A. Circle the correct word or phrase.

1   I saw / was seeing Maria for the first time at Ray’s birthday party.

2   Richard watched / was watching TV when the phone rang.

3   When we were on holiday, we went / were going to the café almost every day.

4   Denise practised / was practising the song every day until she could sing it perfectly.

5   The phone was engaged when I called. Who did you talk / were you talking to?

6   Mr Connors owned / was owning two houses and a villa in the south of France.

7   I did / was doing my homework as soon as I got home from school.

8   A car came round the corner and I jumped / was jumping out of the way.

9   When my dad met my mum, he worked / was working as a bus driver.

10   I got / was getting up at six o’clock every morning last week!

11   My cousin and I played / were playing on the computer when there was a power cut.

12   No, that’s not right. I did pass / was passing the test. I got a B.

Answer

1 saw   2 was watching   3 went   4 practised

5 were you talking   6 owned   7 did   8 jumped

9 was working   10 got   11 were playing   12 did pass

B. Complete using the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1   Where ………………………… (you / do) when I saw you on the bus last night?

2   ………………………… (you / enjoy) the film?

3   When we shared a room, Zoe ………………………… (always / take) my things. It was so annoying!

4   When I went to get the tickets, I realised I ………………………… (not / have) any money.

5   When I was young, we ………………………… (go) to France every year on holiday.

6   Elvis ………………………… (become) famous for the song Blue Suede Shoes.

7   When you rang last night, I ………………………… (work) in the garden so I didn’t hear the phone.

8   I ………………………… (hear) from Davina last night. She says hello.

9   The old man ………………………… (appear) to be very tired and he slowly sat down.

10   We ………………………… (throw) a surprise party for my brother last Saturday.

Answer

1 were you going   2 Did you enjoy

3 was always taking   4 did not/didn’t have

5 went   6 became   7 was working

8 heard   9 appeared   10 threw

C. Circle the correct word or phrase.

Dear Lisa,

Thanks for your letter. I (1) just left / had just left for school when I saw the postman and he (2) gave / had given it to me. It was really funny! I (3) read / had read it during maths and it (4) made / had made me laugh. I almost (5) got / had got in trouble!

Anyway, I’m excited because I (6) had / had had my first judo lesson yesterday. I (7) was / had been late for the lesson because when I (8) got / had got there, I suddenly realised I (9) left / had left my judo suit at home! So I (10) went / had gone all the way home and when I (11) got / had got back, the lesson (12) already began / had already begun. The instructor was really nice, though, and I (13) learned / had learned how to do some basic throws. Can’t wait till next time!

What about you and your taekwondo? The last time I (14) spoke / had spoken to you, you (15) talked / had talked about giving it up. What (16) did you decide / had you decided? I think that’s all for now. My mum and I are going shopping shortly, so I’d better post this.

Speak to you soon.

Love,

Charlotte

Answer

1 had just left   2 gave    3 read   4 made

5 got   6 had   7 was   8 got   9 had left

10 went   11 got    12 had already begun

13 learned   14 spoke   15 talked   16 did you decide

D. Complete using the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous of the verbs in the box. You may need to use a negative form.

eat • stay • wait • know • write • see • listen • get • have • run

 By the time he died, Beethoven …………………… nine symphonies.

 We chose the Hotel Rio because we …………………… there before.

 We …………………… for over an hour when the train finally arrived.

 I was completely out of breath because I …………………… .

 I …………………… the film before, so I knew how it ended.

 When he got married, I …………………… Chris for about two years.

 Johnson …………………… ready for the race for six months and finally the big moment came.

 Vivian …………………… computer lessons for very long so she wasn’t sure how to use the Internet.

 Holly …………………… oysters before, so she wasn’t sure what to do with them.

10   I …………………… to my new CD for a few minutes when the CD player started making a funny noise.

Answer

1 had written   2 had stayed   3 had been waiting

4 had been running   5 had seen   6 had known

7 had been getting   8 hadn’t been having

9 hadn’t eaten   10 had been listening

E. Choose the correct answer.

 My brother and I …………… swimming almost every day last summer.

      A   went

      B   had been going

      C   were going

      D   had gone

 We …………… when someone knocked at the door.

      A   talked

      B   had talked

      C   were talking

      D   were talked

 When the robbery happened, the security guard ……………!

      A   slept

      B   was sleeping

      C   had slept

      D   was slept

4   Jack …………… chess before so I showed him what to do.

      A   hadn’t been playing

      B   didn’t play

      C   wasn’t playing

      D   hadn’t played

5   I wasn’t sure how Belinda would react because I …………… her long.

      A   didn’t know

      B   wasn’t knowing

      C   hadn’t been knowing

      D   hadn’t known

6   Ian …………… at the factory long when he was made a manager.

      A   hadn’t been working

      B   wasn’t working

      C   didn’t work

      D   wasn’t worked

 I wanted to say goodbye to Jerry, but he …………… .

