Tenses Present Simple, Present Progressive

1. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) I haven't decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But / think about it/I'm thinking about it. b) All right, you try to fi the television! But / ho"e/I'm ho"ing you know what you're doing. c) #very year / visit/I'm visiting Britain to im"rove my #nglish. d) It's time we turned on the central heating. It gets/It's getting colder every day. e) $f course, you're %ary, aren't you! / recognise/I am recognising you now. f) &he film of ''ar and (eace' is very long. It lasts/It is lasting over four hours. g) I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you do/are you doing in the afternoons) h) I'm going to buy a new swimming costume. %y old one doesn't fit/isn't fitting any more, i) &hat must be the end of the first "art of the "erformance. 'hat ha""ens/is ha""ening now) *) 'hat's the matter) 'hy do you look/are you looking at me like that) 2. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) I work in this office all this year/all the time. b) #merson is currently/for long to" of the driver's league. c) I am not making much money these days/so far this year. d) &he food tastes even worse now/"resently. +ou've "ut too much salt in. e) ,ormally/"reviously we get in touch with customers by "ost. f) (ete was ill but he is getting over his illness soon/now. g) I'm feeling rather run down lately/at "resent, doctor, h) I always stay on duty since/until si o'clock. i) I'm often/forever "icking your hairs out of the bath! *) -ortunately the baby now/recently slee"s all night. 3. Put each verb in brackets into the present simple or present continuous. .. British "eo"le /drink) more and more wine, a""arently. 0. I ho"e 1arah will be here soon. I /de"end) on her. 2. (lease be 3uiet, 4avid. +ou /forever/interru"t). 5. 6ey, you! 'hat /you/think) you're doing) 7. 8ould you come here "lease) I /want) to talk to you now. 9. :ane is away on holiday so ;inda /handle) her work. <. &o be honest, I /doubt) whether :im will be here ne t week. =. +ou've only *ust started the *ob, haven't you) 6ow /you/get on)) >. (ay no attention to ?raham. 6e /*ust/be) sarcastic. .@. /hear) that you have been "romoted. 8ongratulations! 4. omplete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the !irst sentence, using one o! the words in bold. "o not change the word in bold. a) Charles and his father are exactly alike in appearance. looks/looking Charles looks just like his father. b) &ake all your "ossessions and walk slowly to the e it. belongs/belonging &ake everything A and walk slowly to the e it. c) I'm finding it really en*oyable to work here. en*oy/en*oying I A here. d) I take work home regularly because of my new res"onsibility at work.

means/meaning %y new res"onsibility at work A work home regularly. e) In my cycling grou" there's ?eorge, &om, 6arry and me. consists/consisting %y A ?eorge, &om, 6arry and me. f) In your o"inion, who's going to win the 8u") think/thinking 'ho do A win the 8u") g) I'm seeing how wide the door is. measure/measuring I A the door. h) ,eil always forgets his wife's birthday. remembers/remembering ,eil A his wife's birthday. i) Its ability to catch fish is the key to the "olar bear's survival. de"ends/de"ending &he "olar bear's A to catch fish. *) 'hat's on your mind at the moment) think/thinking 'hat .. ..at the moment)

