All past tenses – English Grammar Test for B2
Grammar » Grammar Test for B2 » All past tenses – English Grammar Test for B2
(a) had
(b) was having
(c) had had
2 By the time we arrived, the film ___.
(a) had already started
(b) already started
(c) was starting
3 While I ___ TV, my brother was reading a book.
(a) watched
(b) had watched
(c) was watching
4 He said he ___ to Paris twice before that trip.
(a) had been
(b) was
(c) has been
5 When I met her, she ___ in London for three years.
(a) lived
(b) had lived
(c) was living
6 We ___ in the park when it suddenly began to rain.
(a) walked
(b) were walking
(c) had walked
7 She ___ the report before the manager asked for it.
(a) finished
(b) had finished
(c) was finishing
8 At 10 p.m. yesterday, I ___ for my exam.
(a) studied
(b) was studying
(c) had studied
9 I ___ my keys, so I couldn’t open the door.
(a) lost
(b) was losing
(c) had lost
10 He ___ football every Sunday when he was a child.
(a) was playing
(b) had played
(c) played
11 We ___ for hours before they finally arrived.
(a) waited
(b) were waiting
(c) had been waiting
12 She ___ in the garden when she saw a snake.
(a) worked
(b) had worked
(c) was working
13 I ___ my homework when my friend called.
(a) did
(b) was doing
(c) had done
14 The teacher was angry because the students ___ their assignments.
(a) didn’t finish
(b) hadn’t finished
(c) weren’t finishing
15 When he was young, he ___ in a rock band.
(a) was playing
(b) played
(c) had been playing
16 By 2000, they ___ in the same house for 20 years.
(a) lived
(b) had lived
(c) were living
17 I ___ to the museum yesterday afternoon.
(a) went
(b) had gone
(c) was going
18 She ___ English for two years before she moved to Canada.
(a) studied
(b) was studying
(c) had been studying
19 They ___ lunch when the guests arrived.
(a) were having
(b) had
(c) had had
20 He ___ the book after he had seen the movie.
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) had read
21 When I opened the door, I saw that someone ___ my room.
(a) entered
(b) had entered
(c) was entering
22 While she ___ the piano, her brother was painting.
(a) played
(b) was playing
(c) had played
23 After he ___ the letter, he left the office.
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) had read
24 I ___ him at the party because he had left early.
(a) didn’t see
(b) hadn’t seen
(c) wasn’t seeing
25 At that time last year, I ___ across Europe.
(a) travelled
(b) had travelled
(c) was travelling
26 She ___ nervous because she hadn’t prepared well.
(a) was
(b) had been
(c) were
27 When I was a child, we ___ to the countryside every summer.
(a) went
(b) were going
(c) had gone
28 The ground was wet because it ___ all night.
(a) rained
(b) was raining
(c) had been raining
29 I was very tired because I ___ since morning.
(a) worked
(b) was working
(c) had been working
30 They ___ in New York for five years before they moved to Boston.
(a) had lived
(b) were living
(c) lived
Answer
1 (b) was having – Past Continuous for an action in progress interrupted by another action.
2 (a) had already started – Past Perfect shows the earlier event before we arrived.
3 (c) was watching – Past Continuous for two actions happening at the same time.
4 (a) had been – Past Perfect for experiences before a point in the past.
5 (c) was living – Past Continuous for an ongoing action when something else happened.
6 (b) were walking – Past Continuous describes an action in progress interrupted by rain.
7 (b) had finished – Past Perfect for something completed before another past action.
8 (b) was studying – Past Continuous for an action in progress at a specific time.
9 (c) had lost – Past Perfect explains the reason for being unable to open the door.
10 (c) played – Past Simple for repeated actions in the past.
11 (c) had been waiting – Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes duration before another action.
12 (c) was working – Past Continuous for background action interrupted by another.
13 (b) was doing – Past Continuous interrupted by a call.
14 (b) hadn’t finished – Past Perfect Negative for an action not completed before another.
15 (b) played – Past Simple for a past state or fact.
16 (b) had lived – Past Perfect for duration until 2000.
17 (a) went – Past Simple for a finished action at a specific time.
18 (c) had been studying – Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes duration before moving.
19 (a) were having – Past Continuous shows action in progress when something else happened.
20 (a) read – Past Simple because reading happened after watching.
21 (b) had entered – Past Perfect for an earlier completed action.
22 (b) was playing – Past Continuous for simultaneous actions.
23 (c) had read – Past Perfect for an action completed before leaving.
24 (a) didn’t see – Past Simple for something that didn’t happen at a specific past time.
25 (c) was travelling – Past Continuous emphasizes ongoing travel at that time.
26 (a) was – Past Simple describes her emotional state.
27 (a) went – Past Simple for a repeated habit in the past.
28 (c) had been raining – Past Perfect Continuous explains the wet ground.
29 (c) had been working – Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes duration and cause of tiredness.
30 (a) had lived – Past Perfect describes time spent before moving.