Three Step English for Intermediate Learners - Practice #12 - Talking About Past Actions in Sequence - Exercises
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Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? I went and then took a shower. I went and then took a shower. Swimming. Swimming. I went swimming and then took a shower. I went swimming and then took a shower. Swimming is correct here because the past tense verb in this phrase is "went." Using "swam" would mean having two past tense verbs in the phrase.

Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? I drove home and then the sunset. I drove home and then the sunset. Watched. Watched. I drove home and then watched the sunset. I drove home and then watched the sunset. Watched is correct here since the phrase otherwise has no past tense verb. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready?

biked, and then ran to the end. Biked, and then ran to the end. Swam, swam. I swam, biked, and then ran to the end. I swam, biked, and then ran to the end.

To describe a sequence of events that have happened, all the verb phrases need to be in past tense. While "I swim" is a grammatically correct phrase, using it would mix present and past tense phrases which would be incorrect. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? I the news and then took a break. The news and then took a break. Wrote down. Wrote down.

Wrote down the news and then took a break. I wrote down the news and then took a break. Written and wrote are both past tense, but written is a past participle verb. This sentence pattern calls for past tense singular forms of verbs. Unscramble the words to make a sentence. I went. I went swimming. I went swimming, drove.

I went swimming, drove home. I went swimming, drove home, and then took. I went swimming, drove home, and then took a shower. Unscramble the words to make a sentence. I drank. I drank soda. I drank soda, ate. I drank soda, ate pizza.

I drank soda, ate pizza, and then... I drank soda, ate pizza, and then watched... I drank soda, ate pizza, and then watched a movie. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? I got a ticket, took or taken the boat, and then went home. I got a ticket,

Took or taken the boat and then went home. Took. I got a ticket, took the boat and then went home. Took is used here because it's the past singular form. Taken is the past participle form and cannot be used. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? I got on the plane, flew or fly over Europe and then landed in Japan.

I got on the plane, flew or fly over Europe and then landed in Japan. Flew, flew. I got on the plane, flew over Europe and then landed in Japan. Flew is used here because it's past tense. Fly is the bare infinitive and not usable. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? He went to the moon, took or takes one step and then left.

He went to the moon, took or takes one step and then left. He went to the moon, took one step and then left. Took is used here because it is the past tense form appropriate for the sentence structure. Choose the best answer to complete this sentence. Ready? They made a reservation, got or gets to the restaurant, and then ate dinner.

They made a reservation, got or gets to the restaurant and then ate dinner. Got. Got. They made a reservation, got to the restaurant and then ate dinner. Got is used here because gets is the present indicative form and not appropriate for the sentence pattern. Listen to what I say. Can you match the past tense verb at the end of the sentence to its present tense form on the right?

I went to the movies and then took a nap. Listen one more time. I went to the movies and then took a nap. Did you hear? Took is the past tense form of take. How about, they made a reservation and then ate dinner. Let's listen one more time. They made a reservation and then ate dinner. Did you hear? Ate. Ate is the past tense form of eat. Next. I went swimming and then drove home.

One more time. I went swimming and then drove home. Did you hear drove? Drove is the past tense form of drive. Next. He fell off the boat and then swam to shore. One more time. He fell off the boat and then swam to shore. Did you hear swam? Swam is the past tense form of swim. And I got the ingredients and then made breakfast. One more time.

I got the ingredients and then made breakfast. Did you hear "made"? "Made" is the past tense form of "make." Thank you for watching! Now you know how to talk about past actions in sequence in English. And now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway on EnglishClass101.com.