PAST TENSES

1. The past simple

Form:
KĐ: S + Ved/ V2
PĐ: S + DIDN’T + Vo
NV: DID + S + Vo ?
 To be: was/ were
Usage:
- Một hành động đã xảy ra và đã kết thúc ở thời gian xác định trong quá khứ
Ex: she (learn) learnt how to swim when she was in school.
- Một thói quen trong quá khứ
Ex: when he (be) was young, he often (play) played football.
- Một chuỗi hành động trong quá khứ
Ex: he (remove) remove this coat and then he (sit) sat down and (begin) began to take off his
shoes.
Adverbs: yesterday, last, ago, in + past year.

2. The past progressive

Form:
KĐ: S + was/were + V-ing
PĐ: S + was/were + not + V-ing
NV: Was/Were + S + V-ing … ?
Usage:
- Một hành động đang diễn ra tại một thời điểm xác định trong quá khứ
Ex: I (be) was doing my exercise at 8 o’clock yesterday.
- Hai hành động xảy ra song song trong quá khứ.
Ex: while we (swim) were swimming, he (sunbath) was sunbathing on the beach.
- Một hành động đang xảy ra trong quá khứ thì một hành động khác xảy ra cắt ngang (hành
động đang xảy ra chia QKTD, hành động cắt ngang chi QKĐ)
Ex: he (come) came when I (sleep) was sleeping.

3. The past perfect

Form: KĐ: S + had + V3/ Ved
PĐ: S + had + not + V3/ Ved
NV: Had + S + V3/ Ved ?

Usage:
- Một hành động xảy ra trước một thời điểm xác định trong quá khứ
Ex: we (live) had lived in Hue before 1975
- Một hành động xảy ra trước một hành động khác trong quá khứ. (hành động xảy ra và hoàn
thành trước chia QKHT, hành động xảy ra sau chia QKĐ)
Ex: he (go) had gone out when I came there.
EXERCISE:
1. Give the correct tense of the verb in bracket
1. The teacher (ask)…………………………. the boy why he (not do)…………………………. his
homework.
Page 1
2. Before you (mention)…………………………. his name, I never (hear)…………………………. of
this poet.
3. They just (close)…………………………. the shop when I (get)…………………………. there.
4. Sally …………………………… (eat) dinner last night when someone ………………….. (knock) on
the door.
5. My roommate’s parents …………………………. (call) him last night while we
……………………….. (watch) TV.
6. Yesterday Tom and Janice ……………………… (go) to the zoo around one. They
………………………… (see) many kinds of animals. They stayed at the zoo for two hours. While they
…………………………… (walk) home, it …………….…….. (begin) to rain. Therefore, they
…………………………….. (stop) at a small café and …………………… (have) a cup of coffee.
7. My mother called me around five. My husband came home a little after five. When he
…………………….. (come) home, I ………………………………….. (talk) to my mother on the phone.
8. Yesterday, I (get) …………………….. up at 6 and (have) …………………….. breakfast at 6.30.
9. He (sit) …………………….. in a bar when I (see) …………………….. him.
10. The light (go) …………………….. out while I (have) …………………….. tea.
11. We (walk) …………………….. to the station when it (begin) …………………….. to rain.
12. They (go) …………………….. home after they (finish) …………………….. their work.
13. He (do) …………………….. nothing before he (see) …………………….. me.
14. Before she (watch)……… ……………………TV, she (do)……… ……………………..her
homework.
15. After taking a bath, he (go)… …………………to bed.
16. Yesterday John (go)…… ……………………….to the store before he (go)……………….home.
17. What …………………you (do)…………..at 6 pm yesterday?
18. He (teach)…………………in this school before he (leave)…… …………………….. for England
19. You (watch)……… ……………………..TV last night?
20. He (go) …………………….. to the store after he (finish)… ……………………....his work.
21. I (see)… ……………………..……..her last year.
2. Choose the best option to finish each sentences:
1. She was thoughtfully looking at him while he_____ a newspaper
A. read B. was reading C. has read D. has been reading
2. While I ______ the floor, Mrs. Paker began cooking
A. swept B. was sweeping C. has swept D. has been sweeping
3. I______Ann at her father's house twenty years ago and ____ her ever since.
A. met/ have known B. was meeting/ knew C. met/ knew D. have met/ was working
4. When Jack____ me, I______a letter
A. was phoning/ wrote B. phoned/ has been writing
C. phoned/ was writing D. has phoned/ was writing
5. I _______my report when you entered the hall
A. made B. have been making C. was making D. have made
6. They ______the new words yesterday from three to seven.
A. learnt B. have been learning C. have learnt D. were learning
7. She_______ this exercise yesterday at 8o’clock
A. wrote B. has written C. has been writing D. was writing
8. She_______ some cakes yesterday at 2p.m
A. make B. has been making C. has made D. was making
Page 2
9. He _______ me to the party yesterday.
A. invited B. has invited C. has been invited D. was inviting
10. Miss Brown’s telephone _______ when she _______.
A. rang/ dressed B. was ringing/ was dressing
C. was ringing/ dresses D. rang/ was dressing
11. When he_______ into the office, the secretary _______ a crossword puzzle.
A. came/ was doing B. was coming/ was doing
C. was coming/ did D. came/ did
12. While I_______for him to call up, he _____a good time in the bar.
A. waited/ was having B. have waited/ was having
C. was waiting/ have had D. was waiting/ was having
13. They______ this film last week.
A. have seen B. saw C. have been seeing D. were seeing
14. She ______ the picture when I came
A. painted B. has painted C. was painting D. have been
15. She______ a bath at seven o’clock last night .
A. was having B. had C. has had D. has been having
16. They_______ supper when the telephone rang.
A. had B. have had C. were having D. have been having
17. The library ______by the time I _____ there
A. had closed/ got B. closed/ got C. closed/ had got D. has closed/ got
18. Tom ......................... his hand when he was cooking dinner.
A. burnt B. was burning C. has burnt D. had burnt
19. When I was a child, I ............................... the violin.
A. was playing B. am playing C. played D. play
20. The train _______ when we got to the station.
A. just left B. just leaves C. has just left D. had just left
21. As soon as Martina saw the fire, she _______ the fire department.
A. was telephoning B. telephoned C. had telephoned D. has telephoned
22. Before Jennifer won the lottery, she _______ any kind of contest.
A. hasn’t entered B. doesn’t enter C. wasn’t entering D. hadn’t entered
23. Since I left Venezuela six years ago, I _______ to visit friends and family several times.
A. return B. will have returned C. am returning D. have returned
24. Yesterday while I was attending a sales meeting, Mathew _______ on the company annual report.
A. was working B. had been working C. has worked D. works
25. After the race _______, the celebration began
A. had been won B. is won C. will be won D. has been won
26. Andy _______ out of the restaurant when he _______ Jenny
A. came/saw B. is coming /saw C. came/was seeing D. was coming/had seen
27. When I entered the room, everyone _______.
A. has been dancing B. was dancing C. had danced D. danced
28. When he _______ all the letters, he took them to the post office.

