Choosing the right tense in the exam, you may have to complete a gapped text with the correct form of the verbs given in brackets. Follow this approach.

• Read the whole text first ignoring the gaps. This will give you a general idea of the topic and when events happen, e.g. in the past, present or future.

• Read the text carefully and look at the words surrounding each gap. Look for time markers such as before, after, yesterday, at the moment, in the future, since then, as, while.

• Once you have completed the text, check your answers carefully.

7 Past simple, past continuous or past perfect?

Complete this interview with explorer, Brent Sullivan, the first man to swim down the Amazon river. Put the words in brackets into the correct form.

Presenter The Amazon is the largest and most dangerous river in the world. At the time of Brent's journey, it was also extremely cold. So, Brent, why have you decided to do the swim?

Brent That's an interesting question. I suppose it was a new challenge. Nobody has ever done it before.

Presenter Did you feel prepared for the expedition?

Brent Yes, I did. I have just spent five months in the rainforest so I have already learnt how to survive.

Presenter How did you manage to survive?

Brent Well I ate wild bananas, mangoes and fish from the river.

Presenter Did you meet other people during your journey?

Brent No I didn't. But while I was travelling down the river I saw a lot of interesting wildlife, such as monkeys, crocodiles and snakes. And piranhas of course.

Presenter What was your most frightening moment?

Brent Once as I was going down the rapids*, I hurt my leg on a rock. It was quite badly injured, but fortunately I didn’t break it.

Presenter And if you had the chance to swim the Amazon again, would you do it?

Brent I think so. There were times when I wanted to give up, but there were also magical moments. While I was swimming down the river, I felt as if I was the only person on Earth. That was special.