Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect Exercise

Mixed Forms in the Past – B1 Intermediate Level

Multiple Choice Exercise

Complete the gaps in the sentences by choosing the correct form of the PAST SIMPLE, PAST CONTINUOUS & PAST PERFECT.

Use the Past Simple: When the action is finished and the time is past.
Use the Past Continuous: When the action is unfinished in the past.
Use the Past Perfect: To show that one action happened before another in the past.

278 votes, 4.3 avg

Created on July 24, 2020

Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect

Choose the correct form of the verb in the Past Simple, Past Continuous or Past Perfect to complete the gaps in the sentences.

1 / 40

I _______ (get) a job until I __________ (leave) university.

didn't get / had left

wasn't getting / had left

2 / 40

I _________ (recognise) her immediately even though I ________ (see) her for 20 years.

recognised / hadn't seen

had recognised / didn't saw

3 / 40

He was hit by a car when he _____ (cycle) to school.

was cycling

cycled

4 / 40

We _________ (have) dinner when the doorbell _____ (ring).

ate / was ringing

were eating / rang

5 / 40

She ________ (arrive) on time so she couldn't take the plane.

wasn't arriving

didn't arrive

6 / 40

We couldn't get a table at the restaurant because we ______ (book).

weren't booking

hadn't booked

7 / 40

The tennis match was postponed because it _____ (rain) too hard the night before.

was raining

had rained

8 / 40

Lunch was delicious because I _________ (have) anything for breakfast.

wasn't eating

hadn't eaten

9 / 40

The dog _______ (lie) on the sofa, when I ______ (get) home.

was lying / got

lied / got

10 / 40

When the men ______ (deliver) the T.V., I _________ (pay) for it.

delivered / had already paid.

were delivering / was paying

11 / 40

By the time, the waiter _____ (bring) our drinks, we __________ (finish) our food!

brought / had already finished

had brought / were already finished

12 / 40

We couldn't snowboard because it ______ (snow) yet. There wasn't any snow.

hadn't snowed

didn't snow

13 / 40

I didn't like the dress she _____ (wore) yesterday.

was wearing

had worn

14 / 40

They ______ (be) busy yesterday. They ________ (have) much work to do.

weren't / weren't having

weren't / didn't have

15 / 40

What time __________ (get up) this morning?

did you get up

were you getting up

16 / 40

The thieves _______ (choose) a quiet time. The street _____ (be) quiet.

were choosing / was

had chosen / was

17 / 40

France _____ (win) the football World Cup in 2019.

had won

won

18 / 40

Luckily, the rain ______ (start) after we ________ (arrive) home.

had started / were arriving

started / had arrived

19 / 40

After she ________ (tell) the police officers, she ________ (feel) much better.

told / were feeling

had told / felt

20 / 40

When we arrived, the film _____ (start). We were late.

already started

had already started

21 / 40

He hurt his leg when he _____ (play) football.

had played

was playing

22 / 40

While she _______ (do/make) the English exercises, he _______ (do/make) dinner.

was making / was doing

was doing / was making

23 / 40

I __________ (know) my husband before we ________ (meet) at a party.

wasn't knowing / were meeting

didn't know / met

24 / 40

Yesterday, she _______ (go) to the post-office.

was going

went

25 / 40

I ______ (make) dinner when I got home.

was making

made

26 / 40

They _____ (spend) all their money before the holiday was finished.

had spent

were spending

27 / 40

She ________ (know) the answers to all the exercises.

didn't know

wasn't knowing

28 / 40

I _______ (saw) the man as I _______ (cross) the road.

saw / was crossing

was seeing / was crossing

29 / 40

After she ________ (eat) her lunch, she ________ (leave) the restaurant.

had eaten / left

was eating / was leaving

30 / 40

When we _______ (turn) on the T.V., the match ________ (start).

turned / had already finished

had turned / already finished.

31 / 40

I _______ (hear) the phone because I _________ (work) in the garden.

didn't hear / was working

wasn't hearing / was working

32 / 40

He ________ (wait) at the station, when she _______ (arrive).

waited / was arriving

was waiting / arrived

33 / 40

I ______ (close) the door and realised I ______ (forget) my bag.

had closed / was forgetting

closed / had forgotten

34 / 40

In 1450, they _______ (have) phones, cars or the internet.

didn't have

hadn't had

35 / 40

She didn't pass the English exam even though she ______ (study) every evening.

was studying

had studied

36 / 40

The plane ________ (take) off at 10p.m. Right on time!

took

was taking

37 / 40

I _________ (arrive) at the airport when I ________ (realise), I had forgotten my passport.

had arrived / realised

arrived / had realised

38 / 40

It took a long time but after I _______ (save) enough money, I ________ (bought) a car.

had saved / bought

was saving / had bought

39 / 40

The children _______ (play) in the garden while I __________ (make) dinner.

had played / made

were playing / was making

40 / 40

He _______ (leave) the party because he ________ (have) a good time.

was leaving / didn't have

left / wasn't having

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Click here for B1 Intermediate Exercises
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Present vs Past: Simple, Continuous or Perfect
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Present Perfect or Past Simple Exercise B1

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