Put the following sentences into the correct tense: Simple Past, Simple Present, Present Continuous or Past Continuous, Present Perfect.

1)I (listen) to the radio while Mary (cook) dinner.
2) You (buy) this book yesterday?
3) Last Friday Jill (go) home early because she (want) to see a film.
4) When your brother usually (get) home in the evening?
5) Jane always (bring) us a nice present.
6) What those people (do) in the middle of the road?
7) You (read) this book?
8) While Fred (sleep), Judy (watch) TV.
9) When I (be) young, I (think) Mary (be) nice — but now I (think) she’s fantastic.
10) Jill (walk) home when she (see) her husband’s car outside the cinema
11) Look there! Sue and Tim (run) to school.

1) I was listening to the radio while Mary was cooking dinner.
Explanation: Both actions were happening at the same time in the past, so we use Past Continuous tense for both verbs.

2) Did you buy this book yesterday?
Explanation: The action of buying the book was completed in the past, so we use Simple Past tense.

3) Last Friday Jill went home early because she wanted to see a film.
Explanation: Both actions happened in the past, but they occurred one after the other. "Went home early" happened before "wanted to see a film," so we use Simple Past tense for the first action and Present Simple tense for the second action.

4) When does your brother usually get home in the evening?
Explanation: We are talking about a habitual action in the present, so we use Simple Present tense.

5) Jane always brings us a nice present.
Explanation: We are talking about a habitual action in the present, so we use Simple Present tense.

6) What are those people doing in the middle of the road?
Explanation: We are talking about an action happening at the moment of speaking, so we use Present Continuous tense.

7) Are you reading this book?
Explanation: We are talking about an action happening at the moment of speaking, so we use Present Continuous tense.

8) While Fred was sleeping, Judy was watching TV.
Explanation: Both actions were happening at the same time in the past, so we use Past Continuous tense for both verbs.

9) When I was young, I thought Mary was nice — but now I think she’s fantastic.
Explanation: The action of being young and the action of thinking about Mary being nice both happened in the past, so we use Past Continuous tense for the first action and Simple Past tense for the second action. The action of thinking about Mary being fantastic is happening in the present, so we use Present Simple tense.

10) Jill was walking home when she saw her husband’s car outside the cinema.
Explanation: The action of walking home happened continuously in the past, so we use Past Continuous tense. The action of seeing her husband’s car happened once in the past, so we use Simple Past tense.

11) Look there! Sue and Tim are running to school.
Explanation: We are talking about an action happening at the moment of speaking, so we use Present Continuous tense.