Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1When I got to the station, the train ............... five minutes earlier.
Wrong!
"Had left" is correct because the earlier past action happened before "I got to the station."
2At 8 p.m. last night, we ............... dinner when the lights went out.
Wrong!
"Were having" is correct because "At 8 p. m. last night" shows an action in progress interrupted by another past action.
3She was nervous because she ............... that speech before.
Wrong!
"Had never given" is correct because the cause happened before her past feeling of nervousness.
4While Tom ............... home, he saw an accident on the bridge.
Wrong!
"Was driving" is correct because "while" introduces the longer background action in progress.
5By the time the film started, we ............... our seats.
Wrong!
"Had found" is correct because "By the time" shows the seat-finding was completed before the film started.
6I ............... for the bus for twenty minutes when it finally arrived.
Wrong!
"Was waiting" is correct because "for twenty minutes" and "when it finally arrived" show a continuing action before an interruption.
7The classroom was empty because the students ............... already.
Wrong!
"Had left" is correct because "already" and the result "was empty" show an earlier completed action.
8As I ............... through the old photos, I found a picture of my grandfather.
Wrong!
"Was looking" is correct because "As" introduces the ongoing background action during which the discovery happened.
9He apologized because he ............... my message the night before.
Wrong!
"Hadn't seen" is correct because "the night before" places the missing of the message earlier than the apology.
10When the teacher came in, several students ............... loudly at the back.
Wrong!
"Were talking" is correct because the students' action was in progress when the teacher entered.
11After the storm ..............., we went outside to check the garden.
Wrong!
"Had passed" is correct because the storm finished before the later action of going outside.
12I ............... my keys, so I had to climb in through the kitchen window.
Wrong!
"Had forgotten" is correct because forgetting the keys happened before the later result "had to climb in."
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- When I got to the station, the train had left five minutes earlier.
- At 8 p.m. last night, we were having dinner when the lights went out.
- She was nervous because she had never given that speech before.
- While Tom was driving home, he saw an accident on the bridge.
- By the time the film started, we had found our seats.
- I was waiting for the bus for twenty minutes when it finally arrived.
- The classroom was empty because the students had left already.
- As I was looking through the old photos, I found a picture of my grandfather.
- He apologized because he hadn’t seen my message the night before.
- When the teacher came in, several students were talking loudly at the back.
- After the storm had passed, we went outside to check the garden.
- I had forgotten my keys, so I had to climb in through the kitchen window.
