Narrative tenses – B2 English Grammar Test

1a  Match the sentence beginnings (1–7) and endings (A–G).

A   moved to an apartment in the centre.

B   before we moved to Rome.

C   as I was cycling home.

D   working for the FBI.

E    a package arrived for you.

F    we had put up our tent and made a campfire.

G   our clothes were pretty dirty.

1b  Answer the question.

Which sentences feature an action interrupting another action?

…………………………………………………..

2  Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

1   I took the lid off the box and had looked / looked / was looking inside.

2   While I had played / played / was playing video games, I heard a big crack of thunder.

3   She was never going / had never been / never went skiing until her uncle took her to the Alps.

4   He grabbed the ball off me and threw / was throwing / had thrown it into the river.

5   Earlier that afternoon I rehearsed / was rehearsing / had been rehearsing for the school play.

6   By the time Fran was twelve she was passing / passed / had passed all her piano exams.

7   Harry was having his breakfast when he heard / had heard / was hearing the news.

8   I dropped the plate but luckily it didn’t break / hadn’t broken / wasn’t breaking.

3  Add one word to each sentence to make it correct.

1   My pronunciation was terrible as I spoken German for a long time.

      ……My pronunciation was terrible as I hadn’t spoken German for a long time. ……

2   It was the first time I ever ridden a horse.

      ……………………………………………………….

3   The bus broke down while we travelling back from the concert.

      ……………………………………………………….

4   By the time the doctor saw me, we had waiting for three hours.

      ……………………………………………………….

5   He noticed that a mosquito bitten him during the night.

      ……………………………………………………….

6   So you saw the snake, and then what you do?

      ……………………………………………………….

7   I couldn’t print the story because the printer working.

      ……………………………………………………….

8   At that time she living with her aunt and uncle.

      ……………………………………………………….

4  Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

1   I suddenly noticed that everyone ……was looking…… at me.

2   Christy ……………………… to drive for two years before she finally passed her test.

3   We didn’t want to leave because we ……………………… such a good time.

4   It was the first time I ……………………… to another country without my parents.

5   He fell off the bed and ……………………… his head on the wardrobe.

6   I walked straight into the shop and ……………………… the first coat I saw.

7   I got completely soaked as I ……………………… to bring an umbrella.

8   She twisted her ankle while she ……………………… basketball.

5  Find and correct nine more mistakes in the story.

It was being a cold day last winter and Sammy had waited for the train. After twenty minutes, it finally arrived. The doors opened and he was getting on. At that moment he realised that he was leaving his wallet at school (he played football outside before he left). He turned around and tried to get off the train, but it was too late. The doors already closed. He was finding a seat and sat down, feeling nervous. Five minutes later, the ticket inspector came along and had said to him, ‘Tickets please’. ‘I’m sorry. I left my wallet at school,’ Sammy was replying. ‘You’d better get off at the next stop then,’ said the inspector. Sammy got off and had to walk all the rest of the way in the freezing cold. When he got to his front door, he reached inside his jacket, and there, next to his door key, was … his wallet! It was being inside his pocket the whole time.