EXERCISES ON TENSES Teacher: Đỗ Thúc Công 1 EXERCISES ON TENSES Exercise 1: Choose the best tense (A, B, C, or D) of the verb given in brackets to complete the paragraph Last week I (1)………… (walk) home after playing tennis when it (2)………… (start) raining very heavily. “Oh, no I (3)………… (get) soaked before I (4)………… (reach) home,” I thought. “I wish I (5)………… (remember) to bring my raincoat.” But unfortunately I (6)………… (leave) it at home. ”How stupid of me!” I (7)………… (always forget) to bring it with me.” Luckily just then a friend of mine passed in her car and offered me a lift.” (8)………… (you/ go) home?” she asked,” or (9)………… (you /want) to go for a drink?” “I think I’d rather you (10)………… (take) me home, I said. 1. A. was walking B. walked C. am walking D. walk 2. A. start B. started C. is starting D. was starting 3. A. will get B. got C. will have got D. would have got 4. A. reach B. reached C. will reach D. have reached 5. A. remember B. remembered C. have remembered D. had remembered 6. A. had left B. have left C. leave D. left 7. A. am always forgetting B. always forget C. always forgot D. will always forget 8. A. Do you go B. are you going C. Did you go D. will you go 9. A. will you want B. do you want C. did you want D. have you wanted 10. A. take B. took C. will take D. would take Exercise 2: Put the verbs in brackets into correct tenses: 1. They ___________ ( study) English in that class since last September. 2. It usually ___________ (rain) a lot in Winter. 3. We ___________ (study) the hard lesson two days ago. 4. We ___________ (have) a good time at Jane’s party last night. 5. Mr. Lan ___________ ( go) to the dentist’s every six months. 6. My family ___________ (live) in this city for almost six years. 7. The boys ___________ (study) their lesson every afternoon. 8. Four people ___________(come) to the office since two o’clock. 9. My father ___________(works) forty- eight hours a hour. 10. Las year I (stay) _____________ in London for months. While I (stay) _____________ there, I (meet) _____________ John for the first time. 11. I (go) _____________ to London tomorrow because my uncle (stay) _____________ there for a few days and he (want) _____________ to see me. 12. If you (not start) _____________ getting ready at once, I am afraid we (miss) _____________ the first item on the programme. 13. Tomorrow I (meet) _____________ an old friend who _____________ (just/ come) back from Africa. 14. At present, the author (write) _____________ a historical novel. 15. Up to now nothing _____________ (be ) heard from the search party. 16. She (play) _____________ the piano when our guests (arrive) _____________ last night. 17. They (grow) _____________ different crops on this land since it (be) _____________ reclaimed some years ago. 18. Today is Thursday, and You ___________ (be) late twice this week. EXERCISES ON TENSES Teacher: Đỗ Thúc Công 2 19. We’re in December now, and we ___________(do) a lot of work this year. We also ___________ (do) a lot last year. 20. He’s over sixty, and he’s still working. He ___________ (work) hard all his life. When he was a young man, he sometimes ___________ (work) all night. 21. The policeman ___________(come) at eight yesterday, but it ___________(be) now half past eight, and he ___________ (not/ come) yet. 22. It ___________ (rain) very heavily last Monday, but it ___________ (not/ rain) much since then. 23. She ___________(not/ take) her little boy to a theatre yet, but she ___________(take) him to a cinema for the first time a few days ago. 24. Henry ___________ (play) football at school, but he ___________ (not/ play) since he ___________ (leave) school in 1996. 25. The writer is a still a young man. He ___________ (write) his last book in 1991, but he ___________ (not/ write) anything since then. 26. Mr. Jones ___________(drink) a lot of coffee when he was working in France, but ___________ (not/ drink) much since he came back to England. 27. I ___________ (go) to the cinema twice a month. 28. Mr. Shaw, the director ___________ (work) with his cast in the studio at the moment. 29. We ___________ (see) that film before 1975. 30. I ___________ (not hear) about that actor yet. 31. Yesterday actors and actresses . ___________ (work) in the rain the whole afternoon. 32. Movies ___________ (develop) since the early 1950'. 33. ___________You (like) documentary films ? 34. Roberto . ___________ (live ) in Hollywood for 8 years and ___________ (appear) in 3 films. 35. The children ___________ (watch) a Disney cartoon when I ___________ ( get ) back yesterday evening. 36. When I ___________ (come) in the room last night, the film ___________ (begin) a quarter before Exercise 3: Choose the one word or phrase that is INCORRECT in each of the following sentences, by circling A, B, C or D: 1. I have seen (A) a really(B) good play on television (C) last night(D) 2. I saw (A) him go (B) into the theatre for a second (C) ago (D). 3. Recently(A) there were (B)several incidents (C) like that (D). 4. Did (A) you ever (B) seen (C) any paintings by Goya (D)? 5. This is (A) the most strangest (B) man that I have never (C) met (D). 6. Since (A)I was born (B) there were (C) many changes (D). 7. I’ve watched (A) more films (B) on TV this month than I’ve seen (C) all (D)last year. 8. That boring series (A) began (B) over a year ago but it (C) didn’t finish (D) yet. 9. We didn’t have (A) television at school (B)when I’ve been (C) a boy(D). 10. I’ve already asked (A) her to tape (B) the film I have told (C) you about earlier (D). 11. Why are you so forgetful (A) ? This is (B) the five (C) time you have asked (D) the question. 12. Maria is (A) a (B) novelist. She wrote (C)10 novels so far(D). 13. She was (A) unemployed (B) since (C) her graduation (D). EXERCISES ON TENSES Teacher: Đỗ Thúc Công 3 14. Mr Lam already has (A) finished (B)the work for (C) the day , and he is about (D)to go home. 15. Lan says (A) that she has gone (B) to Dalat three times (C) already (D) . . EXERCISES ON TENSES Teacher: Đỗ Thúc Công 1 EXERCISES ON TENSES Exercise 1: Choose the best tense (A, B, C, or D) of the. I (stay) _____________ in London for months. While I (stay) _____________ there, I (meet) _____________ John for the first time. 11. I (go) _____________ to London tomorrow because my uncle. have asked (D) the question. 12. Maria is (A) a (B) novelist. She wrote (C)10 novels so far(D). 13. She was (A) unemployed (B) since (C) her graduation (D). EXERCISES ON TENSES Teacher: Đỗ Thúc