Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1By the time the manager arrived, she ............... the office report.
Wrong!
Use "had finished" because the report was completed before the manager arrived.
2When we got to the bus stop, the bus ............... already.
Wrong!
Use "had left" because the bus left before we got to the bus stop.
3Last summer, I went to Rome for the first time; I ............... it before.
Wrong!
Use "had never visited" because the visit refers to a time before last summer.
4Before I turned on the TV, I ............... my homework.
Wrong!
Use "did" because this is the main past action before another past action.
5When she arrived at the station, she realized that she ............... her ticket at home.
Wrong!
Use "had forgotten" because forgetting the ticket happened before she arrived at the station.
6By noon yesterday, we ............... lunch.
Wrong!
Use "had eaten" because lunch was completed before the past time point.
7Before the computer crashed, I ............... the file.
Wrong!
Use "had saved" because saving the file happened before the computer crashed.
8Before class this morning, I ............... a coffee at the café.
Wrong!
Use "drank" because this is a completed action at a finished past time.
9By the time we got to the cinema, the film ............... already.
Wrong!
Use "had started" because the film started before we got to the cinema.
10The meeting ............... at exactly 3 p.m. yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "started" because the sentence names a specific finished past time.
11Before the taxi came, they ............... their suitcases.
Wrong!
Use "had packed" because the packing was completed before the taxi came.
12Last night, I ............... dinner for my family.
Wrong!
Use "cooked" because "last night" is a finished past time.
Answers
- By the time the manager arrived, she had finished the office report.
- When we got to the bus stop, the bus had left already.
- Last summer, I went to Rome for the first time; I had never visited it before.
- Before I turned on the TV, I did my homework.
- When she arrived at the station, she realized that she had forgotten her ticket at home.
- By noon yesterday, we had eaten lunch.
- Before the computer crashed, I had saved the file.
- Before class this morning, I drank a coffee at the café.
- By the time we got to the cinema, the film had started already.
- The meeting started at exactly 3 p.m. yesterday.
- Before the taxi came, they had packed their suitcases.
- Last night, I cooked dinner for my family.
