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Past Progressive Tense Exercises For English Grammar


Past Progressive Exercise 1


The Past Progressive Tense, also known as the Past Continuous Tense, is used in English grammar to describe actions that were ongoing at a specific time in the past. This tense is formed by combining the past form of the verb “to be” (was/were) with the present participle of the main verb (ending in -ing). The Past Progressive Tense is often used to emphasize that an action was in progress when another event occurred or to express two actions happening simultaneously in the past. In this set of exercises, you will practice using the Past Progressive Tense in various contexts. Good luck!

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Past Progressive Exercise 1

1. She (cook) dinner when the guests arrived.

2. While I (study), my brother was watching TV.

3. They (play) soccer when it started to rain.

4. He (listen) to music while he was doing his homework.

5. We (wait) for the bus when it began to snow.

6. The children (laugh) as they were playing in the park.

7. She (talk) on the phone while she was driving.

8. They (sit) on the bench when the dog approached them.

9. I (read) a book when my friend called me.

10. She (cry) while she was watching the sad movie.

11. The sun (set) as they were walking on the beach.

12. He (work) on his computer when the power went out.

13. They (eat) dinner when the doorbell rang.

14. She (water) the plants when it started to rain.

15. They (shop) in the mall when they heard the announcement.

Past Progressive Exercise 2

1. He (write) an email when his computer crashed.

2. They (argue) when their teacher walked in.

3. I (watch) a movie when I fell asleep.

4. She (clean) the house while her husband was cooking.

5. The birds (sing) as the sun was rising.

6. He (fix) his car when his friend arrived to help.

7. They (travel) in Europe when they decided to extend their trip.

8. She (paint) her room when she spilled the paint.

9. I (walk) my dog when I found a lost wallet.

10. They (dance) at the party when the music stopped.

11. He (run) in the park when he twisted his ankle.

12. She (take) a shower when the phone rang.

13. They (study) together when they decided to take a break.

14. I (make) breakfast when I ran out of eggs.

15. She (try) to catch the bus when she dropped her bag.

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