Exercise 2

THE USE OF THE PAST INDEFINITE AND THE PAST CONTINUOUS
Matching exercise

Match the items on the right to the items on the left.




The Past Continuous is used to denote:

1) actions in progress at a time in the past
Were you chatting to Matt online at midnight last night?
2) temporary/ changing situations
At the time, I was working for a large software company in California.
I was getting frustrated with my Internet provider so I decided to change.
3) two actions in progress at the same time
While I was playing a computer game, my brother was doing his homework.
4) to sound polite and more tentative
I was wondering if I could ask you this question.
5) past arrangements
He was leaving that night.
6) annoying or amusing past habits
When she was young, Tina was always taking things apart to see how they worked.
7) to serve as a background for a single past action
We were talking about MP3s when Andrea mentioned her new music website.
While Jim was painting the outside of the house, Sarah was decorating the bedrooms.
I looked out of the window and saw that it was raining.
I was wondering what you wanted.
While we were getting ready to go out, the rain suddenly stopped.
Her performances were getting better and better.
She was forever falling in love with the wrong kind of man.
Helen looked down into the busy street. Crowds of people were pushing along the pavements, and cars were hooting.
While he was making his speech the minister suddenly felt faint.
At the time, I was working for a large software company in California.

Nancy was taking the next flight.