WORKSHEET 5

SUBJECT: Past form of Verb To Be

A) Fill in the blanks. Use WAS / WERE:
1. Mary and Susan were ill yesterday.
2. The weather .. very hot last Saturday.
3. The students .. at the theater last night.
4. Betty .. in Germany last summer.
5. My brother and I .. at the football stadium on Saturday.
6. . it cold yesterday?
B) Choose WAS or WERE and circle it:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

He was / were a policeman.

We was / were very happy.
Was / Were you happy?
They wasnt / werent interested in.
I was / were at school.
It wasnt / werent expensive.
Was / Were she your teacher?

C) Complete the text with WAS or WERE:

Interviewer: What . it like during the First World War, Bill?
Bill
: It a terrible time. I . a young man, so I
in the army. We .. in Italy.
Interviewer: Where .. your wife and children?
Bill
: They in London. That . dangerous too. There ...
bombs and there not a lot of food. The children .. very
young and they .. very frightened.
D) Read the interview and answer the questions:
Bill Jenkins is 100 today.
Interviewer: Bill, I expect life is very different today than a hundred years ago. What was it
like?
Bill
: Yes, it is very different. Life was much quieter then. There are so many cars
now. There werent any cars when I was a boy.
Interviewer: Were you happy as a child?
Bill
: Oh yes, I was very happy, but Im still happy now!
Interviewer: Tell me about your family.
Bill
: Well, my father was a postman and my mother was a cook. We werent rich,

but we werent poor either. There were five children. My brothers and sisters
were all younger than me but Im the only one still here.
1. Were there any cars when he was a boy?
2. Was he happy or sad when he was a child?
3. What was his mothers job?
4. How many children were there in his family?
5. How old is Bill Jenkins?
SUBJECT : Simple Past Tense
A) Fill in the blanks with a verb from the box in the SIMPLE PAST:

break

swim

have

make

sit

spend

buy

drink

lose

wash

write

1. She .. a cake an hour ago.

2. She .. a hat last week.
3. The boy .. a letter yesterday.
4. They . in the sea for an hour.
5. They .. a lot of Coke last night.
6. She her arm last week.
7. He . all his money last week.
8. She a bath two minutes ago.
9. He . his wallet last night.
10. She .. on the old chair a minute ago.
11. She .. the clothes yesterday.
B) Fill in the blanks with the SIMPLE PAST of the verbs in brackets:
Last Saturday my father . took. (take) my friends and me to the circus. We (see)
lots of things. My father . (buy) us some popcorn and orange juice. We
. (eat) the popcorn and (drink) the orange juice.
We .. (laugh) at the funny clowns. There . (be) a lion-tamer.
The lions (do) tricks; they (jump) through hoops. A
girl . (ride) an elephant around the ring. We all (have)
a wonderful time.

C) Write what Jean DID or DIDNT do yesterday:

go shopping ( - )
clean the house ( + )
feed the cat ( + )
telephone Mary ( - )
watch a film on TV ( - )
visit her grandparents ( + )
take them a cake ( + )

Jean didnt go shopping yesterday. .

D) Fill in the blanks with the PAST form of the verbs:

Benjamin Franklin was born .. (be born) in Boston in 1706. He (be)
the fifteenth of the seventeen children of a poor candlemaker. He (go ) to
school only one year. He (begin) to work when he was twelve. At the
age of fourteen he (decide) to be a writer. He .
(copy) the great stories of famous writers and later he (become) the
best known writer in his time.
When he .. (be) seventeen, he (leave) Boston and
(arrive) in Philadelphia with only a few pennies in his pocket. He
(get) a job as a publisher of a newspaper and . (retire)
from business as a very rich man at forty-two. Then he . (spend) the next
forty years for his government. He . (play) an important role in the
founding of the USA.
Franklin (be) also an important scientist and inventor. He . (draw)
electricity from a cloud on a kite string. He (write) one of the first text
books on electricity. He (invent) a simple lightning rod and many other
practical tools. He (make) a study of water and .
(discover) many principles of hydrodynamics. He even (invent) bifocal
glasses when he was seventy-eight and (need) them himself.
Franklin (do) all these things and many more because he .
(believe) he (can).
E) Read the following story:
Bob is a young sailor. He lives in England, but he is often away with his ship.
One summer he comes back from a long voyage and finds new neighbors near his mothers
house. They have a pretty daughter, and Bob soon loves her and he wants to marry her when he
comes back. Bob promises the girl to send a present from every port.
Bobs first port is Capetown in Africa, and he sends the girl a parrot from there. The parrot
speaks three languages. When Bobs ship reaches Australia, a letter comes from the girl. The
letter says, Thank you for the parrot, Bob. It tasted much better than a chicken.
a) Answer the questions about the story:

1. What was Bob?

He was a young sailor.
2. What change did he find when he was back home?
..
3. How was their daughter?
..
4. How did Bob feel about the girl?
..
5. What did Bob tell the girl?
..
6. What did Bob send the girl from Capetown?
.
7. Where is Capetown?
.
8. How many languages did the parrot speak?

