Past tense (2)

Grammar

Read the sentences. Match the bolded verbs to the correct categories (simple past, past progressive, past perfect, past perfect progressive). Write the sentence number on the line.

1. Before her friends arrived she had been tidying up her flat.
2. Our teacher wasn’t very happy about our exam results.
3. My friend hadn’t known that our reports were due that morning.
4. He bought a new bike last month.
5. After we had bought the tickets at the box office, we saw a much cheaper offer online.
6. What were you doing when you heard the news about your favourite singer?
7. Monica wasn’t baking a cake when David called, she was doing the dishes.
8. Who had they been visiting in Dublin before they drove to Cork?

simple past: _____________

past progressive: _____________

past perfect: _____________

past perfect progressive: _____________

Listening

Listen and put the events [a)–i)] in the proper order. There are two events that happened at the same time. Use the same number for both events.

__ a) Theresa thought of a plan.

__ b) Theresa and Marianne sent their names to a radio station.

__ c) Marianne called Theresa.

__ d) Frank and Marianne met for coffee.

__ e) Frank called Theresa.

__ f) Everyone yelled “Surprise!”

__ g) Marianne’s friends prepared the decorations.

__ h) The guests arrived.

__ i) Marianne’s friends started planning the party

Writing

Look at the pictures. Write a story using at least one example each of the simple past, past progressive, past perfect, and past perfect progressive. Write at least 12 sentences.

iStock.com/Willard	iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages	iStock.com/MariuszBlach
iStock.com/Mats Lindberg	iStock.com/LuCaAr