WORKSHEET 5

SUBJECT: Past form of Verb “To Be “

A) Fill in the blanks. Use WAS / WERE:

1. Mary and Susan …… were ……… ill yesterday.

2. The weather Was very hot last Saturday.
3. The students were at the theater last night.
4. Betty Were in Germany last summer.
5. My brother and I were at the football stadium on Saturday.
6. it was cold yesterday?

B) Put these sentences into the PAST. Use past form of verb “ TO BE “:

TODAY YESTERDAY

Example: I’m at home. ….. I was at home………………………………

1. Jane and Michael are tired. Jane and Michael were tired.
2. She’s in the park. She was in the park.
3. It’s a sunny day. It was a sunny day.
4. You’re late. You were late.
5. They aren’t hungry. They weren't hungry.
6. We aren’t at work. We weren't at work.
7. I’m thirsty. I was thirsty
8. You aren’t at school. You weren't at school.
9. We’re at the cinema. We were at the cinema.
10.Paula isn’t happy. Paula wasn't happy.
11.Everyone is excited. Everyone was exited.
12.I’m not afraid. I was not afraid.

C) Choose WAS or WERE and circle it:

1. He was / were a policeman.

2. We was / were very happy.
3. Was / Were you happy?
4. They wasn’t / weren’t interested in.
5. I was / were at school.
6. It wasn’t / weren’t expensive.
7. Was / Were she your teacher?

D) Complete the text with WAS or WERE:

Interviewer: What was it like during the First World War, Bill?
Bill : It was a terrible time. I was. a young man, so I was in the army. We were in Italy.
Interviewer: Where were your wife and children?
Bill : They were in London. That was. dangerous too. There were bombs and there was
not a lot of food. The children were very young and they were very frightened.

E) Are these statements TRUE or FALSE? Correct the FALSE statements using WASN’T
or WEREN’T:
Example: a) Bill was an old man during the First World War.
FALSE- Bill wasn’t an old man during the First World War.

b) Bill was in the army. TRUE

Yes, he was.
c) Bill was in Poland. FALSE
Bill was in Italy
d) Bill’s wife and children were in Italy. FALSE
They was in London.
e) It was dangerous in London. TRUE
Yes, it was
f) There was a lot of food in London. FALSE
There was not a lot of food..
g) The children were quite old. FALSE
They was very young
h) The children were frightened. TRUE
Yes, they were.
F) Make questions about the text using WAS or WERE:
Example: a) How old / Bill / during the First World War?
How old was Bill during the First World War?

b) / Bill / in the army? Was Bill in the army?

c) Where / Bill?
Where was Bill?
d) Where / Bill’s wife and children? Where were Bill's wife and children?
e) / It dangerous in London? Was it dangerous in London?
f) / There bombs? Were there bombs?
g) / There a lot of food? Was there a lot of food?
h) How old / the children? How old were the children?
I) / The children frightened? Were the children frightened?

G) Read the interview and answer the questions:

Bill Jenkins is 100 today.

Interviewer: Bill, I expect life is very different today than a hundred years ago. What was it
like?
Bill : Yes, it is very different. Life was much quieter then. There are so many cars
now. There weren’t any cars when I was a boy.
Interviewer: Were you happy as a child?
Bill : Oh yes, I was very happy, but I’m still happy now!
Interviewer: Tell me about your family.
Bill : Well, my father was a postman and my mother was a cook. We weren’t rich,
but we weren’t poor either. There were five children. My brothers and sisters
were all younger than me but I’m the only one still here.

1. Were there any cars when he was a boy?

No, there weren't.
2. Was he happy or sad when he was a child?
Yes, He was very happy.
3. What was his mother’s job?
She was a cook.
4. How many children were there in his family?
There were five children.
5. How old is Bill Jenkins?
He is 100 years old.

H) Mary spent last weekend in Madrid. Ask her some questions using WAS or WERE:

Example: (your hotel / good?) ….. Was your hotel good……

1. (your room / comfortable?) Was your room comfortable?

