Practice. Ex. 29 Explain the use of the Past Continuous in the following sentences:

Ex. 29 Explain the use of the Past Continuous in the following sentences:

l. The front door of the house stood open. The maid was polish­ing the windows. 2. After a while he informed me that John was doing a transla­tion of some poems from Spanish. 3. I knew Harry was coming sometime on Monday. 4. You remember how he was always writing verses. 5. He glanced my way to see if I was listening. 6. By the time the month was up, Eric realized he was fighting a losing battle. 7. Roma said: "Hallo, everybody. We were passing and saw the light in the studio. We guessed you were having a party." 8. She stopped beside Tommy who was in a particularly scornful mood. He was leaving in the morning. 9. Well, I was taught not to interrupt when older people were talking. 10. He looked across the street to see if they were waiting. 11. "What were you doing in New York, Mr Brown?" "I was trying to find someone to buy my hotel," he replied truthfully. 12. It was raining when I left. 13. "This is his breakfast," Adeline said, indicating the tray with a bandaged finger. She was always suffering from a cut or a burn.

Ex. 30 Complete the conversation. Put in the past continuous forms:

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

Vicky: Oh no! What... (you / do)?

Jessica:... (I / take) it into the kitchen. I bumped into Emma.... (she / come) out just as... (I /go) in.

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

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

Ex. 31 Put the verbs in brackets into the past continuous tense. Explain the use of the forms:

1 Detective: I'm afraid I must ask you both what you (do) yesterday at 10.20 p.m. Mr X: I (play) chess with my wife. Mr Y: I (listen) to a play on the radio. 2 The children were frightened because it (get) dark. 3 It was a fine day and the roads were crowded because a lot of people (rush) to the seaside. 4 The airplane in which the football team (travel) crashed soon after taking off. 5 He usually wears sandals but when I last saw him he (wear) boots. 6 The house was in great disorder because he (redecorate) it. 7 The director didn't allow the actors to travel by air while they (work) on the film. 8 The car had nobody in it but the engine (run). 9 Two children (play) on the sand and two fishermen (lean) against an upturned boat. 10 I was alone in the house at that time because Mr Jones (work) in the garage and Mrs Jones (shop). 11 He said that he was the captain of a ship which (sail) that night for Marseilles. 12 Are you going to Rome? I thought that you (go) to Milan. 13 My wife and I (talk) about you the other day. 14 When I first met him he (study) painting. 15 There was a strong smell and the sound of frying. Obviously Mrs Jones (cook) fish. 16 Tom ate nothing for lunch because he (diet). He said that he (try) to lose 10 kilos. 17 Who you (talk) to on the telephone as I came in?
I (talk) to Mr Pitt. 18 As she (climb) the ladder it slipped sideways and she fell off it. 19 When I first met him he (work) in a restaurant. 20 He watched the children for a moment. Some of them (bathe) in the sea, others (look) for shells, others (play) in the sand. 21 Where he (live) when you saw him last? 22 She (stand) at the bus stop. I asked her what bus she (wait) for. 23 From the sounds it was clear that Mary (practise) the piano. 24 There had been an accident and men (carry) the injured people to an ambulance. 25 Two men (fight) at a street corner and a policeman (try) to stop them. - What they (fight) about? - Nobody seemed to know. 26 Tom (sit) in a corner with a book. I told him that he (read) in very bad light. 27 I went into the garden to see what the boys (do). James (weed) and Alexander (cut) the grass. 28 They had taken off the wheel of the car and (mend) the puncture. I asked when it would be ready. 29 When I arrived at the meeting the first speaker had just finished speaking and the audience (clap). 30 The traffic (make) so much noise that I couldn't hear what he (say). 31 While he (learn) to drive he had twenty-five accidents. 32 He had a bad fall while he (repair) his roof. 33 He was a little mad. He always (try) to prove that the earth was flat. 34 While we (fish) someone came to the house and left this note. 35 The exam had just begun and the candidates (write) their names at the top of their papers. 36 Just as I (wonder) what to do next, the phone rang.

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