Present Perfect / Past Perfect Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. 1. It is already 9:30 PM and I (wait) next five minutes, I am going to leave. here for over an hour. If John does not get here in the

2. I was really angry at John yesterday. By the time he finally arrived, I (wait) hour. I almost left without him. 3. Did you hear that Ben was fired last month? He (work) than ten years and he (work) did.

for over an

for that import company for more

in almost every department. Nobody knew the company like he

4. I (see) many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small. 5. Sarah (climb) the Matterhorn, (sail) on safari in Kenya. She is such an adventurous person. 6. Sarah (climb) the Matterhorn, (sail) around the world, and (go)

around the world and (go) more by that age than

on safari in Kenya by the time she turned twenty-five. She (experience) most people do in their entire lives.

7. When Melanie came into the office yesterday, her eyes were red and watery. I think she (cry)

Present Continuous / Simple Past Present Perfect Continuous / Past Perfect Continuous
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. My English is really getting better. I (try) to learn the language since 1985, but only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high school in 1988, I (study) the language for almost three years; however, I was only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more years, I (struggle) through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad. I found an exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (stay) with a

host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I (sit) there the whole time staring at the host mother and father hoping that there would be some breakthrough. Nothing. When I returned, I mentioned to a friend that I (have) problems with the language for years. He recommended that I spend a year in an English speaking country. I decided to go abroad again. I

(research) United States. Well, it worked. I (live) (stay) fluent.

exchange programs for a couple of weeks and finally decided on a school in the

and (study)

in the U.S. for more than two years. I

here for at least another year before I return home. By then, I should be completely

Simple Present / Present Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. 1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) her kids to football practice. French at a

2. Usually, I (work) as a secretary at ABT, but this summer I (study) language school in Paris. That is why I am in Paris. 3. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) 4. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It (rain) 5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) 6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) 7. Justin (write, currently) publisher when he is finished. . . . because everybody (talk)

so loudly.

a book about his adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good

8. Jim: Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Denise: Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I (go) 9. The business cards (be, normally ) to a movie tonight with some friends. printed by a company in New York. Their prices (be)

inexpensive, yet the quality of their work is quite good. 10. This delicious chocolate (be) made by a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

Rule 1
Two singular subjects connected by or or nor require a singular verb. Example: My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.

Rule 2
Two singular subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor require a singular verb as in Rule 1. Examples: Neither Juan nor Carmen is available. Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3
When I is one of the two subjects connected by either/or or neither/nor, put it second and follow it with the singular verb am. Example: Neither she nor I am going to the festival.

Rule 4
When a singular subject is connected by or or nor to a plural subject, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: The serving bowl or the plates go on that shelf.

Rule 5
When a singular and plural subject are connected by either/or or neither/nor, put the plural subject last and use a plural verb. Example: Neither Jenny nor the others are available.

Rule 6
As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and. Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

Rule 7
Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by words such as along with, as well as, besides, or not. Ignore these expressions when determining whether to use a singular or plural verb.

Examples: The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly. Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 8
The pronouns each, everyone, every one, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, and somebody are singular and require singular verbs. Do not be misled by what follows of. Examples: Each of the girls sings well. Every one of the cakes is gone. NOTE: Everyone is one word when it means everybody. Every one is two words when the meaning is each one.

Rule 9
With words that indicate portionspercent, fraction, part, majority, some, all, none, remainder, and so forth look at the noun in your of phrase (object of the preposition) to determine whether to use a singular or plural verb. If the object of the preposition is singular, use a singular verb. If the object of the preposition is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Fifty percent of the pie has disappeared. Pie is the object of the preposition of. Fifty percent of the pies have disappeared. Pies is the object of the preposition. One-third of the city is unemployed. One-third of the people are unemployed. NOTE: Hyphenate all spelled-out fractions. All of the pie is gone. All of the pies are gone. Some of the pie is missing. Some of the pies are missing. None of the garbage was picked up. None of the sentences were punctuated correctly. Of all her books, none have sold as well as the first one. NOTE: Apparently, the SAT testing service considers none as a singular word only. However, according to Merriam Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism" (p. 664).

Rule 10
The expression the number is followed by a singular verb while the expression a number is followed by a plural verb. Examples: The number of people we need to hire is thirteen. A number of people have written in about this subject.

Rule 11
When either and neither are subjects, they always take singular verbs. Examples: Neither of them is available to speak right now. Either of us is capable of doing the job.

Rule 12
The words here and there have generally been labeled as adverbs even though they indicate place. In sentences beginning with here or there, the subject follows the verb. Examples: There are four hurdles to jump. There is a high hurdle to jump.

Rule 13
Use a singular verb with sums of money or periods of time. Examples: Ten dollars is a high price to pay. Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.

