Complete the sentences with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets 1. When...

1. When Sam arrived, I was doing my homework.
2. We were having a party when the neighbours phoned the police.
3. Paul was not sleeping when the alarm clock went off.
4. What were you doing when you saw the robbery?
5. I did not see David Beckham while he was living in Spain.
6. Was it raining when you left the house this morning?

When completing sentences with the past simple or past continuous forms of verbs, it's important to understand the context of each action. The past simple is generally used for actions that were completed in the past, while the past continuous describes actions that were ongoing at a specific moment in the past. Let's look at each sentence:

1. When Sam arrived (arrive), I was doing (do) my homework.

   • "Arrived" is in the past simple because it marks a specific moment when Sam reached the destination. "Was doing" is in the past continuous because the action of doing homework was ongoing when Sam arrived.

2. We were having (have) a party when the neighbours phoned (phone) the police.

   • "Were having" is past continuous, indicating that the party was ongoing. "Phoned" is past simple, signaling the specific moment the neighbors called the police.

3. Paul wasn't sleeping (not sleep) when the alarm clock went off (go off).

   • "Wasn't sleeping" is past continuous, describing Paul's state before the alarm interrupted it. "Went off" is past simple, marking the exact time the alarm sounded.

4. What were you doing (you, do) when you saw (see) the robbery?

   • "Were you doing" is past continuous, asking about the ongoing activity at the time of the robbery. "Saw" is past simple, indicating the moment the robbery was witnessed.

5. I didn't see (not see) David Beckham while he was living (live) in Spain.

   • "Didn't see" is past simple, showing the absence of a specific encounter or event. "Was living" is past continuous, describing the ongoing period of Beckham's stay in Spain.

6. Was it raining (it, rain) when you left (leave) the house this morning?

   • "Was it raining" is past continuous, questioning the weather condition at the time of leaving. "Left" is past simple, indicating the specific moment of departure.

Understanding the difference between these tenses helps in conveying the sequence and duration of past events accurately.