Past simple

A. Complete the sentences with the past simple of the verbs in brackets ( ).

1. The young man _________ (take) out his wallet and ________ (pay) the bill.

2. When Lucy _________ (go) to the interview, she _________ (wear) her best suit.

3. We _________ (leave) the motorway and _________ (drive) for an hour on quiet

country roads.

4. I _________ (think) I _________ (know) my irregular verbs, but now I'm not so sure!

5. As soon as I _________ (meet) Doris, I ________ (know) she ________ (be) someone

special.

6. Tolstoy ________ (write) some great novels, but he never __________ (win) a Nobel

Prize.

7. The nurse________ (put) the little boy to bed and __________ (speak) to him softly.

8. When they ________ (hear) the fire alarm, everybody ________ (run) out of the

building.

9. Last year, the company ________ (build) a new factory, which _________ (cost)

millions of dollars.

10. When Jose __________ (break) his arm, the doctor _________ (give) him two weeks

off work.
Past simple negatives

B. Use the correct words to complete the sentences.

didn’t didn’t didn’t didn’t didn’t didn’t didn’t didn’t

open leave buy feel talk like pay hear

1. Dean called to the waiter, but the waiter ______________ him.

2. When I was a young child, I really ___________ chocolate.

3. I saw Sonia in the supermarket but we _____________.

4. Chrissie went home because she _____________ well.

5. They cut off our telephone because we _______________ our bill.

6. We arrived at the airport at six, but our flight ______________ until twelve!

7. Alex spent all morning in the bookshop, but in the end he ______________ anything.

8. I ___________ a bank account until I got my first full-time job.