1. Marthe was having dinner when the gas stove exploded. (dinner)2. Granny was knitting a sweater while the kitten was playing with yarn. (sweater)3. The nurse was making an injection when the needle broke. (injection)4. The boys were flying a kite when it started to rain . (kite)5. Jill was playing tennis when she injured her wrist . (tennis)6. Philip was brushing his teeth when he swallowed some toothpaste . (teeth)7. They were picking mushrooms when a wolf attacked them. (mushrooms)8. The mountaineer were climbing Mount Everest when the rope snapped. (Mount Everest)9. The secretary was typing letters when the boss called her on the intercom. (letters)10. The robbers were feeling safe when the alarm went off . (safe)11. We were visiting Paris when the war began. (Paris)12. Professor Ward was giving a lecture when the students' riot began . (lecture)13. The reporter was taking pictures when the police put him under arrest. (pictures)14. The lumbermen was felling a tree when the accident happened. (tree)15. The sergeant were giving orders while the soldiers were carrying them out. (orders)16. Nigel was smoking a cigar when he started to cough. (cigar)
The idea is that we need to use past continuous tense in the main phrase.
This is the paradigm of the past continuous (progressive) tense:
I was reading You were readingHe was readingShe was readingIt was readingWe were readingYou were readingThey were reading
