PAST TENSES NARRATIVE TENSES REVIEW

Try to complete the next structures, taking into account the past tenses

Remember: We use past simple tense for referring to a completed action in the past; past continuous tense
for referring to a continuous action going on at a specific time in the past and past perfect tense for referring
to an action which happened before another past action.

I. Practice:

1) Last night, Irem’s boyfriend entered the room while she was talking with another boy on the phone.

a) was entering b)entered c)had entered

2) Can was sleeping on the sofa when the baby started to cry.

a)had slept b)slept c)was sleeping

3) World War 1 had already ended when World War 2 began.

a)was already ending b)had already ended c)already ended

4) Ely was watching the movie ‘Da Vinci Code’ at ten o’clock yesterday.

a)watched b)was watching c)had watched

5) The family last had gone on a vacation in 2010.

a)was going b)had gone c)went

6) The crowd was cheering after the mayor had made his speech.

a)had cheered b)was cheering c)cheered

7) We had had a huge, beautiful house when I was a child.

a)had b)were having c)had had

8) Before the man had found this job a year ago, he had graduated from university in 1999.

a)had found b)found c)was finding

9) The girl was working on her project while her mother was feeding her baby sister.

a)worked b)had worked c)was working

10) Were you at the meeting yesterday? I didn’t see you there.

a)Were b)Did c)Had been

11) By the time the police arrived at the crime scene, the murderer had already left

a)arrived/had already left b)had arrived/already left c)were arriving/already left

12) While I jogged yesterday morning, I saw my friend Lisa.

a)was jogging/was seeing b)jogged/saw c)was jogging/saw

13)Jane and Jim had had a baby soon after they married.

a) had/married. b) had/had married. c) had had/married.

II. Past progressive or simple past?

Put the verbs into the correct tense (SIMPLE PAST or PAST PROGRESSIVE).

1. While Tom (read) is reading, Amely (watch) watches -a documentary on TV.

2. Marvin (come) is coming home, (switch) changes on the computer and (check) Checking his emails.

3. The thief (get) gets into the house, (steal) stealing -the jewels and (leave) leaves without a trace.

4. Nobody (listen) listening while the teacher (explain) explaining the tenses.

5. While we (do) doing -a sight-seeing tour, our friends (lie) lie on the beach.

6. He (wake) wakent up and (look) looking at his watch.

7. The receptionist (welcome) wecolmes the guests and (ask) asks them to fill in the form.

8. The car (break) broke down and we (have) had to walk home.

9. The boys (swim) swimming while the girls (sunbathe) sunbathing.

10. My father (come) comes in, (look) looking around and (tell) tells me to tidy up my room.

III. Read the text carefully and complete it with the Past Simple of the verbs in brackets. Provide your own
ending.

Last summer holidays Rui Silva and his family travelled (travel) to Britain. They stayed (stay) in London for
three days.

On the first day they enjoyed (enjoy) a full English breakfast at the hotel. Then they toured (tour) London on a
red double-decker bus. They loved (love) the ride. In the afternoon they visited (visit) the Tower of London.
They waited (wait) for a long time in a queue, but when they entered (enter), a real Beefeater greeted (greet)
them. Rui and his sister Sara posed (pose) for a photo with him.

On the second day they watched (watch) the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and they prayed
(pray) in Westminster Abbey. They crossed (cross) Westminster Bridge and looked (look) at the famous Big
Ben.

Conclude the story:

After doing all these activities, they returned to the hotel, told their emotions and slept and then left the
place satisfied.

IV. Match the pairs.

1. get ate 7. go did

 2. have gave 8. buy laid

3. drink 9. do
got watched
4. eat 10. lay
had bought
5. make 11. watch

6. give made 12. brush brushed

drank went

V. Complete the table with the correct form of the verb in the past simple (regular).

Infinite Past Simple

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

to watch watched didn’t watch Did you watch …? (you)

to work worked Didn’t work Did you work …? (Sarah)

to enjoy enjoyed Didn’t enjoy Did you enjoy (Simon)

VI. Complete the table with the correct form of the verb in the past simple (irregular)

Infinite Past Simple

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

to see saw didn’t see Did you see …? (you)

to come came Didn’t come Did you come …? (Sarah)

to write wrote Didn’t write Did you write …? (Sam and Paul)

VII. Change the sentences into the present simple and in the past simple.

Present Past

1. He likes Sidney very much. 1. he used to like Sidney very much.

 2. There are five cookies on the table. 2. there were five cookies on the table.

3. I’m not in Sidney 3. I wasn't in Sidney.

VIII. Circle the correct form of the verb.

1. I go / went to the cinema last week. 4. She see / saw beautiful monuments last month.

2. Did you hear / heard the news two days ago? 5. Did they find / found the car yesterday?

3. He didn’t eat / didn’t ate a cake yesterday. 6. We didn’t get / didn’t got up early last Sunday.

TITLE: Never get on the bus again

With almost a week to go until the end of the year, I usually travel to Mocoa, where I have
family and enjoy carnivals. That day I was at the transport terminal with my ticket and my
luggage, I boarded the bus that takes me from Cali to Mocoa, I put on my headphones and
enjoyed the beautiful landscape of the road, it is not a short trip, approximately 12 hours of
travel.
After a few hours of travel, I was tired and sleepy, it is not comfortable to sleep in a bus at
full motion, until a moment came when the driver made a stop, I took the opportunity to get
out of the bus and stretch, I was already at about to touch the ground, I only needed to take
a single step and at that moment a girl of only 2 years old, vomited on my shoes.
After that accident, I put on some extra shoes and the driver started again, I was very
uncomfortable, tired, in pain and smelling of vomit. I arrived at the Mocoa terminal, boarded
a taxi that took me to my family's house and the first thing I did was sleep, the next morning I
told my aunts about my trip and the nice gift that little girl gave me.