Past Tense – Simple or Progressive:
Fill in the correct form.
1. George ________________ off the ladder while he ________________ the ceiling. (fall,
paint)
2. Last night I ________________ in bed when I suddenly ________________ a scream.
(read, hear)
3. ________________ TV when I ________________ you? (you watch, phone)
4. Ann ________________ for me when I ________________ . (wait, arrive)
5. Maisie ________________ up the kitchen when John ________________ her to marry
him. (clean, ask)
6. The house ________________ £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)
7. The fire _______________________ at six in the morning. (still burn)
8. My brother ________________ a new job a week ago (get).
9. Columbus ________________ America over 500 years ago (discover)
10. She ________________ not interested in the book because she ________________ it
(be ,not understand)
11. ________________ at school yesterday? (you be)
12. We ________________ in a house near the sea last summer (live)
13. She ________________ the piano very well when she ________________ young (can
play, be) 14. She ________________ the office very early last night (leave).
15. I ________________ a friend while I ________________ the shopping (meet, do)
16. I ________________ for my things when I ________________ someone call my name
(pay, hear)
17. I ________________ around and ________________ Judy. (turn, see)
18. She ________________ a bright yellow dress when I ________________ her last
(wear, see) 19. We ________________ to have a cup of tea. (decide)
20. While the waiter ________________ up the pieces of glass he ________________ his
finger (pick, cut)
21. Then we ________________ the cafe and ________________ good bye (leave, say)
22. I ________________ the fire at six and it ________________ brightly when Tom came
in at seven. (light, still burn)
23. My dog ________________ along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese ________________
him. (walk, attack)
24. When I ________________ she ________________ lunch. She said she always
________________ lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)
25. What ________________ of his last book? –I ________________ it a lot (you think,
like)
26. He suddenly ________________ that he ________________ in the wrong direction.
(realize, travel)
27. He ________________ guitar when someone ________________ the window and
________________ out a bucket of water. (play, open, throw)
28. He ________________ us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind
________________ (not allow, blow)
29. The next day, as they ________________ that the police ________________ for
them, they ________________ the coats in the woods and ________________ off in
different directions. (know, look, hide, go)
30. When I ________________ home they ________________ around a fire. Jack
________________ a crossword puzzle, Judy ________________ and the others
________________ . Mother ________________ at me and said : “ Come and sit down”
(come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)