Grammar revision Past tenses B1

When the inspector ___________ on the crime scene, the police were collecting the evidence.

• arrived

• was arriving

They ______________ the case when the robbers turned up at the police station.

• investigated

• were investigating

The woman shoplifted clothes worth £1,000 while nobody _____________.

• looked

• was looking

There was no answer because everybody____________ to call the emergency telephone number at the same time.

• tried

• was trying

I left the sweets in the sun for a day and they ________________!

• melted

• were melting

One of Agatha Christie’s most famous novels is Murder on the Orient Express. Private detective Hercule Poirot, ______________ from Istanbul to London on a luxurious train called the Orient Express when he ___________________an American businessman called Mr Ratchett

• travelled/came across

• travelled/ was coming across

• was travelling/came across

• was travelling/was coming across

Ratchett _______________that his life was in danger but Poirot ________ him

• believed/ didn't help

• believed/wasn't helping

• was believing/didn't help

• was believing/wasn't helping

On the second night of the journey, Poirot ____________ in his bed when he __________a cry from Ratchett’s compartment.

• slept/ was hearing

• slept/heard

• was sleeping/was hearing

• was sleeping/heard

The next morning, the train staff _________ out that Mr Ratchett was dead. Poirot__________ the evidence and discovered that Ratchett had killed someone in the US and that all the people in the coach had a connection to that person’s family.

• were finding/ analysed

• were finding/ was analysing

• found/ analysed

• found/was analysing

So, who _________ Ratchett?

• was killing

• killed