MOVIE AWARDS QUIZ

NArrative tenses

or how am I even supposed to tell a story?

Look at the sentences. Match them to the correct use. THen, write the name of the tense they use above the box.

1 to describe the main events in sequence

2 to describe a general state in the past.

2 to describe something that happened before the main event(s)

1 when we need to make it clear that one past event happened before another one.

Describe The background to an event within the story. Generally an interruption.

Describe the background to the main story.

Describe a longer activity before the main event.

30

Describe a longer activity up to the main event.

He got in the car, started the engine and drove away.

When they arrived, the thieves had left.

I’d always wanted to visit Australia, so I bought the tickets right away!

It was one of the coldest winters in memory.

It had been snowing all night and my flight was cancelled

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

We’d been enjoying a morning on the beach when something strange happened.

It was raining when we arrived.

1 to describe the main events in sequence

2 to describe a general state in the past.

2 to describe something that happened before the main event(s)

1 when we need to make it clear that one past event happened before another one.

Describe The background to an event within the story. Generally an interruption.

Describe the background to the main story.

Describe a longer activity before the main event.

Describe a longer activity up to the main event.

He got in the car, started the engine and drove away.

It was one of the coldest winters in memory.

When they arrived, the thieves had left.

I’d always wanted to visit Australia, so I bought the tickets right away!

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

It had been snowing all night and my flight was cancelled

It was raining when we arrived.

We’d been enjoying a morning on the beach when something strange happened.

PAST SIMPLE

PAST perfect

PAST continuous

PAST perfect continuous