Past Tenses
1. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) 'hen you "assed the town hall clock, did you notice/were you noticing what time it was) b) ;ast night my neighbours were shouting/would shout for hours and I couldn't get to slee". c) 'hen you lived in ;ondon, did you use to travel/were you travelling by bus) d) #veryone was having a good time, although not many "eo"le danced/were dancing. e) :ill was really hungry because she didn't eat/hadn't eaten all day. f) Before we went to the theatre, we called in/had called in at ?eorge's cafe for a "iBBa. g) It took a while for me to notice, but then I did. #veryone stared/was staring at me. 'hat had I done wrong) h) ,obody bothered to tell me that the school decided/had decided to have a s"ecial holiday on -riday. i) I was trying/tried to get in touch with you all day yesterday. 'here were you) *) AC # cuse me, but this seat is mine. BC I'm sorry, I didn't realise/hadn't realised that you were sitting here. 2. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) $nce/Afterwards I'd read the manual, I found I could use the com"uter easily. b) It was more than a month before/until I realised what had ha""ened. c) I managed to talk to 8arol *ust as/while she was leaving. d) It wasn't until/u" to .>=2 that ,igel could afford to take holidays abroad. e) ?eorge always let me know by the time/whenever he was going to be late. f) I was having a bath at the time/that time, so I didn't hear the doorbell. g) 'e bought our tickets and five minutes after/later the train arrived. h) According to ?rand"a, "eo"le used to dress formally those days/in his day. i) #veryone was talking but sto""ed at that time/the moment %r 1mith arrived, *) &he letter still hadn't arrived by/until the end of the week. 3. "ecide i! the verb !orm underlined is correct or not. #! it is correct, write a tick. #! not, correct it. &e t .C &he train /.) ground to a halt at a small station miles from ;ondon, and it /0) became a""arent that the engine /2) had broken down. #veryone /5) was getting their cases down from the luggage racks, and we /7) were waiting on the "latform in the freeBing wind for hours until the ne t train /9) was turning u". &e t 0C &he mysterious disa""earance of (rofessor 4awson /.) was on Ins"ector 8orse's mind. 1i months before the (rofessor's disa""earance, he /0) was receiving a letter from :ean 4awson, the (rofessor's wife. In the letter, :ean /2) accused her husband of "lotting to murder her. ?orse /5) considered what his ne t ste" should be when the "hone rang. It was 1ergeant Adams from the &hames Dalley "olice force. A fisherman /7) discovered a body in the Eiver &hames, and it /9) fitted the descri"tion of the (rofessor. 4. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past verb !orm. &his time last year I /.) /cycle) in the rain along a country road in -rance with a friend of mine. 'e /0) /decide) to go on a cycling holiday in ,ormandy. ,either of us /2) /be) to -rance before, but we /5) /know) some -rench from our time at school and we /7) /manage) to brush u" on the basics. ,ow we /9) /wonder) if we /<) /make) the right decision. 'e /=) /"lan) our route carefully in advance, but we />) /forget) one im"ortant thing, the weather. It /.@) /rain) solidly since our arrival and that night we /..) /end u") slee"ing in the waiting room at a railway station. &hen the ne t morning as we /.0) /ride) down a stee" hill my bike /.2) /skid) on the wet road and I /.5) /fall off). I /.7) /realise) immediately that I /.9) /break) my arm, and after a visit to the local hos"ital I /.<) /catch) the ne t train to 8alais for the ferry home. Fnfortunately my "arents /.=) /not/e "ect) me home for a fortnight, and /.>) /go) away on holiday. 1o I /0@) /s"end) a miserable cou"le of weeks alone, reading '&each +ourself -rench'. 9. 8om"lete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. 4o not change the word given.

a) I intended to call you yesterday, but I forgot. going I A call you yesterday, but I forgot. b) 1ylvia asked if I wanted more "udding, but I said I couldn't eat any more. had 'hen 1ylvia offered A enough. c) $wing to illness, 1ally was unable to sing the solo, as arranged. have 1ally was A but she fell ill. d) 4iana wasn't always as rude as that. be 4iana A rude. e) 'e've changed our minds about going to Eome, as originally intended. intending 'e A we've changed our minds. f) 'hen I lived in ;ondon cycling to work was "art of my daily routine. used 'hen I lived in ;ondon I A day. g) I might "ossibly go to the theatre tonight. wondering I A going to the theatre tonight. h) I had to go "ast your house so I decided to dro" in. "assing I A so I decided to dro" in. i) About .@@ "eo"le were waiting for the late bus. arrived By A about .@@ "eo"le waiting. *) 'hat were you doing at the moment of the e "losion) occurred 'hen A what were you doing) $. #n each sentence decide whether one, or both, o! the alternative verb !orms given are appropriate. %rite & !or one or ' !or both. a) In those days, I always used to get u"/got u" early in the morning. ..B. b) 'hen I got to the cinema :ack had been waiting/was waiting for me. c) 'e would always have/were always having breakfast in bed on 1undays. d) %ary was always falling/always fell ill before im"ortant e aminations. e) %y sister used to own/would own a motorcycle and sidecar. f) (ay no attention to 4ave's remarks. 6e wasn't meaning/didn't mean it. g) I felt awful after lunch. I ate/had eaten too much. h) Brenda left/had left before I had time to talk to her. i) &he e "lanation was sim"le. In .<=. 6%1 1overeign, on her way back from India, had sighted/sighted an em"ty boat drifting off the African coast. *) (auline has changed a lot. 1he didn't always use to look/wasn't always looking like that. (. omplete the te)t b* writing one word in each space. 'hen I was a young man I s"ent a year in -rance, studying -rench at the Fniversity of ?renoble. #very -riday I /.) eat at the Al"s cafe. I didn't /0) to s"end much money, as I /2) not afford it, but it was a little tradition of mine to eat there. Anyway, I'm going to tell you a true story which ha""ened on one occasion when I /5) eating there. I remember I was having a "asta dish at /7) time. A beautiful girl came u" to me and said, 'I was /9) if you wanted to walk with me in the "ark)' I had never seen her /<) , so I was rather taken aback. I was /=) to go with her when I noticed a tough-looking man was watching our every movement. />) my discomfort, the girl whis"ered to me, in #nglish, '(ark - five minutes!', and then disa""eared. 'ell, my bill /.@) ages to arrive, and

