ANSWER SCHEME EXERCISE 1 Complete the story using the past simple, past perfect, or past continuous of the verbs in brackets. It was (be) Tuesday evening and I was getting (get) ready to go to bed when the phone rang (ring). To my surprise it was (be) my friend Peter. He was calling (call) from his mobile and he was very annoyed because he had lost (lose) his keys and he couldn't (cannot) get into his flat. He thought (think) he had left (leave) them at work but now it was midnight, and the office was closed so he couldn't (cannot) get in to check. Luckily, I had the keys to his flat because a month before he had given (give) me a spare set so that I could look after his cat while he was on holiday. When he finally arrived (arrive) to pick them up, it was three o'clock in the morning, and I was lying (lie) on the sofa fast asleep. EXERCISE 2 This happened (happen) about five years ago. I was coming (come) back home from Turkey where I had been (be) on holiday with some friends who had rented (rent) a bungalow in the mountains not for from Ankara, the capital. Anyway, we were sitting (sit) in the plane and had just taken (just / take) off when there was (be) a loud bang from the right hand side of the plane and I could see a lot of smoke coming from one of the engines. Of course, everyone started (start) looking around but the plane carried (carry) on flying normally. And then a few minutes later the pilot came (come) on to the PA and said there was a problem with one of the engines and we’d have to return to the airport. I felt pretty nervous, I can tell you, but I tried (try) to concentrate on my book, and about ten minutes later we landed (land) without any problems. We had (have) to wait for about an hour and then we got back on the plane. Actually, it was a different plane, and I was pretty relieved that it was. EXERCISE 3 1. We WERE SITTING on the beach when it STARTED to rain (SIT, START). 2. Simon returned the money he HAD BORROWED a week earlier (BORROW) 3. While I was shopping my purse WAS STOLEN (STEAL) 4. My letter did not arrive because I HAD FORGOTTEN to put a stamp on it (FORGET) 5. While he WAS TRAVELLING across Central Africa, John caught Malaria. (TRAVEL) 6. When I woke up a man WAS STANDING next to me, asking my name. (STAND) 7. When Paula HAD READ the book, she lent it to me. (READ) 8. Sonia WAS HIT by a car when she was cycling to school. (HIT) 9. I HAD BEEN STANDING there for three hours when at last it was my turn to speak to the official. (STAND) 10. Frank knew he HAD MADE a terrible mistake as soon as he saw the message "file deleted" on his computer screen (MAKE) 11. When I OPENED the curtains this morning, I realised it HAD BEEN SNOWING all night (OPEN, SNOW)
EXERCISE 4 Complete the sentences for situations in the past. Decide which tense you need to use. 1. Yesterday, a plumber came (come) to our house. 2. He wanted (want) to repair our washing machine that had broken (break) down a few days before. 3. Before he rang (ring) at my door, he had been (have) looking for a parking space for about ten minutes. 4. While the plumber was repairing (repair) the washing machine, I watched/was watching (watch) the news. 5. Suddenly, I realised (realise) that they were showing (show) our street on TV. 6. The reporter said (say) that a car had crashed (crash) into a stop sign just before reaching the crossroads. 7. While I was listening (listen) carefully to what had happened (happen), someone knocked at my door. 8. I opened (open) the door and saw (see) a police officer standing there. 9. He asked (ask) for the plumber. 10. As it turned out, it was (be) our plumber's car that had rolled (roll) down the street. 11. In his haste, the plumber had forgotten (forget) to set the handbrake. EXERCISE 5 Some sentences are divided in two or three lines. 1. When I __________ up yesterday… A had got B was getting C get D got 2. I __________... A know B was knowing C knew D had known 3. it ___________ to be a bad day! A went B was going C had gone D goes 4. First, there __________ no milk for breakfast… A were B was C is D had been 5. because I ___________ to buy some. A forget B was forgetting C forget D had forgotten 6. Then I __________ ages looking for my car keys ..... A was spending B to spend C had spent D spent 7. which I ___________ in the bathroom! A was leaving B leave C had left D left 8. I was late for work, which annoyed my boss, who __________ to know ...... A had wanted B wanted C was wanting D wants 9. why I ___________ home the day before without finishing his report. A going B went C had gone D was going
