The Past Continuous Tense

was/were + дієслово із закінченням -ing

Стверджувальна форма	Питальна форма	Заперечна форма
I was working	Was I working?	I was not (wasn’t) working
You were working	Were you working?	You were not (weren’t) working
He (she, it) was working	Was he (she, it) working?	He (she, it) was not (wasn’t) working
We were working	Were we working?	We were not (weren’t) working
They were working	Were they working?	They were not (weren’t) working

at 5 o’clock, at that moment у той момент, the whole evening увесь вечір, all day увесь день, from 5 till 6 yesterday з 5 до 6 вечора, when mother came іn коли зайшла мама

We use the past continuous:

a) for an action which was in progress at a in the past. We do not mention when started or finished.

e.g. At seven o'clock yesterday evening they were having dinner. (We do not know when they started or finished their dinner)

b) for an action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use the past continuous 1 the action in progress (longer action) and the past simple for the action which interrupted it (shorter action).

e.g. He was walking down the street when he ran into an old friend

с) for two or more simulta­neous past actions.

e.g. She was talking on her mobile phone while she was driving to work.

d) to describe the atmosphere, setting, etc. in the introduction to a story before we describe the main events.

e.g. One beautiful autumn afternoon, Ben was strolling down a quiet country lane. The birds were singing and the leaves were rustling in the breeze.

The past continuous is used with the following time expressions: while, when, as, all morning\evening/night, etc.

Ex. 1

Comment on the use of the Past Progressive in the following sentences.

1. When Ann turned on the television, the weatherman was giving the weekend forecast for Europe. 2. Diana and I were sitting in the library on Sunday reading the newspapers. Or rather she was merely glancing through them. 3. To start a conversation I asked him what he was doing at Oxford. 4. The noise was caused by a dog, which was chasing cat through the garden. 5. Summer was slipping away day by day. 6. The crisis over, Jake was finally feeling better in spirits. 7. Maxim's jaw dropped, he was unable to absorb the things he was hearing. 8. And I just knew it was my mother's face I was seeing in my mind. 9. Emma was generous of her time and money and she was understanding of heart. And she was being understanding now. And yet part of her was still disbelieving that it was true. 10. As usual, he was being selfish, thinking only about himself. 11. When she came back to the office, the secretary was still riffling through some papers. 12. She was being perfectly friendly again. 13. Nora thought she was being noisy. 14. When I entered a Pizza Hut, all around me people were eating pizzas the size of bus wheels. 15. He was liking the boy less and less every second.

Ex. 2

A group of people were staying in hotel. One evening the fire alarm rang. Use the words in brackets to make sentences saying what each person was doing at the time.

1. Don (to have a bath); 2. Carol and Dennis (to have dinner); 3. Tom (to make a phone call); 4. George (to get ready to go out); 5. David (to watch television); 6. Mary (to chat with her friends in the lounge); 7. Martha (to look through the Financial Times); 8. Linda and Paul (to quarrel); 9. Brenda and her friends (to enjoy dancing in the discotteque); 10. John and Ringo (to have great fun in a hotel’s bar); 11. The Whites (to come downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant); 12. Susan (to wait for the lift to take her to her room); Anne (to write a letter in her room).

Ex. 3

Complete the conversation. Put in the past continuous forms.

Jessica: (e.g.) I was looking (I / look) for you, Vicky. I'm afraid I've broken this dish.

Vicky: Oh no! What (1) …(you / do)?

Jessica: (2) … (I / take) it into the kitchen. I bumped into Emma. (3) … (she / come)

out just as (4) … (I / go) in.

Vicky: I expect it was your fault. (5) … (you / not / look) where (6) … (you / go).

Jessica: Sorry. I'll buy you another one as soon as I have any money.

Ex. 4

Say what you were doing at a certain moment in the past.

1. Were you expecting anyone at 7 o’clock last night? 2. You were working overtime last week, weren’t you? 3. What game were you playing when we stopped to watch you? 4. What happened when you were taking your exam in English? 5. Who were you visiting from 5 to 7 last Friday? 6. Where were you travelling to when you found your luggage missing? 7. You were having a conference in your hotel last week, weren’t you? 8. What conference were you having there? 9. How many participants were you expecting to come? 10. Who was your boss talking with when you wanted to see him? 11. While talking to that person your boss was getting more and more agitated, wasn’t he? 12. Was the boss willing very much to see you after that person had left his office? 13. What were you doing at 8 o’clock yesterday evening?

