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Narrative Tenses

Past simple · past continuous · past perfect · past perfect continuous
About this worksheet
Telling stories in the past with all four narrative tenses. 20 points in Exercises 1 and 2; Exercises 3 and 4 are writing practice.
Type or tap your answers, then submit at the bottom to see your score and review.
Exercise 1
Which narrative tense?
8 points
Tap the correct form.
1
It was a cold evening. My friends and I were walking / walked / had walked home from the station.
2
When we got to the cinema, the film already started / had already started / was already starting.
3
While I was typing an email, my cat was jumping / had jumped / jumped onto the keyboard.
4
I was knowing / knew / had been knowing the answer, but I didn't say anything.
5
By the time the concert started, we were queuing / queued / had been queuing for three hours.
6
By half-time, our team had scored / had been scoring / was scoring three goals.
7
Maya's eyes were red. She cried / had been crying / was crying all afternoon, but now she was smiling.
8
Suddenly the lights were going / had gone / went out and everybody screamed.
Exercise 2
The lost phone
12 points
Complete the story. Put the verb in brackets in the best narrative tense.
1
I (wait) for the bus when I (realise) my phone wasn't in my pocket.
2
I ran back to the café, but by the time I (get) there, a waiter (already / put) it behind the counter.
3
While the waiter (look) for it, I (notice) a message on another customer's screen.
4
When I got the phone back, I saw that my sister (call) me six times. She (try) to reach me for an hour!
5
When I finally (phone) her back, she (already / leave) home to look for me.
6
In the end we (laugh) about it, but I (never / feel) so silly before.
Exercise 3
Write a short story
Not scored
Write 5–7 sentences about a day when something went wrong: a trip, a match, a party or a journey. Use all four narrative tenses. Compare yours with the model answer afterwards.
1
Exercise four — Production
Write original sentences using the target structure. Feedback appears automatically as you type.
Scoring: full marks for correct structure · partial for present but imperfect · zero for absent.
1
Write one sentence that says how long something had been happening when something else happened. Example: We had been waiting for an hour when the bus finally came.

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