9. What did the girl do with the parrot?

F.Rewrite the sentences using the word and signs in parenthesis:

(he)
(yesterday)
(study in the library)
(we)
(play tennis)
(I)
(get a present)
(you)
(go shopping)
(last week)
(she)
(stay home)
(last night)
(they)
(get into trouble)
(you)
(see him)
(yesterday afternoon)
(I)

(-)
(?)
(-?)
(-)
(+)
(-)
(+)
(-?)
(?)
(-)
(+)
(?)
(-?)
(-)
(+)
(?)
(-?)
(?)
(+)

1. We ate lunch at the cafeteria last night.

2. He didnt eat lunch at the cafeteria last night.
3.
4.
5.
6. .
7.
8.
9.
10. ..
11. ..
12. ..
13. .
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Simple Past vs Present Perfect Tense

A) Put the verbs in the correct tense. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PRESENT PERFECT:
1. .. Tim . (finish) his work yet?
2. .. he (finish) it ywsterday?
3. They . (just / go) out.
4. They (go) out a minute ago.
5. Ann . (study) yesterday afternoon?
6. you . (send) the letters yet?
7. she .. (call) him a week ago?
8. They . (not / see) the film yet.
9. The train (just / arrive).
10. . you . (ever / be) in a TV studio?
11. you and Tom (enjoy) the party last night?
12. you . (not / finish) school last year?
13. I . (lose) my dictionary. I cant find it anywhere.
14. His hair looks short. He .. (have) a haircut.
15. When . (he / give up) smoking?
16. Jane .. (buy) her car two weeks ago.
17. My bicycle isnt here. Somebody . (take) it.
18. Why (Jim / not want) to play tennis last Friday?
19. The car looks clean. .. you .. (wash) it?
20. When we were on holiday, the weather (be) terrible.
B.Use THE SIMPLE PAST or THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE to fill in the blanks:
1. What (you / learn) since you .
(come) here? How many friends . (you / make)? I
hope you ... (already / meet) a lot of interesting people.
2. Last night my roommate and I .. (have) some free time, so we
.. (go) to a show.
3. I .. (just / have) lunch, but I
(not / have) lunch yesterday.
4. Who . (write) the play Hamlet?
5. How many games (the team / win) so far this season?
6. I dont know Carols husband. I . (never / meet) him.
7. It (rain) a lot last week, but it
(not / rain) much so far this week.
8. How many letters .. (you / write) since the beginning
of the month?
9. When we were on vacation, the weather (be) terrible.
10. In her whole lifetime, Mary (never / see) snow.
11. I dont know where Ammy is. .(you / see) her?
12. When I . (get) home last night, I .. (be)
very tired and I (go) straight to bed.

13. Your car looks very clean. . (you / wash) it?

14. George .. (not / be) very well last week
15. Mr. Clark (work) in a bank for 15 years. Then he gave it
up.
C) Use THE SIMPLE PAST or THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE to fill in the blanks:
1. The young man (never / be) to Paris, but he ..
(read) a book about this city last year.
2. you (decide) where to go yet?
3. A: Have some tea, please.
B: No, thank you. I . (just / have) two cups of tea.
4. Susan . (do) her homework before 10 oclock but Jane .
.. (not /write) a word until now.
5. Her mother (buy) her a pair of new shoes yesterday.
6. The Prime Minister . (leave) for the USA an hour ago.
7. A: .. the plane . (land)?
B: Yes, it (land) ten minutes ago.
8. It . (not / rain) for a long time.
9. you (see) my dog? It (run away)
this morning.
10. We . (meet) at a party a long time ago, but I ..
(not / see) her since then.
11. I (see) an interesting book in a bookshop yesterday, but I
(not / buy) it.
12. My friend (fall) from the bicycle because he .
(not / ride) one for ages.
13. His father (die) in 1970, but he ..
(never / visit) his fathers grave since that time.
14. They (go) to America years ago, but none of them ...
(come) back since then.
15. A: .. you .. (speak) to an Englishman?
B: Yes, I .. (have) a short conversation with one last night.
16. A: . you ever .. (be) to Tatilya?
B: Yes, I . (go) there two years ago.
17. A: . you .. (see) Jane recently?
B: No, I . (see) her for a long time.
D) Rewrite the sentences using SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT TENSE:
1. I havent seen her for a long time.
Its ages since I saw her
1. I last met George two weeks ago.
I havent
2. They have been here for three months.
They arrived ..

3. We started living in Istanbul 12 years ago.

We have .
4. I last saw my girlfriend five days ago.
I havent .
5. Is this the first time you have tasted a kivi?
(not) you . one before?
6. I last smoked a cigarette ten years ago.
I havent ..
7. I last drank wine two weeks ago.
Its two weeks . wine.
8. I have lived in Istanbul since January.
I (come)
9. They moved to Ankara two years ago.
They . two years.
10. She hasnt been to Rome before.
This is the first time
E. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1.

A: (you / play / already)

the new computer game?

2.

B: No, not yet. I only (buy)

it yesterday and I (have / not)

the time

yet.
3.

A: (you / go)

4.

B: Yes. I (be)
recently?

5.

A: I last (go)

6.

B: So you (see / not)

7.

A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy)

8.

B: Oh, I really (love)

9.

A: But why (you / take)

she (hate)

10.

to the cinema last night?

there with Sue and Louis. (you / be)

to the cinema

to the cinema two weeks ago.

the new action film yet.
it?

it. But Sue (like / not)

it - too much action!

her with you? She (tell)

me last week that

action films.

B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try)

he (can / concentrate / not)

to flirt with him all the time. So

on the film.

F. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1.

I (just / finish)

2.

Mary (already / write)

3.

Tom (move)

4.

My friend (be)

5.

I (not / be)

6.

But I (already / travel)

7.

Last week, Mary and Paul (go)

8.

I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy)

9.

(they / spend)

10.

(you / ever / see)

G.

my homework.
five letters.
to this town in 1994.
in Canada two years ago.
to Canada so far.
to London a couple of times.
to the cinema.
a new film yet.

their holiday in New Zealand last summer?

a whale?