Fill in the blanks with an appropriate verb form.
1. After he ............................ his lesson, he went out to play cricket.
When we talk about two past events, we usually use the past perfect for the earlier of the two actions. However, we can also express this idea using the conjunctions before and after.
2. While I ......................... along the street one day, I saw a dead cobra.
When we talk about two past events, we usually use the past continuous for the longer background action.
3. We left the forest and ..................... into the open plain.
4. As he was ........................ out of his country, he sought asylum in a foreign land.
5. As it was a very hot day, I ............................. in my tent.
The simple past tense is the most common tense for talking about finished actions in the past.
6. A gipsy ........................ the child while he was wandering across the meadows.
When we talk about two past events, the simple past is used to refer to the short action that happens in the middle of the longer action.
7. I once .................... a man who was walking on a rope.
8. As I did not know my way, I ......................... a policeman.
9. When I ...................... the noise, I woke up.
When the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, we need a past tense in the subordinate clause as well. We use the simple past to refer to quickly finished actions and situations.
10. As he was paralytic, he ........................
Could is the past tense form of can.
11. She ..................... angry before I said a word.
12. His father ...................... three years ago.
We do not use the present perfect tense with past time expressions.
Answers
1. After he learnt his lesson, he went out to play cricket.
2. While I was walking along the street one day, I saw a dead cobra.
3. We left the forest and advanced into the open plain.
4. As he was driven out of his country, he sought asylum in a foreign land.
5. As it was a very hot day, I remained in my tent.
6. A gipsy found the child while he was wandering across the meadows.
7. I once saw a man who was walking on a rope.
8. As I did not know my way, I asked a policeman.
9. When I heard the noise, I woke up.
10. As he was paralytic, he could not walk.
11. She became angry before I said a word.
12. His father died three years ago.