Page 3
 A. has written B. had written C. wrote D. had been writing
29. When I came to visit her, she _______ a bath.
A. was having B. has C. is having D. had
30. Before the steamboat was invented, there _______ no way to cross the ocean.
A. has been B. could have been C. had been D. would be
Exercise 3: Choose the best option to complete each of the following sentences
1. He ………………. to give the explanation why she late.
A. denied B. objected C. refused D. disliked
2. Our neighbour are very …………… on camping holidays.
A. keen B. eager C. enthusiastic D. interested
3. Mathematics is my favourite ……………….
A. objective B. requirement C. subject D. purpose
4. Peter cannot ……………… English. Neither can Mary.
A. speak B. tell C. talk D. say
5. I always have a shower after ………………. tennis
A. played B. play C. to play D. playing
6. Stop ………….. I’m trying …………………. the report
A. talking / finishing B. to talk / to finish C. talking / to finish D. to talk / finishing
7. He is interested in science. He is a ……………….
A. teacher B. worker C. professor D. scientist
8. Mary habours the dream of being a pilot
A. keeps in mind B. thinks C. hopes D. wishes
9. Marie Curie earned degree in Physics with flying colours.
A. very low mark B. very high mark C. difficulty D. no hope
10. John always gets good marks. He is a brilliant student
A. mature B. best C. intelligent D. worst
11. She is interested in teaching.................because she loves working with children.
A. semester B. communication C. work D. profession
12. Don't worry ............... me. I’ll be fine
A. to B. about C. with D. for
13. I worked as a ……………… tutor to earn money for a summer trip.
A. general B. private C. secret D. single
14. ……………… class allows students to acquire knowledge about living things.
A. Geography B. Chemistry C. Biology D. History
15. Everybody shows their deepest sympathy on the ………….. of the flood victims.
A. die B. dead C. dying D. death
16. Stamp collecting and listening to music are my two favourite …………..
A. interest B. time C. hobbies D. likings
17. When acids ……………. with metals they form salts.
A. react B. create C. invent D. discover
18. Vaccinating is the best ……………. of some certain inflectious diseases.
A. prevention B. prevent C. preventing D. preventor

Page 4