PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Read the situations and write sentences from the words in brackets.

1 I was very tired when I arrived home.

(I / work / hard all day) ___________________________________________

2 The two boys came into the house. They had a football and they were both very tired.

(they / play / football) ____________________________________________

3 There was nobody in the room but there was a smell of cigarettes.

(somebody / smoke / in the room) __________________________________

4 Ann woke up in the middle of the night. She was frightened and didn’t know where she was.

(she / dream)___________________________________________________

5 When I got home, Mike was sitting in front of the TV. He had just turned it off.

(he / watch / TV)_________________________________________________

6 When I heard the news I dropped my pen.

(I / write / the letter) ______________________________________________

7 In the morning Maria was very upset and her eyes were red.

(Maria / cry / all night long) ________________________________________

8 Yesterday morning the sun was shining but the ground was very wet.

(it / rain) _______________________________________________________

For questions 1-8, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the fist sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and three words, including the word given.

1 Half of an hour after we began the set, it started to rain.

PlayingWe _____________ tennis for half an hour when it started to rain.

2 I arrived at the restaurant and waited for Tim, but after 20 minutes I suddenly realized that I was in the wrong place.

waitingI ____________________ for 20 minutes when I suddenly realized that I was in the wrong place.

3 Sarah was jinxed: she got a job in a factory and a month later the factory closed down.

WorkingSarah was jinxed: at the time the factory closed down, she hardly ____________________ there for a month.

4 Last time I spent an hour in front of the tape recorder and only after that I could understand all the words.

ListeningLast time I ____________________ to the tape recorder for an hour when I finally could understand all the words.

5 After 3 years passed, she retired from the company.

WorkingBy the time of her retirement she __________________ in the company for 3 years.

6 Every day he worked on his book, and after 2 years they sent it to the publishing-house.

WritingHe ______________ his book for 2 years when it was sent to the publishing-house.

7 My cousin went to study in America, and two months later a new law came out.

StudyingMy cousin __ in America for 2 months when a new law came out.

8 The lecturer began to speak, but after 5 minutes the dean came in.

SpeakingThe lecturer ________ for only 5 minutes when the dean came in.