Narrative Tenses

He admitted that he ____________ all the money from the box.

• took

• was taking

• had taken

We wanted to go to Peru because we _____________ there before.

• weren't going

• hadn't been

• didn't go

Their car broke down while they _____________ home.

• were driving

• was driving

• had driven

This happened about ten years ago. I _______________ with a college friend, Sarah, in the country.

• was staying

• stayed

• had stayed

• had been staying

Anyway, it was a dark, winter afternoon and we _____________ in the sitting room.

• have been chatting

• have chatted

• were chatting

• had chatted

Sarah's mum ____________________ a little while earlier, so we were alone in the house.

• went shopping

• shopped

• had gone shopping

• had been going shopping

Then, to our surprise we ____________ someone walking around in the room above.

• had heard

• heard

• have heard

• had been hearding

Phill and his wife ____________ when they were working in London.

• met

• were meeting

• had met

They ____________ an old country house a few miles from Cambridge

• recently bought

• were recently buying

• had recently bought

• had recently been buying

Which tense do we use to talk about completed actions in the past, a series of past actions and past habits or states?

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect