She was exhausted because she ___ reports since sunrise.

The road was wet because it ___ since midnight.

He failed the exam because he ___ enough before it.

We were angry because we ___ outside the locked office since nine o'clock.

The kitchen smelled wonderful because my father ___ bread.

Her hands were dirty because she ___ in the garden.

The children were quiet because they ___ cartoons for too long.

He knew the route because he ___ there every week for years.

I was thirsty because I ___ in the sun all afternoon.

The manager looked stressed because she ___ complaints since opening time.

They were confident because they ___ the presentation for days.

My eyes hurt because I ___ small numbers on a screen.

The dog was muddy because it ___ near the river.

He was out of breath because he ___ to catch the bus.

The flat was cold because the heating ___ properly for weeks.

She knew all the names because she ___ the guest list since Monday.

The workers were tired because they ___ the road since dawn.

We were relieved because the baby ___ peacefully since lunchtime.

He had paint on his shirt because he ___ the bedroom ceiling.

The accountant discovered the error after she ___ the figures all morning.

Because they had been following the wrong instructions all morning, the team ___ behind schedule.

After she had been practising English every evening, she ___ more confident.

Because the soup had been cooking for hours, it ___ strong.

He ___ the trainer because he had been training at the same gym for months.

Because someone had been grinding beans in the kitchen, the office ___ of coffee.

The neighbours had been playing loud music all evening, so he ___ them twice.

The system ___ after it had been receiving too many requests.

Because she hadn't been looking at the road signs carefully, she ___ the turning.

The children had been talking about the trip for weeks, so they ___ when the bus arrived.

Because he had been moving heavy furniture all day, his back ___ the next morning.

The gardener had been cutting the grass that morning, so the lawn ___ neat.

Because we had been reviewing emergency procedures regularly, we ___ prepared.

She had been receiving bad news from home, so she ___ upset at the meeting.

Because snow had been melting in the mountains, the river ___ two metres in a single day.

He had been studying the language for many years, so he ___ fluently.

The customer ___ because she had been waiting for service too long.

The laptop had been running all night, so it ___ very hot.

They had been playing football in the rain, so they ___ their shoes by the door.

Because my car had been making strange noises for weeks, I ___ a mechanic.

The volunteers had been cleaning the neighbourhood all weekend, so they ___ bags of rubbish.