Narrative Tenses (Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous) – English Grammar Exercises for B2
News Report. A news anchor is reporting on a mysterious art heist that took place at a national museum the previous night.
Read the breaking news transcript below. Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence accurately, maintaining the tense logic of a professional news report.
1 “Good evening. At midnight yesterday, heavy rain ______ down on the National Gallery when the unthinkable happened.”
(a) poured
(b) was poured
(c) was pouring
(d) had poured
2 “Everything seemed normal while three security guards ______ the main exhibition hall on their routine shifts.”
(a) were patrolling
(b) patrolled
(c) had patrolled
(d) are patrolling
3 “Suddenly, the building’s backup generator ______ completely, plunging the entire museum into absolute darkness.”
(a) had failed
(b) was failing
(c) failed
(d) has failed
4 “Police later discovered that the thieves ______ the external power lines just ten minutes earlier.”
(a) cut
(b) were cutting
(c) have cut
(d) had cut
5 “Investigators now believe that a highly organized criminal syndicate ______ the museum’s security protocols for several months.”
(a) had been studying
(b) studied
(c) was studying
(d) have been studying
6 “While the chief guard ______ to manually reset the main breaker in the basement, a dark figure dropped from the ceiling.”
(a) tried
(b) had tried
(c) was trying
(d) was tried
7 “The agile thief ______ across the marble floor toward the Renaissance exhibit without making a single sound.”
(a) sprints
(b) was sprinting
(c) sprinted
(d) had sprinted
8 “They knew exactly where to go because someone on the inside ______ them a highly classified blueprint of the building.”
(a) gave
(b) had given
(c) was giving
(d) has given
9 “As the intruder ______ the infrared laser grid, a motion sensor briefly flashed red.”
(a) bypassed
(b) had bypassed
(c) is bypassing
(d) was bypassing
10 “However, the system ______ the silent alarm because it was running on an outdated offline mode.”
(a) wasn’t triggering
(b) didn’t trigger
(c) hadn’t triggered
(d) doesn’t trigger
11 “During a press briefing this morning, the museum director admitted that they ______ the software since 2015”
(a) hadn’t updated
(b) didn’t update
(c) weren’t updating
(d) haven’t updated
12 “Using a specialized glass cutter, the thief carefully ______ the priceless painting from its historical frame.”
(a) was slicing
(b) sliced
(c) had sliced
(d) slice
13 “The legendary artist ______ on that specific masterpiece for ten years before his untimely death in 1520”
(a) was working
(b) worked
(c) had been working
(d) has been working
14 “While the suspect ______ through the ventilation shaft with the canvas, a patrol car passed by outside, completely unaware.”
(a) escaped
(b) had escaped
(c) was escaping
(d) escapes
15 “By the time the backup generator finally kicked in and the lights turned on, the intruder ______ into the stormy night.”
(a) already vanished
(b) was already vanishing
(c) had already vanished
(d) has already vanished
16 “Interpol confirmed today that they ______ for this notorious ‘Ghost Burglar’ for a decade before this incident occurred.”
(a) were searching
(b) searched
(c) have been searching
(d) had been searching
17 “When the lead detectives ______ the crime scene early this morning, they found nothing but a single black glove.”
(a) examined
(b) were examining
(c) had examined
(d) examine
18 “They quickly realized that the meticulous suspect ______ no usable DNA or fingerprints behind.”
(a) left
(b) was leaving
(c) had left
(d) has left
19 “During the live press conference, the police chief ______ visibly as he announced the devastating cultural loss to the nation.”
(a) shook
(b) was shaking
(c) had shaken
(d) is shaking
20 “Despite the lack of evidence, he ______ the public that the authorities would not rest until the painting was recovered.”
(a) assured
(b) was assuring
(c) had assured
(d) assures
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) was pouring
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous sets the atmospheric background (heavy rain) at a specific time in the past (midnight yesterday).
- Error Analysis: (a) poured (Meaning Trap – sounds like a singular, completed action rather than the ongoing weather condition); (d) had poured (Common Mistake – destroys the present-in-the-past feeling of the scene); (b) was poured (Structural Error – incorrect passive).
2 (a) were patrolling
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous with “while”. It establishes the routine, ongoing action of the guards that was about to be interrupted by the heist.
- Error Analysis: (b) patrolled (Common Mistake); (c) had patrolled (Meaning Trap – implies they had already finished their patrol, meaning they weren’t there when it happened); (d) are patrolling (Structural Error).
3 (c) failed
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. “Suddenly” introduces a fast, unexpected event that interrupts the background and moves the narrative forward.
- Error Analysis: (a) had failed (Common Mistake – wrong timeline sequence); (b) was failing (Meaning Trap – a complete power outage is an instantaneous event, not a gradual one in this context); (d) has failed (Structural Error).
4 (d) had cut
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect. The police discovered (Past Simple) a sabotage action that was fully completed prior to the blackout (“ten minutes earlier”).
- Error Analysis: (a) cut (Common Mistake – loses the depth of the investigative timeline); (b) were cutting (Meaning Trap); (c) have cut (Structural Error).
5 (a) had been studying
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect Continuous. It emphasizes a prolonged, continuous, and secretive action (“for several months”) that culminated in the past crime.
- Error Analysis: (b) studied (Common Mistake); (c) was studying (Meaning Trap – lacks the chronological sequencing required to show preparation before the heist); (d) have been studying (Structural Error).
