1 Complete the sentences. Use the past simple or past continuous form of the verbs in brackets.

1 .When it _______________________ (stop) raining, we _______________________ (go out) and _______________________ (put) the kayak in the water.

2. While I _______________________ (wait) at the bus stop, I _______________________ (see) an accident.

3 .Suddenly, the man _______________________ (take) the purse from the woman’s handbag and _______________________ (run off).

4 .At 5 p.m. yesterday, I _______________________ (read) a book about Captain Cook and my sister _______________________ (watch) a film about the explorer Robert Falcon Scott.

5. I _______________________ (relax) in the sun when a cloud _______________________ (appear) in the sky.

6. When the sailor _______________________ (open) the box, he _______________________ (find) an old map inside.

7. While everyone _______________________ (argue), I _______________________ (realise) it was a good time to go.

8. As I _______________________ (leave) the party, I finally _______________________ (remember) the man’s name.

9. The man _______________________ (wear) a raincoat and _______________________ (carry) a big suitcase.

10. The girl _______________________ (run) through the forest when she _______________________ (slip) over.

3 Complete the sentences with the correct words. The first letter of each word has been given.

1 It was a bright day in July, but inside the Son Doong C_ _ _ it was very dark and cold.

2 It's a s_ _ _ _ climb to the top of Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands, but the view is worth it.

3 Angel Falls, on the Guaja River in Venezuela, is the highest w_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ in the world.

4 During the day, the temperature in the Sahara d_ _ _ _ _ can reach 50°C, but at night it sometimes falls to below 0°C.

5 The beautiful White C_ _ _ _s of Dover are very high and it’s dangerous to walk too close to the edge.

6 The edges of Lake Como in Italy are s_ _ _ _ _ _ , but it’s quite deep in the middle.

7 Over 1,500 people lost their lives in the early morning of 15 April 1912 when the Titanic sank in the i_ _ waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

8 You can collect seashells from the s_ _ _ _ in the Maldives, but you can’t take coral pieces.

B. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

 We were tired because we ………………………………….. (drive) for two hours.

Anna ………………………………….. (not stop) studying all day. She didn’t even have one break.

………………………………………….. (the archaeologists / discover) the tomb before they found the treasure?

I ………………………………….. (analyse) the document for hours. That’s why I needed a rest.

Complete the sentences with the correct past simple, past continuous or past perfect form of the verbs in brackets.

1. We ____________ (move) house a lot while I____________ (grow up).

2. After Joe ____________ (learn) to drive, he___________ (buy) a car.

3. George ____________ (leave) school, ____________ (go) to university and____________ (study) engineering.

4. My parents ____________ (get) engaged in 1990.

5. They ____________ (fall) in love two years before, while they ____________ (work) in London.

Exercise 5. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Continuous or Past Simple.

1.   I …………………………… (see) Mary in town yesterday but she (not/see) …………………………… me. She………………………… (look) the other way.

2.   I …………………………… (cycle) home yesterday when suddenly a man…………………………… (step) out into the road in front of me, I…………………………… (go) quite fast but luckily  I …………………………… (manage) to stop in time and ………………………… (not/hit) him.

3.   I………………………… (walk) home when I ………………………… (meet) Dan.

4.   Tom ………………………… (burn) his hand when he …………………… (cook) the dinner.

5.   The telephone …………………………… (ring) while I …………......………… (have) a bath.

6.   Beethoven …………......………… (write) nine symphonies. He …………………………….. (write) another symphony when he died.

7.   Last Saturday Tom wanted to make two salads. He ................................... (make) the first one in five minutes. He .................................... (make) the second one when his guests ............................ (arrive) and they .............................. (help) him to finish it.

8.   The artist Gaudi ............................... (design) several houses in Barcelona, Spain. Later he ............................... (start) work on a church. He ................................. (work) on the church when he .............................. (die).

9.   Last month a bank robber ................................... (escape) while the police ...................................... (take) him to prison. Later they ................................ (catch) him again, and this time they ........................................ (lock) him up without any problem.

10.Philip’s football team were lucky last Saturday. After 20 minutes they ...................................... (lose), but in the end they ............................... (win) the game by 4 goals to 2.

11.John Lennon .................................... (sing) and ......................................... (play) on many records with The Beatles. He ............................................ (prepare) a new record when Mark Chapman ........................................... (shoot) him.

12.Yesterday afternoon I ................................................ (study) at home after school when I ......................................... (hear) a loud noise. I ....................................  (run) outside. It ................................... (rain) and it ..................................... (be) cold. I ............................................ (see) that smoke ...................................... (come) slowly out of the next house. My father suddenly ........................................ (arrive) and we ................................................ (phone) the fire-brigade because we could hear that some people ........................................ (call) for help. While we ................................... (wait) for the fire-engine to come, I ............................................. (decide) to investigate.

Exercise 6. Put the verbs into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.

1.   She ......................................... (BURST) into tears when she .......................................  (SEE) his father.

2.   I .......................................... (CUT) up vegetables in the kitchen when I ............................ (HEAR) the terrible news on the radio.

3.   What a terrible accident!. Steve ......................................... (DRIVE) his car when a bird ...................................... (FLY) into his windscreen.

4.   First she ...................................... (READ) the advertisement and then she ................................... (CALL) the company.

5.   The sun ......................................... (SHINE) brightly when the old man ............................. (SET) off from his cottage.

6.   At eight o’clock yesterday evening the plane ......................................... (FLY) from Tahiti to Los Angeles.

7.   I .................................... (WAIT) for him for quite a long time but he .............................. (NOT COME).

