EXERCISES ON TENSES

While I ---1walk to class yesterday morning, I ---2.see Abdullah... Yesterday afternoon, I ---1go to visit the Parker family.. Ann’s brother--- 1.arrive a few days ago to visit her.. He

GIVE THE CORRECT TENSES OF EACH VERB IN BRACKETS.

1 Albert Maltz was a progressive American writer He -(1.be) born in

1908 He -(2.write) his first play “ Peace on Earth “ in 1943 It was agaisnt wars, so the American police -(3 arrest) him and -( 4 put) him in prison in 1950

2 Ha -(1 come) back a moment ago and -(2 turn) the television on very loudly.My son -( 3.sleep) then, so I -( 4.tell) her to turn it off

3 Last Friday was a holiday It -( 1.be) Independence Day, so I did not have to go

to class I -(2.sleep) a little later than usual Around ten, my friend Larry -(3.come) over to my apartment We - (4.pack) a picnic basket and then -(5.take) the bus to forest park We -(6.spend) most of the day there

4 Marry and John are neighbours They -(1.know) each other for several years Mary - (2.move) into her house in1985, and John - (3.live) next door since he -(4.come) to the area in 1980

5 Marry is a writer She -( 1.write) several novels, and -(2,win) several awards for her books A few years ago , she -(3.win) the prize for the most promising author of the year At the moment, she -(4.write) a detective story

6 John hasn’t got a job He -(1.be) unemployed for six months He -(2work) for a textile firm which -(3.have) to close because it -(4.not have) enough orders

7 Dennis Heal is a politician He -(1.go) to Oxford University in 1950 , and he -(2.become) a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party in1957 He -(3.be) an MP since then He -(4.write) three story books including his autobiography

He is marrieed to the artist, Adna Heal, and they -(5.have) two children They -(6.live) in Oxford for 15 years, then -(7.move) to London in1970 They now -(8.live) in Cadogan Square in Central London

8 Paul Carrac is a musician and a singer He -(1.be) in the music business for over 20 years He (2.start) playing professionally while he -(3.be) at school He -(4.travell) all over the word He -(5.have) his first hit record

in 1974 So far he -( 6.make) a lot of records Young people in America and Britain -(7.know) his name and they -(8 never, forget) his number one song” The Living Year”

9 Dear Jill,

Here I am in New York! I -(1be) here for 2 weeks now and it -(2 be) very interesting My friend, Nancy who I -(3.meet) in London in1982 -(4.live) in New York for 3 years, so she -(5 know) all about it Yesterday, we -(6.go) to China Town and -(7 eat) hot dogs there We -(8.visit) the Statue of Liberty this Sunday

Back on the 19

Love,Bob

10 It is 6 PM Mary is at home She(1 have) dinner She always -(2.have) dinner with her family around six o’clock

11 Jong -(1.speak) Chinese Chinese is his native language, but right now he -(3.speak) English

12 While I -(1walk) to class yesterday morning, I -(2.see) Abdullah We -(3.say) hello and -(4.walk) the rest of the way to school together

13.When I (1.hear) a knock at the door last night, I -(2.walk) to the door and -(3.open) it When I -(4.open) the door,I -(5see) my brother I -(6 greet) him and -(7.ask) him

to come in

14 My cousin and I -(1watch) a movie on T.V last night when my brother -(2come) He -(3.watch) the end of the movie with us

15 Mrs Reed -(1.turn) on the radio in her car while she -(2 drive) home yesterday She -(3.listen) to some music when she suddenly -(4 hear) a siren She -(5.look) in her mirror and -(6.see) an ambulance behind her She immediately -(7.pull) her car to the side of the road and -(8.wait) for the ambulance to pass

16 My brother called me around five o’clock My husband came home a litle after that When he -(1come) home, I -(2.talk) to my mother on the phone

