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Past Perfect vs. Past Simple Exercise

May 11, 2026 B1pdf

Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.

Progress 0 of 12 answered
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.
4I ............... my homework and then turned on the TV.
Wrong!
Use the past simple "did" because the two actions are told in the order they happened, joined by "and then"; the past perfect is not needed.
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.
7By the time the computer crashed, I ............... the file.
Wrong!
Use "had saved" because "by the time" shows that saving the file was already complete 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.
11By the time the taxi came, they ............... their suitcases.
Wrong!
Use "had packed" because "by the time" shows that the packing was already complete before the taxi came.
12Last night, I ............... dinner for my family.
Wrong!
Use "cooked" because "last night" is a finished past time.

Exercise complete

0/ out of 12 correct answers
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Answers

  1. By the time the manager arrived, she had finished the office report.
  2. When we got to the bus stop, the bus had left already.
  3. Last summer, I went to Rome for the first time; I had never visited it before.
  4. I did my homework and then turned on the TV.
  5. When she arrived at the station, she realized that she had forgotten her ticket at home.
  6. By noon yesterday, we had eaten lunch.
  7. By the time the computer crashed, I had saved the file.
  8. Before class this morning, I drank a coffee at the café.
  9. By the time we got to the cinema, the film had started already.
  10. The meeting started at exactly 3 p.m. yesterday.
  11. By the time the taxi came, they had packed their suitcases.
  12. Last night, I cooked dinner for my family.

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Related lesson in the course Past simple or present perfect? Module 04: Tenses & verb forms · Lesson 7

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