8.   Last weekend while Julie ........................................ (TIDY) her bedroom, she ................................... (FIND) some of the toys she ........................................ (HAVE) when she .................................... (BE) a child.

9.   While my mother ..................................... (COOK) dinner, we ...................................... (PLAY) in the garden.

10.We all ........................................ (SLEEP) when some terrible noise .................................... (WAKE) us up.

11.Poor Cinderella ....................................... (HAVE) to work hard while her step-sisters ........................................ (HAVE) fun at the ball.

12.The children ...................................... (TAKE) the cake when nobody ................................. (LOOK) and .................................... (EAT) it silently.

13.As she ................................... (CROSS) the street, she ................................ (SLIP) and ..................................... (FALL).

14.Yesterday when I ....................................... (WALK) in the park, I ...................................  (LOSE) my watch.

15.The fishing boat ........................................... (APPROACH) the seashore when the tornado ................................... (BEGIN).

16.I ............................................ (CAN) not hear the bell because the radio ...................................... (PLAY) really loudly.

17.The aeroplane .................................... (CATCH) fire just when it ................................... (TAKE) off.

18.The lights ....................................... (GO) out when we ...................................... (DISCUSS) the plans for the following morning.

19.Professor Ward ........................................... (GIVE) the lecture when the students’ riots .................................... (BEGIN).

20.One of my worst memories from last winter holidays was when I ................................ (RUN) out of petrol while I ................................. (DRIVE) through a snowy forest in the evening.

21.Last night Sally ................................... (WATCH) TV in her bedroom when suddenly she ................................... (HEAR) a scream outside.

v Put the verbs in brackets in the correct verb tense: The Present Perfect or Past Simple.

1.       I (visit)        our form teacher in the hospital already.

2.       John (read) the letter from Mary already.

3.       We (not begin)      to learn for the test yet.

4.       I (meet)       Robert at the supermarket this morning.

5.       Nancy (be) to Vietnam several times.

6.       They (not start)    the project yet.

7.       When (your father/ give up)    smoking?

8.       The motorbike looks clean. (you/ wash)     it?

9.       Tom (call)   his boss yesterday.

10.     My uncle (move) to Da Lat in 2005.

11.     The Greens (be)    to many countries in the world so far.

12.     We (go)       to that village to do volunteer work several times.

13.     We (spend)           our summer vacation in Ha Long Bay last July.

14.     Our teacher (explain)     to us how to use the printer already.

15.     My pen isn’t here any more. Someone (take)       it already.

16.     The postman (deliver)    the letter half an hour ago.

17.     Mai (not finish)    her homework yet.

18.     They (not see)      the film Titanic yet.

19.     I (hear)        the good news from Mary a few minutes ago.

20.     I (not see)    your brother yet.

I.                Supply the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past simple, past continuous or past perfect

1.     It (begin)...................................to rain while Amanda and I (walk) ................................... to school.

2.     After Mary (finish)……………………her homework last night, she (go)…………………..out for a walk.

3.     I (wash) ...................................dishes when I (drop) ................................ a plate and (break) ................................... it.

4.     I (hit) ................................... my thumb while I (use) ...................................the hammer. Ouch!

5.     When we fist (meet)…………………………each other five years ago, both of us (just/graduate) ………………………from unniversity.

6.     By the the we (get)…………………..to the ticket box last Saturday, they (sell)………………………..out all the tickets.

7.     I (walk) ...................................under an apple tree when an apple (fall) ...................................and (hit) ................................... me on the head.

8.     As soon as I (turn)………………………..all the lights off, I (leave)……………………….the office. Then I (go) …………………….to the city centre because I (want)……………………….to do some shopping.

9.     When I (arrive)…………………….. at the station last Friday morning, Mary and Jack (wait) …………………………..for me. They (be)…………………………there for about 20 minutes.

10.  It was 9pm last night, and the party (not/ start)…………………………….yet.

11.  Last month, both my brother and my next-door neighbor were in Thailand, and neither one of them (know) ................................... that the other was there. While they (attend) ...................................my daughter’s wedding reception last weekend, my neighbor (mention) ...................................her trip, and my brother was very surprised. It seems that they (be) ................................... in Bangkok for three days at exactly the same time and (stay) ...................................  in hotels that were only a few blocks away from each other.

When I (come)……………………..into class yesterday, my teacher (already/ begin)…………………………..the lesson

I.                Supply the correct form of the verbs in brackets: Past simple or past continuous

1.     It (begin)...................................to rain while Amanda and I (walk) ................................... to school.

2.     I (wash) ...................................dishes when I (drop) ................................ a plate and (break) ................................... it.

3.     I (hit) ................................... my thumb while I (use) ...................................the hammer. Ouch!

4.     When we fist (meet)…………………………each other five years ago, both of us (study) ………………………at university.

5.     I (walk) ...................................under an apple tree when an apple (fall) ...................................and (hit) ................................... me on the head.

6.     After I (turn)………………………..all the lights off, I (leave)……………………….the office. Then I (go) …………………….to the city centre because I (want)……………………….to do some shopping.

7.     When I (arrive)…………………….. at the station last Friday morning, Mary and Jack (wait) …………………………..for me.

8.     It was 9pm last night. My parents (watch) …………………………..TV, I (do) ………………………..my homework and my brother (read)…………………………..his comic.

9.     Last night, I (listen)............................ to music and (do) ..................................... my homework when Kim (stop) .............................. by.

10.  While Paul (carry)................................ brushes and paint and (climb) .....................................a ladder, a bird (fly).............................down and (sit) .....................................on his head. Paul (drop)..................................the paint and (spill) ..................................... it all over the ground.