2. (the weather / nice?) Was the weather nice?
3. (the streets / full of people?) Were the streets full of people?
4. (the shops / expensive?) Were the shops expensive?
5. (the city / exciting at night?) Was the city exciting at night?
6. (the museums / interesting?) Were the museums interesting?
7. (the people / friendly?) Were the people friendly?
8. (your flight / OK?) Were your flight, ok?

I) George and Sally have been married for 50 years. They are talking about their first
house. Use WAS or WERE and a word from the box to complete their conversation:

new Italian big green

cheap cold bad

Example: George: The house was warm.

Sally : No, it …. was cold. ………..

1. George: The garden was small.

Sally: No, it was big.

2. Sally: The neighbors were French.

George: No, they were Italian.

3. George: The living-room was red.

Sally: No, it was green.

4. Sally: Our first chairs were expensive.

George: No, they were cheap.

5. George: The kitchen was old.

Sally: No, it was new.

6. George: The local shops were good.

Sally: No, they were bad.

J) Put WAS, WASN’T, WERE or WEREN’T in the gaps in these conversations:

1. Peter: …. WasPaul at work today?

Julie: No, he was in the office. I think he’s sick.

2. Henry: was you in South America last year?

 Steve: Yes. I was in Bolivia on business, and then my wife and I were in Brazil for a
holiday.

3. Paula: Philip and I were.. at home in London last week. We at were at Mike’s house in
Cornwall. It was lovely there. Do you know Mike?
4. Jane: Yes, I was at Mike’s party in Oxford in the summer. Were you there?
Paula: No, we weren’t there. Philip and I were in Portugal in the summer.

K) Make questions using WAS / WERE:

1. Jim / at home / last night. Was Jim at home last night??

2. You / at school / on Monday Were you at school on Monday?
3. David / here / yesterday? Was David here yesterday?
4. the cinema / open / on Sunday? Was the cinema open on Sunday?
5. Kate and Jane / late / yesterday? Were Kate and Jane late yesterday?
6. you / in the football team / last year? Were you in the football team last year?
7. all your friends / at your party? Were all your friends at your party?
8. it / hot / last week.? Was it hot last week?

L) Make negative sentences using WAS / WERE:

1. Kevin / at my party. …… Kevin wasn’t at my party………...

2. Nick / in class yesterday. Nick wasn't in class yesterday.
3. It / warm yesterday…. It wasn't warm yesterday
4. Tina and Jim / late. Tina and Jim weren't late.
5. Etty / on the bus. Etty wasn't on the bus
6. We / at the match / yesterday. We weren't at the match yesterday
7. Our teachers / pleased with us. Our teachers weren't pleased with us...
8. I / at the restaurant. I wasn't at the restaurant.

N) Fill in the blanks using WAS (NOT) / WERE (NOT):

1. I’m here today but I ……. wasn’t here yesterday.

2. Jennifer is tall now but she Wasn't tall two years ago.
3. It is rainy today but it wasn't yesterday.
4. Mr. Smith is angry now but he wasn't an hour ago.
5. The shops are open today but they weren't on Sunday.
6. My car is clean today but it wasn't yesterday.
7. My father isn’t at home now but he was an hour ago.
8. The students are in class today but they weren’t last week.
9. It isn’t sunny now but it was an hour ago.
10. We aren’t hungry now but we were twenty minutes ago.
WORKSHEET 6

SUBJECT: Past form of Verb “To Be “

A) Complete the text with the correct form of TO BE:

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy …were….. two of the most popular film comedians of all
time. They were born in 1890 and 1892 respectively.
Stan Laurel’s real name was. Arthur Jefferson. He was from England.
Oliver Hardy Was English, he was from Georgia, USA.
Laurel and Hardy were in their late 30s when they met. Their first film together
Was Putting Pants on Philip (1927). They were funny because they were so
different. Laurel was small and thin. Hardy was big and fat. Their most
famous film was Way Out West (1937) and Blockheads (1938). They weren't
in any serious films, only comedies.
B) Use the text to help you write questions for the answers:
Example: Who was Oliver Hardy’s famous comic partner?
Stan Laurel.

