PAST TENSES EXERCISES

A. Choose Past Simple or Past Continuous tense to complete the sentences.

1. She _______ (know) that I ________ (watch) her while she was singing.

2. James _______ (fall) off the stairs yesterday while I ______ (cook) dinner.

3. When the train _______ (arrive), we ________ (chat) with my friends.

4. When you first _______ (come) to this country, I ________ (work) as a cashier.

5. The first time I saw you, you _______ (play) the guitar and Bella _______ (sing) our favorite song by
the beach.

6. I _______ (call) you as soon as I _______ (hear) the news.

7. I don't know what it said but when she ________ (receive) his e-mail, she _______ (cry) a lot.

8. While it ________ (rain) yesterday, we _______ (swim) in the sea.

9. We _______ (call) the insurance company when our car ________ (break down) in the middle of
the highway.

10. My dad _______ (come) home just when the game _______ (end).

B. Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses (Past Simple
or Past Continuous).

Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela _______ (call). She said she _______ (call) me on
her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she ________ (wait) for class, but
she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she _______ (talk)to me. I
couldn't believe she _______ (make)a phone call during the lecture. I asked what was going on.

She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students _______ (sleep, actually) in
class. Some of the students _______ (talk) about their plans for the weekend and the student next
to her ________ (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela _______ (tell) me she was not satisfied
with the class, I ________ (mention) that my biology professor was quite good and ________
(suggest) that she switch to my class.

While we were talking, I _______ (hear)her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?"
Suddenly, the line went dead. I _______ (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make
dinner. As I _______ (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It _______ (be) Angela,
but this time she wasn't sitting in class.

C. Fill in the blanks with Past Simple or Past Perfect.

1. We had already eaten when John _______ (come) home.

2. Last year Juan ______ (pass) all his exams.

3. I went to the library, then I ______ (buy) some milk and went home.

4. I opened my handbag to find that I ______ (forget) my credit card.

5. When we _______ (arrive) at the station, the train had already left.

6. I ______ (know) my husband for three years when we got married.

7. Julie was very pleased to see that John _______ (clean) the kitchen.
8. It ________ (rain) all summer, so the grass was completely dead.

9. When he ______ (arrive) at the party, Julie had just left.

10. First I tidied the flat, then I ______ (sit) down and had a cup of coffee.

D. Fill in the blanks with Past Simple or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. I ______ (wait) for hours so I was really glad when the bus finally _____ (arrive).

2. Why ______ (be) the baby's face so dirty? He ______ (eat) chocolate.

3. I ______ (see) John yesterday, but he _____ (run) so he was too tired to chat.

4. It _____ (rain) and the pavement ______ (be) covered with puddles.

5. When I _____ (arrive) it was clear she ______ (work). There were papers all over the floor and books
everywhere.

6. They _____ (study) all day so when we _____ (meet) they were exhausted.

7. The boss _______ (talk) to clients on Skype for hours so she ______ (want) a break.

8. I _____ (drink) coffee all morning. By lunchtime, I _____ (feel) really strange!

9. Lucy ______ (hope) for a new car, so she was really pleased when she ______ (get) one.

10. I _____ (dream) about a holiday in Greece. I couldn't believe it when my husband _____ (book) one
as a surprise!

E. Fill in the blanks with Past Simple, Past Perfect , or Past Perfect Continuous.

1. When I ________ (arrive) home last night, I ________ (discover) that Jane ________ (prepare) a
beautiful candlelight dinner.
2. When I _______ (turn) the radio on yesterday, I _______ (hear) a song that was popular when I was
in high school. I ________ (not hear) the song for years, and it _______ (bring) back some great
memories.
3. Last week, I ________ (run into) an old friend of mine. We _______ (not see) each other for years
and both of us ________ (change) a great deal.
4. When Emilio _______ (enter) the room, I _______ (not recognize) him because he _______ (lose)
so much weight and _______ (grow) a beard. He ________ (look) totally different.
5. When Oprah Winfrey _________ (get) her own TV show in 1986, she _________ (work) as a news
reporter for a long time.
6. In 1976, 60% of families ________ (be) couples with children but by 1996, this ________ (fall) to
51%.
7. Several senior employees ________ (leave) the company by the time the new manager __________
(arrive) last week.
8. Until the new software ________ (purchase), the staff ________ (struggle) to keep the accounts up
to date.
9. I _________ (see) that movie three times last year
10. When my supervisor _______ (pop in) my office the other day, I ________ (work) on the project for
nearly three hours.