Complete the sentences with the correct form of
the verbs. Use Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past
Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.
1. My dad ___________ (drink) his morning
coffee before I ___________ (get up)
yesterday.
2. I ___________ (read) a magazine when
someone ___________ (ring) at the door.
3. The pupils ___________ (talk) loudly when the
teacher ___________ (come) into the
classroom.
4. He ___________ (wash) the car for an hour
before I ___________ (come) to help him.
5. What ___________ (Jack/do) while his little
brother ___________ (play) with his Lego
blocks?
6. By the time Mick and Sally ___________
(reach) the railway station , the train
___________ (leave).
7. We ___________ (clean) the bathrooms
yesterday.
8. It ___________ (rain) when I ___________
(go) to school last Monday.
9. After I ___________ (cook) dinner, I
___________ (have ) a nap.
10. Seth ___________ (ride) his bike when he
___________ (fall) off and ___________
(hurt) his arm.
11. ___________ (you/borrow) 200 € from Phil
before you ___________ (buy) a new laptop?
12. Melisa ___________ (work) as a nurse for
thirty years before she ___________ (retire)
last year.
13. Before Steve ___________ (go) to bed, he
___________ (take ) a long shower.
14. I ___________ (jog) in the park yesterday
morning when I ___________ (see) Kate.
15. What ___________ (George/do) at nine o’clock
last night?
16. First she ___________ (get) dressed and then
she __________ (put) on make-up.
17. Last summer Frank ___________ (work) in a
French restaurant to save some money for a new
car.
18. Where ___________ (you/go) when you
___________ (see) the accident?
19. They ___________ (listen) carefully while the
teacher ___________ (explain) the theory of
relativity.
20.Before we ___________ (go) on holidays, we
___________ (lock) the door.
21. How long ___________ (they/drive) before
they ___________ (stop) to have a rest?
22.By the time the lesson ___________ (finish), I
___________ (do) all my homework.
23.When I ___________ (be) a little girl I often
___________ (go) with my mum to the
playground.
24.___________ (you/close) all the programs
before you ___________ (turn off) the
computer?
Answers & Comments
1 had drunk/got up
2 was reading/rang
3was talking/came
4had been washing/came
5was Jack doing/was playing
6reached/had left
7cleaned
8was raining/went
9had cooked/had
10was riding/fell...hurt
11had... borrowed/bought
12had been working/retired
13went/had been taking
14was jogging/saw
15was...doing
16had dressed/put
17worked
18are...going/saw
19was listening/was explaining
20went/had locked
21had been driving/stopped
22finished/had done
23was/went
24had closed/turned off