Narrative tenses

We use the _____ to talk about consecutive actions or situations in the past, i.e. for the main events in a story.

• past simple

• past perfect simple

• past perfect continuous

• past continuous

We use the _____ with action verbs (go, play, watch, etc.) to talk about longer continuous actions or situations that started before the main events happened and continued up to that point.

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

We use the _____ to talk about the ‘earlier past’, i.e. things which happened before the main event(s).

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

We use the _____ to describe a longer continuous past action or situation which was in progress when another action happened, or to describe an action or situation that was not complete at a past time

• Past Simple

• Past Perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past Continuous

We‘d been flying for about two hours when suddenly the captain told us to fasten our seat belts because we were flying into some very bad weather.

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

We were having dinner when the plane hit some turbulence. At nine o’clock most people on the plane were reading or were trying to sleep.

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

We arrived at the airport and checked in. 

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

When we arrived at the airport, we suddenly realized that we‘d left one of the suitcases in the taxi.

• Past simple

• Past perfect

• Past perfect continuous

• Past continuous

Write the correct tense of the verb: I _____ (drive) behind Jim before the accident happened

I was shocked when you told me you _____ (not /hear) the news