by the time I /..) to the "ark, there was no sign of the girl. I asked an old lady /.0) was sitting there if she /.2) seen a young girl waiting around. I described the girl to her. &he old lady said that the girl /.5) had to rush to the railway station, and that I /.7) to follow her there urgently. 1he had also left me a note. It said, 'I will e "lain everything. %eet me on "latform 9.'

+uture Tenses
1. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable verb !orm. a) In twenty-four hours' time /I/rela ) on my yacht. b) &here's someone at the door.' &hat /be) the "ostman.' c) By the time you get back 6arry /leave). d) It's only a short tri". I /be) back in an hour. e) 'hat /you/do) this 1aturday evening) 'ould you like to go out) f) By the end of the week we /decide) what to do. g) It /not/be) long before 4octor 1mith is here. h) 'e'll go to the "ark when you /finish) your tea. i) It's very hot in here. I think I /faint). *) 'hat /you/give) Ann for her birthday) 6ave you decided yet) 2. #n most lines o! this te)t there is an e)tra word. %rite the e)tra word, or put a tick i! the line is correct. In August ?ordon will then have been at his com"any for 07 years, . and he's getting for a bonus of three weeks "aid holiday. 1o we've 0 decided to hire a car and drive around #astern #uro"e. 'e'll be 2 leaving towards the end of August, and our aim there is to visit as 5 many countries as we can. 'e're flying out to Buda"est - soon we're 7 due to catch a "lane on the 0=th day - and then we'll be sto""ing over 9 at a friend's house, before starting our grand tour. 'e'll most "robably < s"end the best "art of a week in 6ungary. 'hen we've *ust finished = there, we'll "robably be go to Eomania, but beyond that we haven't > "lanned too much arrangements. 'e will know a bit more by the end .@ of this week, when we're getting a whole load of brochures from the .. tourist board. 'e'd like to get to as far as Eussia, but realistically I .0 doubt whether we'll have time. I ho"e it won't be too e "ensive - .2 from till now on we'll really have to tighten our belts! I can't wait! .5 In *ust over two months' of time we'll be having the time of our lives! .7 3. hoose the most appropriate continuation !or each sentence. a) According to the latest forecast, the tunnel A will be finished ne t year. B will have been finished ne t year. 8 is finishing ne t year. b) (aula's flight is bound to be late although A it arrives at 9.@@. B it's due at 9.@@. 8 it's arriving at si . c) It's no use "honing Bob at the office, he A will be leaving. B is leaving. 8 will have left. d) #veryone says that this year 8ity A are going to win the 8u". B are winning the 8u". 8 win the 8u". e) I don't feel like visiting my relatives this year so A I won't go. B I'm not going. 8 I don't go. f) +ou can borrow this calculator, I A am not going to need it. B won't have been needing it. 8 am not needing it. g) I'm sorry dinner isn't ready yet, but it A is going to be ready in a minute. B will have been ready in a minute. 8 will be ready in a minute, h) 8an you send me the results as soon as you A hear anything) B are hearing anything) 8 will have heard anything) i) +ou can try asking %artin for hel" but A it won't do you any good. B it's not doing you any good. 8 it won't be doing you any good, *) 4on't worry about the mistake you made, nobody A is noticing. B will notice. 8 will be noticing.

