PAST TENSES

Please enter your name Match the rule with the name of the tense that the rule applies to past simple used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past past simple used for finished actions past simple used to express activities that interrupt longer activities past continuous used for actions that are happening at a particular time in the past past continuous used to express activities that are interrupted past continuous used to show two actions in progress at the same time past perfect used to express an action that happened before a definite time in the past past perfect used to describe an action which happened before another action also in the past past perfect continuous used to emphasize the continuation of an action that was in progress before another action or time in the past past perfect continuous used to show cause of a past action Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in parentheses in past simple or past perfect.(do not use short forms) When Abby (be) was (1) seven years old, she (do, not, like) did not like (2) piano lessons. She (do, not, like) did not like (3) to practice, and sometimes she even (cry) cried (4) when it (be) was (5) time to practice. Finally, she (stop) stopped (6) taking lessons.Some of Abby's friends (do, not, quit) did not quit (7) their lessons. They (continue) continued (8) to play. After much practice, they (learn) learnt (9) to play very well.About ten years (pass) had passed (10) before Abby (become) became (11) interested in music or the piano again. After she (graduate) graduated (12) from high school, Abby (decide) decided (13) that she (want) wanted (14) to study music in college. She (call) called (15) the lady who (teach) had taught (16) her when she (be) was (17) a little girl. The lady (say) said (18) she would teach Abby again.The lady (need) needed (19) someone to help her daughter with homework. Abby (say) said (20) she would help with homework in exchange for lessons. Because of this, the piano lessons (cost) cost (21) her nothing!She (work) worked (22) very hard to catch up. Now she is making good progress. Soon she will go to college, majoring in music. Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the verb in past continuous or past perfect tense. (Do not use short forms) Tim is a firefighter. One Sunday, he (spend) was spending (1) some time at home with his family. He (play) was playing (2) a game with two of his daughters.Tim noticed that his cell phone (ring) was ringing (3), and that the fire alarm downtown (blare) was blaring (4), too. He (not, feel) was not feeling (5) anxious to go put out a fire, but he went anyway.While Tim (race) was racing (6) to the fire in his red pick-up truck, he heard on his police radio that a trailer (burn) was burning (7), and that a small boy (sleep) was sleeping (8) in one of its bedrooms. His mother could not get him out.At the scene, policemen and firefighters (run) were running (9) and yelling.Most of the trailer (already, burn) had already burnt (10) by that time. Tim said he would go in through a bedroom window to get the boy. He (not, think) was not thinking (11) about his own safety at all. He wore a mask to protect against the smoke.When Tim reached the boy, it appeared that the boy (still, breathe) was still breathing (12). Tim put his own mask on the boy and handed him out the window to the other firefighters. By the time Tim got out of the window, he (not, breathe) was not breathing (13) well on his own, and had to go to the hospital.Tim got an award for bravery from the City Council at its next meeting. The members knew he (put) had put (14) his life at risk when he went into that trailer. Fill in the gaps with the verbs in past continuous, past perfect simple or past perfect continuous(Do not use contractions) 1. I was exhausted at the end of the exam. I had been writing (write) for over two hours.2. When thieves stole my favourite leather jacket, I was really upset. I had had (have) it for over ten years.3. Please step out of the car, Mr. Jones. Do you realise you were driving (drive) at over 90mph?4. We didn't really want to go and see the musical again. We had already seen (already see) it twice - so we said "no" and we went to a restaurant instead!5. I arrived over an hour late to the office and everyone was working. Actually, they had been working (work) for over two hours on the new project and I felt really guilty.6. The kitchen was full of steam when we arrived. Joan was in the kitchen and she was cooking (cook) a huge meal for everyone at the party.7. It was a bit embarrassing to arrive at their house and find Mary looking so sad. I think she had been crying (cry) before we got there.8. No-one even noticed when I got home. They were all watching (all watch) the big game on TV. Make up 2 sentences with each of the tenses. Click on the bubbles to add a sentence. Watch the video and fill in the task into the open question box below. Write the answers here: Before you click Submit, click Save. The page does not save automatically and might lose your work.