A: What were you doing when the accident occurred?
B: I was trying to cross the road. After I found the wallet full of money, I went immediately to the police station and turned it in.
The doctor said that Rajiv was too sick to go to work and that he needed to stay at home for a couple of days.
I arrived at her house a little before 9:00 am but she was not there. She was working in the garden.
Seema is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she was also watching television. That's all she ever does!
A: I called you last night after dinner, but you were not there. Where were you?
B: I was there in the study room. I was studying for my English test.
When the boss walked into the busy office, the secretary was talking on the phone. Several clerks were working busily at their desks and two managers were discussing quietly the methods to improve customer service.
I was watching a mystery on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
Sonia was in the room when Rajan told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she was not listening.
It's strange that you called because I was just thinking about you.
The Titanic was crossing the Atlantic when it struck an iceberg.
When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants were bargaining busily and trying to sell.
Explanation:
1. The question asks about the action that was happening at a specific time ("when the accident occurred"). The appropriate tense to use is the past continuous tense "were you doing."
2. The action of "trying to cross the road" was happening at the same time as the accident, so the past continuous tense "I was trying" is used.
3. After finding the wallet, the person immediately went to the police station, indicating a sequence of actions in the past. The past simple tense "I went" is used.
4. The doctor's statement about Rajiv being sick and needing to stay at home happened in the past. The past simple tense is used - "the doctor said," "Rajiv was," and "he needed."
5. The person arrived at her house before 9:00 am, suggesting a specific time in the past. The past simple tense "I arrived" is used. However, her absence at that time is described in the past continuous tense "she was not there."
6. The sentence states that Seema is in the living room watching television at the present moment. However, at the same time yesterday, she was also watching television. The past continuous tense "she was also watching" is used.
7. A sequence of actions is described in this sentence. The boss walked into the office, the secretary was talking on the phone, clerks were working busily, and managers were discussing quietly. The past continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past.
8. The person was watching a mystery on TV when the electricity went out. The past continuous tense "I was watching" is used to indicate an ongoing action that was interrupted.
9. Sonia was present in the room at the time when Rajan told the speaker what happened. However, she didn't hear anything because she was not listening. The past continuous tense "she was not listening" is used to describe an ongoing action in the past.
10. The sentence suggests that the speaker received a call from someone immediately after thinking about them. The past continuous tense "I was just thinking" is used to describe the ongoing action before the call happened.
11. The Titanic was crossing the Atlantic when it struck an iceberg. The past continuous tense "was crossing" is used to indicate an ongoing action in the past, and the past simple tense "struck" is used for the action that interrupted the ongoing action.
12. When the speaker entered the bazaar, the merchants were busy bargaining and trying to sell. The past continuous tense "were bargaining" and "were trying" are used to describe ongoing actions in the past.
By providing the step-by-step explanation and using a mix of past simple and past continuous tenses, the answer becomes more comprehensive and easier for a student to understand.
1. Helen is mopping the floor at the moment.
To form a sentence in the present continuous tense, we use the verb "to be" in the present tense (is, am, are) followed by the present participle (base verb + -ing). In this case, the base verb is "mop," so we add -ing to make it "mopping."
2. We dust the furniture every week.
In this sentence, the subject pronoun "we" is used. When talking about a habitual action, we use the base form of the verb "dust" without any additional endings.
3. You shouldn't eat so many sweets.
In this sentence, we are giving advice using the modal verb "should" and the base form of the verb "eat."
4. The police caught the burglar yesterday.
Here, we are talking about an action that happened in the past, so we use the simple past tense. The base form of the verb "catch" is used, and we add -ed to form the past tense.
5. They studied at two o'clock yesterday.
Similar to the previous sentence, we are talking about an action that happened in the past, so we use the simple past tense. The base form of the verb "study" is used, and we add -ed to form the past tense.
6. I think you will have a great time in Mexico next month.
In this sentence, we are using the future tense to talk about a future event. The base form of the verb "have" is used, and we add the modal verb "will" before it.
7. If we do not hurry, we will miss the bus.
Here, we are using a conditional sentence to express a hypothetical situation. The verb "hurry" remains in the base form, and we use the future tense with the modal verb "will" to indicate a possible outcome.
8. If I won a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
This is another conditional sentence expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation. The verb "win" is in the past tense, and we use the past tense with the modal verb "would" to indicate the unreal outcome.
9. Mary has lived in this neighborhood since she was a child.
In this sentence, we are using the present perfect tense to talk about an action that started in the past and continues in the present. The base form of the verb "live" is used, and we add the auxiliary verb "has" before it.
10. The phone rang while I was having dinner.
Here, we are using the past continuous tense to talk about an ongoing action in the past that was interrupted by another action. The verb "have" is in the past continuous form, with the verb "be" in the past tense (was/were) followed by the present participle (eating).
