Past Simple or Past Perfect

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Past Simple or Past Perfect - Exercises

Fill in past simple or past perfect simple.


1. After they   (see) the Tower, they   (go) to Westminster Abbey.
2. He   (ask) me which animals I   (see) in Africa.
3. After Columbus   (discover) America, he   (return) to Spain.
4. Before they   (move) to Liverpool, they   (sell) everything.
5. After he   (work) very hard, he   (fall) ill.
6. She   (open) the box after she   (find) the key.
7. They   (go) to a restaurant after they   (sail).
8. Before they   (start) the party, they   (invite) some friends.
9. After she   (wash) the curtains, she   (clean) the windows.
10. They   (go) for a sightseeing tour after the bus   (arrive).
11. Before he   (mow) the lawn, he   (pick) some roses.
12. After he   (finish) school, he   (work) for a magazine.
13. They   (drink) a cup of tea after they   (finish) lunch.
14. He   (ask) me for her telephone number before he   (phone) her.
15. My sister   (eat) all the chocolate before my parents   (come)
home.

Fill in Past simple, past progressive or past perfect simple.


1. When they   (sleep), thieves   (break) in and   (steal) their
jewelry.
2. After he   (repair) his bike, he   (drive) to his grandparents.
3. Before she   (have) dinner, she   (work) in the garden.
4. I   (see) him yesterday in front of the cinema.
5. When they   (listen) to music, they   (hear) a loud noise.
6. He   (not visit) me before he   (fly) to Greece.
7. He   (hear) a loud cry from outside and   (rush) out.
8. While she   (study) for her test, her brother   (play) football with his
friends.
9. We   (not play) chess last Sunday.
10. He   (go) shopping after he   (phone) me.
11. When we   (meet) Jane at the party, she   (wear) a red dress.
12. He   (not drive) fast when the accident   (happen).
13. The boys   (break) a window when they   (play) football in the
garden.
14. Mary   (not work) yesterday. She   (be) ill.
15. After she   (help) me with the housework, she   (go) to meet her
friends.

Fill in past tense or past perfect tense.


1. After they   (open) the window, it   (become) colder.
2. After we   (see) the movie, we   (go) to bed.
3. After he   (leave), she   (start) to cry.
4. As soon as it   (start) to rain, she   (take) her umbrella.
5. He   (play) cards after he   (do) his homework.
6. Before she   (thank) me, she   (take) my present.
7. We   (see) the robbers after they   (leave) the bank.
8. He   (comb) his hair after he   (brush) his teeth.
9. Before we   (go) out, we   (put) on our new shoes.
10. They   (go) swimming after it   (stop) raining.
11. When we   (arrive) there, the ceremony   (already start).
12. Father   (start) to wash the car after mother   (go) out.
13. After she   (got) her new dress, she   (show) it her parents.
14. He   (fall) from the balcony after he   (take) away the
railing.
15. He   (eat) the cake after he   (ask).
Fill in Past simple, past progressive or past perfect simple.

1. He   (work) in a supermarket before he   (work) as a postman.


2. She   (feed) the dog as soon as she   (do) her homework.
3. My sister   (live) in England before she   (move) to Belgium.
4. After he   (eat) all the sandwiches, he   (drink) some orange
juice.
5. We   (be) tired because we   (work) all day.
6. As I   (miss) the bus, I   (walk) home again.
7. After they   (install) the file, they   (can) go on working.
8. He   (just start) to watch TV when the mobile phone   (ring).
9. Before she   (go) to bed, she   (listen) to her favourite CD.
10. After he   (lose) all his money, he   (be) poor as a church
mouse.
11. She   (have) a cup of coffee before she   (write) the letter.
12. My sister   (eat) all the jam before our parents   (come) home.
13. Tom   (be) very angry because Ann   (shout) at him.
14. She   (go) home again as soon as she   (do) her shopping.
15. They   (go) to a sightseeing tour after the bus   (arrive).

1. John   (play) with the children after he   (have) dinner.


2. The farmer   (harvest) the apples before he   (take) them to his
neighbour to make cider.
3. After it   (stop) raining, the tennis match   (can) start.
4. After George   (swallow) his medicine, he   (begin) to feel much
better.
5. Before he   (become) president, he   (work) as an actor.
6. The tourists   (jump) into the pool as soon as they   (unpack) their
suitcases.
7. They   (sell) their flat before they   (move) to the Netherlands.
8. He   (work) as a tourist agent after he   (finish) school.
9. After he   (call) the police, he   (call) the ambulance.
10. We   (leave) the cinema as soon as the movie   (end).
11. After Mary   (get) her new school uniform, she   (be) very happy.
12. He   (meet) some friends after he   (study) for the test.
13. When we   (arrive) at home, she   (already do) the washing.
14. She   (need) help because someone   (steal) her money.
15. She   (do) her homework before she   (visit) me.

