Unit 3 –Stories
Grammar Exercises:
Past Simple Tense:
FORM
Affirmative of regular verbs: base form+-ed
(irregular verbs have a special form for the
affirmative of the past simple)
Negative of both regular and irregular verbs: didn’t +
the base form of the verb.
Question form of both regular and irregular verbs:
did+subject+base form of the verb.
USE
 To talk about a finished action in the past.
Ex: I watched a film last night.
 It is also used to talk about actions that happened
one after another.
Ex: He went into the shop, had a look and bought a pair of
trousers.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
yesterday/last week / month / year/ On Monday
one year/week/ month ago / in 2008/ at 5:30
Past Perfect Tense
FORM
Affirmative: had + the past participle of the verb.
Negative: hadn’t + the past participle of the verb.
Question form: had + the subject + the past participle
of the verb.
USE
 To talk about an action that took place before a
specific time in the past:
Ex: I had already got a driving license by then.
 It´s also used to talk about an action that took place
before another past action. The action that happened
first goes in the Past Perfect and the other one in the
Past Simple:
Ex: I had finished the exam by the time the bell rang.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
after, before, because, when
Past Continuous Tense
FORM
Affirmative: past of to be(was/were) + the –ing form of the
verb.
Negative: past of to be in the negative (wasn’t/weren’t) + the
-íng form of the verb.
Question form: interrogative form of the past of the verb to be
( was / were ) + subject + the –ing form of the verb.
USE
 To talk about an action that was in progress in the past.
Ex: I was reading a magazine in the afternoon.
 To talk about two actions that were in progress at the same
time:
Ex: I was reading a book while my brother was playing cards.
 To talk about a past action in progress that was interrupted
by another past action:
Ex: His friend arrived while he was making lunch.
TIME EXPRESSIONS
all afternoon yesterday-all evening yesterday-all last month-All last
night-all last week-All morning yesterday-all yesterday-At 9 O’clock
this morning-For a long time yesterday-From Two O’clock to four-
Throughout the night- When- While - As
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
FORM
Affirmative: had +been +verb+ing.
Negative: hadn’t + +been +verb+ing.
Question form: had + the subject + +been verb+ing
USE
 To talk about longer action that started before other
events and often continued up to them:
Ex: I had been studying all day.
TIME EXPRESSIONS:
when, Since, For, Till, Until, Before
1. PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS INTO THE PAST SIMPLE OR THE PAST CONTINUOUS

1. Lisa was doing (do) the cooking when her husband arrived (arrive) home from work.
2. They were watching (watch) a film on TV when the lights went (go) out.
3. Laura was doing (do) her homework while her mum got (get) dinner ready.
4. The children were playing (play) in the park when it started (start) to rain.
5. Helen fell (fall) off the ladder when she was changing (change) a light bulb.
6. He turned (turn) on the TV, sat (sit) down and enjoyed (enjoy) his favourite programme.
7. There was (be) an accident while I was waiting (wait) for the bus.
8. Everybody was dancing (dance) when I arrived (arrive) at the party.

2 PUT THE VERBS IN BRACKETS INTO THE PAST SIMPLE, THE PAST CONTINUOUS OR THE PAST
PERFECT.
1. Sue was talking (talk) on the phone when her dad called (call) her for dinner.
2. He was having (have) a walk when a thief robbed (rob) him.
3. The party was almost finishing (almost/finish) by the time Peter arrived (arrive) with his girlfriend.
4. They were just (just/be) shopping when I met (meet) them.
5. She got (get) angry when her mother didn’t let (not/let) her go out.
6. He had bought (buy) a car before he got (get) his driving license).
7. He did (do) the dusting while his wife was making (make) lunch.
8. The baby was crying (cry) because he got (get) lost.
9. The phone rang (ring) while he was having (have) a shower.
10. He had lost (lose) all his money by the time the game of cards ended (end).
11. When Tina arrived (arrive) from school her dad was reading (read) the newspaper.
12. The boys were fighting (fight) when their mother saw (see) them.
13. Yesterday Laura told (tell) her daughter off because she hadn’t done (not do) her homework by dinner
time.
14. George had already learnt(ed) (already/learn) to play the piano before he moved (move) to Paris.

3.COMPLETE THE SENTENCES USING THE PAST SIMPLE OR THE PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE
15. 1.- My uncle saved (save) a lot of money to buy a new sports car two years ago.
2.- Bernardo was walking (walk) his dogs when he saw (see) your girlfriend with Sergio.

3.- Margaret replied (reply) all the letters she received (receive) last week.

4.- While Julian was repairing (repair) his motorbike, his grandfather was reading (read) a magazine.

5.- Andrew gave (give) some money to his sister and she told (tell) him ‘thank you’.

6.-When Caroline got (get) off the bus it was snowing (snow) a little.

7.-I think some prices increased (increase) a lot during the last two months.

8.-They were talking (talk) on the phone when the boss arrived (arrive) at the office.

9.-My cousin Lilia told (tell) me good jokes yesterday evening at the pub.

10.-It was very cold so I was shivering (shiver) and was feeling (feel) tired.

4. the sentences with the past simple, past perfect or past perfect continuous
1. How long had they been playing (they/play) basketball?

