Final answer:
The answer provides the correct past simple or past continuous tense forms for the verbs given in the student's question, with proper examples that illustrate the use of verb tenses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked for help with filling in the blanks with the correct past simple or past continuous tense form of the verbs in parentheses.
- Sally was eating (eat) dinner yesterday at 5 p.m. when somebody knocked (knock) at the door.
- I began to study at 4 p.m. yesterday. You came (come) at four thirty. I was studying (study).
- When I saw (see) Mr. Scott come (come) in, they were studying (study) and Fred was sitting (sit) around the table. He was doing (do) a crossword puzzle, and Mr. Scott was reading (read) a newspaper.
- When the baby woke up (wake up), his mother was sitting (sit) in the arm-chair.
- Yesterday afternoon, I went (go) to visit the Johnsons. Mrs. Johnson was (be) in the yard. She was planting (plant) flowers in their garden. Mr. Johnson was fixing (fix) their car. The children were playing (play) with a ball in the yard.
Understanding how to use verb tenses correctly is crucial for writing clear and accurate sentences. The Past Simple tense is used for completed actions or events that happened at a specific time in the past, while the Past Continuous tense is used for actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.