Simple Past vs Past Continuous Exercises (With Answers)

Simple Past vs Past Continuous Exercises (With Answers)

Understanding the difference between the simple past and the past continuous is essential for talking about completed actions and actions in progress in the past. This page gives you clear explanations, timelines, and graded exercises with answers—perfect for ESL/EFL learners and teachers.

Simple Past vs Past Continuous: Quick Review

  • Simple past: finished actions in the past.
    • I watched a movie last night.
  • Past continuous: actions in progress at a specific time in the past.
    • I was watching a movie at 9 p.m.

Very often, we use both tenses together to show that a short action interrupted a longer one.

  • I was watching TV when the phone rang.

1. When to Use the Simple Past Tense

Use the simple past to talk about:

  • Completed actions (She finished her homework.)
  • A sequence of past actions (He entered the room and sat down.)
  • Short actions that interrupt longer ones (The lights went out.)

Form: verb + -ed (regular) or irregular form

  • worked, played / went, saw

2. When to Use the Past Continuous Tense

Use the past continuous to describe:

  • Actions in progress at a specific moment (They were studying at 8 o’clock.)
  • Background actions in a story (It was raining, and people were running for shelter.)
  • An action interrupted by another action (I was sleeping when he called.)

Form: was / were + verb-ing

  • was reading, were playing

3. Simple Past vs Past Continuous: Key Differences

Simple PastPast Continuous
Finished actionAction in progress
Short, complete eventsTemporary, ongoing actions
Often with time expressions (yesterday, last night)Often with when / while

Simple Past vs Past Continuous Exercises

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice – Choose the Correct Tense

Choose the correct form of the verb.

  1. I (watched / was watching) TV when the doorbell (rang / was ringing).
  2. They (played / were playing) football at 5 p.m. yesterday.
  3. She (fell / was falling) while she (ran / was running) to school.
  4. We (ate / were eating) dinner when the guests (arrived / were arriving).
  5. He (studied / was studying) when his motehr (came in / was comng in).
  6. I (met / was meeting) an old friend while I (walked / was walking) home.
  7. The children (slept / were sleeping) when the storm (started / was starting).
  8. She (dropped / was dropping) her phone while she (got / was getting) off the bus.
  9. We (didn’t notice / weren’t noticing) the sign because we (talked / were talking).
  10. He (hurt / was hurting) his back when he (lifted / was lifting) the box.
Exercise 1
1. was watching / rang
2. were playing
3. fell / was running
4. were eating / arrived
5. was studying / came in
6. met / was walking
7. were sleeping / started
8. dropped / was getting
9. didn’t notice / were talking
10. hurt / was lifting

Exercise 2: Sentence Completion

Use the simple past or past continuous to complete the sentences.

  1. At 10 o’clock last night, I __________ (read) a book.
  2. The students __________ (talk) when the teacher __________ (enter) the classroom.
  3. It __________ (rain) when we __________ (leave) the house.
  4. She __________ (break) her leg while she __________ (ski).
  5. They __________ (watch) a movie when the lights __________ (go out).
  6. While I __________ (drive), I __________ (see) a terrible accident.
  7. He __________ (not listen) when the teacher __________ (explain) the rule.
  8. We __________ (have) lunch when she suddenly __________ (call).
  9. The kids __________ (play) outside while their parents __________ (work).
  10. I __________ (fall asleep) while I __________ (study).
Exercise 2
1. was reading
2. were talking / entered
3. was raining / left
4. broke / was skiing
5. were watching / went out
6. was driving / saw
7. wasn’t listening / was explaining
8. were having / called
9. were playing / were working
10. fell asleep / was studying

Exercise 3: When or While

Complete the sentences using when or while.

Quick reminder:

Meaning:

  • When = at the time that (a specific moment or short event).
  • While = during the time that (an ongoing process or period).

Use:

  • Use when for a short, finished action that interrupts another action.
  • Use while for a longer action in progress (often in the past continuous).

Tip: If you can replace the word with “during the time that” and the sentence still makes sense, “while” is the correct choice. Otherwise, use “when.”

