B2 Past tenses

B2 Past tenses

Past simple

• Past events or actions

• Often used with a specific time

Past continuous

• A continued action which was happening when another action took place. The continued action may be interrupted.

• To set the scene at the beginning of a story.

• The past continuous cannot normally be used with stative verbs.

Multiple Choice

Sean ________ with somebody else all last summer, but now he's my sister's boyfriend.

• used to go out

• had gone out

• was going out

Multiple Choice

When I arrived at Micky's house, everyone ________ a film on TV.

• watched

• used to watch

• was watching

Past perfect

• To show that an action happened earlier than another past action.

• Sometimes it is not necessary to use the past perfect if it is very clear which action happened first.

Past perfect continuous

• For a continued action which happened before another past action.

• Can be used to show how long an action continued up to a certain point in the past.

Multiple Choice

When I got home last night, I felt quite tired because I _____ at the club all evening.

• used to dance

• 'd been dancing

• danced

Multiple Choice

When the search began, the girl _____________ for two days.

• had been already missing

• had already been missing

• had been already missing

• already had been missing

Used to/didn't use to

Would + infinitive

• used to + infinitive is used for repeated actions, habits or states in the past.

• Not normally used with time expressions which specify the duration of the action,

• would + infinitive can also be used for actions and habits in the past. Would cannot be used to talk about past states.

Multiple Choice

Before the internet, people _______ (write) letters a lot more.

• used to write

• wrote

• have written

Multiple Choice

We ___________ a dishwasher in our old house.

• didn't use to have

• usedn't to have

• didn't used to have

Multiple Select

Choose the correct answers.

When I was a child, my dad ________ a story at bedtime.

• would always tell me

• used to tell me

• use to tell me

• would to tell me

Multiple Choice

This collection of paintings _____________ to a rich family.

• used to belong

• would belong