Past Simple - All Things Grammar - Free Printable

Let's solve this grammar worksheet step by step. The task is to complete the paragraph using the correct past tense forms of the verbs from the word bank.

Word Bank:

- forget
- buy
- is
- drive
- go
- say
- find
- put
- look for
- isn't
- turn on
- look at

We need to fill in the blanks (1) through (11), changing all verbs to past tense.

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Paragraph with blanks:

> Something terrible happened to me last week. On Monday, I (1) ______ a lottery ticket at a shopping mall near my home. I (2) ______ the ticket in the pocket of my jacket, and (3) ______ home. After I got home, I went to bed and (4) ______ about the ticket. On Tuesday morning, I got into my car and (5) ______ to work. On the way to work, I (6) ______ the radio and a man on the radio said my lottery ticket number. After he (7) ______ my number, I put my hand into my jacket pocket. Oh no! The ticket (8) ______ in my pocket! Next, I drove back home and (9) ______ the ticket. I (10) ______ it was on a table. Finally, I (11) ______ the ticket very carefully. Oh no! I couldn't believe my eyes! It (12) ______ the wrong number! Next time I will be more careful. Maybe next time I won’t buy a lottery ticket.

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Now let’s go through each blank:

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(1) "I ______ a lottery ticket"
→ From the word bank: buy → past tense = bought
✔ (1) bought

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(2) "I ______ the ticket in the pocket of my jacket"
→ Action: putting something somewhere → put
Past tense of *put* is put (same form).
✔ (2) put

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(3) "and (3) ______ home"
→ Going home → go → past tense = went
✔ (3) went

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(4) "I went to bed and (4) ______ about the ticket."
→ Thinking about it → think? But not in the list.
Wait — we have look for, look at, say, etc.
But “about the ticket” suggests thought about or forgot about?

But “look for” doesn’t fit here. Wait — maybe forgot?
Yes — “forgot about the ticket” makes sense.

So: forget → past tense = forgot
✔ (4) forgot

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(5) "I got into my car and (5) ______ to work."
→ Go to work → go → past = went
✔ (5) went

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(6) "I (6) ______ the radio"
→ Turn on the radio → turn on → past = turned on
✔ (6) turned on

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(7) "After he (7) ______ my number"
→ He said the number → say → past = said
✔ (7) said

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(8) "The ticket (8) ______ in my pocket!"
→ Not there → missing → "wasn't" or "isn't"?
But we need past tense.
Original verb: is → past = was
And negative: wasn't
But "isn't" is in the box → past tense of "isn't" is wasn't
But "wasn't" is not in the box. However, isn't is given, so likely they want wasn't as the past form.

But since isn't is in the box, and we must use one of the words, perhaps it's a trick?

Wait — actually, the sentence is:
"The ticket (8) ______ in my pocket!"
It means: the ticket was not in my pocket.

So we need a negative form of "be" in past tense.

From the word bank: is and isn't
Past tense of is is was
Past tense of isn't is wasn't

But wasn't is not in the list. However, isn't is provided, so likely we are to use wasn't as the past form of isn't.

But strictly speaking, isn't is present tense.

Alternatively, maybe the intended answer is wasn't, even though it's not listed — but we must pick from the list.

Wait — maybe it's isn't used incorrectly?

No — we need past tense.

Perhaps the word isn't is meant to be used as wasn't in context.

But that’s not grammatically accurate.

Alternative idea: Is there another verb?

Wait — maybe find? But "the ticket find in my pocket"? No.

Or look for?

No.

Wait — perhaps the sentence is:
"The ticket wasn't in my pocket!"

But "wasn't" is not in the box. The only options related to "be" are is and isn't.

So likely, the intended answer is wasn't, but since isn't is in the box, and we're to change verbs to past tense, perhaps we use wasn't as the past of isn't.

But that’s not how it works.

Wait — perhaps the sentence is meant to be filled with isn't, but that would be incorrect because the story is in past tense.

So the correct answer should be wasn't, but it's not in the list.

Hmm.

Wait — let's check if isn't can be used in past tense context?

No — isn't is present tense.

But perhaps the word is is intended to be used as was, and isn't as wasn't.

Since isn't is in the box, and the instruction says "change the verbs to Past Tense", maybe we can use wasn't as the past form of isn't.

Even though it's not in the list, perhaps we're allowed to use the past form.

But the instructions say: "filling in the missing words – be sure to change the verbs to Past Tense!" and the words are given.

So we must choose from the list.

Let’s look again.

Is there any other possibility?

What if the sentence is: "The ticket wasn't in my pocket!" — but wasn't is not in the list.

Unless... wait — is isn't being used as a substitute for wasn't?

That seems unlikely.

Wait — maybe the verb is be, and is and isn't are the forms.

So isn't → past = wasn't

So even though wasn't isn't in the list, we can use isn't to mean wasn't in context?

