Complete the following sentences using an appropriate past tense form.
1I ............... TV when the lights went out.
Wrong!
Use "was watching" for an action in progress interrupted by another past event.
2By the time the doctor arrived, the patient ...............
Wrong!
Use "had died" for the earlier of two past events; "by the time" + past simple is followed by the past perfect.
3His father ............... last year.
Wrong!
Use "died" with the finished past time expression "last year".
4Suddenly I realized that I ............... him before.
Wrong!
Use "had met" because the meeting happened before the past realization.
5I ............... in the garage when James turned up.
Wrong!
Use "was working" for an action in progress when another past event happened.
6While you were playing, I ...............
Wrong!
Use "was working" for a continuing action happening at the same time as another past action.
7When I ............... the window, the cat jumped out.
Wrong!
Use "opened" for a completed past action that led to the next event.
8We ............... at 8 o'clock yesterday morning.
Wrong!
Use "started" with the definite finished past time "yesterday morning".
9She said, "I will not come." Later, I reported that she ............... not come.
Wrong!
Use "would" as the reported-speech form of "will" after a past reporting verb.
10He asked if I ............... swim.
Wrong!
Use "could" as the reported-speech form of "can" after a past reporting verb.
Answers
- I was watching TV when the lights went out.
- By the time the doctor arrived, the patient had died.
- His father died last year.
- Suddenly I realized that I had met him before.
- I was working in the garage when James turned up.
- While you were playing, I was working.
- When I opened the window, the cat jumped out.
- We started at 8 o’clock yesterday morning.
- She said, “I will not come.” Later, I reported that she would not come.
- He asked if I could swim.