Open the brackets using past simple/past continuous/past perfect/past perfect continuous
1) i (talk) over the phone when they brought me the letter.
a. talked b. had talked c. had been talking d. was talking
2) they (sit) in the room when the taxi arrived.
a. sat b. had sat c. had been sitting d. were sitting
3) he quickly forgot everything he (learn) at school.
a. learnt b. had learnt c. had been learning d. was learning
4) i visited brazil in april. i (stay) at a nice hotel for a fortnight.
a. stayed b. had stayed c. had been staying d. was staying
5) i (stay) at the hotel for a fortnight when i received your letter.
a. stayed b. had stayed c. had been staying d. was staying
6) the musician (play) the piano for a whole hour when we came in.
a. played b. had played c. had been playing d. was playing
7) jane closed the magazine and rose from the sofa on which she (lie) for more than two hours.
a. lay b. had lain c. had been lying d. was lying
8) a man (be) unconscious for a few minutes when an ambulance arrived.
a. was b. had been c. had being
9) we (walk) along a forest road for two hours when we saw a house.
a. walked b. had walked c. had been walking d. were walking
10) i (talk) over the phone for a whole hour when the porter knocked at the door.
a. talked b. had talked c. had been talking d. was talking
11) i hardly (finish) speaking with a porter when the phone rang again.
a. finished b. had hardly finished c. had been finishing d. was finishing
12) first i (answer) the phone, and then i read your letter.
a. answered b. had answered c. had been answering d. was answering
Explanation: The action of talking over the phone (past continuous) was ongoing when they brought the letter (past simple).
2) they were sitting in the room when the taxi arrived.
Explanation: The action of sitting in the room (past continuous) was ongoing when the taxi arrived (past simple).
3) he quickly forgot everything he had learnt at school.
Explanation: The action of forgetting (past simple) happened after the action of learning (past perfect).
4) i visited Brazil in April. I stayed at a nice hotel for a fortnight.
Explanation: The action of visiting Brazil (past simple) happened before the action of staying at the hotel (past simple).
5) i had stayed at the hotel for a fortnight when i received your letter.
Explanation: The action of staying at the hotel (past perfect) was completed before the action of receiving the letter (past simple).
6) the musician had been playing the piano for a whole hour when we came in.
Explanation: The action of playing the piano (past perfect continuous) was ongoing when we came in (past simple).
7) Jane closed the magazine and rose from the sofa on which she had been lying for more than two hours.
Explanation: The action of lying on the sofa (past perfect continuous) was ongoing when Jane closed the magazine and rose (past simple).
8) a man had been unconscious for a few minutes when an ambulance arrived.
Explanation: The action of being unconscious (past perfect continuous) was ongoing when an ambulance arrived (past simple).
9) we had been walking along a forest road for two hours when we saw a house.
Explanation: The action of walking along the road (past perfect continuous) was ongoing when we saw the house (past simple).
10) i had been talking over the phone for a whole hour when the porter knocked at the door.
Explanation: The action of talking over the phone (past perfect continuous) was ongoing when the porter knocked at the door (past simple).
11) i had hardly finished speaking with a porter when the phone rang again.
Explanation: The action of finishing speaking with the porter (past perfect) happened just before the phone rang again (past simple).
12) first i answered the phone, and then i read your letter.
Explanation: The action of answering the phone (past simple) happened before the action of reading the letter (past simple).