Narrative Tenses Worksheet

NARRATIVE TENSES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Narrative Tenses Practice
A. Read the short story and choose the correct forms of the verbs.
First Time Buyers
Last year, my wife and I (1) bought / were buying
our first house. We (2) had already been living /
were already living together for 5 years before we
bought our house, so we (3) knew / were knowing
how to live together. I'll never forget the first house
we (4) looked / had looked at. It (5) was / was
being a small house in the suburbs with small windows. While we (6) were walking / had
walked around the house, I (7) noticed / was noticing how dark and depressing it (8) was
/ had been. I (9) was always living / had always lived in a house with a lot of light and big
windows, so I instantly (10) hated / was hating it. We (11) saw / had seen a few more houses
after that which were all quite nice. We (12) ended / had ended up buying the second house
that we (13) visited / were visiting. We (14) had been seeing / had seen it twice before we
(15) bought / had bought it, just to be sure. I (16) had been dreaming / was dreaming of this
day for a long time. Now, we have moved in. I'm really happy.
B. Match the narrative tenses from the box to their descriptions.
past simple past continuous past perfect past perfect continuous
1. ........................................ is used for an action that took place before another action or
event in the past.
2. ........................................ is used for an action in the past that was in progress before
another past action or event.
3. ........................................ is used to describe a finished action or event in the past.
4. ........................................ is used to describe an action or event in progress at a specific
time in the past.
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NARRATIVE TENSES
WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Narrative Tenses Practice
C. Use the prompts to create sentences using the four narrative tenses.
1. I / play football for years / before / I break my leg
i had been playing foot for yeara before i brooke my leg

..................................................................................................................................
2. While / I / do my homework / my sister call me
..................................................................................................................................
while i was doing my homework my sister called me
3. She / take a cooking lesson only once / before / she cook for me
..................................................................................................................................
she had taking a cooking lesson only once before she cooked for me
4. I / buy a new laptop / after / I use my old one for years
..................................................................................................................................
i bought a new laptop after o had been using my old one for years
5. The stylist / already cut the girl's hair / before / she / change her mind
..................................................................................................................................
the stylist had already cut the girl's hair before she changed her mind
6. By the time my guests arrive / I already start eating
..................................................................................................................................
by the time my guests arrived i already started eating
D. Complete the first part of the story using the verbs below in their correct form.
Then, continue the story using the four narrative tenses and your own ideas.
drive stop pick plan stand decide be x 2
Last summer, my cousin and I (1) ..........................

decided to go on a road trip
planned
across America. We (2) .......................... the journey for months when
the day to leave finally arrived. We (3) ...............

had never ................
been to
America before, so we (4) ..........................
were both really excited about the trip ahead. We (5)
picked
.......................... drove
up the rental car from the airport and (6) .......................... it out on to
the highway. After a few hours of driving, we (7) ..........................

stopped at a gas station. While we
(8) ..........................
were standing outside the gas station, a long black limousine pulled up next to us. ..
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................
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NARRATIVE TENSES

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Narrative Tenses Practice

First Time Buyers

Last year, my wife and I (1) bought / were buying

our first house. We (2) had already been living /

were already living together for 5 years before we

bought our house, so we (3) knew / were knowing

how to live together. I'll never forget the first house

we (4) looked / had looked at. It (5) was / was

B. Match the narrative tenses from the box to their descriptions.

past simple past continuous past perfect past perfect continuous

event in the past.

another past action or event.

3. ........................................ is used to describe a finished action or event in the past.

4. ........................................ is used to describe an action or event in progress at a specific

time in the past.

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

WORKSHEETS, ACTIVITIE S & GA ME S Narrative Tenses Practice

1. I / play football for years / before / I break my leg

i had been playing foot for yeara before i brooke my leg

drive stop pick plan stand decide be x 2

Last summer, my cousin and I (1) ..........................

the day to leave finally arrived. We (3) ...............

the highway. After a few hours of driving, we (7) ..........................

Teach-This.com © 2021 Permission granted to reproduce for classroom use.

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4. ........................................ is used to describe an action or event in progress at a specific