1. When were Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy born?

In 1890 and 1892 respectively.
2. What was the real name of Stan Laurel? Arthur Jefferson.
3. Where was Stan Laurel from? England.
4. Was Oliver Hardy England? No, he wasn’t. He was American.
5. What was their first film together? Putting Pants on Philip.
6. Why were they funny? Because they were so different.

C) Write questions and answers. Use the past tense of BE:

1. A: We had a nice holiday.

B: (you / with your whole family?) Were you with your whole family? …
A: (no / my daughter / in Montreal) ……. No, my daughter was in Montreal….

2. A: I bought these new shoes yesterday.

B: (they / on sale?) were they on sale?
A: (yes / they / only $25) Yes, they were only $25

3. A: (you / at home / last night?) were you at home last night?

B: (no / I / at the library) No, I was at the library

4. A: (the guests / late for the party?) were the guests late for the party?
B: (no / they / all on time) No, they were all on time.
WORKSHEET 7

SUBJECT: Present Simple and Present Continuous Tense

A) Make questions and answers. Use THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

Example: (she / work / in Peru / this year?) (No, she / study / in Mexico)
Is she working in Peru this year? No. She’s studying in Mexico.

1. (you / study / English / at the moment?) (Yes, I / work / hard.)

Are you studying English at the moment? Yes, I’m working hard
2. (they / listen / to the radio?) (No, they / play / CDs.)
Are they listening to the radio? No, they are playing CDs
3. (Peter / wash / now?) (Yes, he / have / a bath.)
Is Peter washing now? Yes, he is having a bath
4. (they / live / in Madrid / at the moment?) (Yes, they / learn / Spanish.)
Are they living in Madrid at the moment? Yes, they learning Spanish.
5. (David / sing / in a group / this year?) (No, he / work / in a restaurant.)
Is David singing in a group this year? No, he is working in a restaurant.
B) Write TRUE next to a correct sentence, and FALSE next to a wrong sentence:
Example: She’s liking pop music. FALSE
He’s learning German. TRUE

1. They’re enjoying the film. TRUE 6. She’s eating a banana. TRUE

2. We’re loving ice-cream. TRUE 7. I’m feeling sick. TRUE
3. She’s believing he’s right. FALSE 8. “Huge” is meaning “very big”. FALSE
4. John’s thinking about my idea. TRUE 9. Mick is knowing Jane. TRUE
5. He’s having lunch at the moment TRUE 10. She’s hating classical music. FALSE

C) Complete this conversation. Use the verbs in brackets () in the PRESENT

CONTINUOUS:

Paul: Hi Steve! What are you doing?

Steve: I am going (I / go) to the bank. What are you doing?
Paul: I’m shopping (I / shop) I’m looking (I / look) for a new tennis racquet, Im playing (I /
play) a lot of tennis at the moment, and I need a new racquet.
Steve: Where is Jackie? Do you know?
Paul: Yes. She isn’t in England at the moment. She is working (She / work) in Germany for a
month.
Steve: What is she doing (she / do) in Germany?
Paul: She is singing (She / sing) in a night-club.
Steve: Really? What about Fred and Sue? What are they doing (they / do)?
Paul: They are studying (They / study) for an exam. They’re always in the library at the
moment.
Steve: How is your sister? Is she all right?
Paul: Yes, she’s fine, but she’s tired. We are painting (We / paint) the
living-room. It’s hard work.
Steve: Can I help you?
 Paul: No, it’s OK. My father is helping us (help).
Steve: Well, I hope you find a good racquet.