Ex. 5

Read these sets of two simple sentences. Write a compound sentence each time saying that one action was interrupted by another action.

1. John went out. I came in. 2. We waited for the bus. We saw an accident. 3. The doorbell rang. Jack left the house. 4. Mike had an accident. He drove too fast. 5. It started to rain. I set off. 6. Richard called. I went to bed. 7. I didn’t hear you. I listened to the radio. 8. He bought a ticket. The train left. 9. We played cards. The light went out. 10. My dad lost a finger. He operated a lift truck. 11. The worker crippled the line. He manufactured the last lot of tinned food. 12. The shop lost money. It sold poor-quality products. 13. I watched television. I fell asleep.

Ex. 6

Put the verbs into the correct form, the Past Progressive or the Past Simple.

A

1. Sally … (to burn) her wrist when she … (to cook) dinner. 2. Last night I … (to read) in bed when suddenly I … (to hear) a scream. 3. Tom … (to take) a photograph of me while I … (not to look). 4. We … (not to go) out because it … (to rain). 5. Malcolm … (to fall) off the ladder while he … (to paint) the ceiling. 6. I … (not to drive) very fast when the accident … (to happen). 7. What … (you/to do) at this time yesterday? 8. Ann … (to break) a plate last night. She … (to do) the washing-up when it … (to slip) out of her hand. 9. The phone … (to ring) still when I … (to rush) into the room. 10. When Sid … (to be) young, he … (to work) from morning till night. 11. One day I … (to play) by the big window in our front room where I … (to use) to sit on wet days looking at the rain. 12. Last night at 9.35 the Director of a school … (to walk) from the office to his car when somebody … (to attack) him from behind.

B

1. On that special day Grandma was in her best clothes, she (wear) net gloves and a hat. 2. The child's eyes (shine) with excitement as he stared at the rows and rows of toys in this fantastic shop. 3. The scientists (work) around the clock, they (try) to raise funds for further research. 4. She looked out of the window and saw that the children (return) slowly from school. 5. When we (meet) for the first time, he (sell) newspapers on the streets. 6. At exactly this time yesterday they (have) a briefing. 7. What you (do) when I (call) you? You (sleep) or what? 8. We (have) a very lazy holiday. We (play) tennis, (visit) friends, the children (swim) and (sunbathe). 9. Gwenny still (leaf) through the magazines when returned to the parlour. 10. The middle-aged couple (discuss) their plans for Christmas — who to invite. 11. The police who (investigate) the crime at the moment, (can) find no clues at all. 12.I know that you thought that I (be stubborn) the other day. 13. The train (speed) past hills full of cows and sheep.

Ex. 7

Translate the following sentences into English. Mind the use of the Past Continuous.

A

1. Коли пролунав сигнал пожежної тривоги, Джон і Рінго веселились в барі готелю. 2. Вчора мені треба було побачитись з керівником нашого відділу з приводу одного неприємного питання. Проте коли я до нього прийшов, у нього в кабінеті уже хтось був. Я чекав в приймальні закінчення цієї зустрічі, і мені було чути, що з кожною хвилиною наш бос все більше і більше сердився: він навіть повисив голос. Звичайно, що після такої зустрічі у нього не було ніякого бажання обговорювати моє питання. 3. Ричард тільки зараз безробітній. Я пам’ятаю, що в цей час минулого року він працював на фабриці, що в 100 кілометрах від дому. Щоб прокормити велику сім’ю, Ричард тоді працював з ранку до ночі, а дуже часто і наднормово. Додому він приїжджав тільки на вихідні.

B

1. У него алиби, инспектор. В прошлую субботу в 9 часов вечера он сидел в пивной. Многие люди могут подтвердить это. 2. Извините, но я не мог присоеди­ниться к вам, потому что смотрел свой любимый фильм. 3. — Чем сейчас занимается твой сын? — Го­товится к вступительным экзаменам в университет. 4. Вечером мы поехали в центр города. Множество людей смотрели концерт на Красной площади, неко­торые пели, другие танцевали. 5. Они уже опаздыва­ли, но не могли выйти, потому что шел сильный дождь. 6. Кто-то стучал в дверь, но мы никого не ждали. 7. Никто не мог понять, что происходило. 8. Когда мы пришли в офис, все обсуждали последние события. 9. В доме было спокойно: тикали часы, кошка играла с мячиком, собака спала у камина, дети собирали но­вую игру. 10. Все были очень заняты — они готови­лись к отъезду. 11. Вчера он целый день лежал на диване: читал, спал, смотрел телевизор. 12. Мы виде­ли, что он пытался помочь своим друзьям. 13. Идея осенила Норриса, когда он наслаждался сигарой.

