1 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) When you passed the town hall clock, did you notice/were you noticing what

time it was?

b) Last night my neighbours were shouting/would shout for hours and I couldn't

get to sleep.

c) When you lived in London, did you use to travel/were you travelling by bus?

d) Everyone was having a good time, although not many people danced/were

dancing.

e) Jill was really hungry because she didn't eat/hadn't eaten all day.

f) Before we went to the theatre, we called in/had called in at George's cafe for a

pizza.

g) It took a while for me to notice, but then I did. Everyone stared/was staring at

me. What had I done wrong?

h) Nobody bothered to tell me that the school decided/had decided to have a

special holiday on Friday.

i) I was trying/tried to get in touch with you all day yesterday. Where were you?

j) A: Excuse me, but this seat is mine.

B: I'm sorry, I didn't realise/hadn't realised that you were sitting here.

2 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) Once/Afterwards I'd read the manual, I found I could use the computer easily.

b) It was more than a month before/until I realised what had happened.

c) I managed to talk to Carol just as/while she was leaving.

d) It wasn't until/up to 1983 that Nigel could afford to take holidays abroad.

e) George always let me know by the time/whenever he was going to be late.

f) I was having a bath at the time/that time, so I didn't hear the doorbell.

g) We bought our tickets and five minutes after/later the train arrived.

h) According to Grandpa, people used to dress formally those days/in his day.

i) Everyone was talking but stopped at that time/the moment Mr Smith arrived,

j) The letter still hadn't arrived by/until the end of the week.

16GRAMMAR 3 PAST TIME

3 Decide if the verb form underlined is correct or not. If it is correct, write a tick. If

not, correct it.

Text 1: The train (1) ground to a halt at a small station miles from London, and

it (2) became apparent that the engine (3) had broken down. Everyone (4) was

getting their cases down from the luggage racks, and we (5) were waiting on the

platform in the freezing wind for hours until the next train (6) was turning up.

1 ...\/ . 3 5

2 4 6

Text 2: The mysterious disappearance of Professor Dawson (1) was on Inspector

Corse's mind. Six months before the Professor's disappearance, he (2) was

receiving a letter from Jean Dawson, the Professor's wife. In the letter, Jean

(3) accused her husband of plotting to murder her. Gorse (4) considered what

his next step should be when the phone rang. It was Sergeant Adams from the

Thames Valley police force. A fisherman (5) discovered a body in the River

Thames, and it (6) fitted the description of the Professor.

1 3 5

2 4 6

4 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past verb form.

17

road in France with a friend of mine. We (2) (decide) to go

on a cycling holiday in Normandy. Neither of us (3) (be) to

France before, but we (4) (know) some French from our time

at school and we (5) (manage) to brush up on the basics.

Now we (6) (wonder) if we (7) (make)

the right decision. We (8) (plan) our route carefully in

advance, but we (9) (forget) one important thing, the

weather. It (10) (rain) solidly since our arrival and that night

we (11) (end up) sleeping in the waiting room at a railway

station. Then the next morning as we (12) (ride) down a

steep hill my bike (13) (skid) on the wet road and I

(14) (fall off). I (15) (realise)

immediately that I (16) (break) my arm, and after a visit to

the local hospital I (17) (catch) the next train to Calais for

the ferry home. Unfortunately my parents (18) (not/expect)

me home for a fortnight, and (19) (go) away on holiday. So I

(20) (spend) a miserable couple of weeks alone, reading

'Teach Yourself French'.

This time last year I (1) ^cycle) in the rain along a countryb) Sylvia asked if I wanted more pudding, but I said I couldn't eat any more.

had

When Sylvia offered enough.

c) Owing to illness, Sally was unable to sing the solo, as arranged.

have

Sally was but she fell ill.

d) Diana wasn't always as rude as that.

Diana rude.

e) We've changed our minds about going to Rome, as originally intended.

intending

We we've changed our minds.

f) When I lived in London cycling to work was part of my daily routine.

used

When I lived in London I day.

g) I might possibly go to the theatre tonight.

wondering

I going to the theatre tonight.

h) I had to go past your house so I decided to drop in.

passing

I so I decided to drop in.

i) About 100 people were waiting for the late bus.

arrived

By about 100 people waiting.

j) What were you doing at the moment of the explosion?

occurred

When what were you doing?

18

S Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first

sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.

a) I intended to call you yesterday, but I forgot.

I . call you yesterday, but I forgot.GRAMMAR 3 PAST TIME

In each sentence decide whether one, or both, of the alternative verb forms

given are appropriate. Write O for one or B for both.

a) In those days, I always used to get up/got up early in the morning. ..B.

b) When I got to the cinema Jack had been waiting/was waiting for me

c) We would always have/were always having breakfast in bed on Sundays

d) Mary was always falling/always fell ill before important examinations

e) My sister used to own/would own a motorcycle and sidecar

f) Pay no attention to Dave's remarks. He wasn't meaning/didn't mean it

g) I felt awful after lunch. I ate/had eaten too much

h) Brenda left/had left before I had time to talk to her

i) The explanation was simple. In 1781 HMS Sovereign, on her way back from

India, had sighted/sighted an empty boat drifting off the African coast

j) Pauline has changed a lot. She didn't always use to look/wasn't always looking

like that

Complete the text by writing one word in each space.

When I was a young man I spent a year in France, studying French at the

cafe. I didn't (2) to spend much money, as I

(3) not afford it, but it was a little tradition of mine to eat

there. Anyway, I'm going to tell you a true story which happened on one

occasion when I (4) eating there. I remember I was having a

pasta dish at (5) time. A beautiful girl came up to me and

said, 'I was (6) if you wanted to walk with me in the park?' I

had never seen her (7) , so I was rather taken aback. I was

(8) to go with her when I noticed a tough-looking man was

watching our every movement. (9) my discomfort, the girl

whispered to me, in English, 'Park - five minutes!', and then disappeared. Well,

my bill (10) ages to arrive, and by the time I

(11) to the park, there was no sign of the girl. I asked an old

lady (12) was sitting there if she (13)

seen a young girl waiting around. I described the girl to her. The old lady said

that the girl (14) had to rush to the railway station, and that

I (15) to follow her there urgently. She had also left me a

note. It said, 'I will explain everything. Meet me on platform 6.'

19

University of Grenoble. Every Friday I (1) eat at the Alpsb) When 1 (phone) Helen last night she

(wash) her hair.

c) Peter (offer) me another drink but I decided I

(had) enough.

d) Nobody (watch), so the little boy

(take) the packet of sweets from the shelf and

(put) it in his pocket.

e) I (not/realise) that I

(leave) my umbrella on the bus until it

(start) to rain.

f) At school I (dislike) the maths teacher because

he (always/pick) on me.

g) Wherever Marion (find) a job, there was

someone who (know) that she

(go) to prison.

h) Several years later I (find out) that during all

the time I (write) to my pen friend, my mother

(open) and reading the replies!

i) I (not/understand) what

(go on). Several people

(shout) at me, and one passer-by

(wave) a newspaper in front of my face.

j) I (know) I (do) well in my

exams even before I (receive) the official results.

20

8 Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past verb form.

a) I realised that someone (steal) my wallet when

(feel) their hand in my jacket pocket.