Exercise 1

Put the verbs in brackets into an appropriate past tense.

1. Her clothes were soaked because she walked in the rain.
2. We didn't enjoy the play so we left early.
3. While you were sleeping Joan was trying hard to finish her dissertation.
4. Susan and Tom met when they were studying in Edinburgh 20 years ago.
5. In June 1979 they were still building this shopping centre.
6. They walked to the water's edge, waded in and swam to the other side.
7. While the soldiers were advancing they did not realise that the enemy had planed a surprise attack.
8. The politician had already finished his speech by the time the TV reporter arrived .
9. By the time Monica got to the library, Elena had already done all the research.

Exercise 2

Choose the correct item.

1. A
2. A
3. D
4. A
5. A
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B
11. B
12. D
13. B
14. B

Exercise 3

Put the verbs in brackets into the appropriate past tense.

If it (0) hadn't been (not/be) for Louis, Joan (1) never would have survive her trip to Paris last month. She (2) didn't met him before, but she (3) was certainly glad that she had by the end of her stay. The first thing that (4) had happened was that the hotel where she (5) planed to stay (6) didn't received her booking, so they had no room for her. Then, as she (7) was trying to get a taxi to take her to another hotel, someone on a motorbike (8) snatched her bag with all her tickets and credit cards in it. As her French (9) been quite rusty, she (10) didn't know how to explain what (11) had happened. It was then that Louis (12) approached her and (13) introduced himself.

Exercise 4

Choose the correct item.

1. D
2. A
3. A
4. C
5. C
6. D
7. B
8. C
9. C
10. A
11. B