20 English Past Simple and Past Progressive Quiz Quizzes

1. Susie ____________ (watch) a film when she ____________ (hear) the noise

A. watched / was hearing

B. watching / heard

C. watched / was hearing

D. was watching / heard

2. Why ____________ (stand) on a chair when I ____________ (come) into the room?

A. did you stand / was coming

B. were you standing / was coming

C. stood / came

D. were you standing / came

3. They ____________ (live) in Germany when they ____________ (be) young

A. were living / were

B. lived / were

C. lived / were being

D. were living / was

4. When I ____________ (leave) the house, it ____________ (snow)

A. left / was snowing

B. leaving / was snowing

C. was leaving / snowed

D. left / snowed

5. He ____________ (work) in a bank when he ____________ (meet) his wife

A. worked / was meeting

B. was working / was meeting

C. worked / met

D. was working / met

6. He ____________ (take) a shower when the telephone ____________ (ring)

A. was taking / was ringing

B. took / rang

C. took / was ringing

D. was taking / rang

7. At 7pm yesterday, we ____________ (listen) to music

A. listen

B. was listening

C. listened

D. were listening

8. On holiday we ____________ (visit) Rome, ____________ (see) the Vatican, and ____________ (spend) a few days at the beach

A. visited / saw / spent

B. were visiting / saw / spent

C. were visiting / were seeing / were spending

D. visited / were seeing / spent

9. He ____________ (live) in Russia when the Revolution ____________ (start)

A. lived / was starting

B. was living / was starting

C. was living / started

D. lived / started

10. We ____________ (play) tennis when John ____________ (hurt) his ankle

A. were playing / hurt

B. played / hurt

C. was playing / hurt

D. played tennis / hurting

11. What ____________ (you/do) when I ____________ (call) you last night?

A. did you do/ called

B. were you doing / called

C. were you / called

D. were you doing / was calling

12. When I ____________ (walk) into the room, everyone ____________ (work)

A. was walking / worked

B. walked / worked

C. was walking / was working

D. walked / working

13. Yesterday I ____________ (go) to the library, next I ____________ (have) a swim, later I ____________ (meet) Julie for coffee

A. went / was having / met

B. was going / had / met

C. went / had / met

D. went / had / was meeting

14. It ____________ (be) a day last September The sun ____________ (shine) and the birds ____________ (sing) I ____________ (walk) along the street when I ____________ (meet) an old friend

A. was / was shinning / sang / was walking / met

B. was / was shinning / were singing/ was walking / met

C. was / shone / sang / walked / met

D. was being / was shinning / were singing / was walking / met

15. When her train ____________ (get) to the station, we ____________ (wait) on the platform

A. got / were waiting

B. was getting / were waiting

C. got / waited

D. was getting / waited

16. When you ____________ (arrive) at the party, who ____________ (be) there?

A. were arriving / was

B. arrived / was

C. was arriving / were

D. arrived / was being

17. What ____________ (they/do) at 10pm last night – it was really noisy? [ ]

A. did they do

B. were they doing

C. was they doing

D. do they do

18. He ____________ (be) in the shower when the telephone ____________ (ring)

A. was being / rang

B. was going / rang

C. was / rang

D. was / was ringing

19. He ____________ (be) so annoying! He ____________ (always leave) his things everywhere

A. was / always left

B. was / always leaves

C. was / was always leaving

D. is / was always leaving

20. I ____________ (sit) in a cafe when you ____________ (call)