The
past perfect v the past simple (Answers)
Submitted
by Martin Bache
Put the verb in brackets into the appropriate
tense:
Story
1
When I arrived at the pub they .......... (stop) serving food,
so I .......... (sit) down and .......... (order) a pint of
bitter. I couldn't see anyone I .......... (recognise) so I
.......... (pick) up my paper and .......... (start) reading.
By the time I .......... (finish) the sports section my glass
.......... (be) empty. Suddenly I .......... (feel) a tap on
my shoulder. I .......... (turn) round to see an old friend
of mine who I .......... (not see) for ages. He .......... (join)
me at the bar and we .......... (start) talking.
For several minutes I couldn't concentrate. He .......... (change)
a lot over the years. His hair .......... (turn) grey and he
.......... (seem) much older. As we .......... (talk) he ..........
(tell) me that he .......... (divorce) his wife. He ..........
(be) obviously very unhappy. |
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Story
2
Coming back after more than twenty years I .......... (be) suddenly
struck by the fact that I no longer recognised the city of
my birth. Where once dockers .......... (unload) ships which
.......... (sail) to this river from ports with exotic sounding
names, there now .......... (stand) rank upon rank of gourmet
restaurants catering for those who .......... (toil) in the
great financial centre a little to the east. Even the school
where I .......... (labour) to master the rudiments of maths,
Latin and English .......... (vanish) behind a glittering new
waterside development. It .......... (be) all more than a little
disconcerting.
Turning from the river I .......... (reach) into my pocket for
my mobile phone. Simon .......... (promise) to meet me here
at seven "on the dot", but as usual he was late. As
I .......... (dial) his number I .......... (try) to picture
him dashing around his flat, still anxious about the task that
faced us. At dinner the previous evening he .......... (seem)
on the point of pulling out of the deal. Indeed, only Alison's
gentle reassurances .......... (persuade) him not to pack up
and take the first flight back to Kobe. Perhaps dawn would bring
yet another change of heart.
Suddenly I .......... (be) aware of a movement to my left. The
screens that .......... (conceal) the object of so much of our
work for the last few months were being removed. Only one question
remained - where .......... (be) my partner in crime?
As if to answer this query, a silver-grey Jaguar ..........
(pull in) through the metal gates fifty metres to my right.
About the car I could have no doubts; I .......... (sign) the
cheque to pay for it only three days before. But as for the
driver, Simon, could I really be so sure? |
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