Past Simple or the Past Continuous?

Choose the past simple or past continuous:

1. What ____________________ (you / do) when I______________________ (call) you last night?
2. I ________________________ (sit) in a caf when you_____________________ (call).
3. When you ________________________ (arrive) at the party, who_____________________ (be) there?
4. Susie ________________________ (watch) a film when she___________________ (hear) the noise.
5. Yesterday I _________________ (go) to the library, next I____________ (have) a swim, later I
________________________ (meet) Julie for a coffee.
6. We ________________________ (play) tennis when John________________________ (hurt) his ankle.
7. What __________________ (they / do) at 10pm last night? It____________________ (be) really noisy.
8. He ________________________ (take) a shower when the telephone________________________(ring).
9. He _____________________ (be) in the shower when the telephone________________________ (ring).
10. When I _____________________ (walk) into the room, everyone________________________ (work).
11. It ______________________ (be) a day last September. The sun________________________ (shine),
the birds ________________________(sing). I ________________________ (walk) along the street when I
________________________ (meet) an old friend.
12. He _____________________ (live) in Russia when the Revolution________________________ (start).
13. When her train ________________ (get) to the station, we__________________ (wait) on the platform.
14. He _________________ (be) so annoying! He______________ (always / leave) his things everywhere.
15. On holiday we __________________ (visit) Rome,___________________ (see) the Vatican, and
________________________ (spend) a few days at the beach.
16. Why _________________ (you / stand) on a chair when I___________________ (come) into the room?
17. They ________________________ (live) in Germany when they____________________ (be) young.
18. At 7pm yesterday, we ________________________ (listen) to music.
19. When I ________________________ (leave) the house, it_____________________ (snow).
20. He ________________________ (work) in a bank when he____________________ (meet) his wife.
Past Simple or Past Continuous?
Choose the past simple or past continuous:
1. He _________________________ (sleep) when the doorbell_____________________ (ring).
2. We _________________________ (eat) dinner at 8pm last night (we startedeating at 7:30).
3. Yesterday I _______________ (go) to the post office,______________________ (buy) some fruit at the
supermarket and____________________ (read) a book in the park in the afternoon.
4. We _________________________ (watch) TV when we_______________________ (hear) a loud noise.
5. Julie _________________________ (be) in the garden when Laurence____________________ (arrive).
6. A: What _________________________ (you / do) at 3pm yesterday?
B: I _________________________ (clean) my house.
7. Last year I _________________________ (visit) Paris and Rome.
8. They __________________ (have) dinner when the police_____________________ (come) to the door.
9. He _________________________ (work) in the garden when he__________________ (find) the money.
10. Laura _________________________ (study) at 11pm last night.
11. I _____________________(walk) along the road when I____________________ (meet) an old friend.
12. It ______________ (be) a day in December. Snow__________________ (fall),
children_________________(sing) carols and people ___________________(do) their Christmas shopping.
13. My ex-boyfriend __________________ (be) so annoying! He______________________ (always / miss)
the bus and_________________________ (arrive) late.
14. When I _________________________ (call) Julie, she_________________________ (work).
15. Why _________________________ (you / cry) when I_________________________ (arrive)?
16. When he _________________________ (get) home, we started to eat dinner.
17. At 10am yesterday I _________________________ (sit) on a bus.
18. I _____________ (enjoy) my book so much that I______________ (not / notice) the train had stopped.
19. David ________________ (not / sleep) when ___________________ (arrive), he____________(study)!
20. Mr Black _________________________ (not / work) in the garden at 10pm last night

