past continuous (beginner)

A) Study this situation :

Yesterday Karen and Jim played tennis. They began at 10o'clock and finished at 11.30
So, at 10.30, they were playing tennis.

They were playing tennis = They were in the middle of playing, they had not finish yet.

Was/Were vb-ing is the pas continuous:

I/he/she/it was playing/doing/working....
We/you/they were playing/doing/working....

B) compare past continuous and past simple :

past continuous : in the middle of an action
-I was walking home when I met Dave. (the action : walking wasn't over)
-Kate was watching TV when we arrived

past simple : action is completed or over
-I walked home afer the party last night (= all the way is done)
- Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill last year

B) utilisation
We often use the pas simple and the past continuous together to say that something happened in the middle of something else (it was raining when I got up).
But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened after another (I was walking along the road when I saw Dave. So I stopped, and we had a chat)

D) exercises

Put the ver into the correct form, past continuous or past simple!

1) Jenny was waiting (wait) for me when I arrived (arrive)
2) what.....................(you/do)at this time yesterday? I was asleep
3) .......................(you/go) out last night? No, I was too tired
4) How fast .................(you/drive) when the accident ............. (happen)?
5)Sam .............(take) a photograph of me while I ............ (not/look)

Send Your exercise to Emilie