B2 Grammar – Four main past tenses

 

B2 Grammar – Four main past tenses

  • Here are the four main past tenses in English with short summaries and clear examples:

    Tense When to use it (main uses) Structure Examples
    Simple Past Completed actions/events in the past (finished, no connection to now) verb + -ed (regular) or irregular form • I watched a movie last night. • She went to Paris in 2023. • They didn’t come to the party.
    Past Continuous (Past Progressive) Actions that were in progress at a specific moment in the past OR longer background action interrupted by another was/were + verb-ing • At 8 PM yesterday I was cooking dinner. • She was reading when the phone rang. • They weren’t listening during the meeting.
    Past Perfect Action completed before another past action/event (“earlier past”) had + past participle (V3) • I had finished my homework before I went out. • When we arrived, the train had already left. • She hadn’t eaten anything all day.
    Past Perfect Continuous Action that continued up to a point in the past (emphasizes duration or cause/effect) had been + verb-ing • I had been waiting for 2 hours when she finally arrived. • He was tired because he had been working all night. • They hadn’t been studying, so they failed the test.

 

  • Quick comparison examples (same situation, different tenses):

    1. Simple Past → I cooked dinner at 7 PM. (finished action)
    2. Past Continuous → I was cooking dinner at 7 PM. (in progress)
    3. Past Perfect → I had cooked dinner before you called. (earlier than another past moment)
    4. Past Perfect Continuous → I had been cooking for hours, so the kitchen was hot. (duration + visible result)

    These four cover almost all past-tense situations in everyday English.

 

  • Here are 20 B2-level gap-fill sentences practicing the four main past tenses: Past Simple, Past Continuous, Past Perfect, and Past Perfect Continuous. They mix them naturally, as in real stories or narratives (typical B2 use).

    Each sentence has one or more gaps. Put the verb in brackets into the correct past tense form. (Some sentences have multiple gaps.)

    1. By the time we __________ (arrive) at the station, the train __________ already __________ (leave).
    2. She __________ (be) really tired because she __________ (work) on the project all night.
    3. While I __________ (drive) home, I suddenly __________ (remember) that I __________ (forget) to lock the front door.
    4. They __________ (not finish) their dinner when the guests __________ (knock) at the door.
    5. He __________ (wait) for over an hour before he __________ (realise) she __________ (not come).
    6. When the police __________ (search) the house, they __________ (discover) that someone __________ (break) in earlier.
    7. I __________ (read) in bed when I __________ (hear) a strange noise downstairs.
    8. After the accident, the driver admitted he __________ (not pay) attention because he __________ (text) on his phone.
    9. We __________ (live) in Paris for three years before we __________ (decide) to move back to London.
    10. She looked upset; I think she __________ (cry) before she __________ (enter) the room.
    11. By 9 pm, the children __________ (play) outside for hours and __________ (be) completely exhausted.
    12. He __________ (never try) sushi before he __________ (visit) Japan last summer.
    13. While the band __________ (perform), the lights suddenly __________ (go) out.
    14. The team __________ (celebrate) because they __________ (win) the championship for the first time.
    15. I __________ (study) English for six years by the time I __________ (take) the B2 exam.
    16. When we __________ (get) to the cinema, the film __________ already __________ (start), so we __________ (miss) the beginning.
    17. She __________ (paint) the walls all morning, which is why she __________ (have) paint on her hands.
    18. He said he __________ (not sleep) well because the neighbours __________ (have) a loud party until 4 am.
    19. The detective quickly understood who __________ (commit) the crime because the suspect __________ (leave) his fingerprints everywhere.
    20. Yesterday at this time, we __________ (fly) over the Atlantic while our friends __________ (still sleep) at home.

    Quick answers (for self-check — try first!)

    1. arrived / had … left
    2. was / had been working
    3. was driving / remembered / had forgotten
    4. hadn’t finished / knocked
    5. had been waiting / realised / wasn’t coming (or hadn’t come)
    6. searched / discovered / had broken
    7. was reading / heard
    8. hadn’t been paying / had been texting
    9. had been living / decided
    10. had been crying / entered
    11. had been playing / were
    12. had never tried / visited
    13. was performing / went
    14. was celebrating / had won
    15. had been studying / took
    16. got / had … started / missed
    17. had been painting / had
    18. hadn’t slept / had been having
    19. had committed / had left
    20. were flying / were still sleeping

     

  • These sentences test typical B2 contrasts: interrupted actions, sequence of events, duration with visible results, and background vs main actions. Practice narrating short stories using them!