Past Continuous Tense Quiz!

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| Attempts: 11,990 | Questions: 20
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1. Andres _____ something into her mobile phone when Luis appeared.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was typing". This is the correct form of the past continuous tense to describe an ongoing action in the past. The sentence suggests that Andres was in the middle of typing something into her mobile phone when Luis appeared.

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About This Quiz
Past Continuous Tense Quiz! - Quiz

This 'Past Continuous Tense Quiz' assesses understanding of the past continuous tense in English grammar. It includes questions on identifying and forming sentences in the past continuous tense,... see moreenhancing learners' ability to describe actions ongoing in the past. see less

2. Some friends _____ yesterday evening.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were playing" because the subject "friends" is plural, so the verb should also be in the plural form "were." Additionally, the word "playing" is the correct verb form to match with the subject "friends" in the past continuous tense.

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3. The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past.

Explanation

The past continuous tense describes actions or events that were in progress at a particular time in the past. It is formed using "was/were" followed by the verb's present participle (e.g., "was running" or "were studying"). This tense provides context by indicating that the action was ongoing when another action occurred.

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4. He _____ (open) the box when he cut his finger.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was opening". This is because the sentence is in the past tense and the action of opening the box was ongoing at the time when he cut his finger. The past continuous tense "was opening" is used to describe an action that was happening in the past at a specific moment.

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5. Daniela _____ herself on Facebook.

Explanation

The verb tense in this sentence should be in the past continuous form to convey that Daniela was engaged in an action in the past. In this case, the action of "entertaining herself on Facebook" was ongoing or in progress at a specific point in the past. Therefore, "was entertaining" is the appropriate verb form to use in this context.

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6. Peter _____ (drink) soda in his dinner.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was drinking" because the sentence is in the past tense and the verb "drink" needs to be conjugated in the past continuous form to indicate an ongoing action in the past. Therefore, "was drinking" is the appropriate choice to complete the sentence.

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7. Paula _____ (come) home from school when she saw an accident.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was coming" because the sentence is describing an action that was happening in the past. "Was coming" is the past continuous tense of the verb "come" and indicates that Paula was in the process of coming home from school when she saw the accident.

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8. Andrew  _____ (insert) a photo into his document when the teacher stopped the class.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was inserting" because the sentence is in the past tense and is describing an action that was happening at a specific point in the past. "Was inserting" is the correct past continuous tense form of the verb "to insert" to match the subject "Andrew."

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9. Choose the sentence that correctly uses the past continuous tense.  

Explanation



The past continuous tense describes actions or events in progress at a specific time in the past. It is formed using "was" or "were" with the "-ing" form of the verb. For example, "She was watching TV when the phone rang" illustrates an ongoing action interrupted by another event.
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10. _____ a bunch of roses when you opened the door?

Explanation

The correct answer is "Was your husband holding." This is the correct form of the verb "hold" in the past continuous tense. It is used to describe an action that was happening at a specific point in the past. In this case, it suggests that the husband was in the act of holding a bunch of roses when the door was opened.

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11. Were Lina and Maria working at home?

Explanation

The given answer "correct" suggests that Lina and Maria were indeed working at home. This implies that both individuals were engaged in some form of work or tasks within the confines of their home environment.

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12. All the citizens  _____ (try) to pay their taxes.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were trying" because the sentence is in the past tense and refers to a continuous action in the past. "Were trying" is the past continuous tense form of the verb "try" and accurately describes the action of citizens attempting to pay their taxes.

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13. Joe and Sam _____  (use) the wrong program in IT yesterday.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were using" because it is the past continuous tense of the verb "use". This tense is used to describe an ongoing action that was happening in the past. In this case, Joe and Sam were actively using the wrong program in IT yesterday.

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14. We ____________  in the garden.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were resting". This is because the sentence is in the past tense and the verb "resting" agrees with the subject "we".

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15. You _______________ with my sister.

Explanation

The correct answer is "were singing". This is because the sentence is in the past continuous tense, which is used to describe an ongoing action in the past. The verb "singing" is in the past continuous form, and it is correctly paired with the subject "you".

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16. I  _____ ( not make ) my dinner at 8 o'clock last night.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was not making" because the sentence is in the past tense and the negative form of the verb "make" is "was not making." This indicates that the action of making dinner did not happen at 8 o'clock last night.

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17. The kids _____ bags full of stuff through the airport.

Explanation

The correct answer is "weren't dragging." This is because the subject of the sentence is "kids," which is plural, so the verb should also be plural. "Weren't" is the plural form of "wasn't" and is the correct verb choice to agree with the subject. "Dragging" is the correct verb form in this sentence to show that the kids were pulling or carrying bags through the airport.

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18. In 1999 most people  _____ (not live) in Dublin. 

Explanation

In 1999, the majority of people in Dublin were not living there. This suggests that there was a significant number of individuals who resided elsewhere during that time.

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19. Peter ____________ a lot of noise.

Explanation

The correct answer is "was not doing" because the sentence states that Peter was making a lot of noise, which implies that he was doing something to create that noise. However, the answer "was not doing" indicates that Peter was not engaged in any specific activity that was causing the noise. Therefore, this answer is the most appropriate to describe the situation.

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20. Select the correct ones.

Explanation

The correct forms of the words are "rowing," "trying," "speaking," "swimming," "loving," "working," and "running." These verbs follow the standard rules for forming the present participle, typically by adding "-ing" to the base verb. Incorrect forms like "danceing" (should be "dancing"), "lieing" (should be "lying"), and "listenning" (should be "listening") result from misunderstandings of spelling changes, such as dropping the "e" or doubling consonants where appropriate.

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Andres _____ something into her mobile phone when Luis appeared.
Some friends _____ yesterday evening.
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were...
He _____ (open) the box when he cut his finger.
Daniela _____ herself on Facebook.
Peter _____ (drink) soda in his dinner.
Paula _____ (come) home from school when she saw an accident.
Andrew  _____ (insert) a photo into his document when the...
Choose the sentence that correctly uses the past continuous tense. ...
_____ a bunch of roses when you opened the door?
Were Lina and Maria working at home?
All the citizens  _____ (try) to pay their taxes.
Joe and Sam _____  (use) the wrong program in IT yesterday.
We ____________  in the garden.
You _______________ with my sister.
I  _____ ( not make ) my dinner at 8 o'clock last night.
The kids _____ bags full of stuff through the airport.
In 1999 most people  _____ (not live) in Dublin. 
Peter ____________ a lot of noise.
Select the correct ones.
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