1 I lit the fire at 6.00 and it (bum) brightly when Tom came in at 7.00.
2 When I arrived the lecture had already started and the professor (write) on the overhead projector.
3 I (make) a cake when the light went out. I had to finish it in the dark.
4 I didn't want to meet Paul so when he entered the room I (leave).
5 Unfortunately when I arrived Ann just (leave), so we only had time for a few words.
6 He (watch) TV when the phone rang. Very unwillingly he (turn) down the sound and (go) to answer it.
7 He was very polite. Whenever his wife entered the room he (stand) up.
8 The admiral (play) bowls when he received news of the invasion. He (insist) on finishing the game.
9 My dog (walk) along quietly when Mr Pitt's Pekinese attacked him.
10 When I arrived she (have) lunch. She apologized for starting without me but said that she always (lunch) at
12.30.
11 He always (wear) a raincoat and (carry) an umbrella when he walked to the office.
12 What you (think) of his last book? ~
I (like) it very much.
13 I (share) a flat with him when we were students. He always (complain) about my untidiness.
14 He suddenly (realize) that he (travel) in the wrong direction.
15 He (play) the guitar outside her house when someone opened the window and (throw) out a bucket of
water.
16 I just (open) the letter when the wind (blow) it out of my hand.
17 The burglar (open) the safe when he (hear) footsteps. He immediately (put) out his torch and (crawl) under
the bed.
18 When I (look) for my passport I (find) this old photograph.
19 You looked very busy when I (see) you last night. What you (do)?
20 The boys (play) cards when they (hear) their father's step. They immediately (hide)
the cards and (take) out their lesson books.
21 He (clean) his gun when it accidentally (go) off and (kill) him.
22 He (not allow) us to go out in the boat yesterday as a strong wind (blow).
23 As I (cross) the road I (step) on a banana skin and (fall) heavily.
24 I still (lie) on the road when I (see) a lorry approaching.
25 Luckily the driver (see) me and (stop) the lorry in time.
26 How you (damage) your car so badly? ~
I (run) into a lamp-post yesterday. ~
I suppose you (drive) too quickly or were not looking where you (go).
27 As he (get) into the bus it (start) suddenly and he (fall) backwards on to the road.
28 I (call) Paul at 7.00 but it wasn't necessary because he already (get) up.
29 When he (mend) the fuse he (get) a very bad shock.
30 When I (hear) his knock I (go) to the door and (open) it, but I (not recognize) him at first because I (not
wear) my glasses.
31 When I came in they (sit) round the fire. Mr Pitt (do) a crossword puzzle, Mrs Pitt (knit), the others (read).
Mrs Pitt (smile) at me and (say), 'Come and sit down.'
32 While the guests (dance) thieves (break) into the house and (steal) a lot of fur coats.
33 The next day, as they (know) that the police (look) for them, they (hide) the coats in
a wood and (go) off in different directions.
34 She was very extravagant. She always (buy) herself new clothes.
35 Her mother often (tell) her that she (spend) too much money but she never (listen).
36 Whenever the drummer (begin) practising, the people in the next flat (bang) on
the wall.

1. I lit the fire at 6.00 and it was burning brightly when Tom came in at 7.00.
To form the past continuous tense, we use the past tense of the verb "to be" (was/were) and add the present participle of the main verb (burning). In this sentence, the action of lighting the fire happened in the past and was ongoing when Tom came in.

2. When I arrived the lecture had already started and the professor was writing on the overhead projector.
To form the past perfect continuous tense, we use had + been + present participle. In this sentence, the action of the professor writing on the projector started before the arrival and continued until the arrival.

3. I was making a cake when the light went out. I had to finish it in the dark.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. In this sentence, the action of making the cake was in progress when the light went out.

4. I didn't want to meet Paul, so when he entered the room, I left.
In this sentence, the past simple tense is used for completed actions in the past. The action of leaving occurred after Paul entered the room.

5. Unfortunately, when I arrived, Ann had just left, so we only had time for a few words.
The past perfect tense is used to show that an action happened before another action in the past. In this sentence, the action of leaving happened before the arrival.

6. He was watching TV when the phone rang. Very unwillingly, he turned down the sound and went to answer it.
In this sentence, the past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of watching TV was interrupted by the ringing phone.

7. He was very polite. Whenever his wife entered the room, he stood up.
This sentence describes a habit or repeated action in the past, which is expressed using the past simple tense.

8. The admiral was playing bowls when he received news of the invasion. He insisted on finishing the game.
In this sentence, the past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of playing bowls was interrupted by receiving news.

