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WORKSHEET 1

EXTRA GRAMMAR PRACTICE

jPast Simple, Past Continuous,

Past Perfect Simple

1

Decide which sentence has got a meaning that is

similar to the first one.

1. We were swimming when the waves got very high.

Complete the sentences with the time expressions

below.
when as last night by the time
in 2003 after

a. We began swimming after the waves got high.

b. We had begun to swim before the waves got
high.
2. I did my homework after I had had dinner.
a. When I finished dinner, I did my homework.

1. You missed an exciting football match

.................................. .
2. .................................. we had swum, we had lunch
at a caf on the beach.

b. I had done my maths homework by the time I

had dinner.
3. The football team was practising while it was raining.

3. My friends were shouting encouragement

.................................. I was running the race.

a. The team was practising until it began to rain.

b. The team practised in the rain.

4. I was sleeping .................................. Beth rang the

bell.

4. Tim ran across the street to meet me as I was parking

the car.

5. .................................. our bags arrived, all the other

passengers had already got theirs.

a. I parked the car, and then Tim ran across the

street.

6. This shopping centre is only a few years old. It

opened .................................. .

b. While I was parking, Tim ran across the street.

5. By the time the concert ended, my ears were hurting.
a. My ears had begun to hurt before the concert
ended.

Choose the correct answer.

1. Someone stole my wallet while I yesterday.

a. shopped

b. The concert had ended before my ears began to

hurt.

b. was shopping

2. Jim on the phone when I arrived.

a. was talking

b. talked

3. By the time the waiter brought the dessert, we our

coffee.
a. had finished

b. finished

4. Dan was at basketball practice when he his knee.

a. had hurt

b. hurt

5. that joke before Cindy told it last night?

a. Did you already hear

b. Had you already heard

6. I wasnt feeling well, so I the wedding immediately

after the ceremony.
a. was leaving

b. left

Complete the passage with the verb in brackets.

Use the Past Simple or Past Continuous.

I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home last

night. But it wasnt as quiet as I had hoped.
I 1. ......................... (watch) television when the first call
2. ......................... (come). It was my old girlfriend. I didnt
want to talk to her, so I 3. ......................... (tell) her that I
4. ......................... (study). Then Lisa rang, but she
5. ......................... (laugh) so much that I couldnt
understand what she 6. ......................... (say). After that,
my new girlfriend, Mary, 7. ......................... (arrive) at the
door. While she 8. ......................... (stand) in the hall, the
phone 9. ......................... (ring) again. Luckily, it was Bob.
He 10. ......................... (do) his homework when he
realised that he 11. ................... (need) the maths
assignment. Finally, Mary 12. ................... (leave), the
phone stopped ringing, and I watched another programme
on TV.

Choose the correct answer.

1. They offered me more tea, but I already drank /

had already drunk enough.
2. By the time Mia decided / had decided which jeans
to buy, she had tried on seven pairs.
3. Jason was upset / had been upset last night
because he hadnt scored a goal.
4. The thieves were caught after they robbed /
had already robbed three banks in a month.
5. I spoke / had spoken to my sister when she called
home yesterday.
6. Alice came home after her parents went / had gone
to bed.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of

the verb in brackets. Use the Past Simple, Past
Perfect Simple or Past Continuous.

1. Sally ......................... (hike) when she and David met

for the first time.
2. What ......................... you ......................... (do) after
you heard the news?
3. Last night, Joni was wearing the boots she
......................... (buy) the day before.
4. By the time we got to the station, their train had
already arrived and they ......................... (wait) for
us.
5. What DVD ......................... you .........................
(watch) when I rang last night?

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WORKSHEET 2

EXTRA GRAMMAR PRACTICE

jPast Simple, Past Continuous,

Past Perfect Simple

1

Complete the dialogue with the time expressions

below. Use each expression only once.
when while in February
last night by the time already after

Mona: How was the party 1. .................................. ?

Ted:

It was great, but 2. .................................. I was

driving home, my car broke down.

Complete the sentences with the verbs below.

Use the Past Simple, Past Perfect Simple or
Past Continuous.
not be eat arrive run be film win
cross play manage have hope

1. We ................................... tennis when it started to

rain, but we .................................. to finish the game
before the rain got too hard.
2. Im not hungry. I .................................. an hour ago.
I .................................. eggs and bacon.

Mona: Where were you 3. .................................. it

happened?

3. As Sara .................................. the road, a lorry nearly

hit her. Shes lucky she .................................. hurt.

Ted:

4. They ......................... already ......................... four

games, so they .................................. to win the one
last Saturday as well. They were very disappointed
when they lost.

On West Road. I had 4....................................

driven Jane home, and then, the car stopped.

Mona: Didnt you get the car repaired

5. .................................. the same thing had
happened 6. .................................. ?
Ted:

No, that was different.

7. .................................. help arrived, I had
realised that I was out of petrol.

Choose the correct answer.

5. While the stuntwoman .................................. through

fire, the cameraman .................................. her.
6. By the time Jon .................................. at the club,
most of his friends .................................. there for two
hours.

1. I sent an SMS to ask David to go out for coffee but he

made / had already made other plans.
2. By the time the singers appeared on television, they
had rehearsed / rehearsed for weeks.
3. They had first met each other when they were /
had been in different bands.
4. The children didnt want dessert after lunch but they
ate / had eaten some ice cream later.
5. When I heard Sues voice, I knew that something bad
had happened / happened.

Complete the passage with the verbs below. Use the

Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1. When all my exams ended, my mother bought me a

CD. (after)
My .......................................................................... .
2. Linda talked on the phone and cooked at the same
time. (while)
Linda ....................................................................... .
3. We had started to watch the DVD before Ann arrived.
(when)
We .......................................................................... .
4. I didnt know that Andrew went on holiday last
Wednesday. (already)

wear happen enter hold

stand cry say run hear drop

Youll never believe what 1. .................................. to

me a few minutes ago! I 2. .................................. in
the queue in the bank when two men suddenly
3. .................................. in. They started shouting, but it
was hard to understand what they 4. ..................................
because they 5. .................................. masks over their
faces. But, as soon as we realised that the men 6. ...............
................... guns, everyone immediately lay on the floor. I
heard that someone near me 7. .................................. very
softly, but other than that, it was very quiet for a moment.
Then we 8. .................................. the robbers demand cash
from a clerk. A moment later, there was a noise at the door,
and I could tell that people 9. .................................. the
bank. It turned out to be the police. The robbers
immediately 10. .................................. their guns and were
arrested.

Rewrite the sentences with the time expression in

brackets. Use the Past Simple, Past Continuous or
Past Perfect Simple.

I .............................................................................. .

Arrange the words in the correct order to form

sentences. Use the correct form of the verbs.

1. doorbell / the / ring / watch / television / Gill / when / .

.................................................................................
2. while / I / last / answer / write / pen / the / in / the /
exam / my / break / .
.................................................................................
3. ago / she / an / call / hour / ?
.................................................................................
4. by the time / arrive / close / we / the / already / shop / .
.................................................................................

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