Question

PAST SIMPLE VS. PAST CONTINUOUS
Choose the correct verb form in each of the following sentences.
1. Mary prepared / was preparing lunch when they came / was coming.
2. Who was that nice girl you talked / were talking to when I walked / was walking by the pub?
3. Last weekend Susan fell / was falling and broke/ was breaking her leg.
4. We drove/ were driving to Berlin last Sunday.
5. The sun shone / was shining brightly when I got up / was getting up this morning.
6. Ann finally told / was telling us the story about Peter last month.
7. Yesterday Jane fell / was falling and hurt / was hurting herself while she rode / was riding her bieycle.
8. Helen wore/ was wearing her dress to the party last night.
9. He waited / was waiting for half an hour when they arrived / were arriving.
10. Where was he going when you saw / was seeing him?
11. She talked / was talking to John on the phone when I walked / was walking in.
12. Did she know / knew they came / were coming to the party?
13. How many people were sitting in the waiting room when you arrived / were arriving?
14. I met them in the street while I shopped / was shopping.
15. The postman arrived while I left / was leaving the house.
16. We walked / were walking down by the river when it started / was starting to rain.
17. The storm started while we drove / were driving back from London.
18. They met when they worked / were working in Paris.
19. What time did she arrive / was she arriving last night?
20. He broke / was breaking his foot while he was playing football on Saturday.
21. I cut /was cutting my finger while I chopped / was chopping vegetables.
22. The plane left / was leaving over an hour ago.
23. I drove / was driving fast when I was flashed by the speed camera.
24. What were you doing / did you do at 8 p.m. yesterday?
25. My parents went / were going to several concerts while they stayed / were staying in Paris.

Answer 1

1 was preparing, came;
2 were talking, walked;
3 fell, broke;
4 drove;
5 was shining, got up;
6 told;
7 fell, hurt, was riding;
8 wore;
9 was waiting, arrived;
10 saw;
11 was talking, walked;
12 I don’t get it, sorry;
13 arrived;
14 was shopping;
15 was leaving;
16 were walking, started;
17 were driving;
18 worked;
19 arrive;
20 broke;
21 cut, was chopping;
22 left;
23 was driving;
24 you doing;
25 went, were staying.