Past continuous and past simple
Choose the correct verb tense.

1. I started work at 9 a.m. this morning.
2. This time last year I was studying at university.
3. Sarah hurt her ankle while she was running.
4. I missed your call because I was working.
5. While I was walking home, I noticed a new shop in the high street.
6. At 6 p.m. yesterday it already got dark.
7. I saw you driving down Green Street yesterday! Where were you going?
8. When we saw the crime, we called the police.
9. I started my new job yesterday.
10. What were you doing at around 8 a.m. this morning?
11. While I was washing the dishes, I suddenly had a brilliant idea.
12. He didn’t hear the phone ring. He was listening to really loud music.
13. They were already closing the shop when I got there, so I couldn’t go in and buy anything.
14. The teacher told us to stop what we were doing.
15. Did you find what you were looking for in the library yesterday?
16. When I heard the phone ring, I answered it straight away.

Complete the sentences using the following verbs in the correct form.
Buy, catch, cost, fall, hurt, sell, spend, teach, throw, write

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.
“How did you learn to drive?” “My father taught me.”
We couldn’t afford to keep our cat, so we sold it.
Jim fell down the stairs this morning and hurt his leg.
Dave threw the ball to Sue, who caught it.
Laura spent a lot of money yesterday. She bought a dress which cost £200.