I (get up)	The postman (give) me a letter	I (have) a shower	I (make) breakfast	
I (listen) to the radio
I (get dressed)	I (pick up) my bag	I (have) breakfast
I (talk) to my sister	
I (open) the door The postman (arrive)	
I (open) the letter	The letter (say)  
I (win) the lottery!	I (go back) into the house	I (call) the office to say I (not come) to work	
I (go) to leave the house	The phone (ring)	while	and	
then	after	when	while	
when	while	while	as	
as	as	and	and	

Tenses and linking words: when, while, as, after	

Now try to expand the following sentences, using past simple, past continuous or past perfect tenses.

1	After / when  I _________________(have a shower), I __________________(make) breakfast	
2	While I _____________________(have) breakfast, I ___________________(talk) to my sister	
3	While I _________________________(have) a shower), the phone _________________(ring)	
4	When / after I _______________________(get) dressed, I ________________(have) breakfast	
5	As I _______________________(open) the door, the postman ___________________ (arrive)	
6	When I ____________________(open) the letter, I ______________ (see) I_________(win) the lottery.	

Patterns:
Match the patterns and an example from the above exercise

When + past simple + past simple	a complete longer action + another action		
When + past perfect  + past simple	a complete short action + another action		
After + past simple or past perfect + past simple	a complete short or longer action + another action		
While + past simple + past simple	an incomplete longer action interrupted by another action		
As + past simple + past simple	an incomplete shorter action interrupted by another action		
While + past continuous + past simple	two complete  shorter actions happening at the same time		
As + past continuous + past simple	two complete longer actions happening at the same time		

Answers	

1	After I had (or I'd had) a shower, I made breakfast.
When I'd had a shower, I made breakfast.	
2	While I had breakfast, I talked to my sister.	
3	While I was having a shower, the phone rang.	
4	When I'd got dressed, I had breakfast.
After I got dressed (I'd got dressed), I had breakfast.	
5	As I opened (was opening) the door, the postman arrived.	
6	When I opened the letter, I saw I had won the lottery.	

Patterns:

When + past simple + past simple	a complete short action + another action	6	
When + past perfect  + past simple	a complete longer action + another action	4	
After + past simple or past perfect + past simple	a complete short or longer action + another action	4	
While + past simple + past simple	two complete longer actions happening at the same time	2	
As + past simple + past simple	two complete  shorter actions happening at the same time	5	
While + continuous + past simple	An incomplete longer action interrupted by another action	3	
As + past continuous + past simple	An incomplete shorter action interrupted by another action	5