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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Simple Past Tense Quiz: Fill in the Blanks

Quick, free quiz to boost your simple past practice. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Azkayla PutridimasUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper cut illustration of quiz sheet with past tense verbs blanks and grammar icons on teal background

This simple past tense quiz helps you choose the right verb forms in fill-in-the-blank sentences and spot common mistakes fast. For extra practice, try the simple past fill in blanks or challenge yourself with an irregular past tense quiz. Want to review contrasts? Check present simple vs past simple.

Yesterday, I ____ a movie.
watching
watches
watched
watch
The verb watch in the simple past tense takes the regular -ed ending, forming watched. Regular verbs add -ed to the base form in the past. This rule applies to most verbs without irregular patterns. For more information see .
Last week, she ____ her grandparents.
visit
visits
visiting
visited
Since visit is a regular verb, we add -ed to form its past simple: visited. The other forms represent present or progressive tenses. Knowing that regular verbs follow this straightforward pattern helps in past tense quizzes. For more details see .
I ____ soccer on Saturday.
plays
play
playing
played
Play is a regular verb that takes -ed in the past, giving played. The other options are base, present, or progressive forms. Using -ed for regular verbs is a consistent rule. See for more.
They ____ the house yesterday.
cleaned
cleans
clean
cleaning
As a regular verb, clean forms its past simple with -ed, resulting in cleaned. Other choices are non-past or continuous forms. Regular past formation is predictable and consistent. Learn more at .
He ____ the door for her.
opening
opens
opened
open
Open is regular, so its simple past is opened. This follows the standard rule of adding -ed to the base form. Other options are present or progressive forms. For full rules see .
We ____ for the test last night.
studying
study
studied
studies
The regular verb study changes spelling for the simple past by replacing -y with -ied (studied). The other forms represent non-past or progressive tenses. This pattern applies to verbs ending in consonant + y. More at .
She ____ dinner for us.
cook
cooked
cooking
cooks
Cook is a regular verb that forms its past simple by adding -ed, giving cooked. The incorrect answers are base, present, or continuous forms. Regular verbs uniformly take -ed. See full explanation at .
He ____ his car on Sunday.
washes
washing
wash
washed
Wash follows the standard rule for regular verbs by adding -ed in the simple past, forming washed. Other options are present or progressive forms. Regular verb pasts are predictable. For more details visit .
Yesterday, I ____ to the market.
gone
going
go
went
The irregular verb go changes to went in the simple past tense. Irregular verbs must be memorized since they dont follow -ed rules. Gone is the past participle used in perfect tenses. For a list of common irregular forms, see .
She ____ a new book last week.
buy
bought
buyed
buys
Buy is an irregular verb whose simple past form is bought. It does not follow the regular -ed pattern. Memorizing such irregular forms is essential for accurate past-tense usage. For more examples, visit .
They ____ a play on Friday.
seen
saw
seeing
see
The irregular verb see becomes saw in the simple past. Seen is the past participle and needs a helping verb. Irregular forms vary widely and must be learned. More on this at .
He ____ breakfast at 7 am.
ate
eaten
eat
eats
Eat is irregular, forming ate in the simple past tense. Eaten is the past participle. Each irregular verb has its own pattern that cannot be predicted by -ed rules. See more at .
We ____ the bus to work.
takes
took
taken
take
The verb take is irregular and its simple past form is took. Taken is the past participle used with auxiliaries. Understanding irregular patterns is key to correct usage. For a comprehensive list, visit .
I ____ cookies for the party.
make
making
maked
made
Make is another irregular verb; its simple past is made. It does not follow the -ed addition of regular verbs. Recognizing these patterns improves accuracy. See examples at .
She ____ an email to her friend.
writing
wrote
written
write
The verb write takes the irregular past form wrote. Written is its past participle. Irregular verbs must be learned individually as they do not follow the -ed rule. More info at .
They ____ in the lake last summer.
swimmed
swum
swam
swimming
Swim is irregular, with the simple past form swam. Swum is the past participle. Each irregular verb follows its own form rather than -ed. For more irregular patterns see .
He ____ all night to get home.
driven
drove
driving
drived
The verb drive is irregular; its simple past is drove. Driven is the past participle form. Tricky irregular forms like this must be memorized. More on irregular past forms at .
She ____ English in Japan in 2010.
teached
teach
teaching
taught
Teach becomes taught in the simple past. Its irregular and does not use -ed. Recognizing these less common irregulars improves language precision. For more, see .
I ____ the red one over the blue.
choosing
choosed
chosen
chose
Choose is irregular; its simple past form is chose. Chosen is the past participle. Irregular selection verbs must be learned since they dont follow standard rules. More at .
They ____ the window while playing baseball.
broke
broken
breaked
breaking
Break is irregular; its simple past is broke. Broken is the past participle. Memorizing such irregular patterns ensures correct past-tense usage. For details see .
He ____ to the manager about the issue.
spoken
spoke
speaked
speak
The verb speak becomes spoke in the simple past. Spoken is its past participle. Irregular communication verbs follow unique patterns. See an irregular list at .
She ____ a beautiful dress to the event.
wear
wears
wearing
wore
Wear is irregular with the simple past form wore. The other options are present or continuous forms. Knowing such irregular forms helps avoid errors. More info at .
We ____ the meeting at 9 o'clock.
beginning
began
begun
begin
Begin is irregular; its simple past form is began. Begun is the past participle. Irregular verbs must be learned individually for accurate usage. For more on these patterns see .
I ____ when I saw the ghost.
froze
freeze
frozen
freezed
Freeze is irregular, changing to froze in the simple past. Frozen is the past participle used with perfect tenses. Learning such irregular forms helps distinguish correct tenses. See more at .
Yesterday, she ____ on the couch all day because she was tired.
lay
lain
lying
laid
The verb lie meaning to recline has the simple past form lay. Lain is the past participle used with perfect constructions, and laid is the past of the transitive verb lay (to put). This subtle distinction is often confused. For more detailed explanations see .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Simple Past Formation -