4. omplete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the !irst sentence, using the word given. "o not change the word given. a) I don't su""ose you have heard the news. won't +ou A the news. b) &he (rime %inister e "ects an easy victory for his "arty in the election. believes &he (rime %inister A the election easily. c) I've been in this com"any for almost three years. will By the end of the month A in this com"any for three years. d) &his book will take me two years to write. have In two years' A this book. e) 1cientists are on the "oint of making a vital breakthrough. about 1cientists are A a vital breakthrough. f) %aria is "regnant again. have %aria is A baby. g) I'll be home late. until I A late. h) ,o one knows what the result of the match is going to be. who ,o one knows A the match. i) 4on't worryG 4avid won't be late. here 4on't worryG 4avid A time. *) %ary and Alan's wedding is ne t weekend. getting %ary and Alan A ne t weekend. ,. -ook at the three options ., ' and !or each /uestion. "ecide which two are correct.

a) 'e've run out of fuel. A 'hat will we do now) B 'hat do we do now) 8 'hat are we going to do now) b) +ou can't leave early, A we're having a meeting. B we're going to have a meeting. 8 we will have a meeting. c) $h dear, I've broken the vase A 'hat will your mother say) B 'hat is your mother going to say) 8 'hat is your mother saying) d) According to the weather forecast, A it'll rain tomorrow. B it's raining tomorrow. 8 it's going to rain tomorrow. e) I'd like to call round and see you A 'hat will you have done by the morning) B 'hat'll you be doing in the morning) 8 'hat are you doing in the morning) f) I've got nothing to do tomorrow so A I'll get u" late. B I am to get u" late. 8 I'm going to get u" late. g) It's my eighteenth birthday ne t month so A I'm on the "oint of having a "arty. B I'm having a "arty. 8 I'll be having a "arty. h) 'hy don't you come with us) A It'll be a great tri". B It's going to be a great tri". 8 It's a great tri", i) 'hen you get to the air"ort

A someone is going to be waiting for you. B someone is due to wait for you. 8 someone will be waiting for you. *) 1hut u", will you! A I'm getting really angry. B I'm going to get really angry in a minute. 8 I'm getting really angry in a minute. 0. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) I'll be back after a few minutes/in a few minutes. b) I'm sure that everything will be all right at the end/in the end. c) (lease call me the moment/e actly when you hear any news. d) I should be back by the time/at the time the film begins. e) I'm sure -iona will be here before long/after a while. f) I can't leave on &uesday. I won't be ready until then/by then. g) By twenty four hours/this time tomorrow I'll be in Bangkok, h) 4iana will be retiring soon/already. i) &here will be no official announcements forthwith/from now on. *) Bye for now. I'll see you in two weeks' time/two weeks later. $. omplete the common e)pressions using the words !rom the bo). let give be go see come have go be see b) I'll A a look and get back to you. c) I'll A it some thought. d) I'll A you know by tomorrow. e) I'll *ust A and get it. f) I'll A halves with you. g) I'll A to it. h) I'll A back in a minute. i) I'll A about five minutes. *) I'll A and show you. 'hich e "ression means one of the following) .) I will try and do this for you. 0) I'll share it with you. 2) I'll fi it/arrange it. a) I'll what I can do.

Per!ect Tenses
1. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence. a) I can't believe it, Ins"ector. +ou mean that 1mith stole/has stolen/has been stealing money from the till all this time! b) +ou three boys look very guilty! 'hat did you do/have you done/have you been doing since I left/have left the room) c) 'hy on earth didn't you tell/haven't you told me about that loose floorboard) I tri""ed/have tri""ed over it *ust now and hurt myself. d) It's a long time since I saw/have seen/have been seeing your brother (aul. 'hat did he do/has he done/has he been doing lately) e) I can't believe that you ate/have eaten/have been eating three "iBBas already! I only brought/have only brought them in fifteen minutes ago! f) 4on't forget that you didn't see/haven't seen %rs 4awson. 1he has waited/has been waiting outside since .@.2@. g) 'hat did you think/have you thought of Brighton) 4id you stay/6ave you stayed there long) h) I feel really tired. I weeded/have weeded/have been weeding the garden for the last three hours and I didn't rest/haven't rested for a single moment. i) I'm having "roblems with 4avid. 6e has called/has been calling me u" in the middle of the night and told/telling me his troubles. *) 6ow long did you have/have you had/have you been having driving lessons) And did you take/have you taken/have you been taking your test yet) 2. "ecide how man* di!!erent endings 112134 *ou can !ind !or sentences 1a254. The sentences *ou make must be appropriate and meaning!ul. a) I haven't been feeling very well ... .7,=... b) I went to the dentist's c) I've lived here d) 4on't worry. I haven't been waiting e) I've written two "ages f) I waited outside your house g) I've warned you about this h) I haven't made a decision i) &he re"air worked *) I've decided to believe you . time and time again. 0 all my life. 2 so far. 5 for the time being. 7 for the "ast hour or two. 9 yet. < till half "ast eight. = for a while. > the other day. .@ long.

