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Exercises · Past tenses

Past tenses quiz

Choose the right tense for each sentence. Every example comes from real meetings, emails, updates and presentations – and each answer explains the rule.

Need a refresher? Review the rules in 4.1 Past simple or past continuous and 4.2 Past simple or past perfect in our Verb Tenses in Business guide.

1. Finished events

The past simple works for anything finished – single, repeated or continuing events. You don’t need the past continuous just because something lasted a long time.

Rules: 4.1 Past simple or past continuous

1I   at Deloitte for five years before I joined this company.
2Last quarter we   three new clients.
3We   on the project for the whole of last year.
4Yesterday morning   very busy.
5I   to Frankfurt twice last month.

2. Interruptions: ‘when’ and ‘until’

Was it in progress, or did it interrupt? Past continuous for the event that was interrupted, past simple for the interruption.

Rules: 4.1 Past simple or past continuous

1I   the quarterly results when the system crashed.
2We were negotiating the final terms when the client   the deal off.
3Sales   steadily until a new competitor entered the market.
4I was reviewing the contract when I   a serious mistake.
5Sorry I didn’t answer – I   with a client when you called.

3. Going further back

Already talking about the past? Use the past perfect to go further back – but only then.

Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect

1The client was unhappy because we   the deadline the week before.
2I opened my laptop and realised that I   the wrong version of the presentation.
3The board rejected the proposal because nobody   the figures.
4We   our first office in Vienna in 2012.
5I arrived at the office,   my emails and went into the first meeting.

4. ‘Already’, ‘never… before’ and ‘when I arrived’

The three past perfect phrases you will use most in business.

Rules: 4.2 Past simple or past perfect

1I didn’t want to discuss it again because we   it two days before.
2I was nervous before the pitch because I   to investors before.
3When I joined the call, the meeting  , so I missed the introductions.
4When I joined the call, the meeting  , so I didn’t miss anything.
5He introduced himself as our new CFO. I   him before.

5. Mixed review

All the rules together, in real business situations.

Rules: Lessons 4.1 and 4.2

1I   our expansion plan to the board when the chairman stopped me.
2I couldn’t answer because I   the latest figures.
3We   the contract last Friday.
4By the time we signed the contract, the price   by 10%.
5The team   well until two key people left.

Check a section to see your score here.

More practice

Next exerciseGap-fillType the right formNext exerciseMixed past tensesAll the tenses in one business storyThe guideVerb Tenses in BusinessDiagrams and explanations

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Use past tenses in discussing your biggest adventures in our reading lesson about Red Bull's extreme branding strategy.  Alternatively, have you ever looked back at a decision and regretted it?  Check out our reading lesson on the sunk cost fallacy.

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