    Learn to form both regular and irregular verbs in the simple past tense through targeted past tense fill exercises.

  2. Distinguish Correct Verb Forms -

    Recognize and select accurate past tense forms when completing sentences in the simple past tense quiz.

  3. Identify Common Errors -

    Detect and correct common mistakes in simple past tense usage for improved grammar accuracy.

  4. Apply Accurate Conjugation -

    Use proper past verb conjugations in context, reinforcing skills with interactive past tense exercises.

  5. Enhance Grammar Confidence -

    Boost your English proficiency by successfully completing the past tense fill quiz and tracking your progress.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Regular vs. Irregular Verb Patterns -

    Understanding how to form regular verbs by adding "-ed" (e.g., walk → walked) versus memorizing irregular forms (e.g., go → went) is key to acing a past tense fill activity. According to Cambridge University, grouping irregulars by similar endings (e.g., sing - sang, ring - rang) helps you spot patterns faster. Practice both types daily to build confidence in your simple past tense quiz.

  2. Time Markers and Context Clues -

    Using signal words like "yesterday," "last week," or "two days ago" anchors your sentences in the past and guides you when you fill in the past tense. The British Council notes that these time markers are essential in past tense exercises because they eliminate ambiguity about when an action occurred. Highlight these cues in each sentence to choose the correct past form every time.

  3. Forming Questions and Negatives with "Did" -

    In questions and negatives, always use "did" plus the base verb (e.g., Did you play? / I didn't play), as emphasized by Purdue OWL's English grammar past tense guidelines. This trick prevents the common error of double-past (e.g., "did went") and keeps your sentences grammatically sound. Drill this structure in a simple past tense quiz to solidify your understanding.

  4. Sequencing Events for Clarity -

    Linking past actions with conjunctions like "then," "after," and "before" helps you narrate events chronologically and choose correct verb forms in past tense exercises. Research from University College London highlights that clear sequencing reduces errors by giving your brain a roadmap of events. Practice writing short stories with these connectors to master narrative flow in the past.

  5. Mnemonic Tricks for Irregulars -

    Create catchy mnemonic phrases (e.g., "Give, Gave, Given - Dave Gave Dad Gifts") to lock irregular verbs into memory, as suggested by Oxford University Press. Flashcards and spaced repetition apps target troublesome verbs and boost recall during fill in the past tense challenges. Regular review will turn those tricky forms into second nature for any English grammar past tense test.

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