Rule 14
Sometimes the pronoun who, that, or which is the subject of a verb in the middle of the sentence. The pronouns who, that, and which become singular or plural according to the noun directly in front of them. So, if that noun is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb. Examples: Salma is the scientist who writes/write the reports. The word in front of who is scientist, which is singular. Therefore, use the singular verb writes. He is one of the men who does/do the work. The word in front of who is men, which is plural. Therefore, use the plural verb do.

Rule 15
Collective nouns such as team and staff may be either singular or plural depending on their use in the sentence. Examples: The staff is in a meeting. Staff is acting as a unit here. The staff are in disagreement about the findings. The staff are acting as separate individuals in this example. The sentence would read even better as: The staff members are in disagreement about the findings.

1. Look! Sara (go)

to the movies. her handbag.

2. On her right hand, Sara (carry) 3. The handbag (be) 4. Sara usually (put) 5. And look, she (take)

very beautiful. on black shoes but now she (wear) an umbrella because it (rain) white trainers.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect) 1. When he (wake up) 2. We (go) 3. He (hear) 4. When she (start) 5. Jane (already / type) 6. By the time the doctor (arrive) 7. Before that day we (never / think) 8. I (know) 9. They (not / know) 10. It (be) , his mother (already /prepare) to London because our friends (invite) the news, (go) us a friend. French. . . breakfast

to the telephone and (call)

learning English she (already /learn) three pages when her computer (crash) at the house the patient ( die) of traveling to Japan. his family. them.

him a long time before I (meet) where to meet because nobody (tell) cloudy for days before it (begin)

to rain.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect). 1. I (just / finish) 2. Mary (already / write) 3. Tom (move) 4. My friend (be) 5. I (not / be) 6. But I (already / travel) 7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go) 8. I can't take any pictures because I (not /buy) 9. (they / spend) 10. (you / ever / see ) my homework. five letters. to his home town in 1994. in Canada two years ago. to Canada so far. to London a couple of times. to the cinema. a new film yet.

their holidays in Paris last summer? a whale?

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive). 1. The receptionist (welcome) 2. The car (break) 3. The boys (swim) 4. My father (come) the guests and (ask) down and we (have) while the girls (sunbath) in, (look) and (tell) them to fill in the form to walk home. . me to tidy up my room.

5. While one group (prepare) 6. While the parents (have) 7. Martha (turn)

dinner the others (collect) breakfast the children (run) off the light and (go) to bed.

wood for the campfire. about.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple future or future perfect) 1. Tomorrow I think I (start) 2. I (finish) my new project.

it by the end of this month. a test to his students next Monday.

3. The teacher (probably/assign) 4. He (correct) 5. My friend (certainly/get) 6. By 9 o'clock, we (finish) 7. They (leave) 8. I think I (start)

it by the end of next week. a good mark. our homework. the classroom by the end of the hour. my trip tomorrow

1. Either the physicians in this hospital or the chief administrator ____ going to
have to make a decision. is are

2. ______ my boss or my sisters in the union going to win this grievance?

Is Are 3. Some of the votes __________ to have been miscounted. seem seems 4. The tornadoes that tear through this county every spring _____ more than just a nuisance. are is 5. Everyone selected to serve on this jury _____ to be willing to give up a lot of time. have has

6. Kara Wolters, together with her teammates, _________ a formidable opponent

on the basketball court. presents present

7. He seems to forget that there __________ things to be done before he can graduate.
are is

8. There _______ to be some people left in that town after yesterday's flood.
have has

9. Some of the grain __________ to be contaminated.

appear appears

10. Three-quarters of the students __________ against the tuition hike.

is are

11. Three-quarters of the student body __________ against the tuition hike.
is are

12. A high percentage of the population _________ voting for the new school.
is are

13. A high percentage of the people _________ voting for the new school.
was were

1. The piano as well as the pipe organ ____________ to be tuned for the big concert.
HAS HAVE The mayor together with his two brothers ____________ going to be indicted for accepting bribes. ARE

2.

3.

IS Neither of my two suitcases ____________ adequate for this trip. IS

4.

ARE There ____________ a list of committee members on the head-table. ARE

5.

IS Everybody in the class ____________ done the homework well in advance.

HAS

6.

HAVE The jury ____________ their seats in the courtroom. TAKE

7.

TAKES Neither the teacher nor the students ____________ to understand this assignment. SEEM

8.

SEEMS ____________ either my father or my brothers made a down-payment on the house? HAS

HAVE 9. Hartford is one of those cities that ____________ working hard to reclaim a riverfront. HINT: Try starting the sentence with "Of those cities that . . . ." IS ARE 10. Some of the grain ____________ gone bad. HAVE HAS 11. John or his brother ____________ going to be responsible for this. ARE IS 12. A few of the students ____________ doing so well they can skip the next course. ARE IS 13. Either the Committee on Course Design or the Committee on College Operations ____________ these matters. DECIDE DECIDES 14. One of my instructors ____________ written a letter of recommendation for me. HAVE HAS