TENSES T 9
Past Tense – Simple or Progressive: Fill in the correct form.

Gap-fill exercise

Fill in all the gaps, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. You can also click on the "[?]" button to get a clue. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues!
1. George off the ladder while he the ceiling. (fall, paint)
2. Last night I in bed when I suddenly a scream. (read, hear)
3. TV when I you? (watch, phone)
4. Ann for me when I . (wait, arrive)
5. Maisie up the kitchen when John her to marry him. (clean, ask)
6. The house £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)
7. The fire at six in the morning. (still burn)
8. My brother a new job a week ago (get).
9. Columbus America over 500 years ago (discover)
10. She not interested in the book because she it (be ,not understand)
11. at school yesterday? (you be)
12. We in a house near the sea last summer (live)
13. She the piano very well when she young (can play, be)
14. She the office very early last night (leave).
15. I a friend while I the shopping (meet, do)
16. I for my things when I someone call my name (pay, hear)
17. I around and Judy. (turn, see)
18. She a bright yellow dress when I her last (wear, see)
19. We to have a cup of tea. (decide)
20. While the waiter up the pieces of glass he his finger (pick, cut)
21. Then we the cafe and good bye (leave, say)
22. I the fire at six and it brightly when Tom came in at seven. (light, burn)
23. My dog along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese him. (walk, attack)
24. When I she lunch. She said she always lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)
25. What of his last book? –I it a lot (think, like)
26. He suddenly that he in the wrong direction. (realize, travel)
27. He guitar when someone the window and out a bucket of water. (play,
open, throw)
28. He us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind (not allow,
blow)
29. The next day, as they that the police for them, they the coats in the woods
and off in different directions. (know, look, hide, go)
30. When I home they all around a fire. Jack a crossword puzzle, Judy
and the others . Mother at me and said : “ Come and sit down”
(come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)