Narrative Tenses

Which tense do we use to talk about an action that happened before another past time, action or event.

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

Which tense do we use to narrate the main events in a story?

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

Which tense do we use to talk about two actions happening at the same time in the past.

• past simple

• past continuous

• past perfect

Which tenses do we use to show an interupted action in the past?

• past simple and past continuous

• past continuous and past perfect

• past perfect and past simple

This story is based on true events that ... many, many years ago in Scotland.

• happened

• were happening

• had happened

One day, Mr. Clark ... home with a smile on his face.

• walked

• was walking

• had walked.

He ... something very valuable in his hand: tickets for a long, long journey.

• carried

• was carrying

• had carried

After many years working and saving, Mr Clark ... all the money he needed to take all his family to the United States.

• saved

• was saving

• had saved

Earlier that afternoon he ... all the tickets that now he ... in his hand.

• bought, held

• was buying, had held

• had bought, was holding

It was the opportunity of their lives. “The United States of America,” he repeated aloud, just to see how nice it ... in his ears.

• sounded

• was sounding

• had sounded