Question

Look at the following examples.
• I was trying to climb over the fence when the giant saw me.
• The farmer's wife was stroking the cat when her one year-old son entered.

Both the actions were in the past.
When the first one was going on in the past, the second one happened.

1. Match the following and write complete sentences in the lines below.

What was happening?	What happened?
(i) I was writing a letter.	the lights went out.
(ii) Paul was looking out of the window.	the bell rang.
(iii) *He was looking for his dog.	he noticed a lovely butterfly.
(iv) *I was just completing the last answer.	he fell off the ladder.
(v) The man was painting the wall.	I met Arun.
(vi) Amit was doing his homework.	my pen ran out.
(vii) My mother was cooking. dinner.	ma'am said, "Stop writing."

(i) I was writing a letter when ________________________
(ii) _____________________________________________
(iii) *When I met Arun, he was looking for his dog.
(iv) *______________________________________________
(v) ________________________________________________
(vi) _______________________________________________
(vii) _______________________________________________

*Please note that sometimes the order of the sentences changes.

Answer 1

(i) I was writing a letter when the lights went out.

(ii) Paul was looking out of the window when the bell rang.

(iii) When I met Arun, he was looking for his dog.

(iv) I reached the top when he fell off the ladder.

(v) The man was painting the wall when I met Arun.

(vi) Amit was doing his homework when my pen ran out.

(vii) My mother was cooking dinner when ma'am said, "Stop writing."