Ex. 8

Write a compound sentence made of two simple sentences, saying that two actions were going on at the same time.

1. You had a bath. The girls washed the dishes. 2. You talked to Mary. I talked to John. 3. I made the tea. Jimmy cleaned the car. 4. Alison got ready. Graham fetched the car. 5. I had a holiday in France. My parents worked hard. 6. It rained. I walked up the hill. 7. The house burnt down. We slept. 8. Jane and Lewis whispered in class. The monitor looked at them with indignation. 9. The children enjoyed playing cards. Their mothers chatted in another room. 10. There was a fight going on in the street. Two men hit each other. A lot of women and children watched them and shouted. 11. Anne and Bill met in the café by chance. They flirted, smiled at each other, drank coffee and ate cakes. Bill’s girlfriend Jane lay in bed ill. 12. Anne and Bill left the café. They saw Jane and Harry who laughed and walked arm in arm. 13. I shaved. The children had breakfast.

Ex. 9

Ask questions to the following statements. Begin with a given interrogative word (words).

1. At 5 sharp Helen was talking to the Dean. (When …) 2. The foreigner was speaking slowly because he wanted us to understand the joke. (How … Why …) 3. The Fretwells were travelling from India to China when they met the stranger again. (Where … to) 4. They were playing cards when the stranger appeared on the deck. (When …) 5. The customs official was inspecting Bill’s luggage when he heard an explosion. (What …) 6. It was raining heavily as Jack was walking up the hill towards the station at 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning. (How … Where … to) 7. Just as Jack was crossing the road near the top of the hill, a car came round the corner. (What road …) 8. Jack guessed at once that the driver was having difficulty in controlling it. (What difficulty …) 9. While they were sailing up the west coast of Africa, they ran out of food. (Where …) 10. The secretary was still dialing 911 when she saw the burglar again. (What …) 11. Last year customers were getting used to soaring prices. (Who …) 12. Some time ago we were expecting a number of cases featuring pharmaceutical companies. (What companies …) 13. I was visiting my friend from 5 to 6 yesterday. (Who …)

Ex. 10

Translate these sentences into English by using the Past Progressive.

1. Ми збиралися на пікнік. В той час як я готував машину, а Бетті пакувала провізію, діти бігали по всьому будинку і заважали нам. 2. Як раз в той момент, коли Джек переходив дорогу, з-за рогу з’явився автомобіль. Джек відразу зрозумів, що у водія проблеми з керуванням. 3. Я пам’ятаю, що Нік раніше був не дуже надійним співробітником: він завжди відкладав важливі справи на самий останній момент. 4. Весь минулий тиждень група підприємців з Китаю знаходилась в нашому місті. Вони вивчали можливості співробітництва в сфері малого бізнесу.

Ex. 11

Find the second part of each sentence. Put each verb into the correct form.

e.g. Vicky (have) a beautiful dream when she (touch) the wire.

When Andrew (see) the question, when I (find) a £10 note in it.

1. The train (wait) when the alarm clock (ring).

2. I (read) a library book the crowd (rush) in.

3. Sarah (have) an electric shock he (know) the answer immediately.

4. When the doors (open), they (see) that the sun (shine).

5. When the campers (wake), when we (arrive) at the station.

e.g. Vicky was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock rang.

When Andrew saw the question, he knew the answer immediately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Ex. 12

Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

A

The sun 1) ...was shining... (shine) and the birds 2)......................(sing) as Mike 3)......................(drive) down the country lane. He 4) ......................... (smile), because he 5)..................(look forward) to the journey ahead. Mike 6)........................(enjoy) driving, especially when he 7).........................(go) somewhere new. Then, suddenly, the engine 8)..........................(begin) to make a strange noise and the car 9).............................(stop)

dead in the middle of the road. Mike 10) .................... (try) to start it, but nothing 11).........................(happen).

He 12) ....................... (sigh), then 13) ........................ (get out) of the car. As he 14)..........................(push) the car to the side of the road, Mike 15)............................. (start) to wish he had stayed at home.