17 Yesterday afternoon, I -(1go) to visit the Parker family When I -(2.get) there around two o’clock,Mrs Parker -(3.be) in the yard She -(4.plant) flowres in her garden Mr Parker -(5.be) in the garage He -(6.work) on their car The children -(7 play )in the front yard,

18 Ann’s brother - (1.arrive) a few days ago to visit her She -(2.love) her brother and is happy to be with him She -(3.be) happy since her brother -(4 come)

19 Jack moved to Hong Kong after he graduated from the university Jack -(1.be)

in Hong Kong since he -(2.graduate)

20 Jack - (1.break) his leg five days ago He’s in the hospital He -(2.be) in the hospital since he -(3.break) his leg

21 Jane Smith is a writer She -(1 be) married with two children She -(2write) over 40 books She -(3.start) writing after the death of her first husband She -(4 ,.live) in many parts of the world She -(5.spend) her childhood in Egypt, but -(6.come) to England in1966 she is good at writing both prose and poetry, but -(7.be) best known for her romantic novels She recently -(8.win) many awards

22 Next year I -(1.be) married for ten years We -(2 live) in this house for ten years We (3.celebrate) the two anniversaries with a party to which we -(4.invite) some friends and neighbours Most of our neighbours -(5.be )also our friends, and (already/say) they -(6 come)

23 Rob Fellow -(1.come) from England He -(2.come)

to Paris six months ago to learn French He -(3.start) learning French at school

in London when he was eleven, so he -(4.learn) it for nearly ten years He -(5just, take) an exam If he passes, he -(6 move) into the next class He -(7 be) exited today because his parents -(8.come) tomorrow to stay with him for a few days

24 Marie Therese -(1.come) from Swizerland She -(2 come) to London six months ago to learn English At fisrt, she -(3 not, understand) anything, but now her English -(4 improve) She -(5.just, take) an exam If she passes , she -(6 move) into the next class

25 Last Sunday, Mrs Hay -(1.drive) along a small country road when she -(2.see) a man at the side of the road He -(3 wave) and poiting at his car Mrs Hay -(4 stop) and -(5.ask) the man

if he -(6 be) all right ‘’ My car is broken down’’ said the man

26 Yesterday I -(1.go )to the cinema with Mary to see Romeo and Juliet It ‘s the fifth time Mary -(2.see) it! She must really like it

27 My stay in England is coming to an end In ten days’time I -(1.be )back in Italy I can hardly believe that I -(2.be) in Bristol for three months The time -(3.go) so quickly! Yesterday I -(4.take) my final exams As soon

as I -(5 get) the results, I -( 6.let) you know.I would really like to have a holiday when the course finishes, but I have to go straight back to Italy If I -(7.have) more time, I -(8.visit) Scotland Unfortunately I -(9.not see) much of Britain , I -(10.not be) to London yet

28 We -(1.arrive) in Rome at ten o’clock yesterday morning We -(2.stay) in a litle hotel not far from the city centre We -(3.already see ) St Peter’s and tomorrow we -(4.go) on a trip to Pompei I

-(5.be) there before I -(6 go )to Italy quite often when I -(7.be) a child, but it will be interesting to see if it -(8.change) in any way

29 Nancy Mann was born in Argentina She -(1.study) French and German at Oxford University from 1970 to1977 At the moment she works for the BBC World Service She -(2.be) with the BBC for 5 years She -(3 work) as an interpreter for the EU before that She also lived and worked in Brusels for 2 years when she -(4.work) for the EU Now she -( 5.be ) a correspodent an she -(6 travel) all over western and eastern Europe and many parts of South America

30.Yesterday ann introduced me to her husband As I -(1.see) him, I

-(2.know) that I -(3.meet) him before We went to primary school together

31.When she -(1.go.) out of the house this morning , she -(2.take) her umbrella because it -(3.rain)

32 Khuyen lives in Ha Noi but her sister Nhung -(1.live) in Thai

Nguyen She -(2.arrive) yesterday to visit him She -( 3.love) her brother and is happy to be with him Tomorrow she -(4 take) him to some interesting places in Ha Noi

33.This morning when I -(1.go) to the station , I -(2 learn) that the train I had expected to get -(3 leave) ten minutes before The station

master -(4 tell) me that the timetables -(5 be ) altered the previous week

34.It was no use -(1.pretend) that I had not seen tom, so I waved to him

I never enjoy - -(2 meet) him He never has anything -(3 do.)

