Past Tenses Test 1

1. He … a new car last year.

1. bought

2. was buying

3. had bought

4. had been buying

2. He … London two years ago.

1. was visiting

2. had visited

3. visited

4. had been visiting

3. I … yesterday because I was sick

1. wasn't working

2. didn't work

3. hadn't worked

4. hadn't been working

4. She fell asleep while she … TV.

1. watched

2. was watching

3. had watched

4. had been watching

5. She probably lost her keys while she … in the park.

1. walked

2. had walked

3. had been walking

4. was walking

6. He … at four o'clock yesterday.

1. slept

2. was sleeping

3. had slept

4. had been sleeping

7. First he … as a salesman, then as a night clerk, and after that he quit his job and became a writer.

1. worked

2. was working

3. had worked

4. had been working

8. Christopher Columbus … America in 1492.

1. was discovering

2. had discovered

3. discovered

4. had been discovering

9. By the time I came back, Mike and Jane … , so I couldn't tell them about it.

1. already left

2. were already leaving

3. had already left

4. had already been leaving

10. His eyes were red in the morning because he … all night.

1. read

2. had been reading

3. was reading

4. had read

11. It … me two hours to get to the airport.

1. took

2. was taking

3. had taken

4. had been taking

12. Their car was stolen while they … lunch at a cafe.

1. ate

2. were eating

3. had eaten

4. had been eating

13. My grandmother … fairy tales to me when I was a child.

1. read

2. was reading

3. had read

4. had been reading

14. When he lived in Mexico, he … in a bank.

1. was working

2. had worked

3. had been working

4. worked

15. He … for his bus at the bus stop when the robbers attacked him.

1. waited

2. was waiting

3. had waited

4. had been waiting

16. She … all the letters by the time her boss asked her to type them again.

1. sent

2. was sending

3. had sent

4. sended

17. Until last night, she … him about it.

1. never asked

2. was never asking

3. had never asked

4. had never been asking

18. He … for twenty years when he finally quit smoking.

1. had been smoking

2. smoked

3. was smoking

4. were smoking

19. Yesterday I went to an interesting museum that I … before.

1. didn't visit

2. wasn't visiting

3. hadn't visited

4. hadn’t been visiting

20. By the time we arrived, she … for us at the train station for three hours.

1. waited

2. was waiting

3. were waiting

4. had been waiting

Test 2

1. He … a new suit yesterday.

1. was buying

2. bought

3. had bought

4. has bought

2. She realized that she … to lock the door.

1. had forgotten

2. forgot

3. had been forgetting

4. was forgetting

3. It was a lively day, so we … to go for a walk.

1. have decided

2. had decided

3. decided

4. were deciding

4. The plane … when I reached the airport.

1. already left

2. had already left

3. had already been leaving

4. has left

5. There was no money left because we … it all.

1. spent

2. had spent

3. spended

4. had been spending

6. My parents … in a big house in the country when I was small but now they live in Manchester.

1. had lived

2. would live

3. used to live

4. had been living

7. Where … your holiday last year?

1. did you spend

2. have you spend

3. had you spent

4. were spending

8. I didn’t know about the meeting because nobody … me.

1. told

2. was telling me

3. had been telling

4. had told me

9. Before he knew what was happening, the car … into the tree.

1. has crashed

2. crashed

3. had crashed

4. was crashing

10. Harry was sunburnt because he …. on the beach for six hours.

1. had been sitting

2. had sat

3. has sat

4. was sitting

11. Last week police … John Brown.

1. had arrested

2. was arresting

3. arrested

4. had been arresting

12. Jane … English before she moved to the USA last summer.

1. had studied

2. was studying

3. studied

4. has studie

13. When Rupert was a young boy he … to be an astronaut.

1. had wanted

2. wanted

3. was wanting

4. had been wanting

14. She was upset because she … the exam.

1. didn’t pass

2. hasn’t passed

3. hadn’t passed

4. hadn’t been passing

15. Did Ann … work before she got married?

1. use to

2. used to

3. use

4. using to

16. They … to America two years ago.

1. had travelled

2. have travelled

3. travelled

4. were travelling

17. As he … home from work, he ran into his boss.

1. walked

2. had been walking

3. had walked

4. was walking

18. When I arrived at the meeting they …. the leaflets.

1. had already distributed

2. distributed already

3. were already distributing

4. has already distributed

19. Three men … the bank yesterday.

1. had robbed

2. were robbing

3. had been robbing

4. robbed

20. He said he …that film the previous night.

1. watched

2. was watching

3. had watched

4. had been watching

Test 3

1. Alexander Graham Bell.... the telephone.

1. Invented

2. was inventing

3. had invented

4. had been inventing

2. Our neighbours called the police when they found out that somebody ... into their house.

1. was breaking

2. had broken

3. broke

4. had been breaking

3. Lynne.... as she was cleaning the windows.

1. sang

2. had sung

3. had been singing

4. was singing

4. Mr Todd... for thirty years when he retired.

1. had been teaching

2. had taught

3. was teaching

4. taught

5. I ... the door and stepped outside.

1. was opening

2. opened

3. had opened

4. had been opening

6. Eve was delighted to hear that she ... the job.

1. got

2. was getting

3. had been getting

4. had got

7. It wasn't raining when I left my office in the evening, but the ground was wet. It ... all day.

1. had been raining

2. rained

3. was raining

4. had rained

8. We ... in a hotel by the sea last summer.

1. had stayed

2. were staying

3. stayed

4. had been staying

9. Rescue workers ... a man, a woman, and two children from cold rushing water.

1. had pulled

2. pulled

3. were pulling

4. had been pulling

10. I was running when I ... on the ice.

1. was slipping

2. had slipped

3. had been slipping

4. slipped

11. My tooth ... for a week before I went to the dentist's.

1. had been hurting

2. hurt

3. was hurting

4. had hurt

12. We … along the beach when we heard a cry for help.

1. walked

2. were walking

3. had walked

4. had been walking

13. I could tell she … the competition because she couldn't stop smiling.

1. won

2. was winning

3. had won

4. had been winning

14. Where ... you yesterday?

1. were

2. was

3. were being

4. had been

15. While Joanne ... her hair, Carl was cleaning the house.

1. washed

2. had washed

3. had been washing

4. was washing

16. Yesterday at 7.30 I … breakfast.

1. had

2. was having

3. had had

4. has been having

17. He put the money into his briefcase and … .

1. had left

2. was leaving

3. left

4. had been leaving

18. What … last week with your parent's?

1. was happening

2. happened

3. had happened

4. had been happening

19. Everyone … coffee at John's party last night.

1. drank

2. was drinking

3. had been drinking

4. had drunk

20. When the phone rang I... a bath.

1. had

2. was having

3. had been having

4. have been had