В

John 1)..................(enter) his flat and 2)..................(close) the door. He 3)........................(hang up) his coat when he 4)........................(hear) a strange noise. A tap 5).....................(run) in the kitchen. He 6)..................... (walk) into the kitchen and 7)..................... (turn) it off. Then, he 8)...................(freeze). Someone 9)................. (stand) behind him. He 10).........................(take) a deep breath and 11)....................(turn) around. His flatmate, Steve, 12)..............................(lean) in the doorway. 'You 13).........................(give) me a fright!' John exclaimed. Steve 14).................(laugh) at him. John 15)................(start) to laugh, too. 'I 16) .............(think) you had gone to London today,' he said. 17) ............................... (reply) Steve. 'Unfortunately I 18).............................(miss) the train.'

Ex. 13

Make the right choice.

1. Kate's hopes ... after her last interview.

a. raised b. rose c. were raising

2. The landscape ... in silence, as if the world had stopped

a. lay b. laid с was lying

3. The King's palace ... on the hill, overlooking the river.

a. was standing b. stood c. stayed

4. A narrow path ... to the entrance to the secret garden.

a. led b. was leading с is leading

5. Meredith laughed and ... a perfectly shaped brow.

a. rose b. raised c. was raising

6. Instinctively she recognized that here her future ... .

a. lay b. lied с was lying

7. She ... suddenly and began to clear the kitchen table.

a. raised b. was rising с rose

g. I ... my hand in greeting.

a. raised b. rose с was raising

9. A little river ... through the grounds.

a. flowed b. was flowing с flew

10. Molly was walking along the lonely path that ... between the hills.

a. ran b. was running с runs

11. A thick fog ... in the air.

a. hanged b. hung c. was hanging

12. Do you happen to know who ... this public fund?

a. found b. founded с finds

13. My parents can't offer me any financial help. I have to ... the money myself.

a. raise b. rise c. rose

14. Now she knew that her happiness ... in his hands.

a. was lying b. was laying с. lay

15. When I came into the room, my dog ... on the bed again.

a. was laying b. lay c. was lying

16. The door ... open.

a. stood b. was standing c. stood up

17. Last week he ... a new record.

a. sat b. set c. was sitting

18. After the heavy rains the lake ...

a. rose b. raised c. risen

Ex. 14

Complete the following story by putting the verbs in brackets into the correct tense form, either the Past Simple or the Past Progressive.

I … (to mend) my sails one day when a man I had worked with before … (to walk) up and … (to ask) me if I’d like to have a drink. I … (to think) he probably had more than just a friendly drink in mind, so I … (to stop) what I … (to do), … (to wipe) off my hands and … (to follow) him to the local drink shop. It … (to be) there that I … (to find) out that he … (to recruit) people to work on Necho’s project. Nowadays everybody knows about our journey, but then it … (to sound) a bit strange. At first I thought the man … (to try) to play a trick on me. But the more he … (to talk), the better it … (to sound) – a real adventure. I …(to get) tired of the same old sea routes year after year. Besides, I … (to think) it would be a great trading opportunity; the route to Carthage, across Greek waters … (to get) more and more dangerous. You may not believe this, but it … (only to take) me a few minutes to decide; I … (to sit) there in that shop with a cup in my hand, and I … (to make) a decision that would change my life – and lots of other people’s lives as well.

There were times on the journey when I … (to have) doubts about my decision. Once while we were being pushed south-west by the monsoon winds, I was nearly washed off the deck by a big wave. And one day during the long sail south, one of the men … (to try) to convince the rest of us that we were under a magic spell when a dead black bird … (to fall) on the deck; believe me, we were scared.

But there were some good times, too; we … (to have) to stop and collect supplies on the west coast, and we … (to stay) there for a long time, in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. One evening while I … (to sit) under a tree with the wind in my face and a luscious big mango to eat, I almost … (to decide) to stay there for the rest of my life. But of course, I … (not to stay), I … (to know) that I would get tired of it soon enough, and besides, my wife and children … (to wait) for me back in Tyre.

We … (to see) thousands of birds at Gibraltar, but these … (to be) alive: they … (to fly) over, on their way south for the winter.

In December, when I … (to get) home, I … (to make) sure that no one told my family before I … (to arrive). When I … (to walk) through the door, my wife … (to put) supper on the table, and my son and daughter – whom I … (hardly to recognize) - … (to play) by the fireplace. I … (to know) when I … (to see) them that I had done the right thing not to stay under that tree. I still think of that big tree in the jungle sometimes, though; and I’ll bet there’s not a man who … (to go) on that journey who wouldn’t like to go back.

Ex. 15

Lorna Bright is a long-distance walker. Look at this part of her diary describing a mornings walk along the coast. Write the missing words. Use one word only in each space.

