TENSE REVISION 1

In these texts, use one of the following tenses for the verb in brackets: present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous. Where alternatives are possible, think about any difference in meaning or emphasis.

1A
A: B: A: B: John (1) . (not looking) well these days. Is he okay? Apparently, he (2) . (not sleep) well just now, although he usually (3) . (sleep) really soundly. Sounds like something (4) . (worry) him. Well, that's part of the problem. You (5) . (know) that he (6) . (work) for Tardown, the engineers, don't you? Yes, ever since he (7) . (leave) university. That's right. Well, at the moment he (8) . (work) on a major road-building scheme in Liverpool, so he (9) . (drive) up there every day, which (10) . (take) a couple of hours each way. And on top of that, he (11) . (suffer) from a cold and (12). (have) difficulty breathing.

A: B:

. (see) somebody shoplifting. I'd just finished paying for my clock and as I (3). (turn) round, an elderly woman (4) . (slowly put) a silver plate into a bag that she (5) . (carry). Then she (6) . (walk) over to another part of the shop and, when she (7) . (think) that nobody (8) . (look), she (9) . (put) an expensive-looking watch into the bag. Before I (10) . (have) a chance to tell the staff in the shop, she (11) . (notice) that I (12) . (watch) her and (13) . (hurry) out. Unfortunately for her, two police officers (14) . (walk) past just at that moment and she (15). (run) straight into them.

1B
Concern (1) . (mount) for the safety of two British climbers who (2) . (miss) in the Andes. Their three companions, all French, (3) . (raise) the alarm when the climbers (4) . (fail) to arrive back at their base camp two days ago. It (5) . (now become) clear that a number of avalanches (6) . (hit) the area last week, and local experts (7). (blame) these on the very warm weather conditions for the time of year.

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

1C
Alex (1) . (work) in the accounts department when I (2) . (become) advertising manager at the firm. At first I (3) . (find) him to be very efficient, but after a while his work (4). (start) to deteriorate. He (5) . (forever lose) important documents and (6). (make) excuses when there were delays. The final straw was when he (7) . (spend) three weeks on a piece of work that should have taken only a day or so. By the time he (8) . (finish), I (9) . (feel) pretty annoyed and (10) . (complain) to the managing director.

1B
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1D
I (1) . (buy) a new alarm clock the other day in Taylor's the jewellers, when I actually (2)

1C
1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

2
Fill the gaps with an appropriate verb using one of the following tenses: present simple, present perfect, past simple, past perfect. Give alternative tenses where they can be used. Sometimes various verbs are possible.

1D
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

2A
A French engineer (1) . an urban car that (2) . only on compressed air. The latest version of the ZP car - ZP (3) . for 'Zero Pollution'- (4) . a small family saloon. It (5) . a top speed of about 100 kmh and (6) . for 10 hours. That (7) . a better performance than any electric car currently in production.

2B
'Cockroach' (1) . the name given to one of the most successful of all animal groups. Fossils (2) . that they (3) . little in appearance in 320 million years, and today about 25 species (4) . worldwide distribution.

2C
For many years now, Carmen (1) .. a card to me on my birthday. However, this year I (2). one from her, so I (3) . her in Brazil to check that she was okay. It (4) . out that she (5). her address book.

2D
We (1) . (only just) breakfast when Derek (2) . to take us to the airport. He really (3) . to be late. In fact, last week he (4) . to the dentist over an hour before the time of his appointment.

2A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2E
Before they (1) . in the match last Saturday, Redfern Town (2) . every cup final they (3) .. (ever) in.

2F
In the hockey championships in Melbourne, Shahbaz Ahmad, the Pakistan captain, (1) . a dazzling second-half performance to ensure a 2 - 1 victory over Australia after the home team (2) . 1-0 at half time.

2B
1 2 3 4

2C
1 2 3 4 5

2D
1 2 3

2E
1 2 3

2F
1 2