1. past progressive vs past simple
We use past progressive to say that we are in the middle of an action:
I was walking across the field when a dog started to chase me.
The plane was flying very low which scared all the farm animals.
We use past simple for a complete action in the past:
I walked across the field.
The plane crashed in a field.

2. Find the second part of each sentence.
I dream
When Mary see the question,
The train wait
Ella have a puncture
When I try the cake
When Karen lift the chair,
When the gates open,
I read a library book
she feel a sudden pain in her back.
when she drove on the motorway.
when I find a €10 note between the pages,
the crowd walk in.
she know the answer.
when the alarm clock ring.
I like it.
when we arrive at the station.

3. Find the second part of each sentence.
I was dreaming when the alarm clock rang.
When Mary saw the question, she knew the answer.
The train was waiting when we arrived at the station.
Ella had a puncture when she was driving on the motorway.
When I tried the cake I liked it.
When Karen lifted the chair, she felt a sudden pain in her back.
When the gates opened the crowd walked in.
I was reading a library book when I found a €10 note between the pages,

4. past perfect
Use the past perfect (had/hadn’t + past participle) when you are talking or writing about the past and you want to say that one action happened earlier than another:
When I got my driving licence, I had already finished school.
I called you this morning but you had already gone to work.

5. I was too late. When I arrived, the meeting (finish).
She was so exhausted last night that she (oversleep) this morning.
She didn’t want to come with us because she (see) the film before.
I didn’t realize that I (go) through a red traffic light, until a policeman stopped me!
He was furious. Someone (break) the car window and (take) the radio.
He woke up when the alarm clock ring).
When she got to the airport she realized that she (forget) her passport.
When he turned on the TV, he saw that the film (end).
When the waitress finally brought the bill, the couple (leave) the restaurant.

6. I was too late. When I arrived, the meeting had finished.
She was so exhausted last night that she overslept this morning.
She didn’t want to come with us because she had seen the film before.
I didn’t realize that I had gone through a red traffic light, until a policeman stopped me!
He was furious. Someone had break the car window and taken the radio.
He woke up when the alarm clock rang.
When she got to the airport she realized that she had forgotten her passport.
When he turned on the TV, he saw that the film had ended.
When the waitress finally brought the bill, the couple had left the restaurant.

7. past perfect continuous vs past perfect
OVER A PERIOD (had been doing)
COMPLETE (had done)
I bought a new calculator. I’d looked everywhere for the old one.
Vicky felt satisfied because she’d got so much work done.
When the company went bankrupt it had lost over a million euros.
I found the calculator. I’d been looking all over for it.
Vicky felt tired because she’d been working all day.
When the company went bankrupt it had been losing money for several months.

8. compared with other continuous tenses
Present perfect cont.
Vicky looks very upset. I think she’s been crying.
Past continuous
When I called, Alex was having a piano lesson.
Past perfect cont.
Vicky looked very upset. I thought she’d been crying.
When I called, Alex had been having a piano lesson.

9. Put the verbs in the correct form.
Tom could hear shouts from the flat next door. His neighbours argue again.
When Emma went into the empty living room she found the TV was still on. Someone watch it.
I play tennis for over an hour, so I had a shower. I was feeling really frustrated because I not win a single game!
When I saw Erika last week, she said she stop smoking. But then I saw her two days later and she smoke again.