Past Continuous vs Past Simple — when / while

A2 — grammar, listening, reading, writing

Ben: I was walking on the beach when a wave destroyed my phone. The new one.

Sofía: I was having dinner when you called me to tell me, Ben. Twice.

Kenji: I was studying Spanish while my host family was cooking. Multitasking!

Abuela Carmen: I was visiting the US when I met my husband. He was trying to order coffee... in very bad Spanish.

Common mistake: “They was watching TV when the lights went out.” — Correct: “They were watching TV when the lights went out.”

Past continuous sets the scene — what was already happening — and past simple is the event that interrupted it: I was having dinner when Dani called.

• I was having dinner when Dani called.
• My aunt was visiting the US when she met her husband.
• Ben was walking on the beach when a wave destroyed his phone.
• While I was cooking, Kenji was studying Spanish.
• I wasn't listening when the teacher explained the exercise.
• They weren't sleeping at midnight; they were watching a movie.
• Sofía wasn't working when you called her.
• What were you doing when I called you?
• Was it raining when you left home?
• What was she doing while you were cooking?
• Were you sleeping when I called? Yes, I was.
• Was Ben paying attention? No, he wasn't.
• Were they studying at 9 p.m.? Yes, they were.

Practice

1. I ___ dinner when Dani called. (was having, had, have)
2. They ___ TV when the lights went out. (was watching, were watching, watched)
3. My aunt was visiting the US ___ she met her husband. (while, during, when)
4. Past continuous describes the scene in progress; past simple is the interruption.
5. We use past continuous for the short action that interrupts.
6. I ___ (sleep) when the phone rang.
7. While I was cooking, Kenji ___ (study) Spanish.
8. Ben was walking on the beach when a wave ___ (destroy) his phone.
9. Unscramble: I, was, having, dinner, when, Dani, called
10. Unscramble: what, were, you, doing, at, nine
11. Find the mistake: They was watching TV when the lights went out.
12. Find the mistake: I was walk to school when I saw the accident.
13. Find the mistake: When I was young, I was going to the beach every summer.
14. She was sleeping when I arrived. — Write the negative form.
15. They were studying at 9 p.m. — Write the yes/no question.
16. Was it raining when you left home? — Answer with a short answer (Yes).
17. I was listening to the teacher. — Write the negative form.
18. Ben wasn't paying attention. — Write the affirmative form.
19. Were you sleeping at 6 a.m. today? (short answer)
20. Was it raining when you woke up? (short answer, No)

Listening

Kenji: Abuela Carmen, how did you meet your husband?

Abuela Carmen: Ah! I was visiting the US when I met him. I was working in a café in Miami that summer.

Sofía: What was he doing there?

Abuela Carmen: He was trying to order a coffee in very bad Spanish. Everyone was laughing, but he wasn't giving up.

Ben: So what happened?

Abuela Carmen: While he was practicing the word 'cortadito', I fell in love. True story.

Reading

Last Saturday, Ben had one of his classic days. At 10 a.m., he was walking on the beach when a wave destroyed his phone — the new one. At noon, he was eating lunch when a seagull stole his sandwich. In the afternoon, while he was taking a nap under a palm tree, a coconut fell... and missed his head by two centimeters. 'I wasn't even doing anything dangerous!' he told Sofía later. 'That's the problem, Ben,' she said. 'While you were sleeping, the universe was working.'

• Ben was walking on the beach when a wave destroyed his phone.
• A seagull stole his phone.
• The coconut hit Ben's head.
• Sofía says the universe was working while Ben was sleeping.