REVISION

The Past Indefinite – The Past Continuous – The Past Perfect

Exercise 1. Supply the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous or the Past Perfect.

1. When the ceremony (to take place)?

2. Two cars (to stand by) for an hour ready to start.

3. I could read from his face that he (to hesitate) to tell the truth.

4. She (lead) him to the cab that (to wait) at the door.

5. My father (to be) forty and (to be) a widower for fifteen years.

6. He (to stand up) quickly and (to clasp) his hands which (to tremble).

7. I (to meet) him for the first time the day before yesterday.

8. He (to ask) her where she (to stay) because he (to want) to see her again.

9. Hardly we (to take) our seats when he (to come over).

10. Watson (to know) that his friend always (to smoke) pipe after pipe when he (to think over) a difficult problem.

Exercise 2. Supply the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous or the Past Perfect Simple.

1. She (to take) a pair of spectacles out of her pocket and (to set) them on the bridge of the nose.

2. The next morning he (to find out) that the frost already (to catch) the tomatoes.

3. He (to retire) two years ago, but when we (to become) acquainted, he (to run) the coal business.

4. We both (to enjoy) the theater and often (to go) to see the opening nights, once we (to be) to a Broadway show.

5. By that day there (to be) ten cases of robbery in the town.

6. She (to stroll) along the beach when I (to come upon) her.

7. After I (to fall), one of my legs (to feel) numb all over.

8. We (to expect) some difficulties at this stage of the experiment. Consequently, we (to be) able to meet them when they (to come).

Exercise 3. Supply the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous or the Past Perfect Simple.

1. The old lady (to carry) an umbrella with broken ribs and a shopping bag over one arm. (J.Baldwin)

2. He (to carry) no extra weight and on the scales he (to see) he (to weigh) 192 pounds. (E.Hemingway)

3. When she (to see) him, she (to make) a pretence of smiling. (C.P.Snow)

4. Her hands (to shake) so much from nervousness that day that it (to take) her four hours to cook dinner. (R Jaffe)

5. Dixon (to put out) his tongue at an old woman who (to stare) at them. (K.Amis)

6. There (to be) a fine crisscross of wrinkles now around the large eyes; the sun (to reveal) that she (to wear) a little too much make-up. (J.Baldwin)

7. His face (to be) down in the water and he (to study) the bottom through the glass of his mask as he (swim). (E Hemingway)

8. He (to stand up), eventually, and (to draw) the booklet from his pocket. (Jim Hunter)

9. Seven hundred people (to work) for the Research Laboratory, but less than a hundred actually (to do) the research. (K. Vonnegut)

10. Alonso (to come back) with a saucer of milk and (to give) it to the cat but she only (to put) her nose to it and (to sneeze) delicately. (M Hutchins)

11. She (to sit down) now in the shade of the porch and she (to sift) the white sand through her toes. (E Hemingway)

Exercise 4. Supply The Past Indefinite, The Past Continuous or The Past Perfect Simple.

1. She (to wear) a silk dress. The skirt (to be) beautifully pleated and the sleeves long; it (to make) a faint rustle as she (to stroll) about the room. (T. Capote)

2. The night (to turn) colder still, and our breath (to form) clouds in the twilight air. (C.P.Snow)

3. It (to be) the Portuguese bookseller’s wife who (to bring) her the kitten. Why she (to choose) that particular one of the litter of six born (to be) obvious. (G Schmitt)

4. She (to face) me again. Then I (to know) why she (to avert) her eyes. She (to fight back) tears. (C.P.Snow)

5. She (to be) in the bar nearly all evening. The blood (to flush) in her pale face, purple veins (to appear) on her cheeks. (M.Dickens)

6. After I (to dress) I (to go) up to see Roy. When I (to enter) his room, he (to study) his image in the mirror. (C.P. Snow)

7. It (to appear) that Jonathan (to be offered) a post as assistant lecturer in English literature in one of the new northern universities. (P.Bentley)

8. After they (to change) into bathing suits, they (to stand) at the edge of the water. It (to be) dangerous to swim in the river at this point and the both (to know) it. The river (to be) full of rapids and the bottom (to be covered) with jagged rocks. (E Hemingway)

9. Janet just (to get) a divorce and (to look for) a new place to live, since the house next door (to be) for rent, Min (to suggest) it to Janet. She (to take) it. (J Finney)

10. When my lips (to part), and (to shape) some words that (to be) without sound, I (to force) myself to tell him, that I (to be chosen) to succeed to some property. (Ch Dickens)