English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Past simple and past continuous; used to and would

A. Underline the correct option. Sometimes both options are possible.

1   The police arrested three men who robbed / were robbing a bank in the High Street.

2   They planned / were planning to get up early, but they overslept.

3   I saw Jon in the park today – he read / was reading a book.

4   When she ate / was eating her sandwich, the sun came out.

5   After the film finished / was finishing, I turned the TV off and went to bed.

6   Vanessa’s really shy because everyone constantly criticised / was constantly criticising her when she was a child.

7   Do you like my watch? My wife gave / was giving it to me for my birthday.

8   My sister’s really happy – she passed / was passing all her exams.

B. Complete the sentences with the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

1   …………………. that film on TV last night? (you / see)

2   A:   What was that terrible noise last night?

     B:   Sorry, it was me. I …………………. my singing. (practise)

3   I …………………. in the bath last night when suddenly there was a loud bang in the kitchen. (lie)

4   James …………………. to visit me every single day when I was in hospital. (came)

5   A:   How was the game? B: Terrible! We …………………. 6-0. (lose)

6   After he …………………., my dad took up golf as a hobby. (retire)

7   I …………………., why don’t you come round for dinner at the weekend? (think)

8   The kids …………………. when I left for work this morning. (still / sleep)

9   A:   What happened to you? Did you cut yourself?

     B:   Yes, when I ………………….  in the garden this morning. (work)

10   Simon got a job in a factory when he …………………. school last year. (leave)

C. Circle the TWO correct options. All the sentences are about the past.

1   In the past, people ………. married at a younger age than they do now.

      a   are used to getting

      b   would get

      c   used to get

      d   were getting

2   I ………. playing computer games when I was younger, but now I love them.

      a   wasn’t liking

      b   didn’t use to like

      c   wouldn’t like

      d   didn’t like

3   In the past, my friends and I ………. each other much more regularly than we do now.

      a   saw

      b   used to seeing

      c   used to see

      d   were seeing

4   I think I know you. ………. in Forest Lane?

      a   Didn’t you use to live

      b   Wouldn’t you live

      c   Weren’t you living

      d   Didn’t you live

5   When I first moved to London, I ………. in a big city.

      a   didn’t use to live

      b   wasn’t used to living

      c   didn’t live

      d   quickly got used to living

6   Dave ………. to work every day until he had an accident.

      a   use to cycle

      b   was cycling

      c   used to cycle

      d   cycled

7   I ………. a lot more when I was younger.

      a    read

      b   was used to read

      c   was reading

      d   used to read

8   My next-door neighbours ………. in South Africa.

      a   were living

      b   lived

      c   used to live

      d   would live

D. Complete the sentences by putting the words and phrases in the correct order.

1   as / flowers and rice / they / came out of / threw / at the bride and groom

      People ……………………………………… the church.

2   to invite us / were / they / meaning / but

      They ……………………………………… kept forgetting,

3   when he / about / stories / was always / was / telling us

      Our grandfather ……………………………………… a boy.

4   was / eat / when I / anything / would

      I ……………………………………… a child.

5   side of the road / to / isn’t / to drive on the other / getting / but / strange / I’m / used

      It’s ……………………………………… it.

6   thinking about / having a barbecue / were / at the weekend / the weather’s / if

      We ……………………………………… nice.

7   from the south of / was constantly / by armies / invaded / being

      The city ……………………………………… the country.

8   was / your plates / while / one of / she / doing / dropped

      Suzie ……………………………………… the washing up.

9   heard / as soon as / phoned / I / her

      I ……………………………………… the news.

10   what I said / listening / hear / know you / didn’t / because / you weren’t

        I ……………………………………… to me.

E. Complete another famous love story using the past simple, the past continuous, used to or would with the verbs in brackets. Sometimes more than one form may be possible.

Victoria was born in 1819, and became Queen in 1837, at the age of 18. In 1840 she 1………………. (marry) her cousin, Albert of Saxe Coburg Gotha, and for the next 20 years they 2………………. (be) inseparable. Around that time, Britain 3………………. (change) into a constitutional monarchy, in which the monarch had very little real power, but Victoria 4……………….  (not be) afraid to express her views about political matters. However, she 5………………. (always ask) Albert for his opinion first. When Albert died of typhoid in 1861, Victoria was devastated. Although she 6……………….  (reign) for another 40 years she never recovered from her husband’s death and 7………………. (wear) black for the rest of her life as a sign of her grief. The British Empire 8………………. (still expand) at that time, and in 1877 Victoria acquired the title of Empress of India as well as Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, but while people across the Empire 9………………. (celebrate) her Golden and Diamond Jubilees (in 1877 and 1897), she 10………………. (remain) largely in the background, and was even too upset to speak at the opening of the Royal Albert Hall, the London concert hall which carries her husband’s name.

F. How much do you remember about your life’s ‘magic moments’? Choose two events and write what you remember about them, using the past simple, the past continuous, and used to or would when appropriate.

1   Your earliest memory

2   The day you met your best friend

3   Your first day at school

4   The first time you travelled in a plane

5   Your first holiday

6   The first time you went to a party

7   Your first visit to a different country

8   Your first English lesson

Example: I was about six when I went to my first party I was staying with my cousin and . . .

G. Circle the correct option.

1   When I was younger, I …………… romantic stories, but now I love them.

      a   didn’t use to like

      b   wasn’t liking

      c   wouldn’t like

2   When I …………… reading about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, I wanted to see the Taj Mahal for myself.

      a   was finishing

      b   used to finish

      c   finished

3   It was a dark, stormy night. The wind …………… and the moon was hidden behind clouds.

      a   was blowing

      b   used to blow

      c   would blow

4   Excuse me. I …………… if you might have a spare ticket. I’ve lost mine.

      a   would wonder

      b   was wondering

      c   used to wonder

5   That’s strange … she …………… so friendly. Is she trying to trick us, perhaps?

      a   isn’t used to being

      b   didn’t use to be

      c   doesn’t use to be