Past Simple vs Past Continuous
When she _______________ (arrive) home, her mother ______________________ (watch) and her father ___________________ (sleep).
"arrived", "was watching" and "was sleeping"
The pirate _____ (not know) that the prisoner _____ (escape).
didn't know, had escaped
My aunt’s beautiful antique vase broke while I washed it.
Was washing
Her lover _____ (betray) her. In a fit of rage, she _____ (throw) away the letter that she _____(write)
Had betrayed, threw, had written.
A letter from him _____ (reach) me, a wild letter which _____ (demand) that I reply by coming to see him. He _____ (write) of an illness of the body, of a sickness of the mind, and of a desire to see me, his best and indeed his only friend.
Had reached, demanded, wrote.
I ____________________(wonder) if you could help me
"was wondering"
I _____(dream) about a holiday in Greece. I _____ (can) believe it when my husband ______(book) one as a surprise!
Had been dreaming, couldn't, booked
During the phone call, Felicity was asking him to go camping at the weekend.
Asked
They _____ (show) me the pictures they _____ (take) during their holidays, but I honestly _____ (not like) them at all.
Showed, had taken, didn't like
Dupin _____ (be) the last member of a well-known family, a family which _____ (once, be) rich and famous; he himself, however, _____ (be) far from rich.
Was, had once been, was.
I had just finished paying for my clock and as I _____ (turn) around, I saw an old lady that _____ (hide) a small box of silverware in her purse.
Turned, was hiding.
Peter _____ (be) Sally's best friend, since he _____ (know) him all her life.
Was, had known
When we chatted in the café, I didn’t notice someone stealing my bag.
Were chatting
When he _____ (wake up) the alarm _____ (go off), so he _____ (be) late to work.
Woke up, had gone off, was.
I _____ (go) to spend several weeks in this house of sadness — this house of gloom. Its owner _____ (name) Roderick Usher. We _____ (be) friends when we were boys; but many years _____ (pass) since our last meeting.
Was going, was named, had been, had passed.
I _____ (watch) a movie on TV when the light suddenly _____ (go) out.
Was watching, went.
When the search _____ (begin), the girl _____ (miss) for two days and nobody _____ (have) news of her.
Began, had been missing, had had.
My dad didn’t used to have dinner with us very often because he worked long hours.
Didn't use
We _____ (never, think) that he would dare to do such thing.
Had never thought.
The Red death _____ (feed) on the country. No sickness _____ (ever, be) so deadly — so great a killer — or so fearful to see. Blood _____ (be) its mark; there were sharp pains, and a sudden feeling that the mind _____ (rush) in circles inside the head.
Had been feeding, had ever been, was, was rushing/rushed.
While I _____ (study) for my exam, my brother _____ (break) in screaming. He _____ (cry) because he had hit his head on the counter, so I _____ (have) to soothe him down.
I _____(wait) for hours so I _____ (decide) to go for a coffee, but by the time I _____ (come) back the bus _____ (already, leave).
Had been waiting, decided, came, had already left.
When Nick arrived at the party it was late and most of the guests went home.
If I _____ (not arrive) in time, the bus would have left without me.
Hadn't arrived
It _____(rain) and the pavement _____(cover) with puddles, so when he _____(try) to run to catch the bus he _____ (slip) and_____ (fall).
Had been raining, was covered, tried, slipped, fell