Past Tense Exercise & Practice with Explanation

1. The cyclist ________ he crossed the main street.

looked with caution after	was looked cautions when
had looked cautiously before	looks with caution after
Correct Answer: had looked cautiously before
Explanation: Past Perfect Tense + before + Past Indefinite Tense

2. The man waiting to take the test was very nervous. He ________ it before.

hasn’t taken	didn’t take
hadn’t taken	wasn’t taken
Correct Answer: hadn’t taken
Explanation: For two previous activities, the one that occurred earlier than the other one will be in Past Perfect Tense and the later one will be in Past Indefinite Tense.

3. An intensive search was conducted by the detective to locate those criminals, who

have had escaped	had escaped
are escaping	have been escaping
Correct Answer: had escaped
Explanation: As the criminals had escaped before the search; the sentence will be in Past Perfect Tense.

4. Choose the correct one:

He spoke so well as if he knew everything.	He spoke so well as if he would knew everything.
He spoke so well as if he had known everything.	He spoke so well as if he was knowing everything.
Correct Answer: He spoke so well as if he had known everything.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + as if/ as though + Past Perfect Tense

5. I waited until the plane ________.

had taken off	did not take off
took off	had taken off
Correct Answer: took off
Explanation: For two contemporary past events, will be in effect for both events.

6. If everybody liked the same kind of tea, ________ only one kind of tea.

there would have been	there would have
there would be	would be
Correct Answer: there would be
Explanation: 2 nd conditional formation: If + Past Indefinite Tense…..+ would/might

7. He went to bed after.

he will learn the lesson.	he would learn the lesson.
he learns the lesson.	he had learnt the lesson.
Correct Answer: he had learnt the lesson.
Explanation: Past Indefinite Tense + after + Past Perfect Tense

8. How much did you________ for the book?

paid	pay
paying	have paid
Correct Answer: pay
Explanation: Relative pronouns (who, how, what, why, when) + did + subject + present form of verb + objects

9. It ________ a hot day, we remained in the tent.

was	having
being	had
Correct Answer: being
Explanation: The example is in Simple Sentence. So, being will be used instead of be verb (am, is, are, was, were).

10. Even as harvesting was going on________.

the rainy season began.	the rainy season was begun.
the rainy season had begun.	the rainy season begins
Correct Answer: the rainy season began.
Explanation: Sometimes principle clause and subordinate clause follow the same tense.

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