The document discusses the use of various past tenses in English, including the simple past, past continuous, and past perfect. It provides examples of each tense's application in sentences and includes exercises for practice in identifying and using these tenses correctly. Additionally, it presents sentences that require correction based on the correct usage of these tenses.

1. * 4. SO SAÙNH THÌ SIMPLE PAST VAØ THÌ PAST
CONTINUOUS
+ Thì Simple Past (Quaù Khöù Ñôn) ñöôïc duøng ñeå chæ moät haønh ñoäng
ngaén (thình lình) xaûy ra trong quaù khöù.
- I met him in the street yesterday. (Hoâm qua toâi gaëp haén ta ôû treân
ñöôøng)
+ Thì Past Continuous (Quaù Khöù Tieáp Dieãn) ñöôïc duøng ñeå chæ moät
haønh ñoäng keùo daøi trong quaù khöù töông öùng vôùi moät haønh ñoäng
khaùc cuõng trong quaù khöù.
- I met him while he was crossing the street. (Toâi ñaõ gaëp haén ta khi
haén ta ñang baêng qua ñöôøng)
- She was going home when she saw an accident. (Coâ aáy ñang veà
nhaø øthì coâ aáy nhìn thaáy moät tai naïn)
+ Thì Past Continuous coøn dieãn taû moät haønh ñoäng keùo daøi taïi ñieåm
thôøi gian xaùc ñònh ôû quaù khöù hoaëc hai haønh ñoäng lieân tieáp song song
vôùi nhau.
- My father was watching TV at 8 o’clock last night. (Vaøo luùc 8 giôø toái qua ba
toâi ñang xem TV.)
- I was doing my homestudy while my father was watching TV. (Toâi ñang laøm
baøi taäp trong khi ba toâi ñang xem TV.)
* 5. SO SAÙNH THÌ SIMPLE PAST VAØ THÌ PAST
PERFECT
+ Thì Past Perfect (Quaù Khöù Hoaøn Thaønh) duøng ñeå chæ moät haønh
ñoäng xaûy ra tröôùc moät haønh ñoäng khaùc cuõng trong quaù khöù (past
action).
- When he had finished his study, he went home. (Khi ñaõ laøm xong
vieäc, noù trôû veà nhaø)
-By the time I arrived at the station, the train had gone. (Vaøo luùc toâi
ñeán nhaø ga thì xe löûa ñaõ chaïy roài)
+ Thì Past Perfect coøn dieãn taû moät haønh ñoäng xaûy ra tröôùc moät
ñieåm thôøi gian xaùc ñònh ôû quaù khöù.
- By 10 o’clock last night, I had gone to bed. (Toâi ñaõ leân giöôøng nguû
tröôùc 10 giôø toái qua.)
II. Choose the underlined part among A, B, C or D that needs correcting.
23) While I did my homework, I had a good idea.
A B C D
24) Don’t make so much fusses over the children.
A B C D
25) John’s friends had celebrated a farewell party for him last Sunday
A B C D

2. 26) After she bought herself a new motorbike, she sold her bicycle.
A B C D
27) She did not know where most of the people in the room are from.
A B C D
PAST TENSES
Exercise I : Put the verbs in brackets in the past simple or the past continuous tense.
1/ He (sit) __________ in a bar when I (see) __________ him.
2/ When I (go) __________ out, the sun (shine) __________.
3/ The light (go) __________ out while I (have) __________ tea.
4/ When it (rain) __________ , she(carry) __________ an umbrella.
5/ We (walk) __________ to the station when it (begin) __________ to rain.
6/ He (teach) _______ English for 2 months when he (live)______ in Germany and
(study) _______ as a journalist
7/ The house (burn) ________ fast, so we (break) ________ the window to get out.
8/ He (eat) __________ three sandwiches while you (talk) __________ to him.
9/ The servant (drop) _______ two cups while she (wash up) ______ last night; neither of
them (break)_______
10/ While he (write) __________ a letter, the telephone (ring) __________; as he (go)
__________ to answer it, he (hear) __________ a knock on the door; the telephone (still,
ring) __________ while he (walk) __________ to the door, but just as he (open)
__________ it, it (stop) __________.
Exercise II : Put the verbs in brackets in the past simple or the past perfect tense.
1/ They (go) __________ home after they (finish) __________ their study.
2/ He (do) _________ nothing before he (see) ___________ me.
3/ He (thank) __________ me for what I (do) __________ for him.
4/ I (be) __________ sorry that I (hurt) __________ him.
5/ After they (go) __________ , I (sit) __________ down and (rest) __________.
6/ When I (arrive)___________, the dinner (already, begin) ______________.
7/ My friend (not see) _______ me for many years when I (meet) _____ last week.
8/ He (learn) __________ English before he (leave) __________ for England.
9/ In England, he soon (remember) __________ all he (learn) __________.
10/ They (tell) __________ him they (not meet) __________ him before.
11/ He (ask) __________ why we (come) __________ so early.
12/ She (say) __________ that she (already, see) ___________ Dr. Rice.
13/ By the time Bill (get) __________ there, the meeting (start) __________.
14/ When we (arrive) __________ at our place, we (find) __________ that a burglar
(break) ____________ in.
15/ Almost everybody (leave) _______ for home by the time we (arrive) _______.
Exercise III : Choose the best option to finish each sentences:
1. She was thoughtfully looking at him while he_________ a newspaper
A. read B. was reading C. has read D. has been reading
2. While I _______ the floor, Mrs. Paker began cooking
A. swept B. was sweeping C. has swept D. has been sweeping
3. When Jack_____ me, I______a letter
A. was phoning/ wrote B. phoned/ has been writing
C. phoned/ was writing D. has phoned/ was writing

