English Grammar Exercises for B1- Past tense contrast

1. Complete the table with the -ing form, past simple and past participle form of the verbs.

Base form

ing form

Past simple

Past participle

1) marry

2) fight

3) die

4) meet

5) retire

6) think

7) stop

8) ride

9) fall

10) learn

Show answers

1) marrying, married, married   2) fighting, fought, fought

3) dying, died, died   4) meeting, met, met

5) retiring, retired, retired   6) thinking, thought, thought

7) stopping, stopped, stopped   8) riding, rode, ridden

9) falling, fell, fallen   10) learning, learned, learned

2. Circle the correct answers.

1) parents boughtwerebuying a house just after they got married.

2) John hadnotengagedwasgettingengaged before he left university.

3) Liam inherited a lot of money and wasemigratingemigrated to Australia.

4  DidPamphoneHadPamphoned while you watchedwerewatching television?

5) I opened the door and steppedhadstepped outside. It rainedwasraining .

6) I didn’t know where you were because you weren’t phoningdidn’tphone .

7)had‘d had this watch for two years when the battery ran out.

Show answers

1) bought   2) had got engaged   3) emigrated

4) Did Pam phone, were watching   5) stepped, was raining  

6) didn’t phone   7) ‘d had

3. Some of the verb forms and tenses in the sentences are incorrect. Rewrite them correctly. Tick the correct sentences.

1) Why did you be angry with Mary?

 ________

2   Had you eaten before you went out?

 ________

3)couldn’t go out until I had did homework.

 ________

4) It wasn’t rain when we left the house.

 ________

5)wasn’t feeling well this morning.

 ________

6) We was eating when you phoned .

 ________

7) Where had you lunch?

__________________

Show answers

1) Why did you get angry with Mary?

2)

3) I couldn’t go out until I had done homework.

4) It wasn’t raining when we left the house.

5)

6) We were eating when you phoned.

7) Where didyouhave lunch?

4. Write the negative and interrogative form of the sentences.

1) Jason had been to Italy.

 Jason hadn’t been to Italy.

     Had Jason been to Italy?

2) Tom grew up in London.

  ________

  ________

3) Her parents split up last year.

  ________

  ________

4) Harry was living in Scotland.

  ________

  ________

5) Sally had eaten lunch.

__________________

__________________

Show answers

2) Tom didn’t grow up in London.; Did Tom grow up in London?

3) Her parents didn’t split up last year.; Did her parents split up last year?

4) Harry wasn’t living in Scotland.; Was Harry living in Scotland?

5) Sally hadn’t eaten lunch.; Had Sally eaten lunch?

5. Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Use the past simple, past continuous or past perfect.

go out      leave      not listen      lose      shine      snow

1) I couldn’t pay for the pizzas because I ________. money at home.

2) I put on coat and ________.

3) You didn’t understand the question because you ________.

4) When we woke up, everything was white because it ________. during the night.

5) I borrowed brother’s jacket because I ________. mine.

6) It was a really cold day, but the sun ________.

Show answers

1) had left   2) went out   3) weren’t listening

4) had snowed   5) had lost   6) was shining

6. Complete the text with the verbs in brackets. Use the past simple, past continuous or past perfect.

When Sarah Knauss 1) _______ (die) on 30 December 1999, she 2) _______ (live) in Pennsylvania, USA, where she 3) _______ (spend) all her life. At the time of her death, only one person before her 4) _______ (live) longer. Sarah 5) _______ (have) one daughter, who 6) _______ still ____________ (live) when Sarah died.

Show answers

1) died   2) was living   3) had spent   4) had lived

5) had   6) was, living

7. Complete the text with the correct past tense form of the verbs in brackets.

Fauja Singh used to take part in amateur races when he was younger, but he 1) _________ (not start) running marathons until he was in his eighties. He 2) _________ (not run) a race since 1947 when he joined his local running club at the age of 84. The coach nearly 3) _________ (send) him home on the first day because he 4) _________ (wear) a suit. Mr Singh’s first race was the London Marathon, which he 5) _________ (complete) in six hours and 54 minutes, a new record for the over-nineties. The previous record holder 6) _________ (set) a time of seven hours and 52 minutes. Today, at the age of 103, Mr Singh is still running marathons.

Show answers

1) didn’t start   2) hadn’t run   3) sent   4) was wearing

5) completed   6) had set

Advanced English Vocabulary - One Minute Videos