Past Tense: diagnostic quiz

On this page:
Quiz 1 – beginning
Quiz 2 – intermediate

Past Tense

Diagnostic Quiz

Identify specific English grammar points that need review. Use the study links to find out why a particular answer is correct or incorrect.

Quiz 1

Beginning

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

While I coffee with Max in a café, he told me an interesting story.

Feedback 1

Past

Last year, Max to Pamplona, Spain to run with the bulls.

Feedback 2

Past Irregular forms

I asked him, "How such a crazy custom begin?" custom (n.) – traditional activity

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Past - questions

He me that it started in Northern Spain.

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Past

As the cattlemen their cattle to market, some men ran in front of the animals.

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Past-backgrounding

I asked, " to make them hurry?"

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Past

"Yes, the cattle faster and arrived in time for the market."

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Past

While the men , it turned into a competition.

turn into (v.) – became
competition (n.) – a race

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Past

Young men in front of the bulls.

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Past - irregular Past / Participles 2

10.

They to get to the pens safely before the bulls.
pen (n.) – place where animals are enclosed

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Past - irregular

11.

Some men got to the bull pens, and some there in time.

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Past - auxiliaries

12.

As more competitors came each year, the competition .

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Past - word forms

Quiz 2

Intermediate

Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right.

13.

" in the competition?"

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Past - auxiliaries

14.

"Yes, he about the Running of the Bulls before he traveled to Spain.

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Past / Past Perfect

15.

First, he a plane to Madrid. Then he took a bus to Pamplona for the San Fermin Fiesta in July.

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Past Series of events

16.

He early and dressed in the traditional white clothes with a red sash.

sash (n.) – a cloth belt tied around the waist

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Past - irregular

17.

The runners to a statue of St. Fermin when the fireworks went off.

stature (n.) – a stone or metal image of an important person

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Past By the time/When

18.

Max there would be a lot of people, but still he was surprised to see thousands there!

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Past

19.

Many of the competitors for years.

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Past / Past Perfect

20.

As Max , he saw a lot of people doing crazy things.

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Past / Past Progressive

21.

People and the bulls them.

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Past - temp vs perm

22.

Max one man out from under a bull seconds before another bull fell.

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Past Series

23.

On the side of the race, he saw a woman who the treatment of the bulls and the competition in general.

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Past

24.

As Max watched a bull toss a man in the air with his horns, Max ran faster and shouted, " ?"

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Reporting Source/ Emotional Outbursts

25.

Fearing for his life, Max jumped over the barriers to safety. He he should never risk doing such a crazy thing again.

barrier – the temporary wooden wall that keeps the bulls on the road enroute to the pens at the market
risk (v.) – dare to do something dangerous

Feedback 25

Past