GRAMMAR REVISION – PAST TENSES
I Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of used to or would. Use would whenever
possible.
1 When I was a child, I …would…………. dream of travelling round the world
2 She …used to…………. have lots of free time before she started working here.
3 In the summer holidays we …used to…………. go to the beach nearly every day.
4 Before Harry moved here, he ……would………. take the bus everywhere but now he
needs a car.
5 They ……used to………. drink coffee but recently they’ve got into the habit of drinking
several cups a day.
6 A: ……Did………. you ……use to………. have a beard?
B: Yes, but it ……would………. bother me so I got rid of it.
II Complete the texts. Use the correct form of used to or be/get used to.
“I (1) ……used to………. be several kilos heavier than I am now That’s because I (2) ……
used to………. hate exercising. But now I (3) …get used to…………. working out at the gym
regularly and I’ve lost a lot of weight. I (4) ……am used to………. being fit and healthy and I
never want to be overweight again”
“We live in London now but we (5) …used to…………. live in a small town. When we moved
here, I (6) ……wasn’t used to………. the noise of the traffic and I missed the country.
However, I (7) ……get used to………. city life now and I like it!”
III Complete the essay. Use the correct form of used to, would or be/get used to and the verbs in
the box.
IV be complete go have (x2) light pack rush spend stop walk
Some of my happiest memories are of summer holidays with my family. Every year we
(0) ….…would pack ………. our suitcases and drive off to the seaside. Some years we
(1) ……would go……………. halfway and spend the night in a motel. But usually we
(2) ………would complete…………. the journey in a day.
As soon as we arrived, we (3) ………would rush…………. down to the sea. The beach
was rocky and for the first few days we had to walk carefully because we (4) ………
would walk…………. over the sharp stones with our soft winter feet. We had lots of
friends whom we saw only in the summers so we (5) …would spend………. a lot of
time with them. During the day we (6) ………would go…………. swimming and at
night we (7) …would light………. a fire on the beach, chat and listen to the waves.
By the end of the holidays, we (8) ……would have………. great suntans and our feet (9)
…………………. hard from running over the rocks. We (10) ………used to…. mixed
feelings about leaving. We didn’t want to leave our friends behind but at the same time
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we looked forward to going home.
V Choose the best answer.
Usually, whenever Peter (1) _____ home from a trip he (2) _____ his passport in his desk
drawer, but in January, after a trip to Poland, he (3) _____ his passport in the pocket of his
overcoat. Two weeks later, he (4) _____ fly to Thailand. While (5) _____ his bag he (6) _____
that he (7) _____ a note of the name of the hotel that his company (8) _____ for him. He (9)
_____ for his flight online earlier that morning, but he (10) _____ about the hotel details.
While he(1l) _____ his office, the doorbell (12) _____. His taxi for the airport _____ (13). He
_____ (14). The details of the hotel, (15) _____ his bag and (16) _____ out of the house. He
(17) _____ forward to a few sunny days in Bangkok. While be (18) _____. how nice it would
be to walk around the city without heavy winter clothes, he suddenly (19) _____ that he (20)
_____ his passport in his overcoat.
A was returning B returns C returned D returning
A had put B would put C was putting D puts
A had left B leaves C was leaving D leaving
A was having to B has had to C had to D would have to
A packed B packing C had packed D packs
A was realizing B realizes C realized D realizing
A hadn’t made B didn’t make C wouldn’t make D wasn’t making
A was booked B books C booking D had booked
A was checking in B had checked in C checked in D used to check in
A forgetting B forgotten C had forgotten D was forgetting
A was phoning B had phoned C phoning D phones
A rung B ring C was ringing D rang
A arriving B arrive C was arriving D had arrived
A was noting B used to note C noted D noting
A picked up B was picking up C had picked up D picking up
A ran B running C was running D run
A looked B was looking C looking D had looked
A had thought B thinking C was thinking D would think
A remembered B remembers C was remembering D remembering
A leaving B had left C was leaving D was left
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VI Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past verb form. Only use the past perfect where
this is absolutely necessary.
1 While I ………….... (try) to get my car started, a passing car ………….... (stop) and the
driver ………….... (offer) to help me.
2 The police ………….... (pay) no attention to Jo’s complaint because she …………....
(phone) them so many times before.
3 Mary ………….... (not wear) her glasses at the time, so she ………….... (not notice)
what kind of car the man ………….... (drive).
4 Nick ………….... (lie) down on the grass for a while, next to some tourists who
………….... (feed) the ducks.
5 Tony (admit) that he ………….... (bit) the other car, but said that he ………….... (not
damage) it.
6 Sorry I ………….... (not listen) to you. I ………….... (think) about something else.
7 Helen ………….... (feel) very tired, and when she (finish) her work, she …………....
(fall) asleep.
8 The police ………….... (get) to Tom’s house as fast as they could, but the burglars
………….... (disappear).
9 I ………….... (phone) you last night but you ………….... (not answer). What
………….... (you do)?
10 We ………….... (not go) out yesterday because it ………….... (rain).