It was a fine day (e.g.) when I started out on the last part of my walk around the coast of Britain. The sun was (1) … , and a light wind (2) … blowing from the south-west. I was pleased that it (3) … raining. I knew by now that I (4) … like rain. In fact I (5) … it. I (6) … along the cliff top and then down into the lovely little fishing village of Wellburn, past a cafe where people (7) … having morning coffee. Three miles past Wellburn I (8) … down for five minutes and (9) … a drink. Now it(10) … getting warmer, so I (11) … off one of my sweaters. I (12) … stop for long because I (13) … to reach Seabury by lunch-time. (14) … I finally got there, it (15) … just after half past twelve.

Ex 16

Translate into English using the Past Continuous or the Past Indefinite.

1. Когда я вошел в зал, студенты все еще обсуждали первый доклад. 2. Поезд приближался к станции; делегаты стояли у окон и махали шляпами. По перрону бежали дети с цветами. 3. Пассажиры так н не увидели Байкал. Когда поезд проезжал Байкал, была ночь. 4. Охотники замолчали. Красивый олень медленно приближался к ним. 5. Вдруг, когда уже не оставалось никакой надежды на спасение, люди на тонущем корабле уви­дели дым на горизонте. Какой-то пароход направлялся к ним на помощь. 6. Поезд набирал скорость, когда он вскочил в вагон. 7. Я разговаривал с Воронежем по телефону в течение 10 минут. Но каждую минуту что-то случалось: то кричали какие-то голоса, то телефонистка прерывала нас, то что-то свистело в трубке. 8. Машинистка печатала доклад, когда В0шла секретарь и положила на стол еще какие-то бумаги. 9. Иванов писал свою знаменитую картину «Явление Христа народу» двадцать лет. 10. Пока директор вел деловую беседу с представителями ино­странных фирм, секретарь сортировала утреннюю почту. 11. В то время как он пробирался сквозь толпу, он услышал, как кто-то окликнул его. 12. Мы вышли на привокзальную площадь. Толпы народа спешили на вокзал и с вокзала; сновали носильщики с тяжелыми чемоданами, подъезжали и отъезжали машины, кто-то покупал цветы. К нам подошел шофер такси и спросил, куда нам ехать. 1- Королевский дворец стоял в парке. 2. Полицейс­кий стоял на перекрестке и регулировал движение. 3. Река протекала через лес. 4. Перед нами лежала прекрасная долина. 5. Мальчик лежал на полу и смот­рел мультики. 6. Дорога вела к церкви. 7. Сусанин вел Поляков через лес, все дальше и дальше от Москвы. 8. Ее будущее в твоих руках. 9. Кто основал этот фонд? 10. Кто нашел мою кассету? Спасибо! 11. стояла открытой. 12. В воздухе висел густой туман. 13. Дай молоток, мы вешаем барометр. 14.Самолет взлетел, и через минуту огромный город лежал под нами. 15. Эта пьеса идет (to run) в нашем театре. 16. Почему вода течет на кухне? 17. Этот колодец пересыхает летом.

Ex. 17

a) Complete the sentences using these pairs of verbs. Use the Past Simple in one space and the Past Continuous in the other.

arrive/get go/get met/work look/slip wait/order ski/break

1. Just as I ……… into the bath the fire alarm ……… off.

2. Helen ……… her leg while she ……… in Switzerland.

3. We ……… when I ……… in a music shop.

4. When his mother ……… in the other direction Steve ……… away quietly.

5. I ……… a drink while I ……… for Pam to arrive.

6. Our guests were early. They ……… as I ……… changed.

b) This time, use the same tense in both spaces.

close/sit come/put not concentrate/think shut/start take/place write/drive

1. She ……… the door and ……… down quickly.

2. I ……… the windows as soon as it ……… to rain.

3. I’m sorry, I ……… . I ……… about Jim.

4. It was an amazing coincidence. Just as I ……… to Anne, she ……… to my house to come and see me.

5. When the taxi ……… I ……… my suitcase on the back seat.

6. He ……… the cake out of the oven and ……… it carefully on the table.

c) Look at the Past Continuous verbs you wrote in a) and b). Which of these could also be in the Past Simple? What difference in meaning, if any, would there be?

Ex.18

Complete the sentences with one of these verbs: be, enjoy, have, live. Use the same verb for each sentence in pair. In one, you can use only the Past Simple; in the other you can use either the Past Simple or the Past Continuous.

1. a) It was now getting late, and my eyes ……… trouble focusing on the birds in the disappearing light.

b) I ……… trouble with that car the whole of the time I owned it.

