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A2 Past Simple vs Past Continuous Test

HiLernity Practice & Tests · A2 Grammar

A2 Past Simple vs Past Continuous Test

12 questions · 20 minutes · instant feedback

20:00

British English usage: Use Past Continuous for background or an action in progress, and Past Simple for a completed event or the event that interrupts it.

Cambridge Grammar reference: Cambridge explains the contrast as a difference in viewpoint: Past Continuous presents an event as ongoing; Past Simple presents it as complete.

Source note: HiLernity is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the British Council or Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Offline test mode
1. I ___ dinner when the phone ___. (cook / ring)
2. They ___ football when it ___ to rain. (play / start)
3. While she ___, her friend ___. (study / call)
4. We ___ home when we ___ the accident. (walk / see)
5. Choose the better sentence.
6. At 9 p.m. I ___ TV. (watch)
7. Yesterday I ___ a film. (watch)
8. While we ___ dinner, the lights ___. (eat / go out)
9. She ___ home and then ___ dinner. (arrive / cook)
10. What ___ you doing when I ___ you? (be / call)
11. He ___ when he ___ the noise. (drive / hear)
12. Choose the correct contrast.