PAST SIMPLE AND PAST PERFECT

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the past simple or past perfect.

1. The travel agent _______________ (offer) better and cheaper destinations after we
______________ (book) our summer holiday. What a pity!
2. When the ambulance _______________ (arrive), the injured man _______________ (die).
3. His wife ___________ (take) him to hospital since he ______________ (cut) his finger
preparing lunch.
4. Mary’s parents _______________ (be married) for 20 years when they suddenly
_______________ (split) up.
5. I really ________________ (think) you ______________ (forget) to email me while you
____________ (be) in France, but you ___________.
6. We ____________ (have) to wait for hours at the station because the accident
______________ (damage) the line.
7. I finally ____________ (see) Sue. We ______________ (arrange) to meet at the Central
café before going to the cinema.
8. When we _____________ (get) at the theatre, the play ______________ (just/ begin).
9. At the annual meeting he _____________ (can/ talk) to some friends he ____________
(not/ see) since he _______________ (leave) school.
10. When Peter __________________ (turn) up, we ______________ (already/ have) lunch.
11. They _____________ (decide) to walk because they _____________ (not/ go) to the bank
in the morning.
12. The conference was a bit of a mess! In fact, I feel the speakers ________________ (not/
prepare) their talks quite seriously, so people ________________ (find) them really
uninteresting.
13. Peter ___________ (say) he _____________ (make) the meal on his own, but nobody
____________ (believe) him.
14. Luckily, when the light _______________ (go) off, we ____________ (finish) the birthday
party.
15. Mary _____________ (visit) the village where she ____________ (live) as a child last
month. She ______________ (not/ go) there for years. Everything _______________
(change) so much that she _______________ (not/ recognize) most of the places where she
______________ (use) to play.

KEY PAST SIMPLE AND PAST PERFECT

1. The travel agent offered (offer) better and cheaper destinations after we had booked
(book) our summer holiday. What a pity!
2. When the ambulance arrived (arrive), the injured man had died (die).
3. His wife took (take) him to hospital since he had cut (cut) his finger preparing lunch.
4. Mary’s parents had been (be married) for 20 years when they suddenly split (split) up.
5. I really thought (think) you had forgotten (forget) to email me while you were (be) in
France, but you hadn’t.
6. We had (have) to wait for hours at the station because the accident had damaged
(damage) the line.
7. I finally saw (see) Sue. We had arranged (arrange) to meet at the Central café before
going to the cinema.
8. When we got (get) to the theatre, the play had just begun (just/ begin).
9. At the annual meeting he could talk (can/ talk) to some friends he hadn’t seen (not/ see)
since he left (leave) school.
10. When Peter turned (turn) up, we had already had (already/ have) lunch.
11. They decided (decide) to walk because they hadn’t been (not/ go) to the bank in the
morning.
12. The conference was a bit of a mess! In fact, I feel the speakers hadn’t prepared (not/
prepare) their talks quite seriously, so people found (find) them really uninteresting.
13. Peter said (say) he had made (make) the meal on his own, but nobody believed (believe)
him.
14. Luckily, when the light went (go) off, we had finished (finish) the birthday party.
15. Mary visited (visit) the village where she had lived (live) as a child last month. She
hadn’t been (not/ go) there for years. Everything had changed (change) so much that she
didn’t recognize (not/ recognize) most of the places where she used (use) to play.