Exercises of the simple past tense

Exercise 1

In the following sentences change the verbs to the Past Tense. Then translate the text in French.

1. Rama writes to his mother every week.

2. The wind blows furiously.

3. The boy stands on the burning deck.

4. The door flies open.

5. She sings sweetly.

6. The old woman sits in the sun.

7. Abdul swims very well indeed.

8. His voice shakes with emotion.

9. He drives a roaring trade.

10. He bears a grudge against his old uncle. .

11. He spends his time in idleness.

12. He feels sorry for his faults.

13. A portrait of Mahatma Gandhi hangs on the wall.

14. The kite flies gaily into the air.

15. He wears away his youth in trifles.

16. What strikes me is the generosity of the offer.

17. He sows the seeds of dissension.

18. They all tell the same story.

19. He lies in order to escape punishment.

20. He comes of a good line.

21. The boy runs down the road at top speed.

22. I do it of my own free will.

23. His parents withhold their consent to the marriage.

24. I forget his name.

25. He gets along fairly well.

26. They choose Mr. Malik to be their chairman.

27. He throws cold water on my plan.

28. The child clings to her mother.

29. Judas, overwhelmed with remorse, goes and hangs himself.

30. I know him for an American.

31. He swears a solemn oath that he is innocent.

32. In a fit of rage she tears up the letter.

33. Her head sinks on her shoulder.

34. She hides her face for shame.

35. My master bids me work hard.

36. The books lie in a heap on the floor.

37. She lays her handbag on the table.

Exercise 2

Fill in the Past Tense or Past Participle of verb given. Then translate the text in French.

(See) It is years since I -------- him. He has ------- his best days.

(Fall) Of late the custom has --------- into disuse. The lot ---------- upon him.

(Drink) The toast was --- with great enthusiasm.

(Speak) He --------- freely when he had drunk alcohol. Marathi is ---------- in Maharashtra.

(Wear) My patience ---------- out at last. The inscription has ------------ away in several places.

(Tear) In a fit of rage she ------------ up the letter. The country is ---------- by factions.

(Sting) He has been ----------- by a scorpion. The remark ----------- him.

(Run) You look as if you had ------------- all the way home. He ------------- for his life.

(Forget) Once Sydney Smith, being asked his name by the servant, found to his dismay that he had ------------- his own name.

(Choose) A better day for a drive could not have been ----------.

(Come) Computer technology has ------------- a long way since the 1970s.

(Bite) The old beggar was ------------- by a mad dog. A mad dog ----------- him.

(Swim) The boy has ----------------- across the Indus.

(Write) I think he should have --------- and told us. Honesty is --------- on his face.

(Lay) He --------- the book on the table. He had not -------- a finger on him. They ----------- their heads together.

(Lie) We ------------ beneath a spreading oak. He has long ------------ under suspicion.

(Take) A beautiful short from cover point --------- of the ball. He has ------- a fancy to the boy.

(Go) Recently the price of sugar has --------- up. The argument ------- home. The verdict --------- against him.

(Begin) He had ------- his speech before we arrived. He --------- to talk non sense.

(Bid) Do as you are ----------. He -------- us good-bye. He ------ two thousand rupees for the pony.

(Ring) Has the warning-bell ? I ----------- him up on the telephone.

(Steal) Someone has ---------- my purse. She ---------- his heart. So, you must reap what you have -------.

(Drive) Poor fellow ! he was ---------- very hard. They say he --------- a hard bar gain.

(Sing) It seemed to me that she had never --------- so well. Our bugles ----------- truce.

(Shake) He was much ------------- by the news. His voice ------------ as he spoke.

(Eat) He is ---------- up with pride. In the end he ---------- his words.

(Do) Let us have ---------- with it. I ----------- my duty.

(Spring) Homer describes a race of men who ------- from the gods. The ship ------- a leak.

(Show) Has Rustum --------- you his camera? He ------------ a clean pair of heels.

(Freeze) The explorers were -------- to death. The blood --------- in their veins.

(Strike) I was ------------- by a stone. It never ---------- me before that he was old.

(Mistake) I found upon inquiry that I had --------- the house. He ---------- me for my brother.

(Shoe) Go, ask the terrier whether he has --------- the horses yet.

(Strew) His path was ---------- with flowers.

(Sink) His voice gradually --------- to a whisper. --------- And thousands had -------- to the ground overpower’d.

(Tread) Walking through the jungle, he --------- on a snake.

(Rise) He has --------- from the ranks. As his friends expected he ---------- to the occasion.

(Beat) On the arrival of a policeman, he --------- a hasty retreat. He --------- the Afghans in a

bloody battle. It was not the only battle in which they were ----------.