3. 4. I ________my report when you entered the hall
A. made B. have been making C. was making D. have made
5. She________ this exercise yesterday at 8o’clock
A. wrote B. has written C. has been writing D. was writing
6. She________ some cakes yesterday at 2p.m
A. make B. has been making C. has made D. was making
7. Miss Brown’s telephone_______when she________
A. rang/ dressed B. was ringing/ was dressing
C. was ringing/ dresses D. rang/ was dressing
8. When he_________ into the office, the secretary________ a crossword puzzle
A. came/ was doing B. was coming/ was doing
C. was coming/ did D. came/ did
9. Why_______ to me while I _______?
A. did you not listen/ was speaking B. were you not listening/ was speaking
C. were you not listening/ spoke D. did you not listen/ spoke
10. She ________ the picture when I came
A. painted B. has painted C. was painting D. have been
11. They________ the new words yesterday from three till seven
A. learnt B. were learning C. have learnt D. have been learning
12. They________ supper when the telephone rang.
A. had B. have had C. were having D. have been having
13. While she_______, she _______the doorbell, then voices
A. was washing up/ heard B. washed up/ has heard
C. has washed/ was hearing D. was washing up/ was hearing
14. The library ________by the time I ______ there
A. had closed/ got B. closed/ got C. closed/ had got D. has closed/ got
15.When my friend_______, I______ an exercise for an hour
A. was coming/ had been doing B. came/ was doing
C. was coming/ has been doing D. came/ had been doing
16. We_______ while he________
A. read/ was eating B. were reading/ ate C. read/ ate D. was reading/ was eating
17. When he_______, I______ in London for a week
A. arrived/ was living B. was living/ has been living
C. arrived/ has been living D. arrived/ had been living
18. Andrew .................... the test before so he...................... it very easy.
A. did/ had found B. had done/ found
C. was doing/ found D. did/ was founding
19. You ...................... your new hat when I ...................... you yesterday.
A. were wearing/ had met B. wore/ had met
C. wore/ was meeting D. were wearing/ met
20. As I .................... the glass, it suddenly ...................... into two pieces.
A. cut/ broke B. was cutting/ broke
C. cut/ was breaking D. was cutting/ had broken
21. A burglar .................. into the house while we ................... television.
A. broke/ were watching B. broke/ watched
C. had broken/ watched D. broke/ had watched
22. When I ............................... home, I ........................... a phone call.
A. got/ received B. was getting/ was receiving
C. got/ had received D. had got/ had received
23. They ................. small cups of coffee after they ..................... dinner.
A. had drunk/ finished B. drank/ finished
C. were drinking/ finished D. drank/ had finished

4. 24. It was midnight. Outside it ........................... very hard.
A. rains B. rained C. had rained D. was raining
25. When he ....................... at the station, his train already.....................
A. arrived/ left B. arrived/ had left
C. had arrived/ left D. had arrived/ left
II. Choose the underlined part among A, B, C or D that needs correcting.
23) While I did my homework, I had a good idea.
A B C D
24) Don’t make so much fusses over the children.
A B C D
25) John’s friends had celebrated a farewell party for him last Sunday
A B C D
26) After she bought herself a new motorbike, she sold her bicycle.
A B C D
27) She did not know where most of the people in the room are from.
A B C D