B: I was trying to cross the road. After I found the wallet full of money, I went immediately to the police station and turned it in.
The doctor said that Rajiv was too sick to go to work and that he needed to stay at home for a couple of days.
I arrived at her house a little before 9:00 am but she was not there. She was working in the garden.
Seema is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she was also watching television. That's all she ever does!
A: I called you last night after dinner, but you were not there. Where were you?
B: I was there in the study room. I was studying for my English test.
When the boss walked into the busy office, the secretary was talking on the phone. Several clerks were working busily at their desks and two managers were discussing quietly the methods to improve customer service.
I was watching a mystery on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
Sonia was in the room when Rajan told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she was not listening.
It's strange that you called because I was just thinking about you.
The Titanic was crossing the Atlantic when it struck an iceberg.
When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants were bargaining busily and trying to sell.
Explanation:
1. The question asks about the action that was happening at a specific time ("when the accident occurred"). The appropriate tense to use is the past continuous tense "were you doing."
2. The action of "trying to cross the road" was happening at the same time as the accident, so the past continuous tense "I was trying" is used.
3. After finding the wallet, the person immediately went to the police station, indicating a sequence of actions in the past. The past simple tense "I went" is used.
4. The doctor's statement about Rajiv being sick and needing to stay at home happened in the past. The past simple tense is used - "the doctor said," "Rajiv was," and "he needed."
5. The person arrived at her house before 9:00 am, suggesting a specific time in the past. The past simple tense "I arrived" is used. However, her absence at that time is described in the past continuous tense "she was not there."
6. The sentence states that Seema is in the living room watching television at the present moment. However, at the same time yesterday, she was also watching television. The past continuous tense "she was also watching" is used.
7. A sequence of actions is described in this sentence. The boss walked into the office, the secretary was talking on the phone, clerks were working busily, and managers were discussing quietly. The past continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past.
8. The person was watching a mystery on TV when the electricity went out. The past continuous tense "I was watching" is used to indicate an ongoing action that was interrupted.
9. Sonia was present in the room at the time when Rajan told the speaker what happened. However, she didn't hear anything because she was not listening. The past continuous tense "she was not listening" is used to describe an ongoing action in the past.
10. The sentence suggests that the speaker received a call from someone immediately after thinking about them. The past continuous tense "I was just thinking" is used to describe the ongoing action before the call happened.
11. The Titanic was crossing the Atlantic when it struck an iceberg. The past continuous tense "was crossing" is used to indicate an ongoing action in the past, and the past simple tense "struck" is used for the action that interrupted the ongoing action.
12. When the speaker entered the bazaar, the merchants were busy bargaining and trying to sell. The past continuous tense "were bargaining" and "were trying" are used to describe ongoing actions in the past.
By providing the step-by-step explanation and using a mix of past simple and past continuous tenses, the answer becomes more comprehensive and easier for a student to understand.
To form a sentence in the present continuous tense, we use the verb "to be" in the present tense (is, am, are) followed by the present participle (base verb + -ing). In this case, the base verb is "mop," so we add -ing to make it "mopping."
2. We dust the furniture every week.
In this sentence, the subject pronoun "we" is used. When talking about a habitual action, we use the base form of the verb "dust" without any additional endings.
3. You shouldn't eat so many sweets.
In this sentence, we are giving advice using the modal verb "should" and the base form of the verb "eat."
4. The police caught the burglar yesterday.
Here, we are talking about an action that happened in the past, so we use the simple past tense. The base form of the verb "catch" is used, and we add -ed to form the past tense.
5. They studied at two o'clock yesterday.
Similar to the previous sentence, we are talking about an action that happened in the past, so we use the simple past tense. The base form of the verb "study" is used, and we add -ed to form the past tense.
6. I think you will have a great time in Mexico next month.
In this sentence, we are using the future tense to talk about a future event. The base form of the verb "have" is used, and we add the modal verb "will" before it.
7. If we do not hurry, we will miss the bus.
Here, we are using a conditional sentence to express a hypothetical situation. The verb "hurry" remains in the base form, and we use the future tense with the modal verb "will" to indicate a possible outcome.
8. If I won a lot of money, I would travel around the world.
This is another conditional sentence expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation. The verb "win" is in the past tense, and we use the past tense with the modal verb "would" to indicate the unreal outcome.
9. Mary has lived in this neighborhood since she was a child.
In this sentence, we are using the present perfect tense to talk about an action that started in the past and continues in the present. The base form of the verb "live" is used, and we add the auxiliary verb "has" before it.
10. The phone rang while I was having dinner.
Here, we are using the past continuous tense to talk about an ongoing action in the past that was interrupted by another action. The verb "have" is in the past continuous form, with the verb "be" in the past tense (was/were) followed by the present participle (eating).