18 English Simple Past vs Past Continuous Tense Quiz Quizzes

1. While it ____________ outside, I ____________ in the farmer’s house

A. rained/ was sitting

B. was raining/ was sitting

C. was raining/ sat

D. rained/ sat

2. When Jane ____________ a language course in Ireland, she ____________ Blarney castle

A. was doing/ visited

B. did/ visited

C. did/ visiting

D. was doing/ visiting

3. One man ____________ the grass while his wife ____________ strawberries

A. mowed/ picked

B. was mowing/ was picking

C. was mowing/ picked

D. mowed/ picking

4. So I ____________ to cycle around a little

A. decide

B. decides

C. decided

D. was deciding

5. She ____________ to school, ____________ out her text book and ____________ to learn

A. gone/ took/ began

B. was going/ took/ began

C. went/ took/ began

D. went/ took/ begun

6. It ____________ a beautiful morning

A. is

B. was

C. has

D. had

7. I ____________ understand what they ____________ about

A. did not/ talked

B. did not/ were talking

C. did not/ was talking

D. do not/ were talking

8. I ____________ to the shed and ____________ out my bike

A. was going/ taking

B. went/ took

C. went/ was taking

D. went/ taken

9. I ____________ dinner when I suddenly ____________ a loud bang

A. had dinner/ was hearing

B. was having/ heard

C. had/ heard

D. have had dinner/ heard

10. When my father ____________ in the garden, an old friend ____________ by to see him

A. working/ passing

B. was working/ was passing

C. was working/ passed

D. worked/ was passing

11. After a while, the sun ____________ out again

A. comes

B. came

C. was coming

D. coming

12. After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly ____________ and it ____________ to rain

A. appeared/ started

B. was appearing/ was started

C. appearing/ starting

D. appeared/ was starting

13. While I ____________ past some villages, I ____________ some people in their gardens

A. was cycling/ saw

B. cycled/ saw

C. was cycling/ was seeing

D. was cycling/ seen

14. He ____________ some juice and then he ____________ a few chips

A. drink/ ate

B. drank/ was eating

C. drank/ ate

D. was drinking/ ate

15. While Tom ____________ the piano, his mother ____________ the washing-up

A. was playing/ was doing

B. is playing/ is doing

C. played/ did

D. was playing/ did

16. When I ____________ the washing-up, I ____________ the plate

A. was doing/ broke

B. am doing/ break

C. did/ broke

D. was doing/ break

17. When I ____________ up this yesterday, the sun