Grammar Exercises - Simple Past Tense.

Do the exercises below on the simple past tense and click on the button to check
your answers.
(Before doing the exercises you may want to read the lesson on the
simple past tense)

Put the verbs into the simple past:

1. Last year I (go) to England on holiday.

2. It (be) fantastic.

3. I (visit) lots of interesting places. I

(be) with two friends of mine .

4. In the mornings we (walk) in the streets of

London.

5. In the evenings we (go) to pubs.

6. The weather (be) strangely fine.

7. It (not / rain) a lot.

 8. But we (see) some beautiful rainbows.

9. Where (spend / you) your last holiday?

Write the past forms of the irregular verbs.

Infinitive Simple Past

meet .
1.

drive .
2.

speak .
3.

put .
4.

write .
5.

sing .
6.

do .
7.

sit .
8.

stand .
9.

run .
10.
Complete the table in simple past.
Affirmative Negative Interrogative

He wrote a book.

He did not sing

Was she pretty?

Put the sentences into simple past.

1. We move to a new house.

2. They bring a sandwich.

3. He doesn't do the homework.

4. They sell cars.

5. Does he visit his friends?

Write sentences in simple past.

1. Janet / miss / the bus

2. she / tidy / her room

 3. Nancy / watch / not / television

4. she / read / a book

Choose "Was or "Were:

1. The teacher nice.

2. The students very

clever.

3. But one student in trouble.

4. We sorry for him.

5. He nice though.

Simple Past or Past Progressive

Exercise 1
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).

1. While Tom (read) , Amely (watch) a

documentary on TV.
2. Marvin (come) home, (switch) on the computer

and (check) his emails.

3. The thief (sneak) into the house, (steal) the

jewels and (leave) without a trace.

4. Nobody (listen) while the teacher (explain) the

tenses.
5. While we (do) a sight-seeing tour, our

friends (lie) on the beach.

6. He (wake) up and (look) at his watch.

Simple Past or Past Progressive

Exercise 2
Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).

1. The receptionist (welcome) the guests

and (ask) them to fill in the form.

2. The car (break) down and we (have) to walk

home.
3. The boys (swim) while the girls (sunbathe) .

4. My father (come) in, (look) around

and (tell) me to tidy up my room.

5. As long as one group (prepare) dinner, the

others (collect) wood for their campfire.

6. While the parents (have) breakfast, their

children (run) about.

7. Martha (turn) off the lights and (go) to bed.

Past Simple / Past Continuous

For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap
from the choices below.

1. At six o'clock last night Ryoko ____________ television in

her apartment.

A watched B was watched C watching D

was watching

2. After the lesson, I ___ some lunch and then I went for a
walk.

A had B was had C was having D having

3. When I was a child I ___ a toy that looked like a dragon.

 A had B was had C was having D having

4. While Sonia____________ the film, somebody stole her

jacket with her passport in it.

A watched B was watching C was watched

D watching

5. At seven fifteen this morning, I ___________ down the High

Street when I saw my teacher, David.

A was walked B walked C was walking D

walking

6. I looked in the classroom and saw five students.

They ________________ a magazine article on the wall.

A all reading B all read C were all reading

D were all read

7. The robber quickly picked up the money, ran to the door

and ______ out onto the street.

A was rushing B was rushed C rushing D

rushed
8. While I was doing my homework last night, the
telephone ____ . It was my mother calling me with some
good news.

A was ringing B ringing C rang D was rang

9. While the police were looking for the murderer, he ____ the
country with a false passport.

A leaving B left C was left D had been

leaving

10. At the concert, all the parents ________ politely to the

children trying to play their instruments.

A listened B listening C were listened D

listen

11. When Samuel arrived home from work, just after

midninght, his wife ___________ for him with an angry
expression on her face.

A waited B was waited C was waiting D

waiting

12. Last night, between ten o'clock and midninght, I could

clearly hear the couple in the flat next to mine.
They ___________ an argument about what to watch on TV.
A had B were had C were having D having