  1. __________ I arrived at the station, the train was leaving.
  2. She burned her hand __________ she was taking the pie out of the oven.
  3. __________ the movie ended, someone was crying beside me.
  4. They had a serious conversation __________ driving to the coast.
  5. I was in the middle of a sentence __________ he suddenly hung up.
  6. __________ you called last night, I was asleep.
  7. He learned to sail __________ he was living in Greece.
  8. Please be quiet __________ I am on the phone.
  9. __________ the lights came back on, we all cheered.
  10. She met her future husband __________ studying at university.
Exercise 3
1. When – “I arrived” is a short, completed action (Simple Past). It marks a specific moment.
2. While – “She was taking” is a continuous, ongoing action (Past Continuous). The burn happened during this process.
3. When – “The movie ended” is a short, completed event (Simple Past). It triggers the reaction.
4. While – “Driving” is a gerund representing a continuous action. Two actions happened simultaneously over a period.
5. When – “He hung up” is a sudden, short action (Simple Past) that interrupts the longer action.
6. When – “You called” is a specific, punctual event (Simple Past). It pinpoints the time I was asleep.
7. While – “He was living” is a long-term, continuous background action (Past Continuous). The learning happened throughout that period.
8. While – “I am on the phone” describes a continuous state/action (Present Continuous). The request for quiet lasts for the duration of that state.
9. When – “The lights came back on” is an instantaneous event (Simple Past). It is the trigger for the cheering.
10. While – “Studying” is a gerund representing a continuous, ongoing activity during which a longer-term event (meeting her husband) occurred.
Note for learners:

The exercise uses a clear rule for learning. In practice, “when” is more versatile and is often used in natural speech where “while” is also possible.

  • Example: “When/While we were walking, it began to rain.” Both are correct.
  • Key: “While” can only describe two simultaneous, ongoing actions. “When” can be used for that and for a single, short event (e.g., “When the rain started…”).

For clarity in writing, follow the core rule. For understanding fluent speech, remember that “when” is frequently used for both cases.

Exercise 4: Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the sentences using the tense in brackets.

  1. I did my homework at 8 p.m. (past continuous)
  2. She cooked dinner. Then the guests arrived. (use when)
  3. He drove too fast. He had an accident. (use while)
  4. They played chess at 7 o’clock. (past continuous)
  5. I cleaned the house. Then my parents came home. (use when)
  6. She studied for the test all evening. (past continuous)
  7. He listened to music. He did his homework. (use while)
  8. We watched TV. The lights went out. (use when)
  9. I helped my friend. Suddenly, I lost my phone. (use while)
  10. She wrote emails at 9 a.m. (past continuous)
Exercise 4 (Sample Answers)
1. I was doing my homework at 8 p.m.
2. She was cooking dinner when the guests arrived.
3. While he was driving too fast, he had an accident.
4. They were playing chess at 7 o’clock.
5. I was cleaning the house when my parents came home.
6. She was studying for the test all evening.
7. While he was listening to music, he was doing his homework.
8. We were watching TV when the lights went out.
9. While I was helping my friend, I lost my phone.
10. She was writing emails at 9 a.m.

Exercise 5: Error Correction

Each sentence has a mistake. Correct it.

  1. I was watch TV when he called me.
  2. They were played chess at 6 o’clock.
  3. While I cooking, the phone was ring.
  4. She was sleep when the alarm rang.
  5. We ate dinner when the lights were going out.
  6. He was drive too fast when the accident happened.
  7. While they watched TV, the doorbell was ring.
  8. I was doing my homework when my friends were arrive.
  9. She fell while she run to catch the bus.
  10. We were talk when the teacher entered the class.
Exercise 5
1. I was watching TV when he called me.
2. They were playing chess at 6 o’clock.
3. While I was cooking, the phone rang.
4. She was sleeping when the alarm rang.
5. We were eating dinner when the lights went out.
6. He was driving too fast when the accident happened.
7. While they were watching TV, the doorbell rang.
8. I was doing my homework when my friends arrived.
9. She fell while she was running to catch the bus.
10. We were talking when the teacher entered the class.

Quick Recap: Simple Past vs Past Continuous

Recap: simple past vs past continuous
Simple PastPast Continuous
Finished action in the pastAction in progress in the past
Short or complete eventsTemporary or background actions
Often answers What happened?Often answers What was happening?
Common time words: yesterday, last night, agoCommon time words: when, while, at 5 p.m.
The phone rang.I was sleeping.
Often interrupts an actionOften interrupted by a short action

More about the difference between when and while

Final Tip for Learners

Ask yourself this question:

  • Was the action finished, or was it in progress?

That simple check will help you choose between the simple past and the past continuous every time.

👉 For more focused practice, you can link this page to separate posts on simple past exercises and past continuous exercises.

Tags: Exercises on Past Tenses
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