10.In fact, I ___________ until 9 p.m. A worked B had worked C was working D work 11.By lunchtime, I ___________... A starving B had starved C was starving D starved 12.as I ___________any breakfast, but when I went to buy lunch, I couldn't find any money. A wasn't having B don't have C didn't have D hadn't had 13.I __________ sure… A to be B am C was D had been 14.I ___________ up my wallet before leaving home. A picked B had picked C was picking D picking 15.When I __________ back to my desk ... A getting B get C got D was getting 16.there __________ a message from my wife. A being B had been C is D was 17.I ___________ to meet her for lunch. A had forgotten B was forgetting C forgot D forgetting EXERCISE 6 Some sentences are divided in two or three lines. 1. I __________ to a café… A had B went C left D didn't 2. …after I ___________ Amar. A leave B left C had left D was leaving 3. I ___________ down… A just sitting B had just sat C was just sitting D just sat 4. …when Emily __________ in. A walking B was walking C walked D had walked 5. After we ___________ a coffee,… A had B have C had had D were having 6. …we __________ about my relationship with my ex-boyfriend Andy back in the USA. A were talking B had talked C talked D talk 7. She ___________ that… A don't know B wasn't knowing C didn't know D hadn't known 8. ...that I ___________ engaged to him… A had got B got C was getting D get
9. that we ___________ to get married. A didn't plan B weren't planning C had planned D don't plan 10. I explained that we split up a few weeks before I came to the UK because he ___________ on me. A cheats B was cheating C cheated D had cheated 11. I suppose I still love Andy, even though we had a terrible row when I __________ out... A found B had found C was finding D find 12. …he ___________lied to me. A lies B was lying C lied D had lied 13. Anyway, by the time I __________ the cafe... A was leaving B leave C left D had left 14. ...I ___________ to get worried. A start B was starting C started D had started 15. It __________ four o'clock... A are B had been C is D was 16. ...Rob and I still ___________ where to meet for our date tonight. A hadn't arranged B didn't arrange C weren't arranging D don't arrange 17. And I couldn't phone him because I ___________ my cell phone in my room and I couldn't remember his number. A left B had left C was leaving D leave 18.When I __________ back ... A got B had got C was getting D get 19. ..., I __________ a text that... A had B found C hadn't D had 20. ...that Rob ___________ me. A had sent B was sending C sent D sends 21.It __________ earlier in the afternoon while I was out. A arrives B arrived C had arrived D was arriving 22.___________ something to him... A Has Emily said B Had Emily said C Did Emily say D Was Emily saying 23. ...which __________ him off me? A puts B was putting C put D had put
EXERCISE 7 1. I WAS WALKING (walk) down the street yesterday, when I SAW (saw) a girl who WAS CRYING (cry). When I ASKED (ask) her why she WAS CRYING (cry), she TOLD (tell) me that she HAD LOST (lose) her parents and that she WAS (be) very afraid. 2. Mary HAD MOVED (move) out of her parents’ house three years before her father DECIDED (decide) to sell it. However, when she LEARNED (learn) about her father’s decision, she FELT (feel) sad. Nevertheless, she understood that her parents WERE GETTING (get) older and that they DIDN’T NEED (not/need) such a big house anymore. 3. It WAS (be) 11 pm and John Bishop WAS SITTING (sit) in the bushes outside the Browns’ residence. He HAD PREPARED (prepare) his plan two days earlier. When he SAW (see) Mr and Mrs Brown leaving the house, he JUMPED (jump) out of the bushes and RAN (run) to the door. He PICKED (pick) the lock and WENT (go) inside. Unfortunately for him, an angry pit bull WAS WAITING (wait) in the hall. 4. My dad always HATED (hate) my boyfriend, Jim. However, when we DECIDED (decide) to move in together, he CALLED (call) me and SAID (say) that he HAS NEVER LIKED (never/like) him, but he TRUSTED (trust) my judgement. It’s funny, because when he CALLED (call), Jim and I WERE ARGUING (argue). 5. Daniel is a very nice person now, but he WAS (be) different several years ago. He SPENT (spend) time with a gang of rough boys, STOLE (steal) radios from parked cars, and GOT (get) into fights very often. However, one day when he WAS WALKING (walk) home, he MET (meet) a beautiful girl from a Catholic school. After he HAD MET (meet) her, he CHANGED (change) for her completely. 6. When I WAS (be) a little boy, I HAD (have) a dog, which I HAD FOUND (find) on the street. We WENT (go) for long walks every day. Once, when we WERE WALKING (walk) back home, a man APPROACHED (approached) me and TRIED (try) to mug me. My dog BIT (bite) him in the bottom and the man STARTED (start) running away. As he WAS RUNNING (run), my dog WAS BARKING (bark) at him. 7. Jenny and Ken MET (meet) at a party in 2007. At that time Ken HAD (have) a girlfriend, but Jenny HAD NEVER HAD (have/never) a boyfriend before. It WAS (be) love at first sight. When Ken SAW (see) Jenny, he ASKED (ask) her to dance with him. As they WERE DANCING (dance), Ken’s girlfriend CAME (come) to the party. She STARTED (start) shouting at Ken and REMINDED (remind) him that he HAD PROMISED (promise) to never leave her for another girl. 8. Randy WAS DRIVING (drive) his new Porsche to visit his parents. He HAD BOUGHT (buy) the car only two days earlier. It WAS (be) late at night and it HAD RAINED (rain) earlier, so the road WAS (be) slippery. However, he WANTED (want) to get to his destination as soon as possible, so he WAS DRIVING (drive) very fast. Suddenly, when he WAS GOING (go) through a forest, something JUMPED (jump) on the road. In order not to hit it, Randy STEPPED (step) on the breaks. He LOST (lose) control of the car and HIT (hit) a tree.