MORE ON SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES: TENSES

Exercise 1

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense. Be careful of adverb position.

Roger is cleaning the car. He cleans it every Sunday.

She often feels tired when she comes home.

Do you know the answer?

The children are going to the zoo tomorrow.

The concert begins at eight o'clock this evening.

Jack _______ (cut) the grass. He _______ (cut) it every week in summer.

You _______ (understand) the problem?

He usually _______ (find) a lot of letters on his desk when he _______ (arrive) at the office.

Frank _______ (take) me to the cinema tomorrow.

The plane _______ (leave) at six o'clock tomorrow morning.

I _______ (not want) any more, thank you.

She _______ (sit) up in bed reading the paper. She always _______ (stay) in bed late on Sunday mornings. .

He never _______ (listen) when I _______ (try) to advise him.

Jane and her husband _______ (come) round for a drink after dinner this evening.

What you _______ (think) you _______ (do)?

Exercise 2

Time Clauses in the Future and Future in the Past

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense.

Ill telephone him as soon as I get to the office.

Theyll be living in a hotel while they're staying in London.

Im sure the film will be over by ten o'clock.

I was afraid that the noise would wake the baby.

I won't know the answer until I _________ (see) him.

When she _________ (arrive) I'll offer her a drink.

Hell be living in Paris while he _________ (make) the film.

I thought that they _________ (help) me but they refused to.

When I _________ (be) young, I _________ (get) up late and_________ (go) to bed early.

While you are still working at the office next week, we _________ (lie) on the beach.

I _________ (hope) we'll meet again.

When he _________ (leave) the house, we'll follow him.

She was confident that she _________ (win) the match.

The program will be over by the time we _________ (get) home.

Exercise 3

Present Perfect Simple and Continuous Tenses

Study the tenses of the verb uses in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense.

I've just had a telegram from my parents.

Have you ever read 'Hamlet'?

I've never written a novel.

I've seen her face before somewhere.

We've been living in London for six months.

You ever _________ (see) Citizen Kane?

He just _________ (write) a new book.

I _________ (study) English for three years.

I _________ (write) to him several times but he_________ (not answer).

She never _________ (play) golf.

You ever _________ (go) to Paris?

She _________ (sit) in that armchair for half an hour.

I _________ (meet) him before but I can't remember where.

We just _________ (receive) your invitation for next Saturday.

I never _________ (hear) of such a thing.

Exercise 4

Present Perfect Tenses with for and since; Past Simple Tense with ago

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense. Note that the use of the Past Simple tense with for -He lived in South America for a long time when he was young - is not included among the patterns.

We've been living in London for six months.

He hasn't done an honest day's work since he was born.

We received your letter a week ago.

She _________ (play) tennis for two hours.

I _________ (not have) anything to eat since breakfast.

He _________ (go) out half an hour ago.

I _________ (work) hard all morning.

I _________ (not see) him since Tuesday.

She _________ (give) up smoking a long time ago.

I _________ (not enjoy) myself so much for years.

They _________ (wait) for you since five o'clock.

He _________ (not pay) the rent since he came to stay here.

I _________ (not go) to the cinema for ages.

Exercise 5

Past Simple and Continuous Tenses

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense.

When I was a child, my father took me to a Football match every Saturday.

She sat down, opened the envelope and took the letter out.

When I went in, he stood up and shook hands with me.

When he arrived at the cinema, his girlfriend was waiting for him.

He was looking at the television while I was reading a book.

When I _________ (get) home, smoke _________ (come) out of one of the upstairs windows.

When I _________ (see) the smoke, I _________ (run) to a telephone box across the road and_________ (ring) the fire brigade.

While all this _________ (happen) my wife _________ (sit) quietly in the back garden.

He _________ (stand) up, _________ (walk) to the window and_________ (look) out.

When I _________ (be) young, I _________ (get) up late and _________ (go) to bed early.

I _________ (study) hard when I_________ (be) at school.

While I _________ (buy) the tickets my wife _________ (look) at some photographs of the actors in the film.  .

Two policemen _________ (stand) outside the door when he _________ (open) it.

He _________ (say) goodbye, _________ (jump) into his car and _________ (drive) away.

What he _________ (say) when you _________ (accuse) him? He_________ (say) he _________ (be) innocent.

Exercise 6

Past Perfect Simple and Continuous Tenses

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense. Be careful of adverb position.

He had already written several novels before his name became well known.

By the time I arrived at the station, the train had already left.

He didn't realize how much the cost of living had gone up during his years abroad.

I had been working so hard all day that I was too tired to eat my dinner.

I was surprised to hear him criticizing the plan because he had previously agreed with it.

He already _________ (be) successful in several competitions before he won the world championship.

By the time he reached the theatre, the play already _________ (start).

He _________ (run) so fast that he was out of breath when he reached the station.

He didn't know how much the town _________ (change) in his absence.

I was surprised to see him at the party because he _________ (refuse) my invitation.

I already _________ (read) the book before I saw the film they made of.

I didn't remember whether we _________ (meet) before.

By the time he finished his work, everyone else _________ (go) home.

He _________ (watch) the television for such a long time that he had a headache when the program finished.

I was delighted when he told me that he _________ (pass) the examination.

Exercise 7

Past Simple and Past Perfect Tenses after Certain Words and Phrases

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense.