2. a) As a historian, I’m interested in how people ……… in the past.

b) During that hard winter, people ……… by selling what few remaining possessions they had.

3. a) She ……… very good at talking to children in a way that kept them entertained.

b) Before the party, the children got very excited and ……… naughty.

4. a) He ……… learning Japanese until the class had a new teacher.

b) Even when he was young, Jonathan ……… learning languages.

Ex.19

Correct the sentences if necessary or put a ☑.

1. Whenever I called in on Sam, he talked on the phone.

2. When I lived in Paris, I was spending three hours a day traveling to and from work.

3. Peterson was winning the tournament four times before he retired.

4. We were having to play netball twice a week when I went to school.

5. The weather was so good last summer that we went to the beach most weekends.

Ex 20

Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: simple past or past continuous.

A

1) Peter and Ann (decide) to redecorate their sitting-room themselves. 2) They (choose) cream paint for the woodwork and apricot for the walls. 3) When John (look) in to see how they (get) on, Ann (mix) the paint, and Peter (wash) down the walls. 4) They (be) glad to see John and (аsk) if he (do) anything special that day. 5) He hastily (reply) he (go) to the theatre and (go) away at once, because he (know) they (look) for someone to help them. 6) They (begin) painting, but (find) the walls (be) too wet. 7) While they (wait) for the walls to dry, Ann (remember) she (have) a phone call to make. 8) Peter (start) painting while she (telephone), and (do) a whole wall before Ann (come) back. 9) He (grumble) that she always (telephone). 10) Ann (retort) that Peter always (complain). 11) They (work) in silence for some time. 12) Just as they (start) the third wall, the doorbell (ring). 13) It (be) a friend of Peter's who (want) to know if Peter (play) golf the following weekend. 14) He (stay) talking to Peter in the hall while Ann (go) on painting. 15) At last he (leave). 16) Peter (return), expecting Ann to say something about friends who (come) and (waste) valuable time talking about golf. 17) But Ann nobly (say) nothing. 18) Then Peter (think) he would do the ceiling. 19) He just (climb) the step ladder when the doorbell (ring) again. 20) Ann (say) she (get) tired of interruptions but (go) and (open) the door. 21) It (be) the postman with a letter from her aunt Mary, saying she (come) to spend the weekend with them and (arrive) that evening at 6.30.

B

1) I (walk) along Piccadilly when I (realize) that a man with a ginger beard, whom I had seen three times already that afternoon, (follow) me. 2) To make quite sure, I (walk) on quickly, (turn) right, then left and (stop) suddenly at a shop window. 3) In a few minutes the man with the beard (appear) and (stop) at another shop window. 4) I (go) on. 5) Whenever I (stop) he (stop), and whenever I (look) round he (be) still there. 6) He (look) a very respectable type and (wear) very conventional clothes and I (wonder) if he was a policeman or a private detective. 7) I (decide) to try and shake him off. 8) A 74 bus (stand) at the bus stop just beside me. 9) Then the conductor (come) downstairs and (ring) the bell; just as the bus (move) off, I (jump) on it. 10) The man with the beard (miss) the bus but (get) into another 74, which (follow) the first. 11) Both buses (crawl) very slowly along Knightsbridge. 12) Every time the buses (pull) up at a stop, the man (look) out anxiously to see if I (get) off. 13) Finally, at some traffic lights, he (change) buses and (get) into mine. 14) At Gloucester Road Underground, I (leave) the bus and (buy) a ticket at a ticket machine. 15) As I (stand) on the platform waiting for a Circle Line train, my pursuer (come) down the stairs. 16) He (carry) a newspaper and when we (get) into the same compartment, he (sit) in one corner reading it, and I (read) the advertisements. 17) He (look) over the top of the newspaper at every station to see if I (get) out. 18) I (become) rather tired of being shadowed like this, so finally I (go) and (sit) beside the man and (ask) him why he (follow) me. 19) At first he (say) he (not follow) me at all but when I (threaten) to knock him down, he (admit) that he was. 20) Then he (tell) me he (be) a writer of detective stories and (try) to see if it was difficult to follow someone unseen. 21) I (tell) him he hadn't been unseen because I had noticed him in Piccadilly and I (advise) him to shave off his ginger beard if he (not want) his victim to know he (be) followed.

