Narrative Tenses

Narrative Tenses

Multiple Choice

It was _____ outside when Sam ____ out of bed and ____ out of the window

• -Raining
  -Get
  -Looking

• -Rained
  -Getting
  -Looked

• -Raining
  -Got
  -Looked

• -Rain
  -Gotten
  -Look

Narrative tenses are verb tenses that are used to talk about the past. You can often find them in stories, textbooks, spoken accounts and in descriptions of past events.

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What Are Narrative Tenses?

The following are examples of narrative tenses:

Past simple: 'We left for the airport on an exceptionally sunny day.'

Past continuous: 'The sun was shining and it was really hot by midday.'

Past perfect: 'It had been sunny on and off for the previous fortnight.'

Past perfect continuous: 'We had been waiting at the airport for what seemed like an eternity.'

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Multiple Choice

1. He picks up his phone and sends a text to his friend James: 'No football today. How about going to the cinema?'

• correct

• incorrect

Multiple Choice

1. While he was _____ for a reply, Sam ____his teeth, ____ a shower and ____ dressed.

• -Waiting
  -Brushing
  -gets

• -Waited
  -Brush
  -gotten

• -Waits
  -Brushes
  -gets

• -Waiting
  -Brushed
  -got

Multiple Choice

1. is the sentence correct?
   After he finished getting ready, he has checked his phone and had saw that James had replied.

• true

• false

Fill in the Blanks

1. James said he

   to play football anyway and he didn't care about the rain.

Multiple Choice

1. Sam _____ his mind and _____ he wanted to play too, and left the house to ____ James in the park.

• -Changed
  -Decided
  -Joined

• -Change
  -Decide
  -Join

• -Change
  -Decide
  -Joined

• -Changed
  -Decided
  -Join

Multiple Choice

1. is the sentence correct?
   While he was walking to the park, James met two of his other friends and invited them along.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

1. When they all ______, they saw that James ______ some other kids to play with, and they ____ enough people for a full match.

• -Arrived

  -Had Found
  -Had

• -Arrived

  -Found
  -Had

• -Arrive

  -finds
  -have

• -Arrives

  -Has Found
  -Has

Multiple Choice

1. While they were playing football, it stopped raining anyway and Sam was really happy he hasn't gone to the cinema.

• correct

• incorrect

Multiple Choice

1. After the game, Sam _____ home. On the way, he _____ at a shop to buy something for his lunch.

• -Went
  -stopped

• -Go
  -Stop

• -Goes
  Stops

• -Gone
  -Stopped

Fill in the Blanks

1. He was about to pay when he realized he had (forget)

   to take his wallet when he had left the house.

Multiple Choice

1. He _____ and left the shop. Sam _____ hungry but he knew that he _____ plenty of food at home.

• -apologize
  -felt
  -has

• -apologized
  -felt
  -had

• -apologized
  -feel
  -have

• -apologize
  -feel
  -has