Simple Past/Past Perfect – Free Exercise

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Exercises

Choose the correct tense (simple past or past perfect).

  1. The wind away the paper serviettes that I on the garden table.We're looking back from the first action to the second action, which had taken place earlier.|1st space: simple past|2nd space: past perfect
  2. The teacher the essays that his students .We're looking back from the first action to the second action, which had taken place earlier.|1st space: simple past|2nd space: past perfect
  3. The girls at the pictures that they the day before.We're looking back from the first action to the second action, which had taken place earlier.|1st space: simple past|2nd space: past perfect

Complete the text using the simple past and the past perfect.

  1. Yesterday, Mandy (go)   to a café after she (finish)   work.1. signal yesterday → simple past|2. signal after → past perfect
  2. She (sit)   down at a table outside the café and (look)   at the menu.1. & 2. sequential past actions → simple past
  3. When the waiter (come)   to take her order, she (be)   surprised.1. & 2. sequential past actions → simple past
  4. It (be)   James, an old friend from school.narrative past form → simple past
  5. They (see/not)   each other for at least five years.signal for → past perfect
  6. So they (tell)   each other what (happen)   since graduation.1. sequential past action → simple past|2. signal since → past perfect