B1 English Grammar Test – Past Continuous multiple-choice questions

1   Yesterday, I dropped a glass while I … the dishes.

a) wash

b) am washing

c) was washing

2   I … the bike when I saw Liz.

a) were riding

b) was riding

c) ride

3   Were you … in the shower?

a) sang

b) will sing

c) singing

4   They … about the weather two days ago.

a) were talking

b) talk

c) have talked

5   Was John … tennis with Andrew?

a) played

b) playing

c) play

6   She … cricket yesterday.

a) was playing

b) plays

c) will be playing

7   They … their plans for the weekend three days ago.

a) will discuss

b) discussing

c) were discussing

8   When she arrived, we … dinner.

a) were having

b) had

c) having

9   My teacher … the exercise to me when he entered.

a) explained

b) explaining

c) was explaining

10   We … when the alarm went off.

a) slept

b) sleep

c) were sleeping

11   We … TV yesterday.

a) are watching

b) watch

c) were watching

12   I … the guitar when my dad came home.

a) practised

b) practicing

c) was practicing

13   When I entered the room, Mary … her hair.

a) was brushing

b) brush

c) brushed

14   Was she … to Matt yesterday?

a) talked

b) talking

c) was talking

15   John … at the door when we arrived at the office.

a) will wait

b) waited

c) was waiting

16   They … to what I was talking about.

a) listen not

b) listening not

c) weren’t listening

17   Simon … a shower when someone knocked at the door.

a) was having

b) has had

c) had

18   Yesterday at three o’clock, I … .

a) was working

b) worked

c) have worked

19   She … when I telephoned her.

a) was cooking

b) cooked

c) is cooking

20   She … when she broke her leg.

a) will ski

b) was skiing

c) skied

21   Were you listening while the teacher …?

a) speak

b) spoke

c) was speaking

22   I … when you phoned.

a) slept

b) was sleeping

c) will sleep

23   I … if you could open the window.

a) was wonder

b) wondered

c) was wondering

24   At 11:30 yesterday morning, I … in the park.

a) was walking

b) walked

c) will walked

25   When I phoned him, he … tennis with his brother.

a) was playing

b) played

c) had played

26   It … when I left home this morning.

a) snowed

b) is snowing

c) was snowing

27   I … my bike all day yesterday.

a) ride

b) am riding

c) was riding

28   Was Ben … a shower?

a) had

b) having

c) will have

29   Two children … on the sand and two fishermen … against an upturned boat.

a) was leaning/was playing

b) were playing/was leaning

c) was leaning/were playing

d) were playing/were leaning

30   When my parents came I … the piano.

a) played

b) was playing

c) has playing

31   I … a bath when my smartphone rang.

a) was having

b) have having

c) was had

32   When the accident happened Marie … too fast.

a) was driving

b) has drive

c) drives

33   She … the ironing when she heard the news.

a) has doing

b) doing

c) was doing

34   When I first met her, she … in a restaurant.

a) is worked

b) was working

c) has worked

35   Jeremy had a bad fall while he … his roof.

a) repaired

b) has repaired

c) was repairing

36   Tom said that he was the captain of a ship which … that night for Marseilles.

a) sailing

b) sailed

c) was sailing

37   The airplane in which the football team … crashed soon after taking off.

a) traveled

b) travel

c) was travelling

38   The car had nobody in it but the engine … .

a) was running

b) run

c) has run