Practice Exercise of Tenses 1

Practice Exercise of Tenses 1
I.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
II.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
III.

1.
2.
3.
4.
IV.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
V.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Put the verbs into the Present perfect or Present perfect continuous.
Look! Somebody (break) ………… that window.
I (read) ………… the book that you gave me but I (not/finish) ………… it yet.
“Sorry I’m late”. That’s all right. I (not/wait) ………… long.
Hello! I (clean) ………… the window. So far I (clean) ………… five of them and there are two more to do.
There is a strange smell in here. (you/cook) ………… something ?
My brother is an actor. He (appear) ………… in several times.
Jimmy is a tennis champion. He (play) ………… tennis since he was eleven years old. Now he (win) ………… the national championship for
the fourth time.

I am sorry I (not/come) ………… to class lately.
So far we (not/ notice) ………… anything unusual.
I (read) ………… the book you lent me. In fact, I stayed up until 3 a.m last night to finish it.
The professor (explain) ………… this math five times and the students still can’t understand it.
Where have you been? I (wait) ………… for two hours. I already finished lunch.
Lately, some big companies (test) ………… employees for drugs. My roommates said they (test) ………… him twice so far for years.
I’m really sorry I’m late. (you/wait) ………… long ? I got stuck in traffic.
My sister (live) ………… in Ohio, Wisconsin. Recently, her family (live) ………… in Dublin, Ireland.
Put the verbs into the Past simple or Past perfect.
I (be) ………… sorry that I (not/be) ………… nicer to him.
Nobody (come) ………… to the meeting because the secretary (forget) ………… to tell the staff about it.
I (see) ………… her before somewhere – I (know) ………….
Because he (not/check) ………… the oil for so long, the car (break) .………….
She couldn’t find the book that I (lend) ………… her.
All the people we (invite) ………… turned up.
It was the film that I (never/hear) ………… of.
When she (come) …………, we all (know) ………… where she (be) ………….
They (never/find) ………… where he (hide) ………… the money.
The lesson (already/start) ………… when I (arrive) ………….
By the time we (get) ………… to the hotel, Susan (book) ………… out.
When I (phone) ………… Helen last night, she was washing her hair and she (finish) ………… when I finally got to her house.
Rewrite the sentences without changing their meaning.
Mary started learning English five years ago.
Mary has.............................................................................................................................................................
I can’t seem to stop sneezing lately.
I have..................................................................................................................................................................
This has been my home for thirty years.
I have..................................................................................................................................................................
They bought my car in 1985 and they are still driving it.
They have............................................................................................................................................................

Use the Present perfect continuous or Past perfect continuous.
It is midnight. I (study) ………… for five straight hours. No wonder I’m getting tired.
It was midnight. I (study) ………… for five straight hours. No wonder I was getting tired.
Jack suddenly realized that the teacher was asking him a question. He couldn’t answer because he (daydream) ………… for the last ten
minutes.
Wake up! You (sleep) ………… long enough. It’s time to get up.
At least two hundreds people were waiting in the line to buy the ticket to the game. Some of them (stand) ………… in line for more than four
hours. We decided not to try to get tickets for ourselves.
Anna (listen) ………… to loud rock when her friends arrived but turned it off so all of them could study together. When they finished, she
turned it back on and they (dance) ………… and (sing) ………… for two hours now.
We (wait) ………… for Nancy for the last two hours but she hasn’t arrived.
We (wait) ………… for Nancy for over three hours before she finally arrived yesterday.
Tom had a hard time finding a job. He (try) ………… to get a new job for six months before he finally found a position at a local community
college. Now he has a two-year contract. He (teach) ………… there for only a few weeks but he likes his new hob very much.
The marathon runner (run) ………… for almost two hours when she collapsed to the pavement. She received immediate medical attention.
Use the Past simple, Past perfect or Past perfect continuous.
He used to talk to us about all the interesting things he (do) ………… in his life.
When I (meet) ………… him at work, he (work) ………… as a waiter for a year or so.
It wasn’t surprised that she (start) ………… getting toothache. She (not/go) ………… to the dentist for two years.
Halfway to the office Paul (turn) ………… round and (go) ………… back home because he (forget) ………… to turn the gas off.


5.

It was only much later I (find) ………… out that during all the time I (write) ………… to my pen friend, my mother (open) ………… and
reading the replies!
6. I felt tired. I (run) ………… for four hours.
7. Reports are coming in that a train (crash) ………… near Birmingham. According to eyewitnesses, it (hit) ………… a concrete block which
somebody (put) ………… on the line.
8. After he (finish) ………… his breakfast, he (sit) ………… down to write some letters.

