Pre-intermediate Grammar Trainer - All Past Tenses
- 1.
We _______ a new car yesterday.
- A.
Bought
- B.
Were buying
- C.
Had bought
- D.
Had been buying
Correct Answer
A. BoughtExplanation
The correct answer is "bought" because it is the simple past tense of the verb "buy". This indicates that the action of buying a new car occurred in the past, specifically yesterday.Rate this question:
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- 2.
Ann _______ to her brother when I arrived.
- A.
Spoke
- B.
Was speaking
- C.
Had spoken
- D.
Had been speaking
Correct Answer
B. Was speakingExplanation
The correct answer is "was speaking." This is because the sentence is in the past tense and indicates an ongoing action at a specific point in the past when the speaker arrived. "Was speaking" is the past continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that was happening at a particular time in the past.Rate this question:
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- 3.
Helen was tired because she _______ since morning.
- A.
Worked
- B.
Was working
- C.
Had worked
- D.
Had been working
Correct Answer
D. Had been workingExplanation
The correct answer is "had been working" because the sentence suggests that Helen was tired because she had been continuously working since morning. The past perfect continuous tense "had been working" is used to indicate an ongoing action in the past that was completed before another past event or time.Rate this question:
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- 4.
I _______ my homework before my mum came.
- A.
Did
- B.
Was doing
- C.
Had done
- D.
Had been doing
Correct Answer
C. Had doneExplanation
The correct answer is "had done" because it indicates that the action of completing the homework occurred before the arrival of the speaker's mom. The past perfect tense "had done" is used to express an action that happened before another past action or point in time.Rate this question:
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- 5.
Tom _______ home ten minutes ago
- A.
Left
- B.
Was leaving
- C.
Had left
- D.
Had been leaving
Correct Answer
A. LeftExplanation
The correct answer is "left" because it indicates that Tom completed the action of leaving his home in the past. The other options ("was leaving," "had left," and "had been leaving") do not accurately convey the simple past tense of the verb "leave."Rate this question:
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- 6.
Kate _______ there for 5 years before she left.
- A.
Lived
- B.
Was living
- C.
Had lived
- D.
Had been living
Correct Answer
C. Had livedExplanation
The correct answer is "had lived." This is because the sentence is referring to an action that happened before another past action. The past perfect tense "had lived" is used to indicate that Kate lived in a place for a period of time before leaving.Rate this question:
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- 7.
Pam _______ the room when the telephone rang.
- A.
Tidied
- B.
Was tidying
- C.
Had tidied
- D.
Had been tidying
Correct Answer
B. Was tidyingExplanation
The correct answer is "was tidying". This is because the sentence is describing an action that was happening in the past at the same time as another action (the telephone ringing). The past continuous tense "was tidying" is used to indicate this simultaneous action.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Philip _______ my car by two o’clock yesterday.
- A.
Repaired
- B.
Was repairing
- C.
Had repaired
- D.
Had been repairing
Correct Answer
C. Had repairedExplanation
The correct answer is "had repaired". This is because the sentence is in the past perfect tense, indicating an action that was completed before another past action. In this case, the car was repaired before two o'clock yesterday.Rate this question:
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- 9.
I _______ computer games until 3 o’clock.
- A.
Played
- B.
Was playing
- C.
Had played
- D.
Had been playing
Correct Answer
D. Had been playingExplanation
The correct answer is "had been playing". This is because the sentence is in the past tense and the verb "had been playing" indicates an ongoing action that started in the past and continued until a specific time (3 o'clock in this case).Rate this question:
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- 10.
Ann _______ me with my homework yesterday.
- A.
Helped
- B.
Was helping
- C.
Had helped
- D.
Had been helping
Correct Answer
A. HelpedExplanation
The verb "helped" is the simple past form of the verb "help." Since the sentence is in the past tense ("yesterday"), the correct answer is "helped." The other options ("was helping," "had helped," "had been helping") are all in different past tenses and do not fit the context of the sentence.Rate this question:
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- 11.
Liz _______ lunch before her brother came.
- A.
Didn't cook
- B.
Wasn't cooking
- C.
Hadn't cooked
- D.
Hadn't been cooking
Correct Answer
C. Hadn't cookedExplanation
The correct answer is "hadn't cooked". This is because the sentence is referring to an action that happened before Liz's brother arrived. The past perfect tense "hadn't cooked" indicates that the action of cooking lunch was completed before her brother came.Rate this question:
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- 12.
He was tired. He _______ his car for 7 hours.
- A.
Drove
- B.
Was driving
- C.
Had driven
- D.
Had been driving
Correct Answer
D. Had been drivingExplanation
The correct answer is "had been driving" because the sentence indicates that the person was tired, suggesting that the action of driving had been ongoing for a period of time. "Had been driving" is the past perfect continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that started in the past and continued up until another point in the past.Rate this question:
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- 13.
What __ ___ at 3 o’clock yesterday?
- A.
Did you do
- B.
Were you doing
- C.
Had you done
- D.
Had you been doing
Correct Answer
B. Were you doingExplanation
This question is asking about an action that was happening at a specific time in the past, which is 3 o'clock yesterday. The correct answer "were you doing" is in the past continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action that was happening at that specific time.Rate this question:
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- 14.
I _______ my letter before the film started.
- A.
Sent
- B.
Was senting
- C.
Had sent
- D.
Had been sending
Correct Answer
C. Had sentExplanation
The correct answer is "had sent." This is because the sentence is in the past perfect tense, indicating that the action of sending the letter occurred before another past event (the film starting). "Had sent" is the correct past perfect form of the verb "send" in this context.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Alec _______ the championship last year.
- A.
Won
- B.
Was winning
- C.
Had won
- D.
Had been winning
Correct Answer
A. WonExplanation
Last year, Alec emerged as the winner of the championship.Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Mar 22, 2023Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Oct 24, 2016Quiz Created by
Angela
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