THE SIMPLE PAST, PAST CONTINUOUS, AND PAST PERFECT

THE SIMPLE PAST

They watch television every evening (simple present)

They watched television yesterday evening (simple past)
“watched” is the simple past :
Subject Verb 2
I/we/you/they watched
He/she/it
The simple past is often –ed (regular verb). For example:
Work  worked clean  cleaned start  started
Stay  stayed arrive  arrived dance  danced
How it works in the sentences :
1) Terry worked in a bank from 1990 to 1999 in the same company
2) Carol came back home yesterday after one year studied aboard.

Exercises 1. Complete the sentences

1. I __________ (clean) my teeth every morning. This morning I __________ (clean) my teeth.
2. He usually __________ (get) up early but this morning he ____________ (get) up at 09.00.
3. We _____________ (do) a lot of work yesterday.
4. Bella always __________ (take) a bath twice a day, but last Friday she ________ (take) it once.
5. It was hot in the room, so I ____________ (open) the window.
6. The show _________ (start) at 19.00 every weekend. But yesterday it __________ (delay) two hours.
7. The concert _________ (begin) at 7.30 and _________ (finish) at 10.
8. When I _________ (am) a child, I _________ (want) to be a doctor.
9. The accident _________ (happen) last Sunday morning.
10. We ___________ (enjoy) our Holiday last year, we_____________ (stay) at very nice hotel.
11. It is a nice day today but yesterday it __________ (rain) all day.
12. Jim _________ (come) into the room, _______ (take) off his coat and _______ (sit) down.
13. Anne’s grandpa __________ (die) when he __________ (is) 90 years old.
14. She _____________ (go) to Australia in 1994 and she liked it very much.
15. My father usually __________ (like) his steak well-done.
16. The dog _________ (eat) its toy last night.
17. The policeman ___________ (talk) to the burglar yesterday.
18. __________ (you /have) a test last week?
19. I often see her mother but she never _________ (speak) to me.
20. The kangaroo always ___________ (carry) its baby.
21. My brothers ________ (leave) for England last week.
22. I don't like that man because he often _________ (laugh) at me.
23. Her sister never smoke __________ (smoke).
PAST CONTINUOUS

Was/were + V-ing is the past continuous

Positive Negative Question
I I I
He He He
was Doing wasn’t Doing Was Doing
She She She
Playing Playing Playing
It It It
Driving Driving Driving
We We We
living living living
You was You weren’t Were You
They They They
How it works in the sentences :
1) She was playing badminton at 7.00 yesterday.
2) It was raining, so we didn’t go anywhere

Exercises 2. Complete the sentences

1. “What did he say?” I don’t know. I ________ (not/listen)
2. Today she ______ (wear) a skirt, but yesterday she _________ (wear) trousers.
3. In 1999 we _________ (live) in Canada.
4. What ______ (are) you _________ (do) at 11.00 yesterday? ____ (are) you ________ (work)?
5. I ________ (wake) up early yesterday. It ______ (is) a beautiful morning. The sun _______ (shin)
and the bird ________ (sing).
6. They ____________ (wait) for the bus when the accident __________ (happen)
7. Caroline ___________ (ski) when she ________ (break) her leg.
8. When we ________ (arrive) he ____________ (have) a bath.
9. When the fire __________ (start) I ___________ (watch) television.
10. The other animals ___________ (relax) in the shade of the trees, but the elephant _________ (move)
very quickly.
11. She ________ (look) for her baby, and she didn't notice the hunter who __________(watch) her
through his binoculars
12. I _________ (going) to spend the day at the beach but I've _________ (decide) to get my homework
done instead
13. I _________ (have) a beautiful dream when the alarm clock _________ (ring).
14. Just as I ___________ (fall) asleep, I ___________ (hear) a strange noise.
15. He __________ (take) money from the till when no-one ____________ (look).
16. The children ___________ (do) their homework when I ___________ (get) home.
17. It ________ (is) eight o’clock. I ____________ (writing) a letter.
18. As I _________ (speak), the children ____________(laugh) at my cleverness
19. The audience _________________(applause) until he ____________ (fall) off the stage
20. I ___________(make) dinner when she ____________(arrive)

21. While I _________ (drive), I __________ (have) an accident.

22. Kate _____________ (have) dinner and then she ______________ (do) her homework.
23. The thieves ____________ (hide) in the kitchen when the police ____________ (come) in.
24. Sam _______________ (plan) a party and then he ______________ (phone) his friends.
25. While we ___________ (clean) the house, we ________________ (break) some glasses.
26. Alan ______________ (look) out of the window when he _____________ (see) a UFO.
27. When I ____________(have) breakfast, the phone suddenly ____________(ring)
28. While she _____________ (prepare) dinner, he ____________ (wash) the dishes.
29. The kids _____________ (play) in the garden when it suddenly ___________ (begin) to rain.
30. I ____________ (practice) the guitar when he ______________ (come) home.