Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
Grammar » Grammar Test for B1 » Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
Part A – Gap-fill
1 I ______ (see) her yesterday at the bus stop.
2 While we ______ (eat) dinner, the phone rang.
3 By the time I arrived, they already ______ (leave).
4 She ______ (study) English when I called.
5 He was tired because he ______ (work) all night.
6 They ______ (play) football yesterday afternoon.
7 I ______ (not/finish) my homework before the teacher collected it.
8 The children ______ (sleep) when the storm began.
9 After she ______ (write) the letter, she sent it.
10 When I ______ (open) the door, the dog ran out.
11 He ______ (already/go) to bed when I phoned.
12 We ______ (not/go) to school last Monday.
13 While she ______ (walk) home, she met an old friend.
14 I ______ (lose) my wallet, so I couldn’t pay.
15 The train ______ (leave) before we reached the station.
16 They ______ (watch) TV at 9 p.m. yesterday.
17 By the time the lesson started, we already ______ (sit) down.
18 She ______ (read) quietly when I entered the room.
19 He ______ (not/know) the answer.
20 We ______ (be) very happy because we had passed the exam.
21 What ______ you ______ (do) when the teacher came in?
22 She ______ (not/see) me at the party.
23 He ______ (work) in Paris before he moved to Rome.
24 I ______ (buy) some milk yesterday.
25 They ______ (already/eat) dinner when we arrived.
Part B – Sentence Transformation
Rewrite the sentences using the correct tense.
26 First I washed the dishes. Then I watched TV.
→ I __________________ before I watched TV.
27 She was making coffee. The doorbell rang.
→ She __________________ when the doorbell rang.
28 He left the office. Then I arrived.
→ By the time I arrived, he __________________.
29 They were playing tennis. It started to rain.
→ They __________________ when it started to rain.
30 I wrote my essay. Then I handed it to the teacher.
→ I __________________ before I handed it in.
31 The students were noisy. The teacher came in.
→ The students __________________ when the teacher came in.
32 She read the book. Then she wrote the review.
→ She __________________ before she wrote the review.
33 I lost my keys. I couldn’t open the door.
→ I couldn’t open the door because I __________________.
34 They cleaned the house. Their guests arrived.
→ They __________________ before their guests arrived.
35 He was watching TV. His mother called him.
→ He __________________ when his mother called.
36 I finished my homework. Then I went to bed.
→ I __________________ before I went to bed.
37 We were walking in the park. We met Tom.
→ We __________________ in the park when we met Tom.
38 He studied hard. He passed the exam.
→ He passed the exam because he __________________.
39 She had dinner. Then she went out with friends.
→ She __________________ before she went out.
40 I was reading a book. The phone rang.
→ I __________________ when the phone rang.
Part C – Short Reading Comprehension
Last Sunday, David had a very exciting day. In the morning, he went to the park with his dog. While he was walking, he met his neighbor, and they talked for a while. After he had gone home, he had lunch with his family. In the afternoon, David studied for his English test. By the time he finished, it was already evening. Later, while he was watching TV, his cousin called him. They talked for half an hour. At the end of the day, David was tired, but he felt satisfied because he had done many useful things.
41 Where did David go in the morning?
(a) To the library
(b) To the park
(c) To the supermarket
42 Who did David meet in the park?
43 What had David done before lunch?
44 What was David doing in the evening when his cousin called?
45 True or False: David studied in the morning.
46 What did David do after studying?
(a) He went to bed.
(b) He watched TV.
(c) He cooked dinner.
47 Why was David satisfied at the end of the day?
48 Which tense is used in “he had gone home”?
(a) Past Simple
(b) Past Continuous
(c) Past Perfect
49 Which tense shows the background action in the text? Give an example.
50 Write one sentence to summarize David’s day.
Answer
1 saw – Past Simple for yesterday.
2 were eating – Continuous action interrupted.
3 had left – Action before another.
4 was studying – Ongoing action.
5 had worked – Completed before being tired.
6 played – Past Simple.
7 hadn’t finished – Past Perfect negative.
8 were sleeping – Ongoing when interrupted.
9 had written – Completed before sending.
10 opened – Simple past action.
11 had already gone – Past Perfect earlier action.
12 didn’t go – Past Simple negative.
13 was walking – Continuous background.
14 had lost – Earlier cause of problem.
15 had left – Past Perfect.
16 were watching – Ongoing at time.
17 had sat – Past Perfect before start.
18 was reading – Ongoing background.
19 didn’t know – Past Simple negative.
20 were happy / had passed – Past Perfect for reason.
21 were you doing – Past Continuous question.
22 didn’t see – Past Simple negative.
23 had worked – Past Perfect earlier action.
24 bought – Past Simple yesterday.
25 had already eaten – Completed before arrival.
26 had washed – Action before TV.
27 was making – Ongoing when interrupted.
28 had left – Completed before arrival.
29 were playing – Ongoing when interrupted.
30 had written – Completed before handing in.
31 were talking – Continuous background.
32 had read – Completed before review.
33 had lost – Earlier cause.
34 had cleaned – Completed before arrival.
35 was watching – Ongoing background.
36 had finished – Completed before bed.
37 were walking – Ongoing action.
38 had studied – Cause before passing.
39 had had – Completed before going out.
40 was reading – Continuous action.
41 (b) To the park – Passage line 1.
42 His neighbor – Passage detail.
43 He had gone home – Past Perfect before lunch.
44 He was watching TV – Ongoing action.
45 False – He studied in the afternoon.
46 (b) He watched TV – Passage detail.
47 Because he had done many useful things – Passage ending.
48 (c) Past Perfect – Action completed before another.
49 Past Continuous – Example: “While he was walking, he met his neighbor.”
50 Sample: David spent Sunday walking his dog, studying, and relaxing with family.