Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
Grammar » Grammar Test for B1 » Past Tense – English Grammar Test for B1
(a) watched
(b) was watching
(c) had watched
2 She ____ her homework before she went to bed.
(a) finished
(b) was finishing
(c) had finished
3 I ____ tennis yesterday afternoon.
(a) played
(b) was playing
(c) had played
4 They ____ for an hour when it started to rain.
(a) walked
(b) were walking
(c) had been walking
5 When I ____ home, my parents had already left.
(a) arrived
(b) was arriving
(c) had arrived
6 At 8 o’clock last night, we ____ dinner.
(a) had
(b) were having
(c) had had
7 He ____ the news before I called him.
(a) knew
(b) was knowing
(c) had known
8 I ____ the window when the phone rang.
(a) opened
(b) was opening
(c) had opened
9 By the time the train arrived, we ____ there for two hours.
(a) waited
(b) were waiting
(c) had waited
10 While she ____ to school, she met an old friend.
(a) walked
(b) was walking
(c) had walked
11 The children ____ a movie when their mother came home.
(a) watched
(b) were watching
(c) had watched
12 I didn’t recognize her because she ____ her hair.
(a) cut
(b) was cutting
(c) had cut
13 When we ____ the station, the train had already left.
(a) reached
(b) were reaching
(c) had reached
14 He ____ for the company from 2005 to 2015.
(a) worked
(b) was working
(c) had worked
15 She ____ to the party because she was sick.
(a) didn’t go
(b) wasn’t going
(c) hadn’t gone
16 The students ____ the exam when the fire alarm went off.
(a) wrote
(b) were writing
(c) had written
17 By the time we got to the cinema, the film ____.
(a) started
(b) was starting
(c) had started
18 He ____ in the garden when I saw him yesterday.
(a) worked
(b) was working
(c) had worked
19 After she ____ breakfast, she left the house.
(a) ate
(b) was eating
(c) had eaten
20 We ____ a picnic when it suddenly began to rain.
(a) had
(b) were having
(c) had had
21 When the teacher entered, the students ____ quietly.
(a) sat
(b) were sitting
(c) had sat
22 I ____ him yesterday, but he didn’t see me.
(a) met
(b) was meeting
(c) had met
23 She ____ for three years before she moved to London.
(a) taught
(b) was teaching
(c) had taught
24 While I ____ the report, my colleague prepared the presentation.
(a) wrote
(b) was writing
(c) had written
25 By the time he arrived at the airport, the plane ____.
(a) left
(b) was leaving
(c) had left
26 I ____ football when I broke my leg.
(a) played
(b) was playing
(c) had played
27 They ____ friends since childhood before they argued.
(a) were
(b) were being
(c) had been
28 After I ____ the book, I gave it to my friend.
(a) finished
(b) was finishing
(c) had finished
29 He ____ a shower when the phone rang.
(a) took
(b) was taking
(c) had taken
30 We ____ for an hour before the bus finally came.
(a) waited
(b) were waiting
(c) had waited
Answer
1 (b) was watching – Past Continuous for action in progress when something happened.
2 (c) had finished – Past Perfect for an action completed before another past action.
3 (a) played – Past Simple for a completed action yesterday.
4 (b) were walking – Past Continuous for an action interrupted by another.
5 (a) arrived – Past Simple, because the next action (parents left) was already finished.
6 (b) were having – Past Continuous describes action in progress at a specific past time.
7 (c) had known – Past Perfect for knowledge gained before another past moment.
8 (b) was opening – Action in progress when phone rang.
9 (c) had waited – Past Perfect for completed waiting before the train arrived.
10 (b) was walking – Continuous action during which she met her friend.
11 (b) were watching – Ongoing action when mother arrived.
12 (c) had cut – Action completed before I saw her.
13 (a) reached – Past Simple because the train had already left earlier.
14 (a) worked – Past Simple for a finished time period.
15 (a) didn’t go – Negative form of Past Simple.
16 (b) were writing – Ongoing action interrupted by fire alarm.
17 (c) had started – Film started before we arrived.
18 (b) was working – Ongoing action when I saw him.
19 (c) had eaten – Completed action before leaving.
20 (b) were having – Ongoing picnic when rain began.
21 (b) were sitting – Describes state/position in progress.
22 (a) met – Simple past, single event yesterday.
23 (c) had taught – Completed teaching experience before moving.
24 (b) was writing – Ongoing action simultaneous with another.
25 (c) had left – Plane left before he arrived.
26 (b) was playing – Action in progress when accident happened.
27 (c) had been – Long-term state before an argument.
28 (c) had finished – Completed action before giving the book.
29 (b) was taking – In progress when phone rang.
30 (c) had waited – Completed waiting before the bus came.