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Grammar 1 Past simple, past continuous

1 Read about the uses of the past simple and the past continuous.
Past simple Past continuous
• something that started and finished at a stated • actions that were in progress at a stated time
time in the past in the past
They investigated that crime two years ago. The historian was reading a book at five
• past routines and habits o’clock last night.
The archaeologist often visited Egypt. • two or more actions that were in progress at
• situations or states which were true in the past, the same time in the past
but are no longer true I was watching a spooky programme while my
Tony believed in ghosts when he was a child. brother was doing the laundry.
• actions that happened one after the other in • giving background information in a story
the past, for example when telling a story The sun was shining and John was walking in
Dean opened the door of the haunted house, the forest.
went inside and walked slowly up the stairs. • an action that was in progress in the past that
• past actions which won’t happen again was interrupted by another.
Homer wrote many stories about the ancient We were talking about our theory when we
Greeks. observed something remarkable.
Note: Remember that we do not usually use stative verbs in continuous tenses.

2 Read the sentences and identify the main verb in each. Which tense is used? Which sentence is
incorrect? Why?
a Tom was wanting to find proof to solve the mystery.
b Tom was looking for proof to solve the mystery.
Read 2.1-2.2 of the Grammar Reference before you do the tasks.

3 Circle the correct words to complete the sentences.
1 Peter wasn’t watching / didn’t watch a scary programme at seven o’clock yesterday.
2 Alfred Hitchcock was directing / directed many remarkable films.
3 Every year, Pat brought / was bringing me a mysterious box and we were opening / opened it together.
4 Lara read / was reading a book of myths while Tyler surfed / was surfing the Net.
5 Did they solve / Were they solving the mystery in 1990?
6 Tom knew / was knowing about the bizarre event.
7 The spirit was coming / came out of the castle, walked / was walking down to the lake and
disappeared / was disappearing.

4 Complete the text. Use the past simple or the past continuous.

Pandora’s box
According to the Greek myth, there once (live) a man called Hephaestus. One day, while
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he (work), Zeus (tell) Hephaestus to make him a daughter.
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He (listen) to Zeus, (make) a beautiful woman and
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6 (name) her Pandora. Zeus (send) Pandora to marry
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Epimetheus, who was the brother of Prometheus. Prometheus had given people the gift of fire and Zeus
8 (want) to get revenge. Zeus (give)
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Pandora a box and (order) her never to open it. However, Pandora
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was very curious, so one night while her husband (sleep), she
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12 (open) the box and all kinds of terrible things came out: hate,
crime, disease ... . When Epimetheus (wake up), Pandora
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14 (cry). She (open) the box to
show Epimetheus it was empty and he (see) a small insect
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inside. ‘My name is Hope,’ it said. Hope (thank) Pandora for
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opening the box and (fly away) to help the world.
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