Grammar revision sheets - page t9

Past Tense – Simple or Progressive: Fill in the correct form.

1. George fell off the ladder while he was painting the ceiling. (fall, paint)
   
2. Last night I was reading in bed when I suddenly heard a scream. (read, hear)
   
3. Were you watching TV when I phoned you? (watch, phone)
   
4. Ann was waiting for me when I arrived. (wait, arrive)
   
5. Maisie was cleaning up the kitchen when John asked her to marry him. (clean, ask)
   
6. The house cost £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)
   
7. The fire was still burning at six in the morning. (still burn)
   
8. My brother got a new job a week ago (get).
   
9. Columbus discovered America over 500 years ago (discover)
   
10. She was not interested in the book because she did not understand it (be ,not understand)
    

11. Were you at school yesterday? (you be)

12. We lived in a house near the sea last summer (live)
    
13. She could play the piano very well when she was young (can play, be)
    
14. She left the office very early last night (leave).
    
15. I met a friend while I was doing the shopping (meet, do)
    
16. I was paying for my things when I heard someone call my name (pay, hear)
    
17. I turned around and saw Judy. (turn, see)
    
18. She was wearing a bright yellow dress when I saw her last (wear, see)
    
19. We decided to have a cup of tea. (decide)
    
20. While the waiter was picking up the pieces of glass he cut his finger (pick, cut)
    
21. Then we left the cafe and said good bye (leave, say)
    
22. I lit the fire at six and it was still burning brightly when Tom came in at seven. (light, burn)
    
23. My dog was walking along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese attacked him. (walk, attack)
    
24. When I arrived she was having lunch. She said she always had lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)
    
25. What do you think of his last book? –I liked it a lot (think, like)
    
26. He suddenly realized that he was travelling in the wrong direction. (realize, travel)
    
27. He was playing guitar when someone opened the window and threw out a bucket of water. (play,
    open, throw)
    
28. He did not allow us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind was blowing (not allow,
    blow)
    
29. The next day, as they knew that the police were looking for them, they hid the coats in the woods
    and went off in different directions. (know, look, hide, go)
    
30. When I came home they were all sitting around a fire. Jack was doing a crossword puzzle, Judy was
    knitting and the others were reading. Mother smiled at me and said : “ Come and sit down” (come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)