C

1) He (sit) on the bank fishing when he (see) a man's hat floating down the river. It (seem) strangely familiar. 2) It (snow) heavily when he (wake) up. He (remember) that Jack (come) for lunch and (decide) to go down to the station to meet him in case he (lose) his way in the snowy lanes. 3) When I (reach) the street I (realize) that I (not know) the number of Tom's house. I (wonder) what to do about it when Tom himself (tap) me on the shoulder. 4) As the goalkeeper (run) forward to seize the ball a bottle (strike) him on the shoulder. 5) I (look) through the classroom window. A geometry lesson (go) on. The teacher (draw) diagrams on the blackboard. Most of the boys (listen) to the teacher but a few (whisper) to each other, and Tom (read) a history book. Tom (hate) mathematics; he always (read) history during his mathematics lesson. 6) Everyone (read) quietly when suddenly the door (burst) open and a complete stranger (rush) in. 7) I (go) to Jack's house but (not find) him in. His mother (say) that she (not know) what he (do) but (think) he probably (play) football. 8) This used to be a station and all the London trains (stop) here. But two years ago they (close) the station and (give) us a bus service instead. 9) She (promise) not to report me to the police but ten minutes later I (see) her talking with a policeman and from the expression on his face I am sure she (tell) him all about it. I(pick) up the receiver and (dial) a number. To my surprise I (find) myself listening to an extraordinary conversation. Two men (plan) to kidnap the Prime Minister. 10) I (meet) Paul at the university. We (be) both in the same year. He (study) law, but he (not be) very interested in it and (spend) most of his time practising the flute. 11) The train just (start) when the door (open) and two panting passengers (leap) in. 12) 'What you (do) between 9.00 and 10.00 yesterday?' (say) the detective. - 'I (clean) my house,' said Mrs Jones. 'I always clean my house on Saturday mornings.' 13) My neighbour (look) in last night and (say) that he (leave) the district and (go) to Yorkshire, to a new job. I (say) that I (be) very sorry that he (go), and (tell) him to write to me from Yorkshire and tell me how he (get) on. 14) They (build) that bridge when I (be) here last year. They haven't finished it yet. 15) The dentist's waiting room was full of people. Some (read) magazines, others just (turn) over the pages. A woman (knit); a child (play) with a toy car. Suddenly the door (open) and the nurse (say), 'Next, please.' 16) The house next to yours (be) full of policemen and police dogs yesterday. ~ What they (do)? ~ I (hear) that they (look) for drugs- ~ They (find) any? ~ Yes, I believe one of the dogs (discover) some cannabis. 17) Peter (tell) me yesterday that he (make) his own £5 notes. - Don't believe him. He just (pull) your leg. 18) A traffic warden just (stick) a parking ticket to my windscreen when I (come) back to the car. I (try) to persuade him to tear it up but he (refuse). 19) Ann works in the branch where the big robbery (take) place. - She actually (work) there at the time of the raid? 20) When Ann (say) that she (come) to see me the next day, I (wonder) what flowers she would bring. She always brings flowers. 21) While I (wonder) whether to buy the dress or not, someone else (come) and (buy) it.

D

1) He always (borrow) from me (he borrowed more often than was reasonable) but when I once (ask) him to lend me something, he (say) he (not have) got it before he even (know) what I (want) to borrow. 2) I (go) home on foot and all the time I (have) the impression that I (be) followed (passive). But though I (turn) round several times, I never (see) anybody. 3) I (bump) into Tom yesterday. I (ask) him to join us for lunch tomorrow but he (say) he (have) (had arranged to have) lunch with Ann. 4) My dog (attack) the postman as he (put) the letters into the letter box. The man (thrust) a large envelope into the dog's mouth and of course he (tear) it. Unfortunately the letter (contain) my diploma. I (patch) the diploma up with Sellotape but it still looks a bit odd. 5) How you (break) your leg? ~ I (fall) off a ladder when I (put) up curtains. The worst of it (be) that it (be) just before the holidays and I (go) away, (had planned to go away) ~ 6) So you (not go) away? — No, of course not. I (cancel) my bookings and (spend) the holiday hobbling about at home. 7) The curtain just (rise) when somebody at the back of the theatre (shout) 'Fire!' The audience (look) round nervously. 8) As it (rain) the children (play) in the sitting room. Tom was there too. He (try) to write a letter but he (not get on) very well because the children (keep) asking him questions. 9) What you (do) when the doorbell (ring)? ~ I (make) a cake. ~ And what you (do) when you (hear) the bell? - I (go) to answer it of course. But when I (open) the door there (be) nobody there. 10) A few minutes later the bell (ring) again and this time I (find) a man in a peaked cap who (say) he (make) a survey. 11) I (say), '(Be) it you who (ring) this bell a minute ago?' - 'No,' he (answer), 'but when I (talk) to your neighbour I (see) a man standing at your door. I think he (go) round to the back of your house.' 12) We (not get) much sleep last night because the people next door (have) a noisy party. I (ring) up the landlord and (say) that his tenants (make) too much noise. He (point out) that it (be) Saturday and that people often (have) parties on Saturday nights. I (say) that the people in his house always (have) parties. (had too many parties) 13) What you (do) before you (get) this job?- I (work) for Brown and Company. - And how long you (stay) with them?~ I (stay) for about six months. I (leave) because they always (go) on strike. It (become) quite monotonous.

