Choose the correct answer.
1. I... over the phone when they brought me a letter.
a) talked
b) had talked
c) had been talking
d) was talking
2. They ...in the room when the taxi arrived.
a) sat
b) had sat
c) had been sitting
d) were sitting
3. He quickly forgot everything he ... at school.
a) learnt
b) had learnt
c) had been learning
d) was learning
4. I visited Brazil in April. I... at a nice hotel for a fortnight.
a) stayed
b) had stayed
c) had been staying
d) was staying
5. I... at the hotel for a fortnight when I received your letter.
a) stayed
b) had stayed
c) had been staying
d) was staying
6. The musician ... the piano for a whole hour when we came in.
a) played
b) had played
c) had been playing
d) was playing
7. Alice closed the magazine and rose from the sofa on which she ...for more than two hours.
a) lay
b) had lain
c) had been lying
d) was lying
8. We ... along a forest roadfor a few minutes when we saw a house.
a) walked
b) had walked
c) had been walking
d) were walking
9. I hardly ... speaking with a porter when the phone rang again.
a) finished
b) had finished
c) had been finishing
d) was finishing
10. First I... the phone, and then I read your letter.
a) answered
b) had answered
c) had been answering
d) was answering
11. And I began writing to you instead of going to the seaside, as I... before.
a) planned
b) had planned
c) had been planning
d) was planning
12. A man ... unconscious for a few minutes when an ambulance arrived.
a) was
b) had been
c) had being
d) were

1) was talking   2) were sitting   3) had been learning   4) was staying  5)had been staying  6)had been playing  7) had been lying   8)had been walking  9) had finished 10) answered  11) had planned  12) had been