This quiz works best with JavaScript enabled. Home > English Grammar > Grammar > Parts Of Speech > Verbs > Tenses > Past > Past Progressive Tense – Quiz 12 🏠 Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books Past Progressive Tense Quiz 12 (30 MCQs) Quiz Instructions Select an option to see the correct answer instantly. 1. Which past progressive tense of the verb correctly completes the sentence below? William ..... the prayer when the bell rang. A) Were leading. B) Will lead. C) Is leading. D) Was leading. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) Was leading. 2. Mark was sitting under the sycamore tree ..... Molly was writing a letter. A) While. B) When. C) Last weekend. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) While. 3. Why ..... when I came into the room? A) She was crying. B) Was she crying. C) Were she crying. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Was she crying. 4. What is the main difference between 'I was eating' and 'I ate'? A) 'I was eating' is used for past events only. B) 'I ate' indicates an ongoing action. C) The main difference is that 'I was eating' describes a continuous action, whereas 'I ate' describes a completed action. D) Both phrases mean the same thing. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) The main difference is that 'I was eating' describes a continuous action, whereas 'I ate' describes a completed action. 5. Convert the sentence 'The dog barks' to past progressive. A) The dog was barking. B) The dog barks. C) The dog barked. D) The dog is barking. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) The dog was barking. 6. Garry and I ..... to solve the problem by ourselves, while Mike was calling to tech support. A) Was trying. B) Were trying. C) Tried. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Were trying. 7. She ..... when the teacher entered the room. A) Was talking. B) Talks. C) Talked. D) Were talking. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Was talking. 8. Fatima and Maria are discussing their homework. A) Present progressive. B) Past progressive. C) Simple present. D) Simple past. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Present progressive. 9. Sue and Fran were playing violin ..... Matt was playing guitar. A) While. B) When. C) On Wednesday. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) While. 10. I was painting the fence when my friend called. A) The speaker was painting the fence. B) The speaker was painting the house. C) The speaker was calling a friend. D) The speaker was fixing the fence. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) The speaker was painting the fence. 11. She wasn't crying when you came home. A) PAST PROGRESSIVE. B) PRESENT PROGRESSIVE. C) All the above. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) PAST PROGRESSIVE. 12. Complete the sentence.She ..... her favourite meal yesterday. A) Cooked. B) Cooking. C) Cook. D) Cooks. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Cooked. 13. I was walking to school ..... a dog bit me. A) When. B) While. C) Last Tuesday. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) When. 14. I was ..... in the park when you called A) Walking. B) Walk. C) Walked. D) Walkined. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Walking. 15. Miguel ..... (speak) with Lucia A) Are speaking. B) Is speaking. C) Were speaking. D) Was speaking. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) Was speaking. 16. ..... (be) you ..... (listen) while Robert ..... (explain) to the judge? A) Were, listen, is explaining. B) Were, listening, were explaining. C) Were, listening, was explaining. D) Were, listening, explained. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Were, listening, was explaining. 17. Identify the past progressive tense in the sentence:'They were watching a movie.' A) Were watching. B) Were watching a movie. C) They were watching. D) Watching a movie. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Were watching. 18. They ..... the car for the parade. A) Was shining. B) Were shining. C) All the above. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Were shining. 19. Which sentence correctly uses the past progressive tense? A) At noon, the volunteers will decorate the grotto. B) At noon, the volunteers were decorating the grotto already. C) At noon, the volunteers have decorated the grotto. D) At noon, the volunteers decorate the grotto. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) At noon, the volunteers were decorating the grotto already. 20. My friend and I ..... buying a new phone last Monday. A) Is. B) Were. C) Was. D) Are. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Were. 21. Imagine you are writing a story. Which sentence would you use to describe a background event using the past progressive? A) The rain was falling softly as the children played inside. B) The rain falls softly as the children play inside. C) The rain will fall softly as the children play inside. D) The rain has fallen softly as the children played inside. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) The rain was falling softly as the children played inside. 22. Susie was watching a film when she ..... the noise. A) Hearing. B) Was hearing. C) Heard. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: C) Heard. 23. He was writing an e-mail when the phone rang. A) PAST PROGRESSIVE. B) PRESENT PROGRESSIVE. C) All the above. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) PAST PROGRESSIVE. 24. ..... a bird steal Harry's hat when he was helping his grandmother? A) Did. B) Was. C) Were. D) None of the above. Show Answer Correct Answer: A) Did. 25. One of the men ..... the store while his friend ..... outside. A) Robbed / watched. B) Was robbing / was watching. C) Robbed / was watching. D) Was robbing / watched. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Was robbing / was watching. 26. What is an example of a completed action in the simple past? A) I was watching TV. B) I have finished my homework. C) I was reading a book. D) I spent my holiday in Wales. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) I spent my holiday in Wales. 27. Jane ..... me last week. A) Visit. B) Visited. C) Is visiting. D) Visits. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Visited. 28. I ..... my homework in the living room. A) Were doing. B) Am doing. C) Was doing. D) Is doing. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Am doing. 29. What is the negative form of the past progressive tense? A) Had not + verb+ing. B) Was/were not + verb+ing. C) Was/were + verb. D) Is not + verb+ing. Show Answer Correct Answer: B) Was/were not + verb+ing. 30. Given the sentence: "The students were laughing when the teacher entered the room." What does the use of the past progressive tense suggest about the action? A) The action was completed before the teacher entered. B) The action never happened. C) The action will happen after the teacher enters. D) The action was happening at the same time the teacher entered. Show Answer Correct Answer: D) The action was happening at the same time the teacher entered. ← PreviousNext →Related QuizzesTenses QuizzesVerbs QuizzesPast Progressive Tense Quiz 1Past Progressive Tense Quiz 2Past Progressive Tense Quiz 3Past Progressive Tense Quiz 4Past Progressive Tense Quiz 5Past Progressive Tense Quiz 6Past Progressive Tense Quiz 7Past Progressive Tense Quiz 8 🏠 Back to Homepage 📘 Download PDF Books 📕 Premium PDF Books