1) Comment on the use of the Past Continuous Tense in the following text.
An Embarrassing Incident
One day last summer I was walking through the local park. It was a hot day
and I was eating an ice cream. As I was walking past the boating lake, I saw
my friends, Carol and Jim. They were taking their dog for a walk. When we
met, we stopped for a chat. While we were talking, the dog suddenly jumped
up and tried to get my ice cream. I pulled my hand away and unfortunately the
ice-cream came out of the cone. Now there was a bald man behind me. The
poor man wasn't doing any harm. He was just sitting on a bench and reading a
newspaper. Well, when I pulled my hand away, the ice cream flew through the
air and it landed on the man's head. I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
When I looked at my friends, they weren't just laughing, they were in hysterics.
But I was terribly embarrassed.
2) Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous Tense.
1. Two children (play) on the sand and two fishermen (lean) against an upturned boat.
2. I was alone in the house at that time because Mr. Jones (work) in the garage and Mars Jones (shop).
3. The children were frightened because it (get) dark.
4. The director didn't allow the actors to travel by air while they (work) on the film.
5. It was a fine day and the roads were crowded because a lot of people (rush) to the seaside.
6. The airplane in which the football team (travel) crashed soon after taking off.
7. The car had nobody in it but the engine (run).
8. Detective: I’m afraid I must ask you both what you (do) yesterday at
9.20 p.m. Mr. X: I (play) chess with my wife. Mr. Y: I (listen) to a play on the
radio.11. He said that he was the captain of a ship which (sail) that night for Marseilles.
10. Are you going to Rome? I thought that you (go) to Milan.
11. He usually wears sandals but when I last saw him he (wear) boots.
12. The house was in great disorder because he (redecorate) it.