Exercise 41 . past simple or past progressive 1.I ( watch) ..................TV when she( call)........................ 2. When the phone (ring )............., she (write )................... a letter....

1. I was watching / she called. 2. When the phone rang, she was writing. 3. While we were having / it started. 4. What were you doing / started. 5. I was listening / didn't hear. 6. You weren't listening / was telling. 7. While John was sleeping / stole. 8. Sammy was waiting / got. 9. While I was writing / went. 10. A: What were you doing / broke. B: I was snowboarding. Here are the answers with the correct verb tenses: 1. The doorbell rang while Tom was watching TV last night. 2. How fast were you driving when the accident happened? 3. Anna was making dinner when Martin arrived home last Sunday. 4. The light went out while we were having dinner yesterday, but it came on again after ten minutes. 5. What were you doing at this time yesterday? - I was working on the computer. 6. It suddenly began to rain while Laura was sitting in the garden. 7. Sam took a photograph of me while I wasn't looking. 8. When I saw them, they were trying to find a new house near their work. 9. I was walking along the street when I suddenly felt something hit me in the back. I didn't know what it was. 10. Last night I dropped a plate when I was doing the washing up. Fortunately, it didn't break. 11. He broke his arm when he was playing football. 12. Julia was writing her first novel when she was 19 years old. 13. I was working on the computer when the fire broke out. 14. When it started to rain, they were walking through the forest. 15. He told us about his marriage when we were having tea. 16. Sorry, I wasn't listening to you, I was thinking about something else. Here are the answers in the past simple or past progressive tense as required: 1. While Tom was reading, Amely was watching a documentary on TV. 2. Marvin came home, switched on the computer, and checked his emails. 3. The thief sneaked into the house, stole the jewels, and left without a trace. 4. Nobody was listening while the teacher was explaining the tenses. 5. While we were doing a sight-seeing tour, our friends were lying on the beach. 6. He woke up and looked at his watch. 7. The receptionist welcomed the guests and asked them to fill in the form. 8. The car broke down, and we had to walk home. 9. The boys were swimming while the girls were sunbathing. 10. My father came in, looked around, and told me to tidy up my room. 11. As long as one group was preparing dinner, the others were collecting wood for their campfire. 12. While the parents were having breakfast, their children were running about. 13. Martha turned off the lights and went to bed. 14. When I was doing the washing-up, I broke a plate. 15. While Tom was playing the piano, his mother was doing the washing-up. 16. He drank some juice and then he ate a few chips. 17. I was having dinner when I suddenly heard a loud bang. 18. When my father was working in the garden, an old friend passed by to see him. 19. She went to school, took out her textbook, and began to learn. 20. When it started to rain, our dog wanted to come inside.