Today we speak, but first we spoke;

Some faucets leak, but never loke.

Today we write, but first we wrote;
We bite our tongues, but never bote.

Each day I teach, for years I taught,

And preachers preach, but never praught.
This tale I tell, this tale I told;
I smell the flowers, but never smold. . . .

I often swim, as I once swam;

I skim some milk, but never skam.
I fly a kite that I once flew;
I tie a knot, but never tew.

I see the truth, the truth I saw;

I flee from falsehood, never flaw;
I stand for truth, as I once stood;
I land a fish, but never lood.

About these verbs I sit and think.

These verbs don't fit. They seem to wink
At me, who sat for years and thought
Of verbs that never fat or wought.

~ Tense Times With Verbs by Richard Lederer

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Narrative tenses are used when telling or writing a story. It can be a fictional story or a
telling of past events. You can use the following tenses:

PAST SIMPLE (PS)

‣ completed actions
‣ past habits
‣ past states
‣ sequence of events/actions

PAST CONTINUOUS (PC)

‣ background descriptions
‣ actions in progress at a specific time in the past

‣ longer actions (PC) interrupted by shorter actions (PS).

PAST PERFECT (PP)

‣ action/event that happened before another action in the past

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PAST SIMPLE (PS)

1. Complete the text with the past simple of the verbs in brackets.
One day last year, I went (go) to our local shopping centre with some friends. I took (take)
my mobile phone with me. The next day, I realised that I didn’t have (not have) my phone.
My mum called (call) my number to see if my phone was at home. We listened, but we didn’t
hear (not hear) the ringtone. Suddenly, my mum’s phone started ringing. She
answered (answer) it and spoke (speak) to a woman who had (have) my phone.
We arranged (arrange) to meet at her house. When I got there, she gave (give)
me back my phone. I couldn’t believe my luck.

2. Complete the sentences with the past simple of the verbs in

brackets.
1. I didn’t drink (not / drink) any beer last night.
2. She got on (get on) the bus in the centre of the city.
3. What time did he get (he / get up) yesterday?
4. Where did you get off (you / get off) the train?
5. I didn’t change (not / change) trains at Victoria.
6. We woke up (wake up) very late.
7. What did he give (he / give) his mother for Christmas?
8. We didn’t use (not / use) the computer last night.
9. Did she make (she / make) good coffee?
10. I received (receive) $300 when my uncle died (die).

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PAST CONTINUOUS (PC)

3. Complete the text with the past continuous of the verbs in brackets.
1. Yesterday at six I was preparing (prepare) dinner.
2. The kids were playing (play) in the garden when the phone rang.
3. I was practicing (practice) the guitar when he came home.
4. What were you doing (you / do) yesterday?
5. When I arrived, they were discussing (discus) politics.
6. We were studying (study) English yesterday at 4:00 pm.
7. I was listening (listen) to the radio while my sister was watching (watch) Netflix.
8. My little brother wasn’t writing (not write) in his diary.

4. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous.
1. They were playing (play)
golf when it started (start) to rain.

2. His mobile rang (ring)

when he was driving (drive).

3. We heard (hear) the news

when we were sunbathing (sunbathe) in Corsica.

4. He was looking (look) at the

tower when someone took (take) his bag.

5. I was having (have) a coffee

when I saw (see) her.

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5. Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous.
1. She arrived (arrive) when we were having (have) dinner.
2. I broke (break) my arm when I was playing (play) football.
3. It was snowing (snow) when we left (leave) the school.
4. When you called (call) me, I was talking (talk) to my boss.
5. We were studying (study) in Paris when we met (meet).
6. They were living (live) in Rome when they had (have) their first baby.
7. He was driving (drive) fast until the police stopped (stop) him.

6. Choose the correct sentence in each pair.

1. Were you finding your watch when you tidied up?

Did you find your watch while you were tidying up?

I saw a big spider in my sleeping bag when I opened it.

2.
I was seeing a big spider in my sleeping bag when I opened it.

It was eight o’clock. The sun was setting and people were enjoying the warm evening air.
3.
It was eight o’clock. The sun set and people enjoyed the warm evening air.

While you were putting your bag in the overhead locker, something fell out.
4.
While you put your bag in the overhead locker, something fell out.

We discussed our holiday destination when Sharon had a great idea.

5.
We were discussing our holiday destination when Sharon had a great idea.

Mathilda’s shoe broke while she was walking around town.

6.
Mathilda’s shoe was breaking while she was walking around town.

Once the plane was starting its engines, Katy realised that she was very nervous.
7.
Once the plane started its engines, Katy realised that she was very nervous.

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PAST PERFECT (PP)

7. Complete the sentences with the past perfect.

1. I didn’t recognise her because she had changed (change) a lot.
2. We didn’t eat in the restaurant because we hadn’t booked (not book).
3. My friend told me that I had left (leave) my wallet in my car.
4. When I turned on the radio, the news had already finished (already finish).
5. The bar had closed (close) by the time we arrived.
6. Luckily it had stopped (stop) snowing when we left work.
7. When we got home we saw that somebody had broken (break) the kitchen window.

8. Choose the correct tense to complete the story.

It was Sunday afternoon. I 1 was watching / watched / had watched a cookery program

on TV when I 2 was realising / realised / had realised how hungry I was. But of course I

was hungry; I 3 did not eat / wasn’t eating / hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and I 4

had run / ran / was running a race in the morning. “Biscuits!” I 5 thought /

had thought / was thinking. My mother 6 gave / had given / was giving me

a jar of delicious home-made biscuits. I 7 was going / went / had gone into

the kitchen, 8 opened / had opened / was opening the fridge and 9 had

poured / was pouring / poured some milk in a big glass.

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Then I 10 had looked / was looking / looked for the kitchen chair

but it 11 wasn’t /hadn’t been / wasn’t being there: somebody 12

was taking / had taken / took it away. And there were no biscuits

in the biscuit jar: somebody 13 had eaten / ate / was eating them

all! I was sure I 14 had put / put / was putting the jar there the previous day, and I 15 ate

/ was eating / had eaten only one cookie. It was very strange.

A few minutes later, I 16 drank / was drinking / had drunk my glass of milk when I 17 had

heard / was hearing / heard a loud noise coming from the dining room. I 18 was going /

went / had gone there quickly and I 19 opened / was opening / had opened the door. I

couldn’t believe my eyes. An enormous monkey 20 was eating / ate / had eaten the biscuits

excitedly on the kitchen chair.

9. Complete the text with the past simple, past continuous or past perfect.
This story happened (happen) to me about five years ago. I had bought (buy) my car the
week before and I was still feeling (still feel) very excited about it.
It didn’t have (not have) air conditioning but that didn’t matter (not
matter) to me because it was my first every car! I knew (know) that my
best friend Penny had always wanted (always want) to visit a
picturesque little village in the mountains about 150 kilometres from
where we live, so I called (call) her and told (tell) her that I would take her there the
following day.
It was a perfect, warm spring day. The sun was shining (shine) and the sky was blue.
While I was driving (drive) and we were chatting (chat), I saw (see)
something out of the corner of my eye. It was a wasp which was buzzing
(buzz) around inside the car. But the wasp suddenly disappeared
(disappear). Then I felt (feel) a pain in my arm: the wasp had stung (sting)
me! I forgot that I was driving (drive), and … BANG! I crashed (crash)
into the car in front of us. Nobody was hurt but that was the end of our day out and of my
car.

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