All past tenses – English Grammar Test for B2
Grammar » Grammar Test for B2 » All past tenses – English Grammar Test for B2
2 By the time we arrived at the airport, the plane ___ (already/take off).
3 When the teacher entered the classroom, the students ___ (talk) loudly.
4 He ___ (lose) his keys, so he couldn’t open the door.
5 While I ___ (walk) to work, it suddenly started to rain.
6 She was exhausted because she ___ (work) since early morning.
7 When I was a child, we always ___ (spend) summers in the countryside.
8 We ___ (wait) for hours before the concert finally began.
9 I ___ (see) the film twice before I read the book.
10 While she ___ (cook), her husband was setting the table.
11 By the time the doctor came, the patient ___ (already/die).
12 I ___ (not/understand) the lesson yesterday.
13 The phone rang while I ___ (have) a shower.
14 She ___ (already/leave) when I called her.
15 We ___ (walk) along the beach when we found a wallet.
16 At 10 o’clock last night, I ___ (watch) TV.
17 He ___ (never/meet) her before that day.
18 While we ___ (drive) to the party, the car broke down.
19 I was late because I ___ (miss) the bus.
20 She ___ (study) French for two years before she moved to Paris.
21 I ___ (not/see) him at the meeting yesterday.
22 By the time the police arrived, the thieves ___ (escape).
23 We ___ (play) tennis when it suddenly started raining.
24 He ___ (work) for the company for 10 years before he resigned.
25 When I entered the room, they ___ (discuss) the problem.
26 She ___ (read) a novel when the lights went out.
27 We ___ (already/finish) lunch when he joined us.
28 He was very tired because he ___ (run) all morning.
29 When she opened the door, she saw that someone ___ (break) the window.
30 At that time last year, I ___ (travel) around Europe.
Answer
1 was having – Past Continuous for action in progress at a specific time.
2 had already taken off – Past Perfect, the plane left before we arrived.
3 were talking – Past Continuous interrupted by teacher’s arrival.
4 had lost – Past Perfect explains reason for not opening the door.
5 was walking – Past Continuous for action in progress when interrupted.
6 had been working – Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes duration before exhaustion.
7 spent – Past Simple for habitual action in the past.
8 had been waiting – Past Perfect Continuous shows duration before concert began.
9 had seen – Past Perfect before reading the book.
10 was cooking – Past Continuous simultaneous with another action.
11 had already died – Past Perfect before the doctor came.
12 didn’t understand – Past Simple negative for yesterday.
13 was having – Past Continuous background action interrupted by the phone.
14 had already left – Past Perfect shows earlier departure.
15 were walking – Past Continuous when another action occurred.
16 was watching – Past Continuous at a specific past time.
17 had never met – Past Perfect before that day.
18 were driving – Past Continuous interrupted by breakdown.
19 had missed – Past Perfect explains cause of being late.
20 had been studying – Past Perfect Continuous for duration before moving.
21 didn’t see – Past Simple negative at a specific event.
22 had escaped – Past Perfect before police arrived.
23 were playing – Past Continuous interrupted by rain.
24 had worked – Past Perfect for completed duration before resignation.
25 were discussing – Past Continuous at the moment of entering.
26 was reading – Past Continuous interrupted by blackout.
27 had already finished – Past Perfect before he joined.
28 had been running – Past Perfect Continuous explains tiredness.
29 had broken – Past Perfect for earlier action.
30 was travelling – Past Continuous for action in progress last year.