But that’s not correct.

Alternatively, perhaps the sentence is: "The ticket isn't in my pocket!" — but that would be present tense, while the whole story is past.

So it must be wasn't.

But since wasn't is not in the box, and isn't is, perhaps the intended answer is wasn't, and we write it even if not listed?

But the instruction says to use the words from the box.

Wait — perhaps the word isn't is meant to be used as wasn't, and we just write wasn't?

But that contradicts the word bank.

Wait — let’s read the word bank again:

> forget
> buy
> is
> drive
> go
> say
> find
> put
> look for
> isn't
> turn on
> look at

So is and isn't are both listed.

So likely, the answer for (8) is wasn't, but since it's not listed, maybe they expect us to use isn't as a placeholder?

But that doesn't make sense.

Wait — perhaps the verb is be, and we use isn't → past = wasn't, so we write wasn't.

But it's not in the box.

Alternatively, maybe the sentence is: "The ticket wasn't in my pocket!" and we use isn't to represent the past form.

But that’s not right.

Wait — let’s think differently.

Maybe the verb is be, and we use is → past = was, so (8) is was?

But the sentence is negative: "Oh no! The ticket ______ in my pocket!" — it’s not there.

So it must be negative.

So wasn't.

But wasn't is not in the list.

Wait — unless isn't is used to mean wasn't in this context.

But that’s not standard.

Alternatively, maybe the word isn't is intended to be used, and we accept that it's a mistake.

But that can’t be.

Wait — perhaps the correct answer is wasn't, and we are allowed to use it even if not in the list? But the instruction says to use the words from the box.

Let’s skip and come back.

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(9) "Next, I drove back home and (9) ______ the ticket."

→ Looking for the ticket → look for → past = looked for
✔ (9) looked for

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(10) "I (10) ______ it was on a table."

→ Realizing where it was → find → past = found
But "I found it was on a table" — that’s awkward.

Better: "I found that it was on a table" — but the sentence is: "I (10) ______ it was on a table."

So the verb must be find → found
But "I found it was..." — okay, it's acceptable.

Alternatively, could be see? But not in the list.

Or look at? But "I looked at it was..." — doesn't make sense.

So likely: found

✔ (10) found

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(11) "Finally, I (11) ______ the ticket very carefully."

→ Looking at it closely → look at → past = looked at
✔ (11) looked at

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(12) "It (12) ______ the wrong number!"

→ "It wasn't the wrong number" — but that would mean it was the right number.

But the speaker says: "Oh no! I couldn't believe my eyes!" — so it was the wrong number.

So: "It was the wrong number!" — but that’s positive.

But the sentence is: "It (12) ______ the wrong number!"

And the previous sentence is: "I couldn't believe my eyes!" — meaning it’s surprising that it’s the wrong number.

So it was the wrong number.

But we need a verb.

Possible: is → past = was

But the word bank has is and isn't

So likely: was

But "was" is not in the box — but is is.

So we use is → past = was

So (12) was

But was is not in the box — but is is.

So we use was as past of is

Similarly, for (8): wasn't as past of isn't

So even though they’re not in the box, we use their past forms.

So:

(8) wasn't — past of isn't

(12) was — past of is

But the instruction says to use the words from the box.

So perhaps we are to write the past tense form, even if not listed.

But the box includes is and isn't, so we use them as base, then convert.

So:

(8) wasn't (from isn't)
(12) was (from is)

Yes — that makes sense.

So now let’s fill in all:

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Final Answers:

(1) bought (buy → bought)
(2) put (put → put)
(3) went (go → went)
(4) forgot (forget → forgot)
(5) went (go → went)
(6) turned on (turn on → turned on)
(7) said (say → said)
(8) wasn't (isn't → wasn't)
(9) looked for (look for → looked for)
(10) found (find → found)
(11) looked at (look at → looked at)
(12) was (is → was)

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Complete Paragraph:

> Something terrible happened to me last week. On Monday, I bought a lottery ticket at a shopping mall near my home. I put the ticket in the pocket of my jacket, and went home. After I got home, I went to bed and forgot about the ticket. On Tuesday morning, I got into my car and went to work. On the way to work, I turned on the radio and a man on the radio said my lottery ticket number. After he said my number, I put my hand into my jacket pocket. Oh no! The ticket wasn't in my pocket! Next, I drove back home and looked for the ticket. I found it was on a table. Finally, I looked at the ticket very carefully. Oh no! I couldn't believe my eyes! It was the wrong number! Next time I will be more careful. Maybe next time I won’t buy a lottery ticket.

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Explanation:

- All verbs are changed to past tense.
- We used the words from the box, and converted them to past tense.
- For is and isn't, we used was and wasn't respectively, which are the correct past tense forms.
- Phrasal verbs like look for, turn on, look at are also conjugated correctly.

✔ This completes the worksheet correctly.