B1 Past Continuous Grammar Test 1 (15 Questions) – IELTS, TOEFL, YDS Practice
Practice the Past Continuous tense with this B1 grammar test. Includes 15 multiple-choice questions and detailed explanations for IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS preparation.
The Past Continuous tense is an essential part of English grammar at the B1 level, used to describe actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past. It is commonly formed using “was/were + verb-ing” and is often used to set the background in stories or to describe interrupted actions. Understanding how and when to use this tense correctly is crucial for improving both written and spoken English.
In international exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, and YDS, the Past Continuous is frequently tested in combination with other tenses, especially the Past Simple. You are expected to recognize when an action was ongoing and when another action interrupted it. Signal words like “while,” “when,” and specific time references play an important role in choosing the correct tense.
This test will help you practice the structure and usage of the Past Continuous through carefully designed questions. Each question reflects realistic contexts and common exam patterns. The explanations section will provide in-depth reasoning to help you fully understand each answer and avoid common mistakes in the future.
RESULTS
#1. I ______ TV when you called me.
#2. They ______ dinner at 8 p.m. yesterday.
#3. She ______ a book while her brother was playing games.
#4. We ______ to music when the lights went out.
#5. He ______ his homework when I saw him.
#6. What ______ you ______ at 9 p.m. last night?
#7. I ______ not ______ attention during the lesson.
#8. They ______ football when it started to rain.
#9. She ______ not ______ when I entered the room.
#10. We ______ lunch while they were preparing the presentation.
#11. He ______ at the bus stop when it began to snow.
#12. The children ______ in the garden when their mother called them.
#13. I ______ my phone when the battery died.
#14. They ______ not ______ to the teacher at that moment.
#15. She ______ coffee while she was working.
Explanations
1. The action was in progress when another action interrupted it, requiring Past Continuous.
Answer: was
2. A specific time in the past with an ongoing action requires Past Continuous.
Answer: were
3. The sentence describes two simultaneous past actions, one of which uses Past Continuous.
Answer: was
4. The ongoing action was interrupted by another event, so Past Continuous is used.
Answer: were
5. The action was happening at the moment of seeing, so Past Continuous is needed.
Answer: was
6. Questions about ongoing past actions require “were + verb-ing.”
Answer: were
7. Negative Past Continuous uses “was not + verb-ing.”
Answer: was
8. The action was ongoing when it started to rain, requiring Past Continuous.
Answer: were
9. The negative form of Past Continuous is used here.
Answer: was
10. Two actions happening at the same time in the past require Past Continuous.
Answer: were
11. The action was in progress when another event occurred.
Answer: was
12. The children were in the middle of an action when interrupted.
Answer: were
13. The action was ongoing when the battery died.
Answer: was
14. Negative Past Continuous structure is required.
Answer: were
15. The sentence describes an action in progress in the past.
Answer: was