      A   was already left

      B   already left

      C   had already been leaving

      D   had already left

 When we got to the airport, I realised I …………… my passport at home!

      A   was left

      B   had left

      C   left

      D   had been leaving

Answer

1 A   2 C   3 B   4 D   5 D   6 A   7 D   8 B

F. Circle the incorrect words or phrases and rewrite them correctly.

1   I had paint on my shoes because I’d painted my bedroom all morning.

     …………………………………..

2   I missed the start of the film because I buy popcorn.

     …………………………………..

3   It was obvious that Bill has worked because he was very tired when I saw him.

     …………………………………..

4   We had been tidying the garden for hours and I was needing a rest.

     …………………………………..

5   When the bus was arriving, we missed it because we were talking.

     …………………………………..

6   During the Christmas holiday, I was eating too much and watching too much TV!

     …………………………………..

7   Julian was learning all about computer games by the time he was six.

     …………………………………..

8   My grandfather was owning a hotel by the beach until he sold it last year.

     …………………………………..

Answer

 I’d painted/I’d been painting

 I buy/I was buying/I had been buying

 has worked/had been working

 was needing/needed

 was arriving/arrived

6   was eating/watching/ate/watched

7   was learning/had learnt/learned

 was owning/owned

G. Circle the correct word or phrase.

1   When she was a girl, my mum would / used to live in a village.

2   I really can’t be / get used to having a new baby brother.

3   People would / are used to die of diseases in the past that we can cure today.

4   There would / used to be a cinema on this corner, but they knocked it down.

5   It was strange at first, but I’m used to play / playing the bagpipes now.

6   Didn’t you use to / be used to have blonde hair?

7   Christopher was being / getting used to the idea of joining the army.

8   People never would / used to be so worried about crime in this area.

Answer

1 used to   2 get   3 would   4 used to

5 playing   6 use to   7 getting   8 used to

H. Complete each second sentence using the word given, so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence. Write between two and five words in each gap.

 People walked more fifty years ago than they do now.   would

     Fifty years ago, …………………………………… than they do now.

 My parents wouldn’t let me stay out late when I was young.   used

     My parents …………………………………… let me stay out late when I was young.

 Did you know that Carol played basketball for her country?   to

     Did you know that Carol …………………………………… basketball for her country?

 Sending messages around the world instantly is no longer unusual.   got

     We …………………………………… messages around the world instantly.

 When he was a teacher, my dad often used to get home quite late.   would

     When he was a teacher, my dad …………………………………… quite late.

 Do you think you could learn to live without your mobile phone?   used

     Do you think you could …………………………………… without your mobile phone?

 In the past, people wouldn’t go as far away on holiday as they do today.   use

     In the past, people …………………………………… as far away on holiday as they do today.

 This town has a lot more cinemas than it had in the past.   used

      This town …………………………………… so many cinemas.

Answer

1   people would walk more

2   never used to/used not to

3   used to play

4   have got used to sending

5   would often get home

6   get used to living

7   did not/didn’t use to go

8   never used to have/used not to have

I. Find the extra word.

Childhood

(1) Childhood would used to be quite different from what it is today. Young (2) people didn’t use not to have so much leisure time. Today’s children may (3) complain about their schoolwork, but our great-grandparents would to go (4) out to work at a very young age. They had often been left school by (5) the time they were fourteen and were found a job. This meant that they (6) have had little free time for hobbies or leisure activities, especially when (7) they had been working hard all day. Of course, they got themselves used (8) to working long hours eventually, but it would meant that they had to (9) grow up very quickly. Today, we are got used to having some free time to (10) do things we enjoy, a luxury people in the past rarely were had.

Answer

1 would   2 not   3 to   4 been   5 were

6 have   7 themselves   8 would   9 got   10 were

J. Write one word in each gap.

The night before

Jane lay awake. She had (1) …………………… preparing for the next day (2) …………………… a long time and now she couldn’t sleep. Her team (3) …………………… playing the local champions at water polo in the final and Jane was the captain. She (4) …………………… feeling the pressure.

She turned over and remembered how she (5) …………………… learned to swim. Her father had taught her. They (6) …………………… go to the local pool every day after school and her father (7) …………………… to show her what to do. She hadn’t liked the water at first, but she soon (8) …………………… used to it. She learned quickly and joined the water polo team. She had (9) …………………… their youngest member!

She quickly got used to scoring goals and (10) …………………… under pressure, but tomorrow was different. It was the biggest match of her life. She closed her eyes again and tried to get to sleep. ‘I (11) …………………… used to have problems sleeping,’ she thought to herself. ‘But then again, I didn’t (12) …………………… to be the captain of the team.’ She watched the clock change slowly and knew that it was going to be a long night.

Answer

1 been   2 for   3 was/were   4 was

5 had   6 would   7 used   8 got   9 been

10 being/swimming   11 never   12 use

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