Fill in the blanks with a verb in the simple past or past perfect tense.
1I ............... have his number, so I couldn't call him.
Wrong!
Use "didn't" with the base verb "have" for a negative sentence in the simple past.
2Before that trip, we ............... each other for a long time.
Wrong!
Use "hadn't known" for a situation that was true before another time in the past.
3By the time I got home, I ............... the key, so I couldn't get into the house.
Wrong!
Use "had lost" because the losing happened before the later past situation.
4I ............... the key with me, so I couldn't get into the house.
Wrong!
Use "didn't have" to describe a past situation at that time.
5Did you ............... a good time at the party last night?
Wrong!
Use "have" after "did" because the main verb stays in the base form.
6I didn't ............... his address.
Wrong!
Use "know" after "didn't" because the main verb stays in the base form.
7They were anxious because she ............... returned yet.
Wrong!
Use "hadn't" with the past participle "returned" for something not completed before a past time.
8He ............... anything at the meeting yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "didn't say" for the completed past event at the meeting.
9When I met her again after 10 years, I ............... her.
Wrong!
Use "didn't recognize" for the main event at that past time.
10She ............... the offer yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "didn't accept" for the main completed action in the past.
11I failed the test because I ............... enough.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "hadn't learned" to stress that the lack of learning came before the test result. "Didn't learn" is also correct, because "because" already makes the order of events clear.
12............... by the time you arrived?
Wrong!
Use "Had she gone" to ask about an action completed before another past action.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- I didn’t have his number, so I couldn’t call him.
- Before that trip, we hadn’t known each other for a long time.
- By the time I got home, I had lost the key, so I couldn’t get into the house.
- I didn’t have the key with me, so I couldn’t get into the house.
- Did you have a good time at the party last night?
- I didn’t know his address.
- They were anxious because she hadn’t returned yet.
- He didn’t say anything at the meeting yesterday.
- When I met her again after 10 years, I didn’t recognize her.
- She didn’t accept the offer yesterday.
- I failed the test because I hadn’t learned / didn’t learn enough.
- Had she gone by the time you arrived?