Tense Exercise.doc

TENSES
1. Dear Lan,
Here I (be) in HCM city now. I (be) here for two weeks and it (be) very lovely. My friend, Loan, whom I
met in ẹaứ Naỹng in 1985 (live) in this city for 3 years. So she knows all about it. Yesterday, we (go) to Chụù
Lụựn Market and (eat) Boứ Bớa there. We (visit) Dam Sen Park this Saturday.
2. Ever since the day I decided to move to London, I have worried whether the decision I (take) was right
one. As I (already, sell) my house and (arrange) a new job. Its too late to change my mind. However,
since then I (hear) a lot of negative things about living in the capital and lately some of them begin to
bother me. I (grow) up in a small town and have spent all my life here.
3. Annette person is a short story writer. She (write) several books of short stories and she (win) several
rewards for her books a few years ago. She (receive) the prize for the most promising author of the year.
At the moment, she (write) a detective story.
4. Yesterday afternoon, Sharon (go) to the station to meet Paul. When she (get) there, Paul (already, wait)
for her. His train (arrive) early.
5. When I got home, Bill (lie) on the sofa. The television was on but he (not, watch) it. He (fall) asleep and
(snore) loudly. I (turn) the television off and just then he (wake) up.
6. Last night, I (just, go) to bed and (read) a book when suddenly I (hear) a voice. I (get) up to see what it
(be) but I (not, see) anything, so I (go) back to bed.
7. Mary had to go to New York last week, but she almost (miss) the plane. She (stand) in the queue at the
check in desk when she suddenly (realize) that she (leave) her passport at home. Fortunately, she doesnt
live very far from the airport, so she (have) time to take a taxi home. So she (get) back to the airport just
in time for her flight.
8. Linn (live) in Hanoi but her brother, Minh (live) in Thai Nguyen. He (arrive) yesterday to visit her. She
(love) her brother and (be) happy to go with him. Tomorrow, she (take) him to some interesting places in
Hanoi.
9. Mr. William is an English writer. He (write) newspaper articles and film reviews. Some years ago, he
(write) short stories. But at the moment, he (write) a biography of Leonard Benson, the Jazz musician. In
fact, he (not, meet) the musician many times to interview him because Leonard (live) in the U.S.A. Next
week, he is going to visit England. By the time he (arrive) in London, Mr. William (finish) the main idea
of the biography.
10. Rob Fellow (come) from England. He (come) Paris six years ago to learn French. He (start) learning

French at school in London when he was in London. So he (learn) it for ten years. He (just, take) an exam.
If he passes, he (move) to the next class. He (be) excited today because his parents (come) tomorrow to
stay with him for a few days.
11. Jane and Felix (get) married one Saturday in March. They had met only one week earlier at a party and
(fall) in love. Jane (ring) and (tell) her parents about her new husband after the wedding, when Felix
(move) into her flat. Her parents (be) surprised and angry because she (not, tell) about the wedding.
12. We (arrived) safely yesterday morning. Bill and I (have) a wonderful holiday here. The weather (be) nice
for the next two weeks. It (be) said so in the morning newspaper, so we try to do much sunbathing and
swimming as possible. According to the hotel manager, the weather (be) terrible so far this summer. So
we (be) very fortunate. Bill (study) a map of Roma for the last hour. So I think he (intend) to go to some
sights seeing.
13. At last we arrived safely. The journey here (be) terrible. First, my friend (forget) the passports so we
(have to) drive back home to fetch them. Then the customs officer (spend) 2 hours look through our
language. They (not, speak) English. So we (never, discover) what they (look) for.
14. Last week, I (walk) home after I (play) tennis when it (start) to rain heavily. Oh, no I (get) soaked before
I (get) home, I thought. I wish I (remember) my raincoat. But unfortunately I (leave) it at home. How
stupid of me! I always forget to bring it with me. Luckily just a friend of mine passed in her car and
offered me lift. “You (go) home”, she asked, “or you want to go for a drink?”, “I think I’d rather you
(take) me home”, I said.
15. He (tell) me that he (win) the cups and medals for swimming when he (be) a boy. He (spend) most of his
life in Dublin with his mother and (go) to work at twelve or thirteen. His father (leave) them when he (be)
a small boy.
16. I (not, be) in Tahiti long before I (meet) Nicolas. He (come) in one morning when I (have) breakfast in
the restaurant at the hotels, and (introduce) himself. He (hear) that I was interested in the famous painting
and (announce) that he (come) to have a talk about it.
17. A friend of mine, Nelson is presently working in the International Sale division at an electronics form.
She (just, make) a trip to Japan. She (be) asked to go there because she can speak Japanese. When she
was a business student at Boston University, she (study) Japanese for 4 years. She (never, have)
opportunity to use her Japanese until she (go) to Tokyo last month. While she (be) there, she (speak)
Japanese everyday and (enjoy) every minute of it.

18. After (leave) school when she was 18, Laura (go) to Bristol university for 3 years. While she (be) at
university, Laura (join) a university folk group and started (sing). It was at this time that she (write) her
famous song “The price of Peace”.
19. When I (come) to her house, she (work) in the garden. She (tell) me that she (usually, do) the gardening
when she (have) free time.