Show:
Tenses Use
Spot the tense
Best option wins
Simple or perfect?
100
Tense that indicates that an activity, state, habit or situation began and ended at a particular time in the past.
Simple Past
100
The robbers (leave) _______ the bank when the policemen finally (arrive)______.
had left - past perfect / arrived - simple past The robbers had left the bank when the policemen finally arrived.
100
I didn't recognise / hadn't recognised Sue, because she cut / had cut her hair.
didn't recognise - had cut
100
We had already eaten when John (come) ________ home.
Simple past / Came
200

When we talk about the past and we want to refer to something which was in the future at the time we were speaking.

Future in the Past

200
When the rain (start)_____, the Atkinsons (finish)______ planting trees.
started - simple past / had finished - past perfect When the rain started, the Atkinsons had finished planting trees.
200

We arranged to find some new house. Hanna would be\ had been searching at the newspapers and I would be\had been calling calling to agencies.

would be searching\would be calling

200
Last year Juan (pass) ________ all his exams.
Simple past / passed
300
It expresses an activity that was completed before another activity or time in the past.
Past Perfect
300

He was sure she ________ never help him. It turned out he had been right

Would 

He was sure she would never help him. It turned out he had been right

300
David didn't play / hadn't played the match because he hurt / had hurt his leg.
didn't play - had hurt
300
I opened my handbag to find that I (forget) ________ my credit card.
Past perfect / had forgotten
400
It is also used to tell stories and describe what happened in the past, it helps us establish a time frame of events.
Simple Past
400

They rang to say they _____________ with us by ten o’clock but then their flight was cancelled.

Would be

They rang to say they would be with us by ten o’clock but then their flight was cancelled.

400
When I looked / had looked everywhere for my car keys, I started / had started to panic.
had looked - started
400
We got home to find that someone (break) ________ into the house.
Past perfect / had broken
500
We use it to draw the attention to the fact that something took place and finished before something else in the past.
Past perfect
500
I (not / think) _____ of having a new house before I (see) ______ that ad on TV.
hadn't thought - past perfect / saw - simple past I hadn't thought of having a new house before I saw that ad on TV.
500
When he had finished / finished his dinner he sat down / had sat down to watch TV.
had finished - sat down
500
I opened the fridge to find that someone (eat) ________ all my chocolate.
Past perfect / had eaten