9. My dog was walking along quietly when Mr Pitt's Pekinese attacked him.
The past continuous tense is used to describe an ongoing action in the past. The action of walking was interrupted by the attack.

10. When I arrived, she was having lunch. She apologized for starting without me but said that she always had lunch at 12.30.
In this sentence, the past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of having lunch was in progress when the arrival happened.

11. He always wore a raincoat and carried an umbrella when he walked to the office.
The past simple tense is used for repeated or habitual actions in the past. In this sentence, the action of wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella happened regularly.

12. What did you think of his last book? ~ I liked it very much.
The past simple tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past. In this sentence, the action of thinking and liking the book happened in the past.

13. I shared a flat with him when we were students. He always complained about my untidiness.
In this sentence, the past simple tense is used to talk about a past habit or repeated action.

14. He suddenly realized that he was traveling in the wrong direction.
The past simple tense is used to describe a past moment of realization.

15. He was playing the guitar outside her house when someone opened the window and threw out a bucket of water.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of playing the guitar was interrupted by the person throwing water.

16. I had just opened the letter when the wind blew it out of my hand.
In this sentence, the past perfect tense is used to show that an action happened before another action in the past.

17. The burglar was opening the safe when he heard footsteps. He immediately put out his torch and crawled under the bed.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of opening the safe was interrupted by hearing footsteps.

18. When I looked for my passport, I found this old photograph.
The past simple tense is used for a completed action in the past. The action of looking and finding happened in the past.

19. You looked very busy when I saw you last night. What were you doing?
The past simple tense is used for a completed action in the past. The action of looking busy happened when the observation took place.

20. The boys were playing cards when they heard their father's step. They immediately hid the cards and took out their lesson books.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of playing cards was interrupted by hearing their father's step.

21. He was cleaning his gun when it accidentally went off and killed him.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of cleaning the gun was interrupted by the accidental shot.

22. He didn't allow us to go out in the boat yesterday as a strong wind was blowing.
The past simple tense is used for a completed action in the past. The action of not allowing to go out happened when the wind was blowing.

23. As I was crossing the road, I stepped on a banana skin and fell heavily.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of crossing the road was interrupted by stepping on the banana skin.

24. I was still lying on the road when I saw a lorry approaching.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of lying on the road was interrupted by seeing the approaching lorry.

25. Luckily, the driver saw me and stopped the lorry in time.
The past simple tense is used for a completed action in the past. The action of seeing and stopping happened in the past.

26. How did you damage your car so badly? ~ I ran into a lamp-post yesterday. ~ I suppose you were driving too quickly or were not looking where you were going.
The past simple tense is used for completed actions in the past. The action of damaging the car and running into a lamp-post happened in the past.

27. As he was getting into the bus, it suddenly started, and he fell backwards onto the road.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of getting into the bus was interrupted by the sudden start.

28. I called Paul at 7:00, but it wasn't necessary because he had already gotten up.
The past perfect tense is used to show that an action happened before another action in the past.

29. When he was mending the fuse, he got a very bad shock.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of mending the fuse was interrupted by the shock.

30. When I heard his knock, I went to the door and opened it, but I didn't recognize him at first because I wasn't wearing my glasses.
The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action in the past. The action of hearing the knock and going to the door was interrupted by not recognizing the person due to not wearing glasses.

31. When I came in, they were sitting round the fire. Mr. Pitt was doing a crossword puzzle, Mrs. Pitt was knitting, and the others were reading. Mrs. Pitt smiled at me and said, 'Come and sit down.'
The past continuous tense is used for ongoing actions in the past. The actions of sitting, doing a crossword puzzle, knitting, and reading were all in progress when the arrival happened.

32. While the guests were dancing, thieves broke into the house and stole a lot of fur coats.
The past continuous tense is used for ongoing actions in the past. The action of dancing was interrupted by the thieves breaking in and stealing.

33. The next day, as they knew that the police were looking for them, they hid the coats in a wood and went off in different directions.
The past continuous tense is used for ongoing actions in the past. The actions of knowing, hiding, and going off were all in progress when the police were looking for them.

34. She was very extravagant. She always bought herself new clothes.
The past continuous tense is for a habit or repeated action in the past. The action of buying new clothes was habitual.

35. Her mother often told her that she was spending too much money, but she never listened.
The past continuous tense is for a habit or repeated action in the past. The action of telling and not listening was habitual.

36. Whenever the drummer began practicing, the people in the next flat would bang on the wall.
The past simple tense is used for a repeated or habitual action in the past. The action of beginning practicing and banging on the wall happened repeatedly in the past.