PAST SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE /
1. Fill in the blanks with the past simple of the
verbs in brackets:
1. Carol ……………… (go) to the supermarket
and ………………… (buy) the food we …………
(need) for the party.
2. The cat …………… (run) away from home
last night.
3. We …………… (hear) a terrible noise when
the bomb ……………… (explode) yesterday.
4. Some thieves …………… (break) into Mr
Brown’s house and …………… (steal) two
valuable paintings.
5. When ………………………… (you/ last/see)
Pam?
6. “Don’t worry, Sarah, I ……………………
(not/tell) your secret to anybody.”
7. Sally ………………… (refuse) to lend me her
dictionary.
8. “………………… (you/ remember) to send a
Christmas card to Jack?” “No, I’m afraid I
…………… (forget).”
9. Diana …………… (miss) the bus because she
…………… (get) up later than usual yesterday.
PAST CONTINUOUS
2. Fill in the blanks with the past continuous of
the verbs in brackets:
1. It ………………… (rain) heavily yesterday
evening.
2. We …………………… (study) for tomorrow’s
exam last weekend.
3. The children ………………… (make) such a
terrible noise that I punished them.
4. Jason …………………… (play) videogames
while his sister ………………… (listen) to music.
5. What …………………… (your mum/do) when
the bomb exploded?
6. “Who …………………… (Jack/talk) to
yesterday morning?” “He ……………… (talk) to
his boss, Mr Jones.”
7. Grandma …………………… (knit) a nice
sweater and a scarf for Peter last week.
8. Jamie and Tom …………………… (not/listen)
to the teacher this morning. They
………………… (disturb) everybody.
9. The children …………………… (not/ do) what
the teacher had told them to do.
10. We ………………… (hurry) for the bus when
you saw us this morning.
3. Fill in the blanks with the past simple or continuous
of the verbs in brackets:
1. James and Amy …………………… (wait) for the 9:30
train when I ……………………… (see) them.
2. While Sue …………………… (cook) spaghetti, Tom
………………… (prepare) a tomato salad.
3. The teacher …………………… (not/ accept) John’s
excuses for being late again.
4. I ……………… (phone) Paula last Monday, but she
……………… (not/be) in; her mum ……………… (tell) me
she …………………… (jog) in the park.
5. “……………………… (the teacher/explain) how to
solve the maths problem yesterday?” “Yes, she
……………”
6. While Alice ………………… (draw) a picture, Lewis
………………… (have) a relaxing bath.
7. The house ………………… (burn) for hours until the
fire brigade ………………… (put) the fire out.
8. What ………………… (Jenny/ do) when her boss
unexpectedly ……………… (come) into her office?
9. Nobody ………………… (can/ hear) what Mary
……………………… (tell) Sue at the party yesterday.
10. We …………………… (not/understand) how to get
to the station.
11. They …………………… (drive) home when the car
suddenly …………………… (stop).
12. A strong wind ………………………… (blow) all night
long.
13. Jenny ………………… (get) really disappointed
when the teacher ………………… (tell) her that her
history project ………………… (not/ be) as good as she
had expected, so she ……………… (have) to rewrite it.
14. The company ……………………… (apologize) for the
delay of the flight to New York.
15. Why ………………………… (Andy/not/ wait) for us
at the station yesterday?
16. The police …………………… (come) as soon as the
bank manager …………………… (call) them.
17. The children ……………………… (play) in the street
until it ………………… (get) dark and they …………………
(go) home.
18. The workers ……………… (go) on strike because
their boss ………………… (not/give) them a pay rise.
19. Paul finally …………………… (manage) to pass his
driving test.