(Blow) The tempest --------------- the ship ashore.

(Catch) Walking on the beach, we ---------- sight of a strange bird. He has --------- a Tartar.

(Have) After the storm we ------------ a spell of fine weather.

(Meet) I ---------- a little cottage girl. The poor fellow has ----------- with many reverses.

(Sleep) We thought her dying when she ----------.

(Get) He has ------------ hold of the wrong end of the stick.

(Lead) The faithful dog ----------- his blind master.

(Awake) And his disciples came to him, and ---------- him. I was soon ------ from this disagreeable reverie.

(Bear) I was ------------ away by an impulse.

(Stand) It has -------------- the test of time.

(Sit) He has, ------------- for the examination.

(Know) He says he has never ------------- sickness. I ------------ his antecedents.

(Bind) The prisoner was ----------------- hand and foot.

(Break) He has -------------------- his collar-bone.

(Breed) What is ---------------- in the bone will not wear out of the flesh.

(Strive) I ----------------- with none, for none was worth my strife.

(Give) He never ------------- me a chance to speak. He is ------------- to opium-smoking.

(Dream) I -------------- I was in love again.

(Weep) I have --------------- a million tears.

Exercise 3

Fill in the Past Tense or Past Participle of verb given. Then translate the text in French.

(Spin) The story is tediously --------------- out.

(Mean) I ------------ it for a joke. He was ----------- for a lawyer.

(Arise) Suddenly the wind ------------. There never has --------- a great man who has not been

misunderstood.

(Draw) Who --------- the first prize ? He has ---------- a wrong inference. The train -------- up to the station.

(Understand) I certainly --------- you to make that promise. I am afraid I did not make myself

----------.

(Shoot) He was accidentally ------- in the arm.

(Shrink) He is not known ever to have ------- from an encounter. There was no cruelty from which the robber chief ------------.

(Smell) I noticed that he ----------- of brandy.

(Stick) The cart ---------- in the mud.

(Swear) The soldiers --------- allegiance to the Constitution of India. He was yesterday -------- in as a member of the Legislative Assembly.

Sweep -- The waves --- the pier. The pier was --- away. Plague --- off millions.

Cost -- Often a lie has --- a life. His folly --- him years of poverty.

(Buy) A rupee ----------- twice as much fifteen years ago.

(Crow) His enemies ----------- over his fall.

(Deal) He ---------- unfairly with his partner. The robber ---------- him a blow on the head.

(Lose) His rushness --------- him his life. --------- time is never found again. The man who yields to the fascination of the gaming-table is -----------.

(Find) Sir, I have ---------- you an argument; but I am not obliged to find you an understanding. The picture ----------- its way to the auction-room.

(Forgive) Christ ------------ his crucifiers.

(Sleep) It is said of Akbar that he rarely ---------- more than three hours at a time.

(Seek) His company is greatly -------- after. It might be truly said of him that he never --------- honour.

(Hide) Adam and his wife ----------------- themselves from the presence of the Lord God.

(Fall) He ----------- never to rise again. A certain man went down from -------- Jerusalem to Jericho, and --------- among thieves. He has ---------- asleep.

(Set) He has ---------- his heart on success. The teacher --------- them an ------------- example.

(Die) He ----------- at a ripe old age.

(See) I ------------ her singing at her work. He has ---------- the ups and downs of life.

(Spoil) The news --------------- my dinner.

(Leave) He has ----------- a large family. The Police ---------- no stone unturned to trace the culprits.

(Grow) Three years she ---------- in sun and shower. Some of these wars have ---------- out of commercial considerations.

(Think) I have ----------- of a plan. I ---------- of Chatterton, the marvellous boy.

(Become) He ----------- the slave of low desires.

(Hear) Not a drum was -----------, not a funeral note. He hopes his prayer --------- will be ----------.

(Fight) He ------------ for the crown. He has a good fight.

(Forsake) His courage --------- him. He has ------------ his old friends.

(Teach) The village master -------- his little school. They have ---------- their tongue to speak lies.

(Wring) She --------- her hands in agony. Any appeal for help ------------ her heart.

(Wind) He ------------- up by appealing to the audience to contribute to the fund.

(Thrust) He was ----------- through with a javelin.

(Say) He has ------------- the last word on the matter.

(Fly) The bird has ------------ away. The bird ------------ over the tree.

(Flee) The murderer has ---------- to Australia. The terrified people ------------ to the mountains.

(Overflow) During the night the river had ------------ its banks.

Exercise 4

Read all the texts of the reading-comprehension and put the verbs in the simple past tense.

Proposed by: M. Yemele Fometio