NARRATIVE TENSES

PAST SIMPLE
We use the past simple to talk about completed actions in
the past.
 We ate out yesterday. (the action is finished)
In a story, we use the past simple to talk about past events in
chronological order; i.e. the main events of a story.
 When she opened the door, she pretended that we
weren’t there and she went to her room.
 He called me and told me to go, but when I arrived he
wasn’t there.
We also use the past simple to talk about past habits or past
states.
 We often went to the bar for a drink before dinner.
 He really liked sport, and was very fit.
PAST CONTINUOUS
We use the past continuous the set the scene in a story.
 Last night I was walking home and listening to my iPod
when …
 The sun was shining and lots of tourists were lying on
the beach. Suddenly …
We use the past continuous for actions in progress in the past
or longer actions interrupted by shorter actions in past simple.
 After dinner I went into the living room and saw that
she was crying.
 When she opened the door, we were talking about her.
PAST PERFECT
We use the past perfect simple to talk about an earlier past: events which happened before the main event.
Earlier single events
We use the past perfect simple to talk about earlier events and
experiences, or single actions completed earlier in the past.
 When she opened the door, he had already left.
 I realised that I had been there before.
 When I met her, I had never been in a serious
relationship.
 He noticed I had cleaned the car. It was smooth and
shiny.
We use the past perfect simple to say how much or how
many we had done of something earlier in the past.
 We had driven 500 miles and we needed some rest.
 How many hours had he slept when you woke him
up?
Duration from earlier in the past (stative verbs)
We use the past perfect simple with stative verbs to talk about
states or situations that had started earlier in the past. We often
use how long, for or since, always, etc.
 The day Anne died, they had been married for 48
years.
 The day I left, I had been in England for exactly 4
years.
 She told me she had always hated her sister.
 Quiz #1
Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Exercise 1

Choose past simple, past continuous or past perfect to complete the sentences below.

It was Sunday afternoon. I 1 _____________(watch) a cookery program on TV when I 2 ____________(realize) how hungry I was. But of course I
was hungry; I 3 ____________ (eat) anything since lunch, and I 4 ________ (run) a race in the morning. “Biscuits!” I 5 _______ (think). My
mother 6 _______ (give) me a jar of delicious home-made biscuits. I 7 __________(go) into the kitchen, 8 __________(open) the fridge
and 9 __________ (pour) some milk in a big glass. Then I 10 looked for the kitchen chair but it 11 __________ (be) there:
somebody 12 __________ (take) it away. And there were no biscuits in the biscuit jar: somebody 13 __________ (eat) them all! I was sure
I 14 __________ (put) the jar there the previous day, and I 15 __________ (eat) only one cookie. It was very strange.
A few minutes later, I 16 __________ (drink) my glass of milk when I 17 __________ (hear) a loud noise coming from the dining room.
I 18 __________ (go) there quickly and I 19 __________ (open) the door. I couldn’t believe my eyes. An enormous monkey 20 __________ (eat) the
biscuits excitedly on the kitchen chair.

Exercise 2

Choose the best answer for each blank space.

1. I was very late. When I arrived the conference _____. 6. I looked at him and I knew him _____ in a fight, because he
a) was already starting had a black eye.
b) started a) was
c) had already started b) was being
2. When he heard the police knocking on the door, he ____ c) had been
under the bed. 7. He pulled out a gun and everybody _____ away.
a) hid a) ran
b) had hidden b) was running
c) was hiding c) had run
3. The police arrested him because he _____ a gun. 8. When I was a child, we _____ anywhere at weekends; it was
a) carried boring.
b) was carrying a) never went
c) had carried b) were never going
4. After the police arrested him, he said that he _____ anything c) had never gone
wrong. 9. When he retired he _____ in the company for more than 50
1. didn't do years.
2. wasn't doing a) was
3. hadn't done b) was being
5. When he said that he loved me, I knew that he _____. c) had been
a) lied 10. We had the accident because I _____ to the road.
b) was lying a) didn't pay attention
c) had lied b) wasn't paying attention
c) hadn't paid attention
 The mystery story
Practice:

Here’s the transcript to the mystery story, but with some of the verbs ‘gapped’. Try to put them in the correct tense. Listen again to check.

Last night I _________________ (walk) home next to the river Thames, when something strange _________________
(happen) to me. It was late at night and I _________________ (have) a long and difficult day at work. There was a large full
moon in the sky and everything was quiet. I was tired and lonely and I _________________ (just have) a few pints of beer
in my local pub, so I decided to stop by the riverside and look at the moon for a while.

I _________________ (sit) on some steps very close to the water’s edge and looked up at the big yellow moon and
wondered if it really was made of cheese. I felt very tired so I _________________ (close) my eyes and after a few minutes,
I _________________ (fall) asleep. When I woke up, the moon _________________ (move) behind a cloud and it was very
dark and cold. The wind _________________ (blow) and an owl _________________ (hoot) in a tree above me. I rubbed
my eyes and started to get up, when suddenly I _________________ (hear) a splash. I _________________ (look) down at
the water and saw something. Something terrible and frightening, and unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Something
_________________ (come) out of the water and _________________ (move) towards me. Something green and strange
and ugly. It was a long green arm and it _________________ (stretch) out from the water to grab my leg. I was so scared
that I couldn’t move. I _________________ (never be) so scared in my whole life. The cold green hand
_________________ (move) closer and closer when suddenly there was a blue flash and a strange noise from behind me.
Someone _________________ (jump) onto the stairs next to me. He _________________ (wear) strange clothes and he
had a crazy look in his eyes. He shouted “Get Back!” and _________________ (point) something at the monster in the
water. There was a bright flash and the monster hissed and disappeared.

I looked up at the man. He looked strange, but kind. “Don’t fall asleep by the river when there’s a full moon”, he said “The
Moon Goblins will get you.” I _________________ (never hear) of moon goblins before. I didn’t know what to do. “Who…
who are you?” I asked him. “You can call me… The Doctor.” He said. I _________________ (try) to think of something else
to say when he turned around and said, “Watch the stars at night, and be careful of the full moon”. I was trying to
understand what he meant, when there was another blue flash and I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, he
_________________ (go). I couldn’t believe what _________________(happen). What on earth were Moon Goblins, and
who was the mysterious Doctor? And why had he saved me? I was determined to find the answers to these strange
questions. I stood up, looked at the moon and quickly walked home.

A love story
It was Friday again, the day for famous parties at Wellington High School. Students were
dancing in the garden and everyone was enjoying the pleasure of being away from boring
lessons. When Sarah came to the party, the music had already started. Tim suddenly
noticed Sarah and felt shocked. He had been looking for her for 2 years. They met each
other at a holiday camp in 1999, but mysteriously Sarah disappeared after a while. He
had been thinking about her since then.

At the party, Sarah was talking to one of her friends while most of the students were drinking as much as they could. Tim
decided to talk to her and waited for her friend to leave. When he went next to her, she was searching something in her bag,
so she didn’t see him. As soon as he touched her on the shoulder, she raised her head and couldn’t believe her eyes. She
had never forgotten him.

At the end of the party, no one was happier than Sarah and Tim as they found each other after 2 years.