2. Jack had been studying (study) French for years before he understood (understand) it.
3. Mary had been working (work) as a secretary for eight years before she decided (decide) to look for a new
job.
4. The family had owned (own) the business before they sold (sell) it.
5. The country had had (have) ten years of peace before the war began (begin).

5. Fill in the following sentences by using the correct form (past perfect simple/ past perfect
continuous).

1. I was tired because I had been typing (type) for a long time.
2. She had just gone (just / go) out when I called her.
3. Her boss was very angry with her because she had been coming (come) to work very late.
4. I didn’t know about the earthquake because I had been watching (not / watch) television.
5. The fire had spread (spread) to the next building before the firemen arrived (arrive).
6. My brother had eaten (eat) all the pie before we got back.

6.Complete the following sentences using past perfect or simple past

l. When he started telling the joke I realized that I heard it before. (start, hear)
2. When we got to the restaurant we realized that nobody had remembered to reserve a table. (get, realize,
remember)
3. The doctor examined her and found that she had broken her arm.(examine, broke)
4. We were a few minutes late, so the film had started when we arrived at the cinema. (start, arrive)
5. I got late this morning because I had forgotten to set my alarm clock.(get, forget)
6. When I saw her I knew that we had met before. (see, meet).
7. My parents had already eaten by the time I got home. (already eat, get)
8. The thief simply walked in the house because someone had forgotten to lock the door. (walk, forget)

8.Choose the correct answer

1) Last night, my friend ……………….. the room while I was talking with my sister on the phone.
a) was entering b)entered c)had entered
2) Can …………………… on the sofa when the baby started to cry.
a)had slept b)slept c )was sleeping
3) World War 1 ……………………. when World War 2 began.
a)was already ending b)had already ended c)already ended

4) She …………………….. the movie ‘Da Vinci Code’ at ten o’clock yesterday.
a)watched b)was watching c)had watched

5) The family last ……………... on a vacation in 2010.

a)was going b)had gone c)went
6) The crowd ………………. after the mayor had made his speech.
a)had cheered b)was cheering c)cheered

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

a)had b)were having c)had had
8) Before the man ............. this job a year ago, he had graduated from university in 1999.
a)had found b)found c)was finding
9) The girl ……………….. on her project while her mother was feeding her baby sister.
a)worked b)had worked c)was working
10) ……………… you at the meeting yesterday? I didn’t see you there.
a)Were b)Did c)Had been
11) By the time the police ……………… at the crime scene, the murderer …………………………… .
a)arrived/had already left b)had arrived/already left c)were arriving/already left
12) While I ……………………… yesterday morning, I ………………….. my friend Lisa.
a)was jogging/was seeing b)jogged/saw c)was jogging/saw

13)Jane and Jim ………………. a baby soon after they ………………………… .

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

9. Underline the correct option:

1-When I arrived at the party I saw Tim had drunk/had been drinking too much.
2-I had been having/was having a shower when suddenly the phone rang.
3-As soon as Peter arrived in the office, his boss started/had started to shout at him.
4-Mary was sweating. She had run/had been running for about two hours.
5-While she had/was having dinner the doorbell was ringing/rang. It was her best friend.
6- She had a headache last night. She was watching/had been watching too much television.
7-I was breaking/broke up with my boyfriend after the party. He was/was being very upset.
8-While I was making/made a cup of tea Michael arrived so I offered him one.
9-When I phoned Tony his mother told me he had been/had gone out and asked me to call back later.
10-My sister was very upset when she came/was coming back from school. She had been failing/had
failed the history exam.
10.Fill the gaps of the following story using the correct for of the verbs: past simple, past
continuous, past perfect simple or past perfect continuous.

Last Monday a very funny thing happened (happen) to me. Well, it wasn’t (not be) so funny when it
happened, but now I can’t help smiling when I think about it.

I got up (get up) at 7 o’clock in the morning, as usual. I was very tired that Monday because I had been
(be) to a party on Sunday night and it finished (finish) very late. After getting up, I had (have) a
shower and I made (make) myself a cup of coffee. I didn’t have (not have) anything to eat because I
hadn’t been (not be) hungry. Afterwards I brushed (brush) my teeth, combed my hair, took (take) my

coat and my purse and left (leave) the house.

As I was walking (walk) to the bus stop, it surprised me to see the streets were (be) very quiet. No traffic
jams and no crowds rushing to work or school. When I arrived (arrive) at the bus stop only one person was
waiting (wait) for the bus. I waited for longer than usual. In fact, when the bus came (come), I had been

waiting (wait) for more than twenty minutes.

When I got (get) off the bus, I crossed the road and went (go) into the building. Again I was (be)
shocked to see there was nobody there.

I took (take) the lift and finally arrived in the office. I tried (try) to get in but I couldn’t (not can). I didn’t
know (not know) what to do so I took (take) the lift and went down again. In the hall I saw (see) Bill, the

porter.
-Good morning, Bill. What’s the matter today? I had just been (just be) upstairs and there’s nobody at
the office. The building is very quiet and the office is closed.
What’s going on?
-Good morning, miss Parker –said Bill smiling- Didn’t you notice (not notice) it’s Easter Monday today?
-Oh my God! Now I understand why the streets were (be) so empty, why there was (be) no traffic and why
the office was locked!
I went (go) back home. I got up (get up) so early for nothing. As soon as I arrived (arrive) I went (go) back
to bed.