35.Eric was born in 1903 in India where his father worked for the civil service The

family -(1.move) to England in1907 and in1917, Eric -(2 enter) Eton where he contributed regularly to the college magazine His firt article -(3.appear)

in le mond in october 1928 while he -(4.live) in paris

36.Last night, I -(1.walk) along the street when I -(2.realize) that a man with a black beard, whom I -(3.see) three timesalready that afternoon, -(4.follow) me I -(5.be) worried, and at last I

-(6.stop) and asked him why he -(7 follow ) me The man apologized and told me he -(8.mistake) me for one of his friends

37.My name is David Smith I -(1.be) a journalist I -(2.be) born in england but I -(3.live) in South America when I -(4.be) a child I -(5.finish) secondary there Then I -(6.come) back

to England and -(7.work) for a newspaper I -(8.be journalist for ten years

38.Jane -(1 live) in London She -(2.visit) our new flat tomorrow When she -(3.come), she -(4.get) a surprise,

because this is the nicest flat we -ever -(5.have) We -(6.meet) her at the airpot tomorrow morning and we -(7.have) dinner She -(8 stay) for two days

39.Ted Holt arrived at the station at five past seven to catch the train.’’ Please

-(1.wait) for me ‘’ he shouted and jumped on the train But the train

-( 2.not move) ’’I wonder why the train -(3.not leave) yet ‘’ ,he said to the man next to him ’’ It always -( 4.leave) at seven twenty ’’ the man -(5.reply) Ted sudenly -( 6.realize) he -( 7.be ) on the wrong train ! The train to Plimpton -( 8.already, go ) , the man told him

40 In the evenings I -(1 often play) chess with my door neighbour I -(2.play ) chess with him since I -( 3.come) to live here ten years ago He -( 4.be ) here all his life He -(5 inherit) the house from his father, another great chess player

41.When I -(1.open) the door, I saw a man on his knees He clearly

-(2.listen) to our conversation and I -(3.wonder) how much he -(4.hear) When I -(5.ask) him what he

-(6.do) , he said that he -( 7.drop) a 50 p piece outside the door and -(8.look) for it

42 Since the beginning of the semester, John -(1.read) three novels Right now he -(2.read) ‘’ A Farewell to Arms’’ He -(3.read) that novel for the past three days He -(4 intend) to finish it next week In his lifetime, he -(5.read ) many novels, but this is the fisrt Hemingway novel he -(ever read)

43 Last night I -(1.go ) to a party When I

-(2.get) there, the room was full of people Some of them

-(3.dance) and others -(4.talk ) One young woman

-(5.stand ) by herself I never -(6.meet) her., so I

-( 7.introduce ) myself to her

44.Wilson -(1 move) to New York five years ago He -(2.teach) mathematics at junior school since then He says that he -(3.retire) in

2010 By that time he -(4.be ) a teacher for 16 years

45.My father used to -(1.smoke) while he -(2.read) newspaper But he -(3 give) up -( 4.smoke) two months ago He often -( 5.drink) tea while I -(6.read) now

46.Mr Brown , who -(1.come) from California, -(2.work)

in this company since he -(2 move) to this city ten years ago He thinks that he -( 3.get ) a pension when he -(4.retire) in 2010 By that time, he -(5.work) for the company for 21 years He -(6.return) California after he -(7.retire)

47.Yesterday while I ……… ( read) in my study, Tom ……… -…… ( come) in and

………( ask) me to lend him a dictionary