Grammar Game

The teacher divides the class into two teams. He / She sets a situation on the blackboard. Then he / she shows the students word flashcards with the time adverbs from the table of Present Forms. The teams in turn make sentences using the time adverb shown each time. Each correct sentence gets 1 point. The team with the most points is the winner.

Situations:

she/clean/room, she/iron/clothes, he/wash/dishes, he/write/letter etc.

Example:

Teacher (shows now)

Team A Student 1: She’s cleaning the roomnow.

Teacher (shows already)

Team B Student 1: She has already cleanedthe room. etc.

Past Forms

Past Indefinite	Past Continuous	Past Perfect	Past Perfect Continuous
past actions which happened one after the other She sealed the letter, put a stamp on it and posted it.	action in the middle of happening at a stated past time He was playing tennis at 4.30 yesterday.	past action which occurred before another action or before a stated past action He had left by the time I got there. (or by 8.15)	action continuing over a period up to a specific time in the past She had been working as a clerk for 10 years before she resigned.
past habit or state He used to go/ went to school on foot. complete action or event which happened at a stated past time She called an hour ago. (When? An hour ago.)	past action in progress interrupted by another past action. The longer action is in the Past Continuous, the shorter action is in the Past Indefinite While I was getting dressed the bell rang.	complete past action which had visible results in the past She was sad because she had failed the test.	past action of certain duration which had visible results in the past They were wet because they had been walking in the rain.
action which happened at a definite past time although the time is not mentioned. This action is not connected with the present. Shakespeare wrote a lot of plays. (Shakespeare is now dead; he won’t write again. – period of time now finished)	two or more simultaneous past actions While I was sunbathing, Tim was swimming. or background description to events in a story She was flying to Paris. The sun was shining …	the Past Perfect is the past equivalent of the Present Perfect (He can’t find his watch. He has lost it.) He couldn’t find his watch. He had lost it.	the Past Perfect Continuous is the past equivalent of the Present Perfect Continuous (She is going to the doctor. Her leg has been aching for two days.) She went to the doctor. Her leg had been aching for two days.)

Time expressions used with:
Past Indefinite	yesterday, last week etc, (how long) ago, then, just now, when, in 1967 etc.
Past Continuous	while, when, as etc.
Past Perfect	for, since, already, after, just, never, yet, before, by, by the time etc.
Past Perfect Continuous	for, since

Exercise 8

Match the sentences with the correct tense description.

It was raining and the wind was blowing. He was exhausted because he had been walking all day. 3. There was no juice left because Jack had drunk it all. 4. He got into the plane, started the engine and flew off into the clouds. 5. She had finished by 8 o’clock. 6. The storm broke out after we had been driving for four hours. 7. The party had already started by the time I arrived. 8. Elvis Presley died in 1977. I was cycling to work when I fell off the bike. 10. My grandfather met Winston Churchill. 11. I was sleeping at three o’clock yesterday afternoon. She had been trying to find a job in Hollywood for years.

a.past equivalent of the Present Perfect b. action in the middle of happening at a stated past time c.past actions which happened one after the other d. past action of certain duration which had visible results in the past e. background description to events in a story f. action continuing over a period up to a specific time in the past g. past equivalent of the Present Perfect Continuous h. past action which occurred before another action i. past action in progress interrupted by another past action which occurred before a stated time in the past event which happened at a stated past time l.action which is not connected with the present and happened at a definite past time not mentioned

1. …e …	2. ……..	3. ……..	4. ……..	5. ……..	6. ……..
7. ……..	8. ……..	9. ……..	10. ……..	11. ……..	12. ……..

Exercise 9

Fill in with the Past Indefinite, the Past Continuous, the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.

1. Thank you for your letter it ___ (arrive) yesterday.

2. Simon ___ (walk) home from work the other day when he ___ (notice) something shining on the pavement on the other side of the road.

3. ___ (you / see) the Bruce Lee film on TV last night?

4. She ___ (go) to the market and bought some vegetables.

5. We ___ (live) in the same house for 12 years before we decided to move.

6. She missed the end of the film because she ___ (fall) asleep.

7. They ___ (still / discuss) the plan at midnight.

8. She ___ (open) the cupboard, ___ (take out) a dress and ___ (put on) it.

9. He left his job because he ___ (feel) dissatisfied for months.

10. Tom ___ (read out) the data while Sara ___ (write down) it.

11. She ___ (leave) yesterday. – When ___ she ___ (leave)? – Yesterday.

12. He always ___ (go) to work by train.

13. She was upset because she ___ (wait) to hear from her son for days.

Exercise 10

Fill in with an appropriate past form.

In 1894 a steamship 1 ___was sailing___ (sail) across the Atlantic Ocean from England to America. The sun2___ (shine) and a gentle breeze3___ (blow). The ship4___ (sail) for three weeks and was halfway to its destination – New York. The passengers5___ (relax) on deck when suddenly they6___ (hear) a loud bang. They all7___ (jump) up,8___ (run) to the edge of the boat and9 ___ (look) over the side. To their horror they saw they10___ (hit) some hard object which11___ (tear) a hole in the side of the ship. Water12___ (pour) into the steamship at an alarming speed. Fortunately, another ship arrived half an hour later, just in time to save everyone on board.

Exercise 11

Which of the past forms in the text above are used to express:

past action of certain duration continuing up to a specific past time	4 …	longer actions which are interrupted by shorter actions	…
background description to events or longer actions in the story	…	past action which happened one immediately after the other	…
shorter actions which interrupt longer actions	…	past action which occurred before another past action	…

Exercise 12

Identify the past forms then choose the correct time expression.

Example:

• I still / yet / justhadn’t done my homework when Mum came home.……………..Past Perfect ……...…. – ……..………Past Indefinite ……….

• I hadn’t done my homework yetwhen Mum came home.

1. Meg was lying in the sun before / while / as soon asthe children were

playing in the pool. ………………………………………………………..…….

2. How long ago / How long / Whiledid you pass your driving test?

………………...………………………………………………………………….

3. He continued his journey before / after / agohe had changed the tyre.

……………………………………………………………………………….…

4. I was walking down the street when / as soon as / whilea car stopped next to me.………………………………………………………………………

5. She had been singing for years since / for / beforeshe finally became a

star. ………………………………………………………………………………

6. I went on an excursion to the Lake District last week / since / just.……………………………………………………………………………………

7. He hadn’t eaten turkey since / ever / forthe previous Christmas.

……………………………………………………………………………………

8. Our team had scored three goals by the time / until / while we got to the match.……………………………………………………………………….

9. The professor didn’t start speaking how long / until / yeteveryone was

quiet. …………………………………………………………………………….

10. Do you know how long / when / whilehe had lived in Portugal before

he moved to Turkey? …………………………………………………………

11. They had been sailing for / since / while a month before they reached a

port. ……………………………………………………………………………

12. She took off her coat just / as soon as / alreadyshe entered the

house. ………………………………………………………………………….

12. She cleaned the house while / after / beforeall her guests left.………

14. Jim was reading when / while / afterthe doorbell rang. …………………

15.Ted was making lunch when / before / while Mary was laying the table.

…………………………………………………………………………………..