Grammar Exercises

Grammar: Past Perfect Simple or Continuous?


Fill the gaps with either the past perfect simple or past perfect continuous.

1.  By the time we got to the theatre the play ____________________  (already / start)

2. When Diane walked into the room she could tell that everyone ____________________ (talk) about her.

3.  We were exhausted because we ____________________  (walk) around Manhattan all day.

4.  Veronica and Harvey ____________________  (only / know) each other for six months when they got married.

5.  When I saw Caroline this morning she looked like she ____________________ (cry).

6.  They ____________________  (only / live) in California for a month when they experienced their first earthquake.

7.  Even though Jeff ____________________ (see) the Grand Canyon before in photos, he was still amazed at the vastness of it.

8. I was so excited about going to Paris. I ____________________ (never / be) there before.

9. The science teacher asked Nora to explain the formula but she couldn’t because she ____________________ (not / listen). She ____________________ (stare) out of the window instead.

10.  By the time Jacqueline remembered that  she ____________________ (leave) the juicy steak out on the kitchen table, her dog ____________________ (already / discover) it. Yum yum ! 😂

ANSWERS

There are lots more free resources for self-study and the classroom here on my website, including…

Past simple  Exercise 1 Exercise 2

Present simple or present continuous? Exercise 1

Present perfect continuous Exercise 1

Present perfect simple vs present perfect continuous Exercise 1

TEST YOUR IDIOMS!

Parts of the Body Exercise 1

Animals  Exercise 1

Idioms with ‘Give’  Exercise 1

Idioms with ‘Make’  Exercise 1  Exercise 2

Idioms with ‘Take’  Exercise 1

Idioms with ‘Keep’  Exercise 1

Idioms with ‘Think’  Exercise 1







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