Past Tenses Quiz

My dad ... me to school when we ... an accident.

• was driving/saw

• drove/saw

• was driving/seeing

• drove/seeing

Answer explanation

was driving - a longer action

saw - it was faster

I ... home and ... dinner.

• was coming back/ate

• came back/ate

• was coming back/was eating

• came back/was eating

Answer explanation

Actions in the past that took place one after the other (past simple).

Birds ... and children ....

• were singing/played

• sang/played

• were singing/were playing

• sang/were playing

Answer explanation

Describing the background/scenery of the events in the past (past continuous).

We ... because I ... to bring the torch.

• got lost/forgot

• had got lost/forgot

• got lost/had forgotten

• had got lost/had forgotten

Answer explanation

First action - past perfect,

next action - past simple.

My friend ... on the beach for eight hours before she ... a sunburn.

• lied/got

• had been lying/got

• lied/had got

• had been lying/had got

Answer explanation

First action in the past that took a lot of time - past perfect continuous,

next action - past simple.

Firefighters ... facing danger as part of their job.

• used to

• are used to

Answer explanation

be used to (doing) sth = be accustomed to sth

(być do czegoś przyzwyczajonym)

NASA’s Curiosity Rover ... on the planet Mars in 2012.

• landed

• used to land

Answer explanation

It happened only once (no repetition) - that's why in past simple.

When I was a child I ... about becoming a police officer.

• would dream

• got used to dreaming

Answer explanation

would dream - repeated action in the past

I hope that one day I ... in a new house.

• will get used to living

• used to live

Answer explanation

get used to - przyzwyczaić się

Yesterday at 5 pm I ... to my friend on the phone.

• had been talking

• was talking

Answer explanation

If the action took place at a certain time in the past (5 pm), we use past continuous.