How to Complete the Blanks with Past Tense Verbs Correctly
Can you fill in the blanks with the correct Past Tense form of the verbs?
1) Last year I .....(go) on an exciting safari holiday in Namibia with my husband.
2) I remember it ....(rain) continously for several days in Brussels before we ....(leave), so I couldn't wait to board the plane which ....(head) for sunnier climes.
3) Our safari holiday ....(be) unique in that, unlike many other safari holidays, the aim was not just to show a bunch of tourists some wild animals; while on holiday we would be volunteering at a conservation centre.
4) Our first night in the bush, while the biologists ....(entertain) everyone with tales, I ....(sit) back and ....(gaze) at the patterns made by the stars.
5) At one stage I ....(get) up to stretch when all of a sudden I ....(see) a huge creature nestled on my husband's shoulder; I ....(let) out an embarrassing squek of fear.
6) Apparently it was just a stick insect. Not like any stick insect I ....(ever/see); it was as big as my forearm.
7) The next day we ....(set) off early; our task was to make a note of any wildlife we saw.
8) While we .... (walk) through the thick forest, we ....(hear) birds and monkeys chattering in the trees. However after three hours, the novelty ....(wear) off, and I was exhausted.
9) And then I ....(see) it. A deer ....(stand) under a tree just a few metres away from me; I proudly ....(make) a note on my pad.
10) The next day, while we ....(travel) to a nearby village, we ....(spot) a herd of elephants crossing the road.
11) All too quickly our two weeks in Namibia ....(draw) to a close and we .... (find) ourselves back at home.
12) Altough we were a little sad, we both felt a tremendous sense of satisfaction as we ....(not only/visit) a beautiful part of the world, but we ....(also/make) our own small positive contribution.
HOPE THIS HELPS:)
Answers:
1) went
2) rained
3) was
4) entertained - sat - gazed
5) got - saw - let
6) ever/saw
7) set
8) walked - heard - wore
9) saw - stood - made
10) traveled - spotted
11) drew - found
12) not only/visited - also/made
Explanation:
When completing the blanks with the Past Tense form of verbs, it is important to pay attention to the context of the sentence and choose the correct tense accordingly. In this exercise, you should use the Past Simple, Past Progressive, Past Perfect Simple, or Past Perfect Progressive based on the sentence structure and the timeline of the actions.
For example, in sentence number 1 "Last year I .....(go) on an exciting safari holiday in Namibia with my husband," the correct answer is "went" which is the Past Simple form of the verb "go" because it indicates a completed action in the past.
Similarly, in sentence number 3 "Our safari holiday ....(be) unique in that, unlike many other safari holidays, the aim was not just to show a bunch of tourists some wild animals," the correct answer is "was" as it describes a situation or state in the past.
By carefully analyzing each sentence and choosing the appropriate Past Tense form of the verbs, you can successfully complete the blanks and improve your understanding of using Past Tense in English grammar.