C) This is Anna’s first letter in English to David. There are some mistakes. Rewrite wrong
verb forms. Underline if the verb form is correct:

Dear David,
I live ……………. in a large flat in Rome. I’m having…. have two sisters. They are
Called Rosa and Maria. We are getting up… get up at seven o’clock every morning, and we
have coffee and a small breakfast. I leave …………………the flat at eight and walk to the
university. I am finishing … finish classes at five every day, and I arrive home at six. This month
I work …… am working very hard for my exams.
At the moment, I eat…I’m eating breakfast in the kitchen of our flat, my mother drinks … is
drinking coffee, and my sisters are reading ……magazines.
On Saturday afternoons I am playing… Play tennis with my friends, or
I go to the cinema. Today, I’m going to see a new English film.
Sometimes I am watching… I watch American films on TV, but I’m not understanding ….
Don’t understand the words! Are you liking ……Do you like films?
Please write to me soon.

With best wishes,

Anna
D) Write sentences. Use the PRESENT SIMPLE or the PRESENT CONTINUOUS:
Example: (Usually she / work / at the office, but this week she / work / at home.)
Usually she works at the office, but this week she’s working at home.

1. (You / not / eat / very much at the moment. Are you ill?)
You are not eating very much at the moment. Are you ill?
2. (She / know / three words in Italian!)
She knows three words in Italian.
3. (I / take / the bus to work this week, but usually I / walk)
I am taking the bus to work this week, but usually I walk.
4. (I / study / Japanese this year. It’s very difficult.)
I’m studying Japanese this year. It’s very difficult
5. (you / watch / the television at the moment?)
Are you watching the television at the moment?
6. (I / not / remember / the name of the hotel.)
I don’t remember the name of the hotel.
7. (She / speak / three languages.)
She speaks three languages
8. (The sun / shine /. It’s a beautiful day!)
The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day!
WORKSHEET 7

SUBJECT: Simple Past Tense

A) Fill in the blanks with a verb from the box in the SIMPLE PAST:

break swim have make sit write

spend buy drink lose wash

1. She Made a cake an hour ago.

2. She bought a hat last week.
3. The boy wrote a letter yesterday.
4. They swam in the sea for an hour.
5. They drank a lot of Coke last night.
6. She broke her arm last week.
7. He spent all his money last week.
8. She has bath two minutes ago.
9. He lost his wallet last night.
10. She sat on the old chair a minute ago.
11. She washed the clothes yesterday.

B) Fill in the blanks with the SIMPLE PAST of the verbs in brackets:

Last Saturday my father …. took…. (take) my friends and me to the circus. We Saw (see)
lots of things. My father Bought (buy) us some popcorn and orange juice. We ate (eat) the
popcorn and drank (drink) the orange juice.
We laughed (laugh) at the funny clowns. There was (be) a lion-tamer.
The lions did (do) tricks; they jumped (jump) through hoops.
A girl rode (ride) an elephant around the ring. We all had (have) a wonderful time.

C) Write what Jean DID or DIDN’T do yesterday:

go shopping (-) ………… Jean didn’t go shopping yesterday. ……………

clean the house (+) …………...Jean cleaned the house yesterday……………
feed the cat (+) .………………Jean fed the cat yesterday……………….
telephone Mary (-) ………. Jean didn’t telephone Mary Yesterday………...
watch a film on TV (-) ………Jean didn’t watch a film on TV yesterday………
visit her grandparents (+) …………. Jean visited her parents yesterday….……….
take them a cake (+) ……………Jean took them a cake yesterday.………….