9. It (rain) ………… solidly since our arrival.
10. Peter offered me another drink but I decided I (drink) ………… enough.
11. By the time we got to the hotel, he (leave) ………….
12. I knew I (do) ………… well in my exams even before I (receive) ………… the official results.
VI.
Rewrite the sentences by using the given words.
1. Susan booked out before we got to the hotel. (by the time)
2. He has just gone out. (ago)
3. Now 2005, I have been learning English since 1994. (for)
4. Tony hasn’t been to Paris before. (first)
5. Eating Chinese food is new to me. (before)
VII. Use the Past simple or the Present perfect.
1. Jill (buy) ………… a new car two weeks ago.
2. His hair is very short. He (have) ………… a haircut.
3. Last night I (arrive) ………… home at half past twelve.
4. (you/visit) ………… many museums when you were in Paris?
5. My bicycle isn’t here any more. Somebody (take) ………… it.
6. When (you/give) ………… up smoking?
7. I (not/eat) ………… anything yesterday because I (not/feel) ………… hungry.
8. Why (Jim/want) ………… to play tennis last Friday?
9. The car looks very clean. (you/wash) ………… it?
10. Mr. Clark (work) ………… in a bank for fifteen years. Then he gave it up.
11. Molly lives in Bublin. She (live) ………… there all her life.
12. Bob and Alice are married. They (be) ………… married for 20 years.
13. When we were on holiday, the weather (be) ………… awful.
14. The weather (be) ………… very nice recently, don’t you think?
15. My grandfather (die) ………… 30 years ago. I (never/meet) ………… him.
16. I wonder if Mary (reach) ………… home yet? She (leave) ………… too late to catch the bus.
17. We (not/hear) ………… from Harry since he (leave) ………… home.
18. London (change) ………… a lot since we first (come) ………… to live here.

19. How many times (you/see) ………… this film? This is the first time I (see) ………… it.
20. (you/finish) ………… with the bedroom yet ?
VIII. Choose the correct answer.
1. I ………… you were here.
A. don’t know
B. not know
C. didn’t know D. wasn’t know
2. ………… a noise just then?
A. Have you heard B. Were you hearing C. Did you hear D. Are you hearing it
3. My brother ………… the Youth League since 1995.
A. joined
B. has taken part C. is in D. has been in
4. I’m sure I ………… her four years ago.
A. have seen
B. saw
C. was seeing
D. see
5. He found his book this morning but now he ………… his pen.
A. loses
B. lost
C. has lost
D. had lost
6. The foreign guests ………… here almost a week.
A. have arrived
B. have been
C. have reached D. have got
7. It five years since he ………… to study English.
A. was/began
B. is/has begun C. will be/begins D. is/began
8. “Who’s that pretty girl Tom dancing with?” – I don’t know. I ………… her before.

A. never have seen B. had never seen C. was never seeing D. have never seen
IX. Rewrite the sentences without changing their meaning.
1. The last time I saw Dick was in 1985.
I haven’t..............................................................................................................................................................
2. It’s a long time since I last went to a football match.
I haven’t..............................................................................................................................................................
3. This is my second visit to Hungary.
This is my second time.......................................................................................................................................


4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
X.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

I haven’t seen him since I was a student.

I last....................................................................................................................................................................
I haven’t been to Bristol for three years.
The last time.......................................................................................................................................................
This is my second visit to England.
This is the second time.......................................................................................................................................
It’s over twenty years since we got married.
I have..................................................................................................................................................................
We haven’t been swimming for ages.
It’s ages...............................................................................................................................................................
Mary started learning French five hours ago.
Mary has.............................................................................................................................................................
I am on the tenth page of the letter I am writing.
So far...................................................................................................................................................................
The last time I was in Prague was in 1986.
I haven’t been.....................................................................................................................................................
She hasn’t written to us since last year.
The last time she.................................................................................................................................................
Use the Future progressive or Present simple.
Right now I am attending class. Yesterday at this time, I was attending class. Tomorrow at this time, I (attend) ………… class.
Tomorrow I’m going to leave for home. When I (arrive) ………… at the airport, my whole family (wait) ………… for me.
When I (get) ………… up tomorrow morning, the sun (shine) …………, the birds (sing) …………, and my roommate (still/lie) ………… in
my bed fast asleep.
A: When do you leave for Florida?
B: Tomorrow. Just think. Two days from now I (lie) ………… on the beach in the sun.
A: Sounds great! I (think) ………… about you.
A: How can I get in touch with you while you’re out of town.
B: I (stay) ………… at the Pilgrim Hotel. You can reach me there.
Next year at this time, I (do) ………… exactly what I am doing now. I (attend) ………… school and (study) hard next year.
Look at those dark clouds. When class (be) ………… over, it (probably/rain) ………….
A: Are you going to be in town next Saturday?

B: No. I (visit) ………… my aunt in Chicago.