C. Choose the best alternative between Past Simple or Past Progressive.

1) I was doing/did my shift from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday.

2) I was managing/managed Sales department last year.

3) When he was arriving/arrived we dealt/were dealing with a very difficult project.

4) We often took/were taking takeaways when we were staying/stayed in a hostel.

5) How was he earning/did he earn his living?

6) What were you advising/did you advise your clients yesterday?

7) Laura didn’t want/wasn’t wanting to deal with lots of paperwork, so they were dismissing/dismissed her quite quickly.

8) The sun shone/was shining brightly so, he was deciding/decided to lie-in a bit longer.

9) I envy my nephew, when he lived/was living in another city. He did/was doing what he was wanting/wanted to do, slept/was sleeping longer, wasn’t doing/didn’t do any housework, etc.

10) Who were you working/worked for last year in the USA?

D. Read the text and open the brackets using Past Simple or Past Perfect tenses.

It (to happen) two years ago. Martha (my sister) and I (to decide) to make a trip to Canada. We (to pack) our suitcases rather quickly. Martha (not to be fond of) ironing very much that time so, she (to be) very surprised that I (to iron) all her clothes beforehand. When we arrived in Toronto we suddenly (to understand) that we (to leave) the address of our hotel on the table at home. Martha (to be) in panic of course I (to try) to pull myself together. We (to start) searching for our hotel. It (to turn) out that they have six hotels with the same name located in different parts of the city. We (to take) a taxi and (to go) around the city. As I (to know) the city well we (to find) our hotel soon. Surprisingly, the driver who (to give) us a drive round the city (to offer) me to work as a tour guide for those who (to come) from Paris. I (to agree), moreover, I (to have) an experience in Morocco. I (to be) in charge of different tours around the city and fortunately I never (to deal) with complaints. Our trip (to be) fascinating and we (to be) glad that we (to forget) our hotel’s address at home.

E. Supply the suitable form of past tenses.

1) It (to rain) heavily so, we (to decide) not to go hiking but to invite friends to our house and cook dinner together.

2) I (to refer) to John when I told the meeting about our current problem.

3) No, I (to go) to Italy two years ago.

4) When I last went to Italy, a team of scientists (to examine) the falling tower of Pisa.

5) What you (to do) when I phoned yesterday?

6) By the time we got to the cinema the film (to start), so we missed the first five minutes.

7) I spent a week in Miami recently. I (not to be) there before.

8) She told me she (to attend)a lot of meetings in Prague.

9) When I (to get back), nobody (to do) the washing up. I was furious.