We use narrative tenses to tell stories about the past: what happened, what was going on in the background, and what had happened earlier. Check the table, then do the exercises below — you get the answer and an explanation straight away.
| Tense | Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past simple | worked, went | the main events, in order | She opened the door and walked in. |
| Past continuous | was / were + -ing | the background; an action in progress | It was raining when she arrived. |
| Past perfect | had + past participle | an earlier action, before another past moment | The film had started when we got there. |
| Past perfect continuous | had been + -ing | a longer activity up to a past moment, often with a visible result | He was tired because he had been running. |
Narrative tenses quiz
Four sets of 20 questions: start with Basics (B1) and move up to Advanced (C1), or try the At work set with real office situations. Choose an option or type the verb in the correct form. Prefer to check everything at the end? Switch to Exam mode.
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We dinner when the lights went out.
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Yesterday I up at 7, had a coffee and left for work.
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What (you / do) at 10 o’clock last night?
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While Anna was cooking, her husband the table.
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I my keys while I was running in the park.
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The children (sleep) when we got home, so we were very quiet.
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When I saw the accident, I the police.
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It heavily when we left the house, so we took an umbrella.
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She (not / hear) the doorbell because she was listening to music.
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I first Tom at a party in 2019.
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When we got to the station, the train .
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I was hungry because I (not / eat) anything since breakfast.
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you sleeping when I called?
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He his arm when he fell off his bike.
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At 8 am the sun (shine) and people were going to work.
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She couldn’t pay for her coffee because she her purse at home.
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Somebody my bag while I was waiting for the bus!
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When I arrived at the party, most of the guests (go) home.
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We along the street when we heard a loud noise.
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I didn’t go to the cinema with them because I the film before.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key — free to use in class.
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When we arrived at the cinema, the film .
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I didn’t recognise him at first because he a beard.
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We (not / see) each other for ten years, so the reunion was very emotional.
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By the time the police arrived, the thieves .
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He was exhausted because he all night.
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When I got to the station, I realised I (leave) my ticket at home.
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The ground was wet because it for hours.
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It was the first time I snow, so I ran outside to touch it.
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She was nervous because she in public before.
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Her eyes were red. She (cry).
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I (wait) for over an hour when she finally turned up.
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The kitchen was a mess and smelled of chocolate. Someone a cake.
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How long English before you moved to London?
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They three games in a row, so they were full of confidence.
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By the end of the evening I (drink) four cups of coffee and couldn’t sleep.
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When I opened the door, I saw that someone into the house.
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My hands were dirty because I in the garden.
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She (live) in Madrid for five years before she moved to Lisbon.
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We were late because we the wrong bus.
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As soon as I the email, I realised I had made a mistake.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key — free to use in class.
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Hardly down when the phone rang.
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No sooner the house than it started to pour.
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Scarcely (she / finish) her speech when the audience started clapping.
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I call you, but my phone died.
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We to leave when the guests suddenly arrived.
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When we were kids, we spend every summer at our grandparents’ farm.
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It was the third time that week that he (be) late.
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She told us she the report, but in fact she hadn’t even started it.
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By the time I finally got a job, I for almost a year.
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The match by the time we found our seats.
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I (only just / get) home when the doorbell rang.
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He looked guilty. It was obvious he .
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The museum for two months, so we couldn’t go in.
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The moment she the room, everyone stopped talking.
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I suddenly realised that I (never / feel) so happy in my life.
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Little that his life was about to change forever.
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We had been driving for hours, and the children asking “Are we there yet?”
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Not until I got home (I / notice) that my wallet was missing.
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She for the company for twenty years when she was suddenly made redundant.
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The phone for a while before anyone answered it.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key — free to use in class.
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I a presentation when the projector stopped working.
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By the time the meeting started, the CEO the news to the press.
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The client was angry because we (not / reply) to his email for a week.
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She for the company for ten years when she got her first promotion.
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While I the report, my boss called me into her office.
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When I joined the team, they (already / start) the project.
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We lost the contract because our competitor a lower price.
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I my laptop in the taxi, so I couldn’t show them the slides.
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Everyone looked tired. They (work) on the budget since 7 am.
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At the end of the interview, the manager me if I had any questions.
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We to sign the deal when the CEO suddenly changed his mind.
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It was the first time our team (meet) the investors in person.
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When I got to the office, I found out that the server down overnight.
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The sales figures for six months, so the board decided to act.
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I noticed a mistake in the total while I (check) the invoice.
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Our manager was in a bad mood because the client the meeting at the last minute.
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How long there before they offered you a permanent contract?
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The meeting (go) well until someone mentioned the budget cuts.
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As soon as the CEO the room, everyone started whispering.
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I was stressed because I the deadline for the second time that month.
Teachers: download these questions as a printable worksheet with an answer key — free to use in class.
How to choose the right narrative tense
Think of a story as a timeline. The past simple moves the story forward. The past continuous paints the scene around it. The past perfect and past perfect continuous take us back to something that happened before.
It was getting dark and it had been raining all day. I was walking home when I realised I had left my keys at the office. I turned round and ran back.
- was getting, was walking — background actions in progress (past continuous)
- had been raining — a long activity before that moment (past perfect continuous)
- had left — a completed action before the realisation (past perfect)
- realised, turned, ran — the main events, one after another (past simple)
Signal words
- while, as → often past continuous: While I was cooking, the lights went out.
- when + short event → past simple: I was reading when the phone rang.
- by the time, already, before, never … before → past perfect: By the time we arrived, they had left.
- for + period up to a past moment → past perfect continuous: We had been waiting for an hour.
- It was the first time… → past perfect: It was the first time I had flown.
Common mistakes
- ❌ When we arrived, the film started. → ✅ the film had started (if it started before we arrived).
- ❌ I had a shower when the phone rang. → ✅ I was having a shower… (the shower was in progress).
- ❌ Her eyes were red. She cried. → ✅ She had been crying. (we see the result of an earlier activity).
FAQ
What are narrative tenses?
Narrative tenses are the four past tenses we use to tell stories: past simple, past continuous, past perfect and past perfect continuous. Together they show the order of events and what was happening around them.
What is the difference between the past perfect and the past perfect continuous?
The past perfect focuses on a completed earlier action (I had written the report). The past perfect continuous focuses on the activity and its duration (I had been writing for three hours), and often explains a result we can see.
What level are these exercises?
There are four sets: Basics (B1), Intermediate (B2), Advanced (C1) and At work (B2). The advanced set includes structures such as “Hardly had I sat down when…” and “Little did he know…”, which are common in B2 and C1 exams.