Past Tenses — English Grammar Exercises
Six past tenses, from past simple to past perfect continuous. Choose where to start.
Past Simple
I worked, she went, they didn't see — completed actions in the past
Start practicing → 3 blocks · 45 questionsPast Continuous
I was working, they were waiting — actions in progress in the past
Start practicing → 3 blocks · 45 questionsPast Simple or Continuous?
I was cooking when the phone rang — choose the right past tense
Start practicing → 3 blocks · 45 questionsused to and would
We used to live there, we would go every summer — past habits
Start practicing → 3 blocks · 45 questionsPast Perfect Simple
She had left before I arrived — one past action before another
Start practicing → 3 blocks · 45 questionsPast Perfect Continuous
I had been waiting for an hour — an action in progress before another past point
Start practicing → 30 questionsTest Yourself
Mixed questions from all 6 topics — check how much you've learned
Take the test →Frequently Asked Questions
What past tense topics are covered in this section?
This section will cover the English past tenses: past simple (completed actions), past continuous (actions in progress), past simple vs past continuous, used to and would (past habits), past perfect simple (an action before another past action), and past perfect continuous (an action in progress before another past point).
What order should I study the past tenses in?
Start with past simple — the most common past tense for completed actions. Then move to past continuous for actions in progress. Practise contrasting the two before learning used to and would for past habits. Finally, study past perfect simple and continuous for actions that happened before another past point.
What is the difference between past simple and past continuous?
Past simple describes a completed action: 'I cooked dinner'. Past continuous describes an action in progress: 'I was cooking when the phone rang'. The two are often used together: past continuous sets the background, past simple gives the main event.