Past Tenses Test

Past Simple/Past Continuous/Past Perfect/Past Perfect Continuous.

We ____ for a convenient place for a settlement for half a day before we found a shaded cove, where we put brushwood.

Mrs. Gorhild died in her sleep. Her doctor ___ me that she _____ from a weak heart for some time, but it never _____.

The Bricks ____ in a large countryside house when their children ___ at home, but they ___ to a small three-room apartment after the children ____ and left home.

Two boys came home late. Both of them had black eyes, and their collars were torn, blood ____ from the scars. They ____. The moms ____.

We ____ Paul at the airport. He ____ for his sister and was nervous all the time, looking at watch and brushing off his jacket.

When he ___ single he ___ to Spain every winter, but now he has to go to France with his wife and children.

Hardly ___ the door when the phone ___. It ___ as unexpected as the broken hinge on the door profile.

He was put behind bars because he ___ the police officer.

First, he ___ the message. Then, he ___ his boss to inform him about the accident. The boss ___ around with this mishap all night.

1 He ___ when he ___ a banana skin.

2 Clark Gable ___ in a number of successful films.

3 Mike ___ into the office, beaming with joy. He ___ an important contract.

4 Students ___ and I ___ either.

5 When we entered the hall - the main focus of the editorial office, some secretaries ___ something quickly, some ___, others ___ their hands and ___ documents.

1 Jane's friend (__ constantly complain__), so Zach didn't like her and shunned all the years of lyceum studies.

2 Linda (___ hope___) for a celebration in a narrow circle, but Houston insisted on a total purchase and a magnificent deed.

3 They (___ wonder__) if knowledgeable people could help them.

4 While I (___ edit___) the report, the cord burned out and the computer went off.

We ____ for an hour when we suddenly realised that we ___ in the wrong direction.

– Your eyes were red when I last saw you. What had happened?

– Don't worry, I ___ – just a little overfatigue.

Rearrange the words in the correct tense of verbs in brackets.

(Eat)/(join)/when/us/John/already/we

The hot idle afternoon of spring ___¹ doubt that this is the right time for the swirling of the rising currents of the storm. The clouds dangled menacingly and shook with dry dusty air, everything was in a submissive and vigilant calm. Suddenly, the wind ___² the grass on the plain, and clouds of smoke ___³ from the southeast. A cloud formed a funnel and (begin/twist)⁴. The funnel moved faster and faster. Tornadoes always moved in a northeastern direction. They __ never last⁵ ___ longer than eight hours. Nothing could stop tornadoes from destroying in their path.