Narrative tenses

We thought that we were on the right path when suddenly we 1 _______ (run) into a very familiar rock...

• ran

• were running

• had run

• had been running

and 2 _______ (realise) that we 3 _______ (walk) in circles for quite a long time.

• realised / had walked

• realised / had been walking

• were realising / had been walking

• were realising / had walked

We 4 _______ (be) totally lost, and the fact that we 5 _______ (already/finish) our water provisions wasn't very promising.

• had been / had already finished

• were / already finished

• were / had already finished

• had been / already finished

We 6 _______ (decide) to go uphill because according to John, it would be easier to spot a way out from an elevated point.

• were deciding

• had decided

• decided

• had been deciding

He 7 _______ (learn) that from a documentary he 8 _______ (see) about survival.

• learnt / saw

• was learning / had been seeing

• learnt / had seen

• had learnt / had seen

But what the documentary 9 _______ (not teach) John was that maybe it’s not such a good idea to go up a mountain when you are exhausted and waterless.

• hadn't taught

• didn't teach

• hadn't been teaching

• wasn't teaching

We 10 _______ (trek) one mile when we 11 _______ (start) to have a horrible feeling that that might be our last trek.

• trekked / started

• had trekked / had started

• trekked / had started

• had trekked / started

Of course, we 12 _______ (say) anything, but we could see in each other’s eyes that at that precise moment we 13 _______ (think) precisely the same.

• didn't say / were thinking

• hadn't said / were thinking

• didn't say / had thought

• weren't saying / had thought

We couldn't walk any longer, so we 14 _______ (decide) to sit and rest, quietly, because neither of us wanted to share any of our gloomy thoughts.

• were deciding

• had decided

• decided

• had been deciding

"Hello, can I help you?" we suddenly 15 _______ (hear).

• had heard

• had been hearing

• were hearing

• heard