2B Grammar past continuous
a Look at the pictures and write the sentences. Use the simple past and past continuous.
1 2
1 She saw the spider when she was
buying some fruit. (see, buy)
2 His cell phone when he
. (ring, drive)
3 Neil late when his boss
3 4
a speech.
(arrive, make)
4 They soccer when it
to rain. (play, start)
5 We a party when I
5 this photo. 6
(have, take)
6 We the score when we
in Florida.
(hear, travel)
b Complete the story with the simple past or past continuous of the verbs in parentheses.
When Alex Jones 1arrived (arrive) at JFK International
Airport, she 2 (look) around, but she
3
(not see) anybody there to meet her. A
lot of people 4 (hold) cards with names on
them, but they 5 (not wait) for her. She
6
(not know) what to do, but it
7
(be) a beautiful, sunny day, so she
8
(decide) to go to the hotel on her own.
She 9
(go) outside and 10
(look) for a taxi. A lot of people 11 (wait),
so she 12 (catch) the airport bus into New
York City. The bus 13 (stop) in Manhattan,
near the hotel, and she 14 (get) off.
She 15
(walk) into the hotel and
16
(give) her name, Alexandra Jones. She
17
(talk) to the receptionist when suddenly a man 18 (run) up to her.
He 19
(carry) a card that 20
(read) “Mr. Jones”.
“Ms. Jones? I’m terribly sorry! I 21
(wait) for you at the airport, but I 22
(think) you 23
(be) a man!”
“That’s OK,” 24
(say) Alex. “It happens to me all the time!”
activation
c Cover sentences 1–6 in a. Look at the pictures and remember the sentences.
166 American English File 2nd edition Teacher’s Book 2 Photocopiable © Oxford University Press 2013
477574_AEF2e_TB2.indb 166 3/25/13 11:17 AM