I wish I knew the answer. If I knew it, I'd tell you.

I wish I had written her telephone number down. If had, I wouldn't have forgotten it.

If only I could help him! Unfortunately, I can't do anything.

If only I had known that yesterday, I wouldn't have telephoned her.

I'd rather you didn't tell her the news yet.

It's time we went home.

You're talking to me as if I were an expert, but of course I'm not.

Supposing you were alone on a desert island, how would you get food?

I wish you _________ (come) with me. Then I wouldn't have had so much trouble.

It's time we _________ (take) a decision.

If only I _________ (have) enough money to buy it, I would, but it's too expensive.

They're treating him as if he _________ (be) guilty before the trial.

I'd rather you ________ (come) back tomorrow. I'm very busy today.

Supposing we _________ (go) by the mountain road. Would it be quicker?

I wish I _________ (see) the film. What a pity I missed it

He's behaving as if he _________ (be) the owner of the factory.

If only you _________ (be) in the country with us last weekend! You 'would have enjoyed it.

I'd rather you _________ (not keep) interrupting me in the middle of the lesson.

Exercise 8

Conditionals

Study the tenses of the verb used in the patterns below and then put the verbs in brackets in the exercise in the correct form and tense.

If you keep calm, everything will be all right.

If you never attempt anything, you never achieve anything

If I earned as much as he does, I would go away.

If I see him, I _________ (tell) him you rang.

If I won the football pools, I _________ (go) round the world.

If you never listen to other people, you never _________ (learn) anything.

If I hadn't caught the ball, it _________ (hit) you on the head.

If you don't know the way to the station, _________ (ask) a policeman.

If he _________ (do) that again, Ill punish him.

She'd be upset if she _________ (know) what you think of her.

He would have helped you if you _________ (ask) him.

He wouldnt have found out by himself if you _________ (not tell) him about it.

Would you still be afraid to go there if I _________ (go) with you?

GIVE THE CORRECT FORM OF THE VERBS IN PARANTHESIS.

I _________ (be) in the coffee shop for nearly two hours when she finally _________ (arrive).

She _________ (try) five different recipes before she finally _________ (find) one her husband really liked.

My feet hurt badly because I _________ (walk) for an hour.

He was sick because he _________ (eat) too much chocolate.

I know that story very well because I _____ (read) it three times.

If she _________ (be) a ghost, she ________ (try) to frighten me.

He _______ (be) so good to me when I was in the hospital that to this day I _______ (not forget) his kindness, and I hope that I _________ (never , forget).

I never _________ (forget) what she _________ (just tell) me.

When I last _______ (stay) in Cairo, I _______ (ride) to the Pyramids on a camel that my friend _____ (borrow) the day before.

I hope you _________ (not forget) all this talk by tomorrow.

I ________ (go) to Spain three years ago. Since then I ________ (not speak) Spanish and ______ (forget) all I ______ (learn) there.

By next November, I _________ (write) my third novel.

When water _________ (boil), it _________ (change) to a vapor that _________ (be called) steam.

I _________ (be) born in Ankara, but I _________ (spend) my childhood in Nevsehir.

She _________ (paint) her toe-nails and her hair _________ (change) color at least three times since last winter.

She _________ (not marry) you even if you _________ (be) the last man in the world.

He _________ (be) a pilot for ten years when I _________ (meet) him last year.

He _________ (have) his suit cleaned once a month last year.

He _________ (drink) heavily ever since his wife died.

She brought me bad luck. I wish I _________ (never meet) her.

Everybody _________ (know) that a rolling stone _________ (gather) no moss.

Of course I thanked him for what he _________ (do).

I wish I _________ (can speak) English as well as she can, but I don't think I _________ (can do) that.

He _________ (discover) to his horror that he _________ (drink) the poisonous wine in the golden cup.

When I grow a beard, even my own mother _________ (not recognize) me.

Don't waste your breath. Father cannot hear you. He _________ (fall) asleep.

While she _________ (look for) the key, she _________ (find) her engagement ring.

I _________ (study) in the library at 4 o'clock tomorrow.

I wish she _________ (be) here now.

He is busy this week. He _________ (write) another novel.

I _________ (watch) television at 9 o'clock last night.

It is late now. It's time children _________ (go) to bed.

I have made up my mind. I _________ (go) to Istanbul tomorrow.

When we arrived, the lecture _________ (just begin).

He can't hear you. He _________ (listen) to the radio.

He _________ (play) poker when I saw him.

If I _________ (find) some money yesterday, I _________ (buy) that watch.

I _________ (never taste) champagne before I went to their wedding.

As soon as our visitors ______ (leave), we washed all the dishes.

They _________ (wait) here until you get back.

If you don't hurry, your friends _________ (drink) all the beer by the time you get there.

We _________ (die) if we neither ate nor drank.

I _________ (buy) that dress three months ago but I _________ (not wear) it yet.

I _________ (look) at this picture for five minutes, but I can't see you in it.

You must tell me what you _________ (do) since I last saw you.

When I _________ (walk) down the street yesterday I _________ (see) three strange dogs.

He _________ (not walk) for long when he saw the river.

I _________ (sit) in the dentist's at this time tomorrow.

I _________ (play) football tomorrow, but I won't be able to do that because I have injured my leg.

I _________ (read) your book; it is an interesting book.