3. Put each verb in brackets into the most appropriate per!ect or past verb !orm. a) 1o far we ..haven't noticed. /not/notice) anything unusual, but we /not/"ay) very close attention. b) I'm sorry I /not/come) to class lately. c) I /work) late in the evenings for the "ast fortnight. d) I wonder if %ary /reach) home yet) 1he /leave) too late to catch the bus. e) 6ere is the news. &he 6ome $ffice /announce) that the two "risoners who /esca"e) from 4artmoor "rison earlier this morning /give themselves u") to local "olice. f) /you/make u") your minds) 'hat /you/decide) to do) g) 6arry /leave) home rather suddenly and we /not/hear) from him since. h) Eecent research /show) that 8olumbus /not/discover) America, but that Dikings /land) there five hundred years before him. i) I think that "eo"le /become) tired of the "oor 3uality of television "rogrammes, though they /im"rove) lately, *) /something/ha""en) to the "hone lines) I /try) to get through to ?lasgow for the "ast hour. k) Bill /get) that new *ob, but he /com"lain) about it ever since.

4. omplete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the !irst sentence, using the word given. "o not change the word given. a) &his has been my home for thirty years. lived I A here for thirty years. b) #ating 8hinese food is new to me. never I A before. c) &ony hasn't been to (aris before. first It's A to (aris. d) 'e haven't been swimming for ages. since It's A swimming. e) %ary started learning -rench five years ago. has %ary A five years. f) I am on the tenth "age of this letter I am writing. ten 1o far I A of this letter. g) It's over twenty years since they got married. for &hey have A than twenty years. h) &he last time I saw 4ick was in .>>7. seen I haven't A .>>7. i) &here is a definite im"rovement in your work. has ;ately A im"roved. *) &his is my second visit to 6ungary. visited &his is A the 6ungary. ,. Underline the correct phrase in each sentence. a) &he "rice of "etrol has risen/has been rising by .7H over the "ast year. b) ,o wonder you are overweight! +ou have eaten/+ou have been eating chocolates all day long! c) I've read/I've been reading a really good book this morning. d) 4oesn't this room look better) I've "ut/I've been "utting some "osters u" on the walls. e) 4on't disa""oint me! I've counted/I've been counting on you. f) 4on't forget your "ills today. 6ave you taken them/6ave you been taking them) g) 'ho has worn/has been wearing my scarf) h) I think there's something wrong with your motorbike. It's made/It's been making some very funny noises. i) :ack has asked/has been asking for a "ay-rise three times this year. *) I've been "honing/I've "honed Ann all evening, but there's no re"ly. 0. Put each verb in brackets into either the past simple, present per!ect simple or present per!ect continuous. I /.) /move) to ;ondon three weeks ago to take u" a new "ost at my com"any's ;ondon office. #ver since then, I /0) /wonder) if I /2) /make) the right decision. I /5) /see) a lot of negative things about living in the ca"ital, and I can't say ;ondon /7) /make) a very favourable im"ression on me. It's so "olluted and e "ensive, and the "eo"le are so distant. +ou see, I /9) /grow u") in a fairly small town called 4eviBes and I /<) /s"end) all of my life there. I /=) /always/want) to live in a big city and so when my com"any />) /offer) me a *ob in ;ondon, I /.@) /*um") at the chance. I think I'm not alone in my aversion to the big city. According to a "rogramme I /..) /*ust/hear) on the radio, more and more "eo"le /.0) /sto") working in ;ondon recently, and a lot of large

com"anies /.2) /choose) to move away from the centre. $h well, it's too late to change my mind now, because the *ob is u" and running, and I /.5) /already/sell) my house in 4eviBes. But I must admit, over the "ast few days, I /.7) /secretly/ho"e) that the com"any would relocate me back to my old town.