6 (c) was trying
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous. The ongoing action of the guard (trying to reset the power) acts as the simultaneous background for the thief dropping from the ceiling.
- Error Analysis: (a) tried (Common Mistake); (b) had tried (Meaning Trap – if he had already tried and finished, the actions wouldn’t be happening at the same time); (d) was tried (Structural Error).
7 (c) sprinted
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. Represents a fast, agile, and definitive action taken by the thief in the chronological sequence of the crime.
- Error Analysis: (b) was sprinting (Meaning Trap – slows the action down too much, making it a background setting rather than a dramatic move); (d) had sprinted (Common Mistake); (a) sprints (Structural Error).
8 (b) had given
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect. The reason the thief knew where to go (Past Simple) was due to an insider action completed long before the break-in.
- Error Analysis: (a) gave (Common Mistake); (c) was giving (Meaning Trap); (d) has given (Structural Error).
9 (d) was bypassing
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous after “As”. The sensor flashed (Past Simple) exactly while the ongoing action of sneaking through the grid was in progress.
- Error Analysis: (a) bypassed (Common Mistake); (b) had bypassed (Meaning Trap – if he had already bypassed it, he wouldn’t have triggered the sensor); (c) is bypassing (Structural Error).
10 (b) didn’t trigger
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. A negative, factual outcome that occurred immediately following the sensor flash.
- Error Analysis: (c) hadn’t triggered (Common Mistake); (a) wasn’t triggering (Meaning Trap – alarms triggering are instantaneous events); (d) doesn’t trigger (Structural Error).
11 (a) hadn’t updated
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect. During the morning briefing, the director confessed to a prolonged failure that existed prior to the robbery (“since 2015”).
- Error Analysis: (b) didn’t update (Common Mistake – acceptable in spoken English, but Past Perfect is grammatically strictly required here with “since” to show the ‘past before the past’ state); (c) weren’t updating (Meaning Trap); (d) haven’t updated (Structural Error – Present Perfect clashes with the past narrative reporting).
12 (b) sliced
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. A single, deliberate, and completed action in the thief’s sequence.
- Error Analysis: (a) was slicing (Meaning Trap); (c) had sliced (Common Mistake); (d) slice (Structural Error).
13 (c) had been working
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect Continuous. The news anchor adds historical trivia: an uninterrupted, continuous action lasting “for ten years” before a past event (death in 1520).
- Error Analysis: (a) was working (Meaning Trap); (b) worked (Common Mistake); (d) has been working (Structural Error).
14 (c) was escaping
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous. Sets up the classic cinematic tension: the thief was in the middle of escaping when the patrol car passed by.
- Error Analysis: (a) escaped (Common Mistake); (b) had escaped (Meaning Trap – destroys the suspense; if he had already escaped, the patrol car wouldn’t matter); (d) escapes (Structural Error).
15 (c) had already vanished
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect. “By the time” creates a deadline in the past. The escape was 100% complete before the lights came on.
- Error Analysis: (a) already vanished (Common Mistake – missing the auxiliary verb); (b) was already vanishing (Meaning Trap – lessens the dramatic effect; he was completely gone, not in the process of leaving); (d) has already vanished (Structural Error).
16 (d) had been searching
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect Continuous. Interpol’s hunt for the burglar was an ongoing, continuous effort (“for a decade”) that preceded this new crime.
- Error Analysis: (a) were searching (Meaning Trap); (b) searched (Common Mistake); (c) have been searching (Structural Error).
17 (a) examined
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. A definitive action that happened earlier “this morning” to move the investigation timeline forward.
- Error Analysis: (b) were examining (Meaning Trap); (c) had examined (Common Mistake); (d) examine (Structural Error).
18 (c) had left
- Why it is correct: Past Perfect. The detectives realized (Past Simple) a truth about the crime scene that was finalized hours earlier by the thief.
- Error Analysis: (a) left (Common Mistake); (b) was leaving (Meaning Trap); (d) has left (Structural Error).
19 (b) was shaking
- Why it is correct: Past Continuous. Describes the ongoing physical and emotional state of the chief during the precise moment he made the announcement.
- Error Analysis: (a) shook (Common Mistake); (c) had shaken (Meaning Trap – implies he calmed down before speaking); (d) is shaking (Structural Error).
20 (a) assured
- Why it is correct: Past Simple. A strong, final, completed action concluding the news report.
- Error Analysis: (b) was assuring (Meaning Trap); (c) had assured (Common Mistake); (d) assures (Structural Error).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
In journalism, specifically when reporting crimes or historical events, Narrative Tenses are used to create suspense, establish facts, and explain the background:
- Setting the Scene (Past Continuous): News anchors use this to paint the picture of what was happening normally before the chaos erupted (e.g., The guards were patrolling; it was raining).
- The Breaking Action (Past Simple): This tense delivers the hard facts and the swift actions of the event. It is the core of the news story (e.g., The lights failed; the thief sliced the painting; the chief assured the public).
- The Hidden Truths (Past Perfect): After reporting the main event, journalists use this tense to reveal what the police discovered later—actions that were completed in secret beforehand (e.g., They discovered the thieves had cut the wires).
- The Long-term Investigation (Past Perfect Continuous): Used to reveal prolonged, hidden preparations or extensive historical backgrounds leading up to the incident (e.g., The syndicate had been planning the heist for months).