Main Events
Background
Earlier Events
Any Tense
Before or During?
100

Yesterday investigators ______ (discover) a hidden tunnel under the university.

Yesterday investigators discovered a hidden tunnel under the university.

100

The guard ______ (eat) when a stranger ______ (enter) the building.

The guard was eating when a stranger entered the building.

100

The government ______ already ______ (hide) the documents.

The government had already hidden the documents.

100

Investigators found a secret door that someone ______ (hide) behind a wall years ago.

Investigators found a secret door that someone had hidden behind a wall years ago.

100

The archaeologists opened the ancient box and realized someone ______ it before them.
(open)

The archaeologists opened the ancient box and realized someone had opened it before them.

200

A journalist ______ (reveal) secret documents about Area 51.

A journalist revealed secret documents about Area 51.

200

While the scientists ______ (study) the strange signal, the computers suddenly ______ (stop) working.

While the scientists were studying the strange signal, the computers stopped working.

200

Someone ______ ______ (build) the tunnel many years before.

Someone had built the tunnel many years before.

200

While the reporter ______ (search) the archives, she ______ (discover) classified documents.

While the reporter was searching the archives, she discovered classified documents.

200

While the night guard ______ the hallway, the lights suddenly went out.
(patrol)

While the night guard was patrolling the hallway, the lights suddenly went out.
 

300

Scientists suddenly ______ (find) strange signals from space.

Scientists suddenly found strange signals from space.

300

The students ______ (explore) the basement when they ______ (discover) a secret door.

The students were exploring the basement when they discovered a secret door.

300

Scientists realized the signal ______ ______ (come) from deep space.

Scientists realized the signal was coming from deep space.

300

The police arrested a man who ______ (send) mysterious messages for months.

The police arrested a man who had sent mysterious messages for months.

300

The journalist discovered the company ______ secret experiments for years.
(conduct)

The journalist discovered the company had conducted secret experiments for years.

400

The reporter ______ (enter) the building and ______ (see) a secret meeting.

The reporter entered the building and saw a secret meeting.

400

While the reporter ______ (investigate) the conspiracy, someone ______ (steal) the documents.

While the reporter was investigating the conspiracy, someone stole the documents.

400

The spy discovered that someone ______ already ______ (steal) the key.

The spy discovered that someone had already stolen the key.

400

The journalist ______ (investigate) the story when the lights ______ (go) out.

The journalist was investigating the story when the lights went out.

400

The professor ______ his lecture when a strange signal interrupted the computers.
(give)

The professor was giving his lecture when a strange signal interrupted the computers.

500

Someone ______ (steal) the files and ______ (escape) before the police arrived.

Someone stole the files and escaped before the police arrived.

500

People ______ (watch) the sky when strange lights ______ (appear).

People were watching the sky when strange lights appeared.

500

The journalist reported that the agency ______ ______ (run) secret experiments for decades.

The journalist reported that the agency had run secret experiments for decades.

500

Scientists discovered that the government ______ (perform) secret experiments for decades.

Scientists discovered that the government had performed secret experiments for decades.

500

Investigators arrived at the laboratory and discovered the scientists ______ the building already.
(leave)

Investigators arrived at the laboratory and discovered the scientists had left the building already.

M
e
n
u