MIXED TENSES

I. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Some
verbs are negative.

1. I ________ (start) looking for a new flat 2 weeks ago, but I still _________ (find)
anything suitable. I __________ (live) with my parents these days.
2. We _______ (see) Mike yesterday, but Ann _________ (want) to meet him so we
___________ (cross) the street.
3. In a few minutes’ time, when the clock ____________________ (strike) 5, I
____________________ (wait) here half an hour.
4. Mrs Blake ____________ (arrange) the flowers yet, but she _______________ (do) it
before she ________ (go) home.
5. You must be hungry. Let me just put this away and I ______________ (make) you some
sandwiches.
6. Let’s meet at the station. The train ___________________ (leave) at 7 p.m.
7. You __________________ (eat) the whole pie! You _________________ (be) sick.
8. She won’t be able to come in the afternoon. She ________________ (see) her lawyer at 4
o’clock.
9. Don’t expect us to come at 6 o’clock. We _______________________ (still, play) tennis.
10. They __________________ (date) for 5 years before he finally ___________________
(propose) to her.
11. What____________________ (you, do) the whole evening while we
____________________ (look for) you?
12. When we ____________________ (go) to see him last night, he ____________________
(play) computer games; he ____________________(play) since lunch time.
13. By the end of last year they ____________________ (finished) three large projects, and
by next year they ____________________ (finish) two more. I ____________________
(be) with them since last month, but I ____________________ (believe) they
____________________ (work) on presentations at present.
14. Look at that little boy in the corner. He ____________ (wait) for three hours now and no
one __________ (come) to take him home.
15. Look at this mess! You ___________ (always, leave) your clothes all over the room!

II. Some of the following sentences are correct and some have mistakes in them. Tick the
correct ones and correct the ones with mistakes.
1. My brother and his fiancée will get married on Saturday. They have invited more than 300 guests.
_____________________________________________________________________
2. It’s three minutes to 8. We are going to be late.
_____________________________________________________________________
3. They have left home at 7 o’clock and arrived to school at 8.30.
_____________________________________________________________________
4. He has been eating three sandwiches and he is still hungry.
_____________________________________________________________________
5. I have to sit down. I have run for more than an hour.
_____________________________________________________________________
6. I found that ring while I was playing in the sand with my nephew.
_____________________________________________________________________
7. When I checked your homework I noticed that you had problems with spelling.
_____________________________________________________________________
8. I am really angry. She is always borrowing my clothes without asking me anything!
_____________________________________________________________________
9. A stitch in time is saving nine.
_____________________________________________________________________
10. She enrolled at university last year. Which subjects did she chose?
_____________________________________________________________________
11. Why you lent her my earrings? I was going to wear them tonight.
 _____________________________________________________________________
12. They had driven for only 10 minutes when they had a puncture.
_____________________________________________________________________
13. This is the best pizza I ever had.
_____________________________________________________________________
14. I had been hoping to explain it to her, but she wouldn’t listen to me.
_____________________________________________________________________
15. By the time she comes the best roles will have taken.
_____________________________________________________________________

III. Rewrite these sentences so that the meaning is the same, using the word in bold
type. Do not change the word.
1. The bridge is 20 years old.
ago
The bridge ___________________________.
2. One of the actors passed out during the rehearsal for the play.
while
One of the actors passed out ____________________________________ for the play.
3. In your opinion, who is going to pass the exam?
you
Who ________________________________________ the exam?
4. This isn’t the first time I have watched this movie.
already
I ______________________________________________ this movie.
5. I’d rather not go out with you tonight.
feel
I _____________________________________ with you tonight.
6. We are disappointed because they forgot everything we had taught them.
remember
We are disappointed because they _________________________ we had taught them.
7. Their lunch will be over by 1 o’clock.
finished
They ________________________________________________ by one o’clock.
8. When we returned to the meeting room the Japanese guests were not there anymore.
time
The Japanese guests ___________________________ we returned to the meeting room.
9. I hope he will bring the CD player downstairs.
leave
I hope he _______________________________________.
10. She obeyed her parents only after they threatened they would cut off her allowance.
until
She __________________________ they threatened they would cut off her allowance.
11. She started smoking 20 years ago and she hasn’t given up yet.
for
She ___________________________________________ .
12. The play will take less than a month to put on stage.
have
They _________________________________________ in less than a month.
13. When we came out of the restaurant it was raining.
started
It ______________________________________ when we came out of the restaurant.
14. It has been a month since she dusted the shelves.
ago
She __________________________________________________________.
15. Whose are these books?
to
Who _________________________________________?