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.

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

closed / had forgotten

had closed / was forgetting

2 / 40

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

weren't / didn't have

weren't / weren't having

3 / 40

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

didn't hear / was working

wasn't hearing / was working

4 / 40

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

went

was going

5 / 40

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

wasn't arriving

didn't arrive

6 / 40

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

wasn't knowing

didn't know

7 / 40

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

had arrived / realised

arrived / had realised

8 / 40

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

was saving / had bought

had saved / bought

9 / 40

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

ate / was ringing

were eating / rang

10 / 40

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

had played / made

were playing / was making

11 / 40

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

cycled

was cycling

12 / 40

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

had told / felt

told / were feeling

13 / 40

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

was waiting / arrived

waited / was arriving

14 / 40

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

had brought / were already finished

brought / had already finished

15 / 40

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

hadn't snowed

didn't snow

16 / 40

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

didn't get / had left

wasn't getting / had left

17 / 40

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

had eaten / left

was eating / was leaving

18 / 40

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

recognised / hadn't seen

had recognised / didn't saw

19 / 40

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

wasn't eating

hadn't eaten

20 / 40

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

didn't know / met

wasn't knowing / were meeting

21 / 40

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

was studying

had studied

22 / 40

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

took

was taking

23 / 40

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

were spending

had spent

24 / 40

I ______ (make) dinner when I got home.

made

was making

25 / 40

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

was making / was doing

was doing / was making

26 / 40

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

were choosing / was

had chosen / was

27 / 40

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

was playing

had played

28 / 40

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

didn't have

hadn't had

29 / 40

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

started / had arrived

had started / were arriving

30 / 40

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

was lying / got

lied / got

31 / 40

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

won

had won

32 / 40

What time __________ (get up) this morning?

were you getting up

did you get up

33 / 40

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

had turned / already finished.

turned / had already finished

34 / 40

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

was wearing

had worn

35 / 40

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

was leaving / didn't have

left / wasn't having

36 / 40

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

weren't booking

hadn't booked

37 / 40

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

had rained

was raining

38 / 40

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

delivered / had already paid.

were delivering / was paying

39 / 40

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

already started

had already started

40 / 40

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

saw / was crossing

was seeing / was crossing

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