Past Perfect Positive and Negative

Make the past perfect:
1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film ____________________ (start).
2. She ____________________ (live) in China before she went to Thailand.
3. After they ____________________ (eat) the shellfish, they began to feel sick.
4. If you ____________________ (listen) to me, you would have got the job.
5. Julie didnt arrive until after I ____________________ (leave).
6. When we ____________________ (finish) dinner, we went out.
7. The garden was dead because it ____________________ (be) dry all summer.
8. He ____________________ (meet) her before somewhere.
9. We were late for the plane because we ____________________ (forget) our passports.
10. She told me that she ____________________ (study) a lot before the exam.
11. The grass was yellow because it ___________________ (not / rain) all summer.
12. The lights went off because we ___________________ (not / pay) the electricity bill.
13. The children ___________________ (not / do) their homework, so they were in trouble.
14. They ___________________ (not / eat) so we went to a restaurant.
15. We couldnt go into the concert because we ___________________ (not /bring) our tickets.
16. She said that she ___________________ (not / visit) the UK before.
17. Julie and Anne ___________________ (not / meet) before the party.
18. I ___________________ (not / have) breakfast when he arrived.
19. He ___________________ (not / use) email before, so I showed him how to use it.
20. You ___________________ (not / study) for the test, so you were very nervous.
Past Perfect Questions
Make past perfect simple yes / no or wh questions:
1. _______________________ (you / go) there before we went together?
2. _______________________ (she / see) the film already?
3. Why _______________________ (he / forgot) about the meeting?
4. _______________________ (it / be) cold all week?
5. _______________________ (I / read) the book before the class?
6. When she arrived, _______________________ (we / eat) already?
7. Where _______________________ (you / be) when I saw you?
8. _______________________ (they / travel) by bullet train before?
9. _______________________ (John / meet) Lucy before they went on holiday together?
10. _______________________ (you / do) your homework before I saw you?
11. Where _______________________ (she / work )?
12. _______________________ (I / pay) the bill before we left?
13. _______________________ (we / visit) my parents already that winter?
14. When you called, _______________________ (they / eat) dinner?
15. How _______________________ (he / manage) to fix the cooker?
16. _______________________ (my sister / be) sick for a long time?
17. How much _______________________ (she / study) before the exam?
18. What _______________________ (you / cook) for dinner that night?
19. When _______________________ (they / arrive)?
20. How many coffees _______________________ (she / drink) before the interview?

Past Perfect and Past Simple

Choose the past perfect, or the past simple:
1. We had already eaten when John _____________________(come) home.
2. Last year Juan ________________________________ (pass) all his exams.
3. When I ________________________ (get) to the airport I discovered I had forgotten my passport.
4. I went to the library, then I _____________________ (buy)some milk and went home.
5. I opened my handbag to find that I _____________________(forgot) my credit card.
6. When we ________________________________ (arrive) at the station, the train had already left.
7. We got home to find that someone ______________________(break) into the house.
8. I opened the fridge to find someone________________________________ (eat) all my chocolate.
9. I had known my husband for three years when we________________________________ (get) married.
10. Julie was very pleased to see that John_______________________________ (clean) the kitchen.
11. It __________________________ (not / rain) all summer, so the grass was completely dead.
12. When he _______________________ (arrive) at the party, Julie had just left.
13. After arriving home, I realised I ________________________________(not / buy) any milk.
14. The laundry was wet it ___________________________ (rain)while I was out.
15. William felt ill last night because he________________________________ (eat) too many cakes.
16. Keiko ________________________________ (meet) William last September.
17. First I tidied the flat, then I ____________________________ (sit)down and had a cup of coffee.
18. John _____________________ (play) the piano when he was a child, but he doesnt play now.
19. When I opened the curtains the sun was shining but the ground was white.
It ___________________ (snow) during the night.
20. When Julie got home from her holiday, her flat was a mess. John____________________ (have) a party.

