Essential Grammar in Use. Unit 14. I was doing (Past Continuous) and I did (Past Simple)

 A. Jack was reading a book. → His phone rang. → He stopped reading. → He answered his phone.

(Past Simple) What happened? His phone rang.

(Past Continuous) What was Jack doing when his phone rang?
He was reading a book.

(Past Simple) What did he do when his phone rang?
He stopped reading and answered his phone.

Jack began reading before his phone rang.
So when his phone rang, he was reading.

B. Past Simple

• A: What did you do yesterday morning?
  B: We played tennis. (from 10 to 11.30)
• Jack read a book yesterday. (= from beginning to end)
• Did you watch the game on TV last night?
• It didn`t rain while we were on holiday.

Past Continuous

• A: What were you doing at 10.30?
  B: We were playing tennis.
• Jack was reading a book when his phone rang.
• Were you watching TV when I phoned you?
• It wasn`t raining when I got up.

• I started work at 9 o`clock and finished at 4.30. At 2.30 I was working.
• It was raining when we went out. (= it started raining before we went out)
• I saw Lucy and Steve this morning. They were waiting at the bus stop.
• Kelly fell asleep while she was reading.

Exercises

14.1 Look at the pictures. Put the verbs in the correct form, past continuous or part simple.

1. Lucy broke (break) her arm last week.
   It happened (happen) when she was painting (paint) her room.
   She fell (fall) off the ladder.
2. The train arrived (arrive) at the station and Paula got (get)off.
   Two friends of hers, Jon and Rachel, were waiting (wait) to meet her.
3. Yesterday Sue was walking (walk) along the road when she met (meet) James.
   He was going (go) to the station to catch a train and he was carrying (carry) a bag.
   They stopped (stop) to talk for a few minutes.