PRESENT AND PAST TENSE PRACTICE

1 Choose the correct tense for each sentence

Example: After Jonathan finishes his degree, she intends to work in an office.

(a) will finish

(b) finishes
(c) finished
(d) is finishing
(1) Lola looked down to discover a snake at her feet. When she saw it she ______________

(a) screamed
(b) was screaming
(c) had screamed
(d) screams
(2) I borrowed four books on gardening the last time I ______________ to the library.

(a) go
(b) went
(c) had gone –
(d) have gone
(3) Mark Twain ______________ up in a small town in Mississippi.

(a) was growing up

(b) had grown up
(c) grew up
(d) has grown up
(4) When my parents ______________ tomorrow, they will see our new baby for the first
time.

(a) will arrive

(b) arrive
(c) will have arrived
(d) arrived
(5) You ______________ to take a break so you can ______________ your breath.

(a) need - recovering

(b) need - recover
(c) don’t need – recovering
(d) are needing - recovering
(6) My grandfather ______________ in an airplane in his entire life.

(a) never flies

(b) had never flown
(c) has never flown
 (d) never flew
(7) I ______________ in this city from 1998 to 2015.

(a) have been living

(b) am living
(c) had been living
(d) lived
(8) While I ______________ TV last night a small mouse ______________ across the
room.

(a) watched - runned

(b) have watched – run
(c) watch - ran
(d) was watching - ran
(9) Jane isn’t here yet. I ______________ to check at the office a minute ago.

(a) went
(b) go
(c) will go
(d) did went
(10) My brother finally graduated from high school. He ______________ seven different
schools.

(a) had been attending

(b) attended
(c) was attending
(d) had attended
(11) On June 20th I ______________ Home after I ______________ to Japan.

(a) return – gone

(b) returned – gone
(c) returned – went
(d) return - go
(12) When I ______________ to the party, many people ______________

(a) get - were already dancing

(b) got - already danced
(c) got - had already danced
(d) get - have already danced.
(13) Right now we ______________ a heat wave for almost a week.

(a) have
(b) have had
(c) have been having
(d) are having
(14) If I ______________ the doctor this afternoon I ______________ him to take a look at my
throat.
 (a) going and seeing - will ask
(b) going and seeing - ask
(c) go and see - will ask
(d) go and see - ask
(15) I ______________ you the money almost a week ago, ______________ your tuition at the
university.

(a) sent – paying

(b) sent – to paying
(c) send – to pay
(d) sent – to pay
(16) After they ______________ the last race it ______________ to rain.

(a) won – started

(b) have won - starts
(c) win - start
(d) won - starts
(17) Our football team ______________ three football matches last season.

(a) wins
(b) has won
(c) won
(d) never won
(18) I ______________ he ______________ all the questions correctly but he still
______________ insecure anyway.

(a) think – answers - feeling

(b) think – is answering – feels
(c) am thinking – answers – is feeling
(d) think – answer - feel
(19) It’s against the law ______________ whales because they ______________ extinct.

(a) to killing - become

(b) killing - become
(c) to kill – becaming
(d) killing – are becoming
(20) After her visit she said Jim needed a new job because in that one he earned too little.

(a) said – needs – earns

(b) said – needed – is earning
(c) said – needed – earned
(d) says – needed - earns
(21) Last month I ______________ a week’s vacation. I ______________ on a trip to Russia.

(a) have - went

(b) had – was going
(c) was having – went
(d) had – went
(22) ______________, please! I ______________ my keys.

(a) Wait – need find

(b) Waiting – needing to find
(c) Wait – need to find
(d) Waiting – need to find
(23) Unfortunately, we ______________ out because it ______________ heavily yesterday.

(a) weren’t able going - was raining

(b) weren’t able to go - was raining
(c) weren’t able to going - was raining
(d) weren’t able going – rained
(24) In the very moment the fire alarm ______________ the window ______________ with
great noise.

(a) started to wail – just opens

(b) started wailing – just opened
(c) started to wailing – just opened
(d) started wailing – just opens
(25) Whenever he ______________ typical music he ______________ the rhythm

(a) is hearing – is starting to follow

(b) hears – is starting to follow
(c) hears –starts follow
(d) is hearing – starts following