Practise 2.1 for ielts - past tenses

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 __wasn't___ (not) long ago that the postal service ​​ (a)   our only way to communicate over any distance. It 3 ___________ days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters 4 ___________ already out of date when people 5 ___________ them. In the workplace, this 6 ___________ that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• was
• were
• mean
• invent

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple.

allow be be invent increase lay mean own receive replace ride take walk

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 ___________ (not) long ago that the postal service 2 ___________ our only way to communicate over any distance. It ​ (a)   days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters 4 ___________ already out of date when people 5 ___________ them. In the workplace, this 6 ___________ that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• were
• took
• own
• ride

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 ___________ (not) long ago that the postal service 2 ___________ our only way to communicate over any distance. It 3 ___________ days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters ​ (a)   already out of date when people 5 ___________ them. In the workplace, this 6 ___________ that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• were
• lay
• invent
• was

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 ___________ (not) long ago that the postal service 2 ___________ our only way to communicate over any distance. It 3 ___________ days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters 4 ___________ already out of date when people ​ (a)   them. In the workplace, this 6 ___________ that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• received
• took
• walk
• allowed

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 ___________ (not) long ago that the postal service 2 ___________ our only way to communicate over any distance. It 3 ___________ days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters 4 ___________ already out of date when people ​ (a)   them. In the workplace, this 6 ___________ that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• received
• took
• walk
• allowed

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

The pace of change in the world of technology is amazing. It 1 ___________ (not) long ago that the postal service 2 ___________ our only way to communicate over any distance. It 3 ___________ days and sometimes weeks to receive letters from within the same country. As a result, the news in the letters 4 ___________ already out of date when people 5 ___________ them. In the workplace, this ​ (a)   that business was mostly conducted locally over relatively short distances.

• meant
• replace
• owner
• ride

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

When Alexander Graham Bell ​ (a)   the telephone in 1876 it 8 ___________ the foundation for the communication systems we have today. The telephone 9 ___________ two people to communicate instantly across a great distance. Eventually, computers 10 ___________ typewriters and dramatically 11 ___________ the speed of daily work life. Nowadays the Internet is an essential part of every business.

However, it is not just communication that has changed. Only 50 years ago most people 12 ___________ (not) a car. People 13 ___________ bicycles. Changes in travel as well as the increased spread of global businesses have led to the globalized world that we have today.

• invented
• invent
• replace
• allowed

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

When Alexander Graham Bell 7 ___________ the telephone in 1876 it ​ (a)   the foundation for the communication systems we have today. The telephone 9 ___________ two people to communicate instantly across a great distance. Eventually, computers 10 ___________ typewriters and dramatically 11 ___________ the speed of daily work life. Nowadays the Internet is an essential part of every business.

However, it is not just communication that has changed. Only 50 years ago most people 12 ___________ (not) a car. People 13 ___________ bicycles. Changes in travel as well as the increased spread of global businesses have led to the globalized world that we have today.

• laid
• lay
• were
• increase

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

When Alexander Graham Bell 7 ___________ the telephone in 1876 it 8 ___________ the foundation for the communication systems we have today. The telephone ​ (a)   two people to communicate instantly across a great distance. Eventually, computers 10 ___________ typewriters and dramatically 11 ___________ the speed of daily work life. Nowadays the Internet is an essential part of every business.

However, it is not just communication that has changed. Only 50 years ago most people 12 ___________ (not) a car. People 13 ___________ bicycles. Changes in travel as well as the increased spread of global businesses have led to the globalized world that we have today.

• allowed
• were allowed
• allow
• did allow

Fill in the gaps in this model answer with verbs from the box in the past simple:

When Alexander Graham Bell 7 ___________ the telephone in 1876 it 8 ___________ the foundation for the communication systems we have today. The telephone 9 ___________ two people to communicate instantly across a great distance. Eventually, computers ​ (a)   typewriters and dramatically 11 ___________ the speed of daily work life. Nowadays the Internet is an essential part of every business. However, it is not just communication that has changed. Only 50 years ago most people 12 ___________ (not) a car. People 13 ___________ bicycles. Changes in travel as well as the increased spread of global businesses have led to the globalized world that we have today.

• replaced
• replace
• will replace
• mean