hurry – hurried, cry – cried
add -ed.
stop – stopped, plan – planned

Fill in the Simple Past.

Example: John married Emily last year. (to marry)

  1. She carried her suitcase to the bus. (to carry)
  2. They stopped in the park to play football. (to stop)
  3. The children hurried to the playground. (to hurry)
  4. John tried to win a medal. (to try)
  5. Peter planed his trip to France. (to plan)
  6. The thieves robbed the old lady. (to rob)
  7. Grandma dropped the cup. (to drop)
  8. The family travelled to Spain. (to travel)
  9. The baby cried because he was hungry. (to cry)
  10. She carried a bag. (to carry)
  11. The pupil tried to find the answer. (to try)
  12. Sarah enjoyed the new film. (to enjoy)
  13. The team played yesterday in London. (to play)
  14. My uncle stayed in America. (to stay)
  15. The car stopped in front of the traffic lights. (to stop)
  16. Ann planned her visit in Denmark. (to plan)
  17. They traveled to Paris. (to travel)
  18. The boys hurried to the city centre. (to hurry)

A) Change the verbs in brackets into the past tense. Some are regular and some are irregular.
Yesterday (to be) ___ a busy day. I (wake) ___ up at 6am, (have)
___ breakfast quickly and then I (go) ___ to work. I (finish)
___ at noon and then (eat) ___ some lunch. Afterwards I (drive)
___ to the shops, (buy) ___ some paint and then (paint) ___
my bedroom. My housemate (come) ___ home from work so I (help) ___
him paint his room, then we (repair) ___ his chair as it (wobble) ___ a lot. I
(wish) ___ I hadn’t, as I hurt my hand! After that I (clean) ___ my house. I
(vacuum) ___ all the downstairs and then (tidy) ___ up the living room
and the kitchen. I was pretty tired by then so I (eat) ate some dinner, (yawn) ___, and
(go) ___ to bed!


B) Change the verbs below into the past tense and put them into the correct place in the sentences
Pay :: Ring :: Think :: Drink :: See :: Eat :: Go :: Take :: Leave :: Say

  1. I _____ that he was fired.
  2. My mum _____ me last night but I wasn’t at home to take her answer.
  3. I _____ to the zoo with my son last weekend.
  4. I _____ four cakes for lunch. I feel sick!
  5. He _____ him to see the doctor because he had been ill for so long.
  6. I _____ that new movie last night. It was great!
  7. He _____ his son alone all day!
  8. I _____ two bottle of grape juice last night. I don’t feel too well today.
  9. They _____ it tasted horrible.
  10. It was too expensive and we _____ too much for it.

Past Tense – Simple or Progressive: Fill in the correct form.

  1. George ____ off the ladder while he ____ the ceiling. (fall, paint)
  2. Last night I ____ in bed when I suddenly ____ a scream. (read, hear)
  3. ____ TV when I ____ you? (you watch, phone)
  4. Ann ____ for me when I ____ . (wait, arrive)
  5. Maisie ____ up the kitchen when John ____ her to marry him.
    (clean, ask)
  6. The house ____ £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)
  7. The fire ___________ at six in the morning. (still burn)
  8. My brother ____ a new job a week ago (get).
  9. Columbus ____ America over 500 years ago (discover)
  10. She ____ not interested in the book because she ____ it (be ,not
    understand)
  11. ____ at school yesterday? (you be)
  12. We ____ in a house near the sea last summer (live)
  13. She ____ the piano very well when she ____ young (can play, be)
  14. She ____ the office very early last night (leave).
  15. I ____ a friend while I ____ the shopping (meet, do)
  16. I ____ for my things when I ____ someone call my name (pay, hear)
  17. I ____ around and ____ Judy. (turn, see)
  18. She ____ a bright yellow dress when I ____ her last (wear, see)
  19. We ____ to have a cup of tea. (decide)
  20. While the waiter ____ up the pieces of glass he ____ his finger (pick,
    cut)
  21. Then we ____ the cafe and ____ good bye (leave, say)
  22. I ____ the fire at six and it ____ brightly when Tom came in at seven.
    (light, still burn)
  23. My dog ____ along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese ____ him. (walk,
    attack)
  24. When I ____ she ____ lunch. She said she always ____
    lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)
  25. What ____ of his last book? –I ____ it a lot (you think, like)
  26. He suddenly ____ that he ____ in the wrong direction. (realize,
    travel)
  27. He ____ guitar when someone ____ the window and
    ____ out a bucket of water. (play, open, throw)
  28. He ____ us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind
    ____ (not allow, blow)
  29. The next day, as they ____ that the police ____ for them, they
    ____ the coats in the woods and ____ off in different directions.
    (know, look, hide, go)
  30. When I ____ home they ____ around a fire. Jack ____
    a crossword puzzle, Judy ____ and the others ____ . Mother
    ____ at me and said : “ Come and sit down” (come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)


  1. George fell off the ladder while he was painting the ceiling. (fall, paint)
  2. Last night I was reading in bed when I suddenly heard a scream. (read, hear)
  3. Were you watching TV when I phoned you? (watch, phone)
  4. Ann was waiting for me when I arrived. (wait, arrive)
  5. Maisie was cleaning up the kitchen when John asked her to marry him. (clean, ask)
  6. The house cost £ 150,000 in 2003. (cost)
  7. The fire was still burning at six in the morning. (still burn)
  8. My brother got a new job a week ago (get).
  9. Columbus discovered America over 500 years ago (discover)
  10. She was not interested in the book because she did not understand it (be ,not understand)
  11. Were you at school yesterday? (you be)
  12. We lived in a house near the sea last summer (live)
  13. She could play the piano very well when she was young (can play, be)
  14. She left the office very early last night (leave).
  15. I met a friend while I was doing the shopping (meet, do)
  16. I was paying for my things when I heard someone call my name (pay, hear)
  17. I turned around and saw Judy. (turn, see)
  18. She was wearing a bright yellow dress when I saw her last (wear, see)
  19. We decided to have a cup of tea. (decide)
  20. While the waiter was picking up the pieces of glass he cut his finger (pick, cut)
  21. Then we left the cafe and said good bye (leave, say)
  22. I lit the fire at six and it was still burning brightly when Tom came in at seven. (light, burn)
  23. My dog was walking along quietly when Mary’s Pekinese attacked him. (walk, attack)
  24. When I arrived she was having lunch. She said she always had lunch at 12:30. (arrive, have, have)
  25. What do you think of his last book? –I liked it a lot (think, like)
  26. He suddenly realized that he was travelling in the wrong direction. (realize, travel)
  27. He was playing guitar when someone opened the window and threw out a bucket of water. (play,
    open, throw)
  28. He did not allow us to go out in the boat yesterday because a strong wind was blowing (not allow,
    blow)
  29. The next day, as they knew that the police were looking for them, they hid the coats in the woods
    and went off in different directions. (know, look, hide, go)
  30. When I came home they were all sitting around a fire. Jack was doing a crossword puzzle, Judy was
    knitting and the others were reading. Mother smiled at me and said : “ Come and sit down”
    (come, sit, do, knit, read, smile)