Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
Grammar » Grammar Test for B1 » Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
(a) took
(b) were taking
(c) had taken
2 While I ____ the dishes, the doorbell rang.
(a) washed
(b) was washing
(c) had washed
3 She ____ in that company before she found a better job.
(a) worked
(b) was working
(c) had worked
4 By the time the police arrived, the thief ____.
(a) escaped
(b) was escaping
(c) had escaped
5 He ____ in the garden when it suddenly began to rain.
(a) worked
(b) was working
(c) had worked
6 I ____ him two days ago at the supermarket.
(a) saw
(b) was seeing
(c) had seen
7 The children ____ when their grandmother visited them.
(a) slept
(b) were sleeping
(c) had slept
8 She couldn’t believe that he ____ her letter.
(a) didn’t answer
(b) wasn’t answering
(c) hadn’t answered
9 When the concert started, we ____ for nearly an hour.
(a) waited
(b) were waiting
(c) had been waiting
10 We ____ to the park yesterday afternoon.
(a) went
(b) were going
(c) had gone
11 He ____ all the money before he got paid again.
(a) spent
(b) was spending
(c) had spent
12 While we ____ the mountain, it started snowing.
(a) climbed
(b) were climbing
(c) had climbed
13 The film ____ when we switched on the TV.
(a) began
(b) was beginning
(c) had begun
14 I ____ English for two years before I moved to Canada.
(a) studied
(b) was studying
(c) had studied
15 At midnight, she ____ quietly in her room.
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) had read
16 They ____ each other since childhood before they lost contact.
(a) knew
(b) were knowing
(c) had known
17 She ____ to open the window, but it was stuck.
(a) tried
(b) was trying
(c) had tried
18 By the time we got home, my brother ____ dinner already.
(a) cooked
(b) was cooking
(c) had cooked
19 While the teacher ____ the test papers, the students were chatting.
(a) collected
(b) was collecting
(c) had collected
20 I ____ the news about the accident yesterday.
(a) heard
(b) was hearing
(c) had heard
21 When we reached the park, it ____ heavily.
(a) rained
(b) was raining
(c) had rained
22 He ____ the exam twice before he finally passed it.
(a) failed
(b) was failing
(c) had failed
23 They ____ lunch when I arrived.
(a) ate
(b) were eating
(c) had eaten
24 She ____ her leg, so she couldn’t play football.
(a) broke
(b) was breaking
(c) had broken
25 While I ____ my homework, my brother was listening to music.
(a) did
(b) was doing
(c) had done
26 The match ____ before we turned on the TV.
(a) finished
(b) was finishing
(c) had finished
27 I ____ the book three times because I loved it.
(a) read
(b) was reading
(c) had read
28 They ____ at the station when we called them.
(a) waited
(b) were waiting
(c) had waited
29 She ____ her phone at home, so she couldn’t call me.
(a) forgot
(b) was forgetting
(c) had forgotten
30 By the time I woke up, my dad ____ to work.
(a) left
(b) was leaving
(c) had left
Answer
1 (a) took – Past Simple for completed holiday action.
2 (b) was washing – Ongoing action interrupted by doorbell.
3 (c) had worked – Past Perfect for action before another.
4 (c) had escaped – Action completed before police arrived.
5 (b) was working – Continuous background action.
6 (a) saw – Past Simple for a single event.
7 (b) were sleeping – Ongoing action when grandmother arrived.
8 (c) hadn’t answered – Earlier action not completed.
9 (c) had been waiting – Long action before concert started.
10 (a) went – Completed event yesterday.
11 (c) had spent – Money gone before another event.
12 (b) were climbing – Continuous action interrupted.
13 (c) had begun – Film already started before switching on.
14 (c) had studied – Action before moving to Canada.
15 (b) was reading – Ongoing action at a past moment.
16 (c) had known – Long-standing relationship before contact lost.
17 (a) tried – Simple past for single attempt.
18 (c) had cooked – Dinner finished before we arrived.
19 (b) was collecting – Continuous action while others chatted.
20 (a) heard – Simple past for receiving news.
21 (b) was raining – Weather in progress when we arrived.
22 (c) had failed – Repeated failures before success.
23 (b) were eating – Ongoing action when I arrived.
24 (c) had broken – Action caused inability to play.
25 (b) was doing – Continuous action simultaneous with another.
26 (c) had finished – Match over before TV on.
27 (c) had read – Repeated past action completed before another.
28 (b) were waiting – Ongoing action at that time.
29 (c) had forgotten – Earlier mistake caused later problem.
30 (c) had left – He left before I woke up.