Ex. 21

Translate the following sentences into English using the Past Indefinite or the Past Continuous.

A.

1. Холт виглянув у вікно. Йшов легкий дощ, і дерева поблискували тут і там в цьому дощі. 2. Поки носій і шофер вкладали його речі в машину, Джек закурив сигарету. 3. В цей момент він побачив свого брата. Він стояв по іншу сторону скляних дверей. 4. Жінка щось сказала хлопчику, який ішов поруч з нею. 5. Коли хлопчик заснув, він все ще тримав нову іграшку. 6. Він прокинувся. Біля його ліжка дзвонив телефон. 7. Джо був задоволений, що його брат тепер вів машину повільніше. 8. Вона сиділа в глибині кімнати, обличчям до дверей. На ній було та ж сама сукня, і вона сміливо дивилася на групу з трьох мужчин, які стояли в іншій стороні кімнати. Коли Джек підійшов до неї, вона посміхнулась йому. Він ясно відчував, що троє мужчин спостерігають за ним.

B.

1. Коли я ввійшов до зали, студенти все ще обговорювали першу доповідь. 2. Поїзд наближався до станції; делегати стояли у вікон та махали капелюхами. По перону бігли діти з квітами. 3. Пасажири так і не побачили Байкал. Коли поїзд проїжджав Байкал, була ніч. 4. Мисливці замовкли. Гарний олень повільно наближався до них. 5. Раптом, коли уже не залишалось ніякої надії на врятування, люди на кораблі, який тонув, побачили дим на горизонті. Якийсь пароход направлявся до них на допомогу. 6. Потяг набирав швидкість, коли він застрибнув у вагон. 7. Я розмовляв з Воронежем по телефону протягом 10 хвилин. Але кожну хвилину щось траплялось: то кричали якісь голоси, то телефоністка перебивала нас, то щось свистіло в слухавці. 8. Поки директор вів ділову бесіду з представниками іноземних фірм, секретар сортувала ранішню пошту.

Ex. 22

If the underlined verbs are correct, put a ☑. If they are wrong, correct them using either the Past Continuous or the Present Perfect Continuous as appropriate.

1. I was expecting the book to end happily, but in fact it was really sad.

2. The opposition groups were fighting the government on this issue for years, but so far without success.

3. The protesters have been campaigning for some months now to prevent the new road being built.

4. He has been looking nervous until I told him to sit down and relax.

5. Work to repair the bridge has been continuing throughout this summer.

6. Before she retrained as a computer programmer she has been working as a secretary.

7. I was receiving the magazine for some time and enjoy reading it immensely.

8. I was turning to leave when she said, ‘Maybe you’d like to stay for dinner.’

Past tenses can make requests, questions and suggestions more polite.

(They sound less direct than present tenses.)

I wondered if you were free this evening. How much did you want to spend, sir?

The past modal forms would, could and might are often used in this way. 1 thought it would be nice to have a picnic. Could I ask you to translate this for me? You might see if the consulate can help you.

Past progressives can make requests less direct, and so more polite.

I was wondering if I might use your phone.

In other kinds of sentence, present progressives can sound casual and friendly.

We're hoping you'll come and stay with us soon.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Ex. 23

Make these sentences less direct.

How many days do you intend to stay? ( past)

I hope you can lend me £10. ( past progressive and past modal)

I wonder if you have two single rooms.( past progressive and past)

Are you looking for anything special? ( past progressive)

Can you give me a hand? ( past modal)

I look forward to seeing you again. ( present progressive)

I think I'll borrow your bike for the afternoon if that's OK. ( past progressive and past modal)

We can ask Peter to help us. (past modal)

I wonder if I can ask you a small favour.(past progressive and past modal)

I think it will be a good idea to invite Simon.( past and past modal)