Answers:
1. What were you doing when I called you last night?
2. I was sitting in a caf when you called.
3. When you arrived at the party, who was there?
4. Susie was watching a film when she heard the noise.
5. Yesterday I went to the library, next I had a swim, later I met Julie for a coffee.
6. We were playing tennis when John hurt his ankle.
7. What were they doing at 10pm last night? It was really noisy.
8. He was taking a shower when the telephone rang.
9. He was in the shower when the telephone rang.
10. When I walked into the room, everyone was working.
11. It was a day last September. The sun was shining, the birds were singing. I was walking along the street
when I met an old friend.
12. He was living in Russia when the Revolution started.
13. When her train got to the station, we were waiting on the platform.
14. He was so annoying! He was always leaving his things everywhere.
15. On holiday we visited Rome, saw the Vatican, and spent a few days at the beach.
16. Why were you standing on a chair when I came into the room?
17. They lived in Germany when they were young.
Answers:
1. He was sleeping when the telephone rang.
2. We were eating dinner at 8pm last night.
3. Yesterday I went to the post office, bought some fruit at the supermarket andread a book in the park in the
afternoon.
4. We were watching TV when we heard a loud noise.
5. Julie was in the garden when Laurence arrived.
6. A: What were you doing at 3pm yesterday?
B: I was cleaning my house.
7. Last year I visited Paris and Rome.
8. They were having dinner when the police arrived.
9. He was working in the garden when he found the money.
10. Laura was studying at 11pm last night.
11. I was walking along the road when I met an old friend.
12. It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing and the sun was shining.
13. My old flatmate was so annoying! She was always leaving dirty plates everywhere.
14. When I called Julie, she was working.
15. Why were you crying when I arrived?
16. When he arrived, we started to eat dinner.
17. At 10am yesterday I was sitting on a bus.
18. What were you doing when she called?
19. I wasnt sleeping when he arrived, I was studying!
20. Mr. Black wasnt working in the garden at 10pm last night.
Answers:
1. When I arrived at the cinema, the film had started.
2. She had lived in China before she went to Thailand.
3. After they had eaten the shellfish, they began to feel sick.
4. If you had listened to me, you would have got the job.
5. Julie didnt arrive until after I had left.
6. When we had finished dinner, we went out.
7. The garden was dead because it had been dry all summer.
8. He had met her before somewhere.
9. We were late for the plane because we had forgotten our passports.
10. She told me that she had studied a lot before the exam.

11. The grass was yellow because it hadnt rained all summer.
12. The lights went off because we hadnt paid the electricity bill.
13. The children hadnt done their homework, so they were in trouble.
14. They hadnt eaten so we went to a restaurant.
15. We couldnt go into the concert because we hadnt brought our tickets.
16. She said that she hadnt visited the UK before.
17. Julie and Anne hadnt met before the party.
18. I hadnt had breakfast when he arrived.
19. He hadnt used email before, so I showed him how to use it.
20. You hadnt studied for the test, so you were very nervous.
Answers:
1. Had you gone there before we went together?
2. Had she seen the film already?
3. Why had he forgotten about the meeting?
4. Had it been cold all week?
5. Had I read the book before the class?
6. When she arrived, had we eaten already?
7. Where had you been when I saw you?
8. Had they travelled by bullet train before?
9. Had John met Lucy before they went on holiday together?
10. Had you done your homework already?
11. Where had she worked ?
12. Had I paid the bill before we left?
13. Had we visited my parents already that winter?
14. When you called, had they eaten dinner?
15. How had he managed to fix the cooker?
16. Had my sister been sick for a long time?
17. How much had she studied before the exam?
18. What had you cooked for dinner that night?
19. When had they arrived?
20. How many coffees had she drunk before the interview?
Answers:
1. We had already eaten when John came home.
2. Last year Juan passed all his exams.
3. When I got to the airport I discovered I had forgotten my passport.
4. I went to the library, then I bought some milk and went home.
5. I opened my handbag to find that I had forgotten my credit card.
6. When we arrived at the station, the train had already left.
7. We got home to find that someone had broken into the house.
8. I opened the fridge to find someone had eaten all my chocolate.
9. I had known my husband for three years when we got married.
10. Julie was very pleased to see that John had cleaned the kitchen.
11. It hadnt rained all summer, so the grass was completely dead.
12. When he arrived at the party, Julie had just left.
13. After arriving home, I realised I hadnt bought any milk.
14. The laundry was wet it had rained while I was out.
15. William felt ill last night because he had eaten too many cakes.
16. Keiko met William last September.
17. First I tidied the flat, then I sat down and had a cup of coffee.
18. John played the piano when he was a child, but he doesnt play now.
19. When I opened the curtains the sun was shining but the ground was white.It had snowed during thenight.
20. When Julie got home from her holiday, her flat was a mess. John had had a party.