The Past Tense Exercises with Answers for class 8 and worksheet with solution for class 8 from the book Elementary English Grammar for CBSE and ICSE students.
Past Form
Rewrite the following passage
Exercise 6.2 Rewrite the following passage in Simple Past Tense. (First bold all the verbs.) :-
Near the bed, two little children – a boy and a girl – sleep together in a cradle and are smiling in their sleep. How soundly they sleep in their old tottering cradle! It seems as if nothing can wake them up.
Outside the rain beats down in floods and the sea gives forth a sound like an alarm bell. From the old roof, drops of water fall on the floor.
Answers:
Near the bed, two little children – a boy and a girl – slept together in a cradle and smiled in their sleep. How soundly they slept in their old tottering cradle! It seemed as if nothing could wake them up. Outside, the rain beat down in floods and the sea gave forth a sound like an alarm bell. From the old roof, drops of water fell on the floor.
Past Continuous Tense
Exercise 6.3 Rewrite the following sentences, changing the verbs to Past Continuous Tense :-
1. The boy leans against the tree.
2. A cold wind blows.
3. She hid herself.
4. The leaves fell to the ground.
5. He works hard for his examination.
6. The soldiers fight and win.
7. The birds are flying out of the cage since morning.
8. She singing and cannot answer your phone call.
9. Many of us live and work great distances from where we are born or grow up.
10. They are praising her creative abilities, specially in dancing.
Answers:
1. The boy was leaning against the tree.
2. A cold wind was blowing.
3. She was hiding herself.
4. The leaves were falling to the ground.
5. He was working hard for his examination.
6. The soldiers were fighting and winning.
7. The birds were flying out of the cage since morning.
8. She was singing and could not answer your phone call.
9. Many of us were living and working great distances from where we were born or grew up.
10. They were praising her creative abilities, especially in dancing.
Correct verb
Verbs in the sentences
Exercise 6.5 Some of the verbs in the sentences given below are incorrect. Bold them and write the correct form :-
1. My son coughing do so badly last night that he could not sleep.
2. The book reading this afternoon is very interesting, I couldn’t leave it.
3. While I clearing my cupboard, I found my old diary.
4. Our teacher last year always reminding us to work harder.
5. The farmers fought to save their homes from the fire which spread quickly through their fields.
Answers:
1. My son coughing do so badly last night that he could not sleep.
Corrected: My son coughed so badly last night that he could not sleep.
2. The book reading this afternoon is very interesting, I couldn’t leave it.
Corrected: The book I am reading this afternoon is very interesting, I couldn’t leave it.
3. While I clearing my cupboard, I found my old diary.
Corrected: While I was clearing my cupboard, I found my old diary.
4. Our teacher last year always reminding us to work harder.
Corrected: Our teacher last year always reminded us to work harder.
5. The farmers fought to save their homes from the fire which spread quickly through their fields.
Exercise 6.6 Complete the Sentences by bold and select against the correct part :-
1. He had visited many towns before
(a) he was returning home.
(b) he had returned home.
(c) he returned home.
2. I had been reading this book weeks before
(a) she had arrived.
(b) she arrived.
(c) she has arrived.
3. The servant had finished his work when
(a) I had called him.
(b) I called him.
(c) I have called him.
4. The rain had stopped when
(a) we come out.
(b) we would come out.
(c) we had come out.
5. Three years have passed since
(a) his father had died.
(b) his father have died.
(c) his father died.
Answers:
1. He had visited many towns before
(c) he returned home.
2. I had been reading this book weeks before
(b) she arrived.
3. The servant had finished his work when
(b) I called him.
4. The rain had stopped when
(c) we had come out.
5. Three years have passed since
(c) his father died.
Past Perfect Tense
Correct form
Exercise 6.9 There is an error in each sentences of this passage. Bold error and write the correct word in its place in the space given. One has been done for you :-
1. The writer was twelve years old and she use to usually
2. stay with her grandparents in north Karnataka. _______________
3. Since there are very few diversions _______________
4. he entire family eagerly wait for a _______________
5. weekly magazine call “Karamveera.” _______________
6. This magazine is is publishing a famous _______________
7. novel “Kashi Yatre” as a serial which deal _______________
8. with the heroine’s struggle visit Kashi. _______________
9. Since grandmother believe in Kashi Yatra ______________
10. as a pilgrimage, she would identify with _______________
11. the problems of main characters. _______________
Answers:
Correct: used
2. stay with her grandparents in north Karnataka.
Error: north
Correct: North
3. Since there are very few diversions
Error: are
Correct: were
4. the entire family eagerly wait for a
Error: wait
Correct: waited
5. weekly magazine call “Karamveera.”
Error: call
Correct: called
6. This magazine is is publishing a famous
Error: is is
Correct: was
7. novel “Kashi Yatre” as a serial which deal
Error: deal
Correct: deals
8. with the heroine’s struggle visit Kashi.
Error: visit
Correct: to visit
9. Since grandmother believe in Kashi Yatra
Error: believe
Correct: believed
10. as a pilgrimage, she would identify with
No error here.
11. the problems of main characters.
Correct: the main character
Error: main characters
Exercise 6.10 Take any person you admire – he/she can be a sportsman, a leader, an actor or even a relative. Write ten sentences about him or her using all four forms of the Past Tense.
Answers:
Simple Past: Gandhi led India’s independence movement against British rule.
Past Continuous: He was organizing peaceful protests when he was arrested several times.
Past Perfect: By the time India gained independence, Gandhi had spent many years in jail.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been advocating non-violence and truth throughout his entire life.
Simple Past: He inspired millions of people with his philosophy of non-violence.
Past Continuous: During his travels, he was meeting people from all walks of life.
Past Perfect: Before starting the Salt March, Gandhi had already written to the Viceroy of India.
Past Perfect Continuous: He had been practicing simple living and wearing khadi for many years before becoming a global icon.
Simple Past: He fasted to promote peace during communal violence.
Past Continuous: Even as tensions were rising, Gandhi was spreading the message of unity and harmony.