Past tenses exercise

Complete the following sentences using the most appropriate option given in the brackets.

1. Susie cooked lunch while Alan …………………… (dusted the furniture / had dusted the furniture).

2. If she visited us last year, she ……………………….. (would enjoy / would have enjoyed) the hikes in the mountains.

3. The doctors couldn’t do anything to save the patient. He ………………….. (already died / had already died) before they brought him to the hospital.

4. There were no toffies in the box. The boys ………………….. (had eaten / ate) everything.

5. I ………………….. (finished / was finishing) the report before I went home.

6. If he …………………. (broke / had broken) the lawn mower, he would fix it.

7.  If I ………………… (were / had been) you, I would lose another five pounds.

8. You ……………………. (should not shout / shouldn’t have shouted) at Sally. It really upset her.

9. If she left office at six, she ………………… (should be / should have been) here soon.

10. They …………………….. (already ate / had already eaten) dinner when I arrived.

Answers

1. Susie cooked lunch while Alan dusted the furniture.

2. If she visited us last year, she would enjoy the hikes in the mountains.

3. The doctors couldn’t do anything to save the patient. He had already died before they brought him to the hospital.

4. There were no toffies in the box. The boys had eaten everything.

5. I finished the report before I went home.

6. If he broke the land mower, he would fix it.

7. If I were you, I would lose another five pounds.

8. You shouldn’t have shouted at Sally. It really upset her.

9. If she left office at six, she should be here soon.

10. They had already eaten dinner when I arrived.