party that we didn’t want to leave. (have)

10. Nobody ____________ the old man get up off the ground after he fell. (help)

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