Name: _____________________ Date: _______________________________

I. Complete the text with irregular verbs in the simple past tense. Choose from the table below.
drive- drove break-broke stand-stood
ride-rode speak-spoke understand-understood
write-wrote wake-woke
awake-awoke take-took
sell-sold shake-shook
tell-told shine-shone

GOING TO THE BANK

Joe woke up early yesterday because he had to go to the bank before work. He was in a hurry, so he
___________________ to the bank. His wife wanted to go to the bank, too, so she _____________ with him.
When Joe was inside the bank, he ______________________ in line with the others. When it was his turn,
he ____________________ a check to get some cash. The pen was old and it ____________ in his hand. Joe
________________another pen from the bank teller's window. Then he ________________ to the teller
about some property he had to sell. The teller ________________ the bank manager about Joe's problem.
The bank manager informed Joe that he ___________________ his problem, and that the bank could help
him sell the property. Joe _____________________ the manager's hand and left the bank happily .

II. Read the following passage about Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), a famous American writer of science
fiction. Put the verbs in brackets in the simple past.
ISAAC ASIMOV
Asimov was a well-known writer. He wrote nearly 500 books. It (be) _____________________ science-
fiction books that (bring) _______________________ Asimov fame, but he also (write) _____________
popular science books and college textbooks. Asimov's work days (be) __________________ very long. He
(wake) _____________________ up at 6 a.m. every day, (sit) ______________________ at the typewriter
by 7:30 and (work) _________________________ until 10 p.m. He hardly ever (stop) ________________
from work. He (have) _____________________ a light breakfast in the morning, (make)
______________________ himself a quick lunch at noon, and hardly (eat) __________________ anything
for supper. In his autobiography, Asimov (explain) ______________________ how he (become)
__________________________ so hardworking. His father (own) ___________________ several candy
stores in New York that (be) _____________________ open from 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.
Isaac (leave) ________________________ home at 6:30 every morning to deliver papers, and (run)
___________________ back home from school to help out in the store every afternoon. If he (be)
_______________________ even a few minutes late, his father (yell) _____________________ at him
and (call) _________________________ him a lazy boy. More than fifty years later Asimov still (wake)
___________________________ up at 6 a.m., as if to show his father he (be) _______________ not lazy.