Past perfect simple and continuous

1. Peter was Sally's best friend. She (know) him all her life.

2. The children were wet because they (play) football in the rain.

3. We were very hungry because we (not / eat).

4. I was delighted when I found my keys. I (look) for them for hours.

5. She was exhausted because she (work) since eight o'clock that morning.

6. Everything was white because it (snow).

7. The passengers were cross because the airline (lose) everyone's bags.

8. I (not / see) Jacob for several years, but I recognised him immediately.
9. Exercise 3
10.Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate narrative tenses of the verbs in
brackets: past simple, past continuous or past perfect simple.

12.This story is based on true events that 1   (happen) many, many years ago in

Scotland. One day, Mr Clark 2   (walk) home with a smile on his face.

He 3   (carry) something very valuable in his hand: tickets for a long, long
journey.
13.After many years working and saving, Mr Clark 4   (save) all the money he

needed to take all his family to the United States. Earlier that afternoon he 5   

(buy) all the tickets that now he 6   (hold) in his hand. It was the opportunity
of their lives. “The United States of America,” he repeated aloud just to see how nice

it 7   (sound) in his ears.

14.A few days before their departure, Mr Clark’s son 8   (play) in the street

when a dog 9   (bite) him. The doctor 10   (go) to their home

and 11   (treat) the child’s wound. Then he 12   (hang) a yellow sheet

on their front door. That yellow sheet meant that they 13   (just/be)

quarantined. They 14   (have) to stay at home for two weeks because of the
possibility of rabies.

15.Five days later, Mr Clark was at the docks. He 15   (leave) the house and now

he 16   (watch) their ship leave to the United States without him or his

family. When the ship 17   (disappear) in the horizon, he 18   (stand

up) and 19   (go) back home, crying.


16.A few days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland - the mighty

Titanic 20   (sink), taking hundreds of lives with it.


Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous
1Mike his friends before he went abroad for two months. (visit)
2.Paul his car for two days before he called the mechanic. (repair)
3Pamela for two hours before her boyfriend arrived. (dance)
4.Melany her house by the time the guests arrived. (clean)
5.My brother before I felt angry with him. (apologize)
6.The athletes around the stadium for some time before they were stopped by their
coach. (run)
7.The pirates before the rescue team arrived. (escape)
8.The sales manager the advantages of his product for about half an hour before I
agreed to buy some samples. (describe)
9.I before my alarm clock rang. (wake up)
10.The kids a lot of mess before their mother came back home from work. (make)
11.The teacher our dictations for several minutes by the time the bell
rang. (correct)
12.Susan her thesis for two months before her supervisor told her that she was on
the wrong path. (work over)
13.You the party by the time everything happened. (leave)
14.Jack online games for an hour before I came. (play)
15.The new students in the classroom for 15 minutes before they realized that it
was the wrong classroom. (wait)
1. He (marry)   her two years before we met.

2. I (want / always)   to travel. That's why I was delighted to go abroad with
them.

3. She was no stranger to him. They (be introduced)   to each other a few days
before.

4. We (stay)   there since 1980, you know.

5. I (stay / never)   in London before. How expensive hotels are!

6. Did I tell you that when I saw you, I realised that we (meet / already)  ?

7. James told me you (buy)   the old vicarage two years before your son's
birth.

8. I wish we (buy)   it before.

Put The Verbs Into The Correct Form (Past Perfect Or The Simple Past)

1. The storm (destroy)   the house that they had built .


2. The children (clean)   the blackboard they had used to do the mathematics exercise.

3. When she went out to play, she (do / already)   her homework.

4. She (eat)   all of the food that we had made .

5. He took off the jacket he (put on)   before.

Put The Verbs Between Brackets In The Correct Tense (Past Perfect Simple Or Continuous.)

1. I (try)   to get tickets for that play for months before my friend finally got them.

2. When I arrived at the theater, my friend (pick, already)   up the tickets.

3. He was really angry because he (wait)   for more than half an hour when I arrived.

4. When the play started, I (already, apologize)   to my friend.

5. We (watch)   the play when the lights went off.

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