Grammar Practice Exercises [ 6 ] Upper Intermediate

6 - ]  Grammar Practice Exercises 

Upper Intermediate

4 - ]The Past Tense

Past Simple and Past Continuous

1 . Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or past continuous

Example

Here he was (be) , Davey Stark , the big rock star . It --------------(be) the end of an exhausting two-hour concert . The fans --------------------(scream) and ------------------(shout).

They -----------------(want) Davey , their hero . His face ------------------(pour) with sweat , his hair ------------------(drip) and his heart ------------------(thump) violently . But he ---------------

(love) these moments at the end of a concert . He always ---------------------(feel) powerful and in control . He ------------------(decide) to do one more song for the crowd : one of his most popular . When he ---------------(start) singing , the crowd ---------------(go) wild . By the end of the song , they -----------------(all/dance) and --------------(clap) their hands . When Davey -----------------(leave) the stage , he ----------------(be) exhausted but exhilarated . But when he ---------------(get back) to the dressing room , he -----------------(open) the door and

------------------(see) that two men ------------------(wait) for him . They ---------------(lock) the door behind Davey . He ---------------(shout) for his bodyguard Bernard , but no-one (come). The two men -------------- (tie) his hands behind his back , ---------------(blindfold) and --------

(gag) him . Davey ---------------- (can hear) Bernard in the next room . Bernard ----------------

( talk) to someone and he -------------------(say) terrible things about Davey . He ---------------

(say) that Davey ----------------(deserve) it .  -----------------(Deserve) what ? What -------------

(he/mean) ? What ---------------(go on) ? Why --------------------(not someone tell) him what

-----------(happen) ?

2 . Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or past continuous

Example

1. It happened (happen) in June 1985 . It ------------------(be) summer and we ------------------

(all /lie out) in the garden . My mother -----------------------(read) and my uncle -----------------

(just /doze) in the sun . We children----------------(look for) worms and insects . And then he

----------------(arrive) . He -------------------(be) a tall , handsome man with piercing blue eyes and he -----------------(look) straight at my mother . Her face ----------------(go) pale and her eyes ------------------(open) wide with shock . ‘Arthur , I -------------------(think) you ------------

(be) dead ,’ she ------------------------(say) in a kind whisper.

2 . A : I ----------------(phone) you at about 9 o’clock this morning but you ---------------(not answer) . What -------------------(you / do) ?

B : Well , I ------------------------(hear) the phone but I --------------------( have) a shower and I -------------------(can not) get out in time to answer it . Anyway , what -----------(you/want) ?

A : Well ,last night I ------------------(clear out) that old desk you ---------------(give) me when I --------------------(come across) a pile of old letters with a red ribbon round them .

B : My letters ?

A : Yes , they --------------------(be addressed) to you . And they --------------(all / smell) of perfume , a man’s perfume .

3 . Last night Jake -------------(wake up) at about 3 a.m. As soon as he ----------------(wake up) , he ------------------(listen out) for strange noises but he ----------------(not hear) any . His father --------------(snore) in the next room , some central heating pipes ------------(make) a bit of a noise and a tap -------------------(drip) in the bathroom .It was all as usual . Jake ------

(open) the window and ----------------(look) outside .

The moon -----------------(be) full and it ---------------------(shine) brightly . Jake ---------------

(think) he --------------------(see) an owl in one of the trees . He ----------------(can certainly hear) one . But then he -------------------(see) something different . A man - no ,it ------------(be) a woman . She ---------------(wear) white and she -----------------(hide) behind a tree . Suddenly she ----------------------(run) towards the house .