– Past Simple
– Negatives and ago
– Time expressions
– What is the date?
– Linking words (because, when, until)
– Prepositions
Question 1
My friend Tom _____ Canadian. He _____ English.
We talk about a fact now, so we use the present of be: is not and is. Tom is not Canadian. He is English.
Question 2
I _____ to be _____ artist when I _____ a child.
When I was a child is in the past, so we use wanted and was. We say an before a vowel sound: an artist.
Question 3
He _____ blind _____ the car accident _____ the beach.
We say go blind (past: went blind), not come blind. Something happens in an accident, and the place is on the beach.
Question 4
My friend _____ a present _____ me _____ the Ramadan Holiday last year.
Last year is in the past, so we use gave. We say give something to someone and on a holiday day: on the Ramadan holiday.
Question 5
It _____ a lot _____ our holiday.
In the negative past simple we use didn't + the base verb: didn't rain. During means 'in the time of': during our holiday.
Question 6
What a man he is! He _____ his passport and _____ the keys _____ his car yesterday.
Yesterday is in the past, so we use the past forms forgot (forget) and lost (lose). We say the keys of his car.
Question 7
A: Did you watch the football match _____ TV?
B: No, I didn’t. But it was broadcast _____ the radio.
We say on TV and on the radio. Not in: we don't say in TV or in the radio.
Question 8
Can I talk _____ Mr. Adams _____ your mobile phone?
We say talk to someone and on the phone: Can I talk to Mr Adams on your mobile phone?
Question 9
It _____ a really bad joke; no one laughed _____ his joke.
Laughed is in the past, so we use was (one joke). We say laugh at something: laugh at a joke.
Question 10
I learned _____ the Internet that a pop concert is _____ the third _____ November.
We say on the Internet and on a date: on the third of November.
Question 11
Who’s the blonde girl _____ the first row?
We use in for rows: in the first row, in the back row.
Question 12
You’ll find the poem _____ page 16.
We use on with pages: on page 16. Not in or at: we don't say in page 16 or at page 16.
Question 13
They lived in this city _____ 1980.
Lived is past simple, and before 1980 gives a time in the past. Not since: with since we use the present perfect (have lived since 1980). We don't say at with a year.
Question 14
The Greens lived in London _____ six years.
We use for with a length of time: for six years. We use since with a starting point (since 2010).
Question 15
A: _____ is Amanda’s birthday?
B: It is _____ the 25th _____ December.
We ask about time with When. For dates we say on the 25th of December.
Question 16
A: What is _____ today?
B: Today is _____ 1st of _____.
To ask about the day and month, we say What is the date today? We answer the 1st of October. Monday is a day of the week, not a month.
Question 17
A: When _____ Turkmenistan become independent?
B: It _____ independent on _____.
In past questions we use did + base verb (did … become). In the answer we use the past form became. We write the date as the 27th of October, 1991.
Question 18
A: _____ century is it now?
B: It is _____.
A: What _____ the last century?
B: It was _____.
We ask What century is it? and use ordinal numbers: the 21st century, the 20th century. For the past we say What was …?
Question 19
A: _____ is the _____ month?
B: It is May.
A: Which is _____ 2 _____ month?
B: It is February.
A: Which is _____ 12th month?
B: It is December.
To show order, we use the + an ordinal number: the 5th, the 2nd, the 12th. The number 2 takes nd: 2nd (second). Not st, which goes with 1 (1st), and not rd, which goes with 3 (3rd).
Question 20
We _____ see Tom last night.
Last night is in the past, so we use didn't + base verb: didn't see.
Print this test
Free worksheets for class or home