VERB TENSES: PAST SIMPLE/ CONTINUOUS, PAST PERFECT & PRESENT
PERFECT
1. Fill in the gaps with the past simple or
continuous.
1. Carl ________________ (wait) for the bus
when we _______________ (see) him. He
___________ (say) he _________________ (go)
to the library because he ______________ (have)
to finish a geography project.
2. Our car _______________ (skid) since the road
______________ (be) icy.
3. While the shop assistant __________________
(help) a customer a man ___________________
(steal) a jacket and ________________ (run)
away. A security guard ____________________
(catch) him when he _______________________
(leave) the shopping centre.
4. The children ____________________ (make)
such a noise that their teacher ____________ (get)
angry, so they ___________________ (can- not-
play) in the yard.
5. The burglar _________________ (break) into
the house while the family __________________
(sleep).
6. Dad _____________ (fall) off the ladder while
he _________________ (hang) a painting in the
hall.
3. Fill in the gaps with the past simple or the
present perfect.
1. __________ you ____________ (bring) the
book that I ____________ (forget) in class
yesterday?
2. It _____________ (be) the most exciting
experience I _________________ (ever/have). I
_____________ (try) hang gliding last summer!
3. I’m so sorry, dear Sue, but I ______________
(not-remember) to phone you for your birthday! I
_______________ (be) so busy lately!
4. Paul always ________________ (visit) us
whenever he ______________ (come) to London
on a business trip.
5. Paula ____________________ (work) in the
same company for 10 years. She’s really happy
there.
6. Henry _____________ (hate) his job, so he
_______________ (give) it up.
He______________ (start) studying at university
this year.
7. How long ________________________ (Sally/
drive) this yellow sports car?
8. We _________________ (not/meet) John since
he _____________ (move) to London.
9. I _________________ (see) Superman four
times!
2. Fill in the gaps with the past simple or past perfect.
1. Paul __________________ (not- believe) the
explanation about the incident that David
___________________ (give) to them the week
before.
2. __________ you __________ (visit) the Modern
Art Museum before we _______________ (go) there
on the school trip last week?
3. The guests __________________ (not-like) the
food mum ____________________ (prepare) for
dinner.
4. As soon as we _______________ (notice) the fire
we ______________ (call) the fire brigade. The fire
________________ (start) on the 2nd floor a few
minutes before.
5. We ______________ (tidy) the house once the
guests __________________ (leave).
6. Unfortunately I ______________ (find) out that the
dictionary I _______________(forget) in class
____________________ (disappear).
7. Mary never ________________ (tell) us why she
_________________ (disobey) her parents coming to
the party without their permission.
4. Fill in the gaps with the past simple or continuous,
the present perfect or past perfect.
1. Dave ____________ (take) a lot of photos when
he _____________ (fly) to Brazil last July.
2. While I _______________ (have) a bath last night,
Mary _________________ (read) a comic.
3. ____________________________ (you- ever/ eat)
sushi?
4. Where _____________ Anne_____________
(live) before moving to this neighbourhood?
5. ___________ they ____________ (eat) the sweets
they ____________ (buy) yesterday yet?
6. We __________________ (jog) in the park when a
dog _______________ (bite) Jane.
7. David ________________ (fall) off his bike and
_____________ (break) his arm yesterday.
8. Pam ___________________ (drive) home when
she _________________ (crash) into a bus.
9. Carol ____________________ (promise) to be at
the party last week, but she finally ____________
(not-come). I ________________ (be) so sad and
disappointed!
10. “___________________________ (the
candidate/ make) speeches during the campaign?”
“No, he
____________; in fact he hates speaking in public.
11. John ________________ (can-not-swim) well
1.
1. Carl WAS WAITING (wait) for the bus when
we SAW (see) him. He SAID (say) he WAS
GOING (go) to the library because he HAD (have)
to finish a geography project.
2. Our car SKIDDED (skid) since the road WAS
(be) icy.
3. While the shop assistant WAS HELPING (help)
a customer a man STOLE (steal) a jacket and
RAN (run) away. A security guard CAUGHT
(catch) him when he WAS LEAVING (leave) the
shopping centre.
4. The children WERE MAKING (make) such a
noise that their teacher GOT (get) angry, so they
COULDN’T PLAY (can- not-play) in the yard.
5. The burglar BROKE (break) into the house
while the family WAS SLEEPING (sleep).
6. Dad FELL (fall) off the ladder while he WAS
HANGING (hang) a painting in the hall.
3.
1. HAVE you BROUGHT (bring) the book that I
FORGOT (forget) in class yesterday?
2. It WAS (be) the most exciting experience I
HAVE EVER HAD (ever/have). I TRIED (try)
hang gliding last summer!
3. I’m so sorry, dear Sue, but I DIDIN’T
REMEMBER (not-remember) to phone you for
your birthday! I HAVE BEEN (be) so busy lately!
4. Paul always VISITED (visit) us whenever he
CAME (come) to London on a business trip.
5. Paula HAS WORKED (work) in the same
company for 10 years. She’s really happy there.
6. Henry HATED (hate) his job, so he GAVE UP
(give) it up. He HAS STARTED (start) studying at
university this year.
7. How long HAS SALLY DRIVEN/ BEEN
DRIVING (Sally/ drive) this yellow sports car?
8. We HAVEN’T MET (not/meet) John since he
MOVED (move) to London.
9. I HAVE SEEN (see) Superman four times!
2.
1. Paul DIDN’T BELIEVE (not- believe) the
explanation about the incident that David HAD
GIVEN (give) to them the week before.
2. HAD you VISITED (visit) the Modern Art
Museum before we WENT (go) there on the school
trip last week?
3. The guests DIDN’T LIKE (not-like) the food mum
HAD PREPARED (prepare) for dinner.
4. As soon as we NOTICED (notice) the fire we
CALLED (call) the fire brigade. The fire HAD
STARTED (start) on the 2nd floor a few minutes
before.
5. We TIDIED (tidy) the house once the guests HAD
LEFT (leave).
6. Unfortunately I FOUND (find) out that the
dictionary I FORGOT/HAD FORGOTTEN (forget)
in class HAD DISAPPEARED (disappear).
7. Mary never TOLD (tell) us why she
HAD DISOBEYED (disobey) her parents coming to
the party without their permission.
4.
1. Dave TOOK (take) a lot of photos when he FLEW
(fly) to Brazil last July.
2. While I WAS HAVING (have) a bath last night,
Mary WAS READING (read) a comic.
3. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN (you- ever/ eat)
sushi?
4. Where WAS/DID Anne LIVING/ LIVE (live)
before moving to this neighbourhood?
5. HAVE they EATEN (eat) the sweets they
BOUGHT (buy) yesterday yet?
6. We WERE JOGGING (jog) in the park when a
dog BIT (bite) Jane.
7. David FELL (fall) off his bike and BROKE
(break) his arm yesterday.
8. Pam WAS DRIVING (drive) home when she
CRASHED (crash) into a bus.
9. Carol HAD PROMISED (promise) to be at the
party last week, but she finally DIDN’T COME
(not-come). I WAS (be) so sad and disappointed!
10. “HAS THE CANDIDATE MADE (the
candidate/ make) speeches during the campaign?”
“No, he HASN’T; in fact he hates speaking in public.
11. John COULDN’T SWIM (can-not-swim) well
when he WAS (be) nine.