English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Past tenses exercise

1. Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Use the past simple or the past continuous.

argue • borrow • get • not listen • not seem • revise • spend • think

1   Jake didn’t want to come to the park with me because he …………………… for his exam.

2   I noticed the sad look in Lucy’s eyes and knew she …………………… about her grandfather.

3   After retiring, our neighbour …………………… two years travelling around the world.

4   As the teacher gave the instructions, she could tell some of the students …………………… .

5   Outside, it was a miserable day: the sky was grey and the rain …………………… heavier.

6   My cousin …………………… my bike a year ago and has never returned it.

7   Kelsie woke up suddenly; in the street outside, two men …………………… loudly.

8   Even though their holiday was about to start, the children …………………… excited.

2. Tick (✓) the correct verb form to complete the sentences. Tick (✓) both if both are correct.

1   By the age of eighteen, Ben ………… his university degree.

      a   had completed

      b   had been completing

2   Her face was pale, as though she ………… a ghost.

      a   had seen

      b   saw

3   As we ………… in Spain for several years, we all spoke good Spanish.

      a   had lived

      b   had been living

4   Lucy wasn’t at home when I called for her; she ………… into town.

      a   had gone

      b   went

5   He ………… a shower when we arrived, so he hadn’t heard us knock at the door.

      a   had had

      b   had been having

6   I wish I ………… more attention when we studied this grammar point in class.

      a   had paid

      b   had been paying

7   His eyes were red, as though he ………… .

      a   had cried

      b   had been crying

8   As soon as ………… his dinner, he went out.

      a   he’s finished

      b   he finished

3. Look at the timeline. Then write sentences using the prompts and the correct past tense.

1   in 1986 – live in Liverpool

     In 1986, Tom was living in Liverpool

2   by 1992 – move to London

     …………………………………..

3   in 1994 – live in Bristol

     …………………………………..

4   by 1997 – go to secondary school – two years

     …………………………………..

5   between 2001 and 2003 – not have a job

     …………………………………..

6   by 2013 – work in London – ten years

     …………………………………..

4. Complete the blog post using the correct past tense of the verbs in brackets.

Two years ago, I (1) …………………. (decide) to move to Japan for six months. I (2) …………………. (always / want) to learn Japanese and I (3) …………………. (even / try) a few online lessons, but without much success. The only answer, in my opinion, (4) …………………. (be) to live there for a while. During the eight years since leaving university, I (5) …………………. (work) non-stop in a well-paid job, so taking six months off (6) …………………. (seem) financially possible. Three months after making the decision, I (7) …………………. (sit) on a flight to Tokyo!

Finally, my dream (8) …………………. (become) a reality. Before leaving the UK, I (9) …………………. (find) an apartment to rent in a quiet part of the city. I remember waking up on my first morning there and thinking how beautiful everything looked. The sun (10) …………………. (shine) and the birds (11) …………………. (sing) in the trees. I (12) …………………. (go) out to buy some food from the nearest shop – and that’s when my problems (13) …………………. (begin).