Grammar Practice

Tenses
Grammar Reference p166–169
1 For sentences a–h, put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past
continuous.
a She nearly ………… (have) a heart attack when she ………… (see) the tiger.
b We ………… (go) down the road at 120 kph when the wheel ………… (fall) off.
c They ………… (read) the instructions when the lights ………… (go) out.
d The happy couple ………… (get) married three weeks after he …………
(propose).
e Our dog ………… (jump) up into the air and ………… (howl) when I …………
(stand) on his tail.
f The winning racing driver ………… (shake) the bottle of champagne then
………… (take) the cork out.
g She ………… (fill) in a questionnaire when the pen ………… (run) out of ink.
h Uncle Sam ………… (get) dressed when he ………… (feel) a searing pain in his
back.

2 Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete sentences a–l.
Present Simple or Present Continuous
a Decisive people ………… (make) their minds up very quickly.
b You want me to come and work for you! ………… you …………? (joke)
c Listen to the crowd. Everyone ………… . (sing)
d He always ………… (think) carefully before he ………… (say) anything.
Past Simple or Past Continuous
e The midnight train ………… (leave) five minutes early this evening.
f The linesman didn’t see the fight because he ………… (face) the other way.
g The referee ………… (blow) his whistle when the game ………… (finish).
h He ………… (dive) off the coast of South Africa when a shark ………… (swim)
right past his leg.
Past Simple or Present Perfect Simple
i ………… you ………… (vote) in the last General Election?
j Zak ………… (go) to the cinema three times so far this week.
k Jack ………… (study) T’ai Chi until the day he died.
l ………… you ………… (think) about my offer yet?

3 For sentences a–h rewrite the information using the words in brackets.
a Last week Jeff Smith finished writing a book about his life in Kenya. (recently)
……………………………….…………………………….
b Three men escaped from a high security prison within the last hour. (just)
……………………………….…………………………….
c I sorted out the software problems a short while ago. (already)
……………………………….…………………………….
d Ollie Gonzales signed a new three-year contract earlier this morning. (just)
……………………………….…………………………….
e I didn’t tell my parents about my tattoo! (yet)
……………………………….…………………………….
f Sorry, Mr Brown isn’t here. He left for the airport a few minutes ago. (just)
……………………………….…………………………….
g Did you go to the British Museum when you were in London? (ever)
……………………………….…………………………….
h Sorry. I didn’t get a chance to finish the report. (yet)
……………………………….…………………………….

4 For A–D, complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in the box.
A

was looking has been looking looks looked

1 That man ………… at that painting for the past ten minutes.
2 The schoolboy ………… in five lockers, but he still didn’t find his dictionary.
3 The robbers ran past the policeman when he ………… the other way.
B

is seeing hadn’t been seeing don’t see hadn’t seen

1 She ………… the price list until the waiter pointed it out to her.
2 Daisy ………… a specialist tomorrow about her back pains.
3 I ………… how you can get all those books into that small box.
C

think will have thought have been thinking will be thinking

1 Even though they live apart, they often ………… about each other.
2 Have a good trip. I ………… of you.
3 I ………… about emigrating to Canada for a long time.
D
have had was having had had has been having

1 Harry ………… a shave when he cut himself.

2 He ………… trouble with his computer since he installed the new software.
3 They ………… enough of living in a big city. They’re moving to the country

5 For a–f write an appropriate sentence using the words in brackets.

Marco bought his Fiat when he was 19. (next July/six years)
Next July Marco will have been driving his Fiat for six years.

a Anna is an English teacher in Portugal. (January/two months)

……………………………….…………………………….
b The politician is giving a speech about public transport. (midnight/three hours)
……………………………….…………………………….
c Mrs Green started to work for the FBI when she was eighteen. (Christmas/10
years)
……………………………….…………………………….
d Ben came here to meet Kate. (Kate arrives/an hour and a half)
……………………………….…………………………….
e Al Lorenzo is a second-hand car salesman. (next year/25 years)
……………………………….…………………………….
f Ulli moved to Greece when she left university and has lived there ever since. (this
summer/eight years)
……………………………….…………………………….