D) Fill in the blanks with the PAST form of the verbs:

Benjamin Franklin …… was born …. (Be born) in Boston in 1706. He was (be)
the fifteenth of the seventeen children of a poor candlemaker. He went (go) to
school only one year. He began (begin) to work when he was twelve. At
the age of fourteen he decided (decide) to be a writer. He copied (copy) the great stories of
famous writers and later he became (become) the best-known writer in his time.
When he was (be) seventeen, he left (leave) Boston and arrived (arrive) in Philadelphia with
only a few pennies in his pocket. He got (get) a job as a publisher of a newspaper and retired
(retire) from business as a very rich man at forty-two. Then he spent (spend) the next
forty years for his government. He played (play) an important role in the founding of the USA.
Franklin was (be) also an important scientist and inventor. He drew (draw) electricity from a
cloud on a kite string. He wrote (write) one of the first text books on electricity. He invented
(invent) a simple lightning rod and many other practical tools. He made (make) a study of
water and discovered (discover) many principles of hydrodynamics. He even invented (invent)
bifocal glasses when he was seventy-eight and needed (need) them himself.
Franklin did (do) all these things and many more because he believed
(believe) he could (can).

E) Read the following story:

Bob is a young sailor. He lives in England, but he is often away with his ship.
One summer he comes back from a long voyage and finds new neighbors near his mother’s
house. They have a pretty daughter, and Bob soon loves her and he wants to marry her when he
comes back. Bob promises the girl to send a present from every port.
Bob’s first port is Capetown in Africa, and he sends the girl a parrot from there. The parrot
speaks three languages. When Bob’s ship reaches Australia, a letter comes from the girl. The
letter says, “Thank you for the parrot, Bob. It tasted much better than a chicken.”

a) Write the story again. Use THE SIMPLE PAST:

Bob was a young sailor. He lived in England, but he was often away with his ship. One
summer he came back from a long voyage and found new neighbors near his mother’s house.
They had a pretty daughter, and Bob soon loved her and he wanted to marry her when he
came back. Bob promised the girl to send a present from every port.
Bob’s first post was Capetown in Africa, and he sent the girl a parrot from there. The parrot
Spoke three languages. When Bob’s ship reaches Australia, a letter came from the girl. The
letter said, “Thank you for the parrot, Bob. It tasted much better than a chicken”

b) Answer the questions about the story:

1. What was Bob?

He was a young sailor.
2. What change did he find when he was back home?
He found new neighbors.
3. How was their daughter?
She was pretty.
4. How did Bob feel about the girl?
He loved her soon.
5. What did Bob tell the girl?
He told her to send a present from every port.
6. What did Bob send the girl from Capetown?
He sent the girl a parrot.
 7. Where is Capetown?
Capetown is in Africa.

8. How many languages did the parrot speak?

The parrot spoke three languages
9. What did the girl do with the parrot?
She ate the parrot.

G) Rewrite the sentences using the word and signs in parenthesis:

1. We ate lunch at the cafeteria last night.

(he) (-) 2. He didn’t eat lunch at the cafeteria last night.
(yesterday) (?) 3. Did he eat lunch at the cafeteria last night?
(Study in the library) (-?) 4. Didn’t he study in the library?
(we) (-) 5. We didn’t eat lunch at the cafeteria last night
(Play tennis) (+) 6. He played tennis last night.
(I) (-) 7. I didn’t eat lunch at the cafeteria last night.
(Get a present) (+) 8. He got a present at the cafeteria last night.
(you) (-?) 9. Did you eat lunch at the cafeteria last night.
(Go shopping) (?) 10. He went shopping last night.
(Last week) (-) 11. He didn’t eat lunch at the cafeteria last week.
(she) (+) 12. She ate lunch at the cafeteria las night.
(Stay home) (?) 13. He stay home last night
(Last night) (-?) 14. Did he eat at the cafeteria last night?
(they) (-) 15. They didn’t eat at the cafeteria last night.
(Get into trouble) (+) 16. He got into trouble last night.
(you) (?) 17. Did you eat at the cafeteria last night?
(See him) (-?) 18. Didn’t you see him at the cafeteria last night?
(Yesterday afternoon) (?) 19. Did he eat at the cafeteria yesterday afternoon?
(I) (+) 20. I ate at the cafeteria last night.