Grammar

Level B2

Part 1 - Past Tenses

Exercises Feed

For questions 1-10, choose the correct answer.

1

Past Tenses

When I got to the cinema, the film .......... (to start) already, so I quietly found a seat.

had started

started

was starting

has started

2

Past Tenses

I .......... (to drive) home when I realised I had left my wallet at the office.

drove

was driving

have been driving

had driven

3

Past Tenses

By the end of last month, we .......... (to complete) all the safety training.

have completed

had completed

completed

were completing

4

Past Tenses

She .......... (to work) for that company for ten years before she was promoted.

had been working

has been working

worked

was working

5

Past Tenses

While we .......... (to discuss) the budget, the CEO walked into the room.

discussed

had discussed

were discussing

have discussed

6

Past Tenses

He .......... (to break) his ankle twice before he turned twenty.

had broken

was breaking

broke

has broken

7

Past Tenses

I .......... (just / to finish) the presentation when the projector stopped working.

have just finished

was just finishing

just finished

had just finished

8

Past Tenses

They .......... (to wait) for over an hour, so they were annoyed when the bus finally arrived.

waited

were waiting

had been waiting

have been waiting

9

Past Tenses

As soon as I .......... (to hear) the news, I called my sister.

was hearing

have heard

had heard

heard

10

Past Tenses

Last night at 11, I .......... (to still / to answer) emails, so I didn’t go to bed early.

have still been answering

was still answering

still answered

had still answered

What to do

This part consists of a number of assessments, each of which has only one valid answer.

Select the best answer according to what you read.

There's only one valid answer

There's only a correct answer which you will have to select by clicking on it.

Don't spend unnecessary time

Don't spend time in an assessment you don't know. Wasting time on this activity might cost you points later in the exam because you won’t have enough time to do other tasks well. Get used to being quick!

Grammar is a must

Although these grammar tests are not part of the official Cambridge exams, they are still important as they touch on language elements that you'll come across in all parts of the official exams, such as Reading and Use of English.

Strategy

Read the assessment so you understand what it is about.
Pay attention to the topic on the top-right corner of each assessment.
Check the words before and after each gap and look for grammatical collocations.
Remember that you select a choice by clicking on it.

Instructions

For questions 1-10, choose the correct answer.

Exercise Details

Author

Daw Wai

@daw-wai

User Prompt

"Create a grammar exercise focusing on 'Past Tenses'"

Tone: Standard

Level: B2

Created on:

May 10, 2026

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