Past Simple/ Past Continuous/ Past Perfect

Test 7. Past Simple or Past Continuous?

1. While I (listened/was listening) to the radio, the telephone (rang/was ringing).

2. He (broke/was breaking) his leg when he (skied/was skiing) in the Alps.

3. They (listened/were listening) to the orchestra when the pianist (became/was becoming) ill.

4. Ann (played/was playing) the piano while Tom (painted/was painting) a picture.

5. We (saw/were seeing) an accident while we (waited/ were waiting) for the bus.

6. She (worked/was working) quietly at her desk when suddenly the door (opened/was opening) and her daughter (ran/was running) in.

7. While she (prepared/was preparing) lunch, she (cut/was cutting) her finger.

8. We (met/were meeting) while we (lived/were living) in Italy.

9. Which countries (did they visit/were they visiting) while they (travelled/were travelling) round the world?

10. (Did you work/Were you working) in the garden when I (came/was coming) home?

11. a strange man (walked/was walking) into the room. He (wore/ was wearing) red trousers and a pink shirt.

12. (Didn’t you meet/Weren’t you meeting) your wife while you (worked/were working) in France?

13. I (saw/was seeing) you in the park yesterday. You (sat/ were sitting) on a bench.

14. They (lived/were living) in Canada when they (met/ were meeting) each other.

15. While I (listened/was listening) to music, my brother (did/was doing) his homework.

16. What (did you write/were you writing) when your computer (crashed/was crashing)?

17. As he (passed/was passing) the bank, a man in amask (knocked/was knocking) him onto the ground.

18. Why (didn’t they visit/weren’t they visiting) me while they (stayed/were staying) in London?

19. Jack (drove/was driving) home from work when he (saw/was seeing) the accident.

20. Tom (arrived/was arriving) while the children (had/ were having) their bath.

Test 8. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Continuous or the Past Simple Tense.

1. ‘What you ………….. (do) ……………….. when the phone (ring)?’ ‘I (watch) television.’

2. ‘Was Jane busy when you came to see her?’ ‘Yes, she (study) ……………………….. .’

3. ‘What time Tom………….. (come) ………….. yesterday?’ ‘He (come) ……………………….. while I (have) ……………………….. breakfast.’

4. ‘Was Mary at school last week?’ ‘No, she (not go) ……………………….. to school. She was ill.’

5. ‘How fast ……….. you (drive) ……………………….. when the police (stop) you?’ ‘I don’t know exactly but I (not drive) ……………………….. very fast.’

6. ‘………….. your team (win) ……………….. the football match yesterday?’ ‘No, the weather was very bad, so we (not play) ……………………….. .’

7. ‘How …………….. you (break) …………….. the window?’ ‘We (play) ……………………….. football and the ball (hit) ……………………….. the window.’

8. ‘…………. you (see) ……………….. Jenny last night?’ ‘Yes, she (wear) ……………………….. a very nice jacket.’

9. ‘What ………………….. you (do) ……………….. at 10 o’clock on Sunday?’ ‘I still (sleep) ……………………….. .’

10. ‘I (lose) ……………………….. my key last night.’ ‘How ……….. you (get) ……………………. into your room then?’

Test 9. Past Simple or Past Continuous?

Yesterday I (1)………………… (get) up at 7 a.m. That morning, I (2) ………………… (walk) to work. I (3) ………………… (not want) to go by bus because the sun (4) ………………… (shine) brightly and the birds (5) ………………… (sing) merrily. While I (6) ………………… (walk) past the supermarket, I (7) ………………… (see) something strange. A man (8) ………………… (pass) me and he (9) ………………… (sing) a football song very loudly, on his own! He (10) ………………… (continue) for a few minutes. Then he (11) ………………… (meet) a friend and (12) ………………… (stop) singing. I (13) ………………… (turn) round the corner and (14)(see) a friend of mine. He (15) ………………… (stand) at a bus stop and (16) ………………… (wait) for a bus. He (17) ………………… (tell) me that we (18) ………………… (be) late. At that moment a bus (19) ………………… (come) and we (20) ………………… (get) on.

Test 10.. Past Simple or Past Perfect?

1. I (enjoyed/had enjoyed) the film even though I (saw/ had seen) it before.

2. I got up late that morning so when I (arrived/had arrived) at the station, the train (already left/had already left).

3. I couldn’t speak to them because when I (phoned/had phoned), they (went/had gone) out already.

4. We realized that we (met/had met) before as soon as we (saw/had seen) each other.

5. They (lived/had lived) in their house for twenty years when they (decided/had decided) to sell it.

6. My sister (bought/had bought) me a novel but I (already read/had already read) it.

7. As soon as I heard his voice, I (knew/had known) we (met/had met) before.

8. When I (opened/had opened) the door, the lesson (already began/had already begun).

9. She (painted/had painted) the wall before the children (came/had come) home.

10. The pupils (didn’t finish/hadn’t finished) the test when the bell (rang/had rung).

11. I (met/had met) Ann a week ago. She (just returned/ had just returned) from a business trip.

12. As soon as I (heard/had heard) a cry, I (ran/had run) out of the room.

13. I (tried/had tried) to phone John in the morning, but he (already left/had already left).

14. The children (didn’t clean/hadn’t cleaned) the room before their parents (came/had come) home.

15. I (finished/had finished) writing the project at 6 o’clock yesterday.

16. I (wrote/had written) the composition by 6 o’clock yesterday.

17. The teacher (understood/had understood) that the pupils (didn’t do/hadn’t done) their homework.

18. When my brother (returned/had returned) home, we (went/had gone) for a walk together.

19. He (told/had told) me that he (never played/had never played) football before.

20. She (was/had been) a nurse before she (became/had become) a doctor.

Test 11.. Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect? Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.

Yesterday Ann (1) ……………………….. (see) a strange man leaving the house. She (2) ……………………….. (notice) that he (3) ……………………….. (wear) a raincoat, and she (4) ……………………….. (wonder) why because it (5) ……………………….. (be) hot and sunny. The man (6) ……………………….. (not see) her. He (7) ……………………….. (begin) to walk away but he (8) ……………………….. (stop) suddenly and (9) ……………………….. (get) into a blue car that (10) ……………………….. (be) parked near the corner. Ann (11) ……………………….. (notice) a large bag by the wall. She was frightened as she (12) ……………………….. (watch) a programme about bombs the night before. So she (13) ……………………….. (decide) to phone the police. By the time they (14) ……………………….. (arrive), the man (15) ……………………….. (go).