Midterm Review

Midterm Review

SML 1

Simple Past

The past simple is the most common way of talking about past events or states which have finished. It is often used with past time references (e.g. yesterday, two years ago).

I stopped at a zebra crossing.

We carried on with the test.

We played tennis every day in August.

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding -ed to the infinitive of the verb.

start → started

kill → killed

jump → jumped

Questions and negatives

How do you form questions and negatives?

With the verb did + the infinitive.

Did you pass?

You didn't fail, did you?

Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

Multiple Choice

We use the past simple for things in the past which have finished.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the past simple for things that are happening now.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the past simple for single events or situations in the past.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the past simple for repeated events in the past.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We only use the past simple for things a long way back in the past.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the past simple for things a long way back in the past and things in the recent past.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the auxiliary 'did' or 'didn't' to form questions and negatives in the past simple.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

We use the auxiliary 'have' to form questions and negatives in the past simple.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Select the correct sentence

• Did he talked to you?

• Did he talk to you?

Multiple Choice

Select the correct sentence

• They no liked the film.

• They didn’t like the film.

PAST CONTINUOUS

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

We were cleaning the house all morning.

We make the past continuous with was or were and the -ing form of the verb.

She couldn't come to the party. She was working.

Three years ago, we were living in my home town.

I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.

What were you doing this time last year?

Past simple & Past Continuous

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

I broke my leg when I was skiing.

As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.

We were watching television when the power went off.

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.

When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.

Multiple Choice

She (surf) when the shark (attack) her.

• was surfing/attacked

• surfed/was attacking

• was surfed/attacking

Multiple Choice

He (dance) at a party when he (meet) his girlfriend.

• was dancing/met

• danced/met

• dancing/was meeting

Multiple Choice

I (have) a picnic when I (see) my sister

• was having/saw

• had/was having

• was having/seen

Multiple Choice

When they (see) the shark they (swim) in the sea.

• saw/were swimming

• seen/swam

• saw/swam

Multiple Choice

Susan (arrive) while I (have) dinner.

• arrived/was having

• was arriving/had

• arrived/had

Multiple Choice

He (play) football, when he (break) his leg.

• was playing/broke

• played/broke

• played/was breaking

Multiple Choice

I (wait) for my friend when the bus (arrive)

• was waiting/arrived

• waited/arrived

• was waiting/was arriving

Past Perfect

We use the past perfect simple (had + past participle) to talk about time up to a certain point in the past.

She'd published her first poem by the time she was eight. 

We'd finished all the water before we were halfway up the mountain.

Had the parcel arrived when you called yesterday?

We can use the past perfect to show the order of two past events. The past perfect shows the earlier action and the past simple shows the later action.

When the police arrived, the thief had escaped.

It doesn't matter in which order we say the two events. The following sentence has the same meaning.

The thief had escaped when the police arrived.

Open Ended

Write a short paragraph of things you used to do before the pandemic.