1 Complete the passage with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

Use the
Present Simple or Present
Continuous.
If you 1..................... (love) surfing and 2..................... (want) to get a university degree,
you should go to Plymouth University in Britain. Students who 3......................... (surf)
three or four times a week for fun can now do a degree in surfing, and make a career of
it. While surfing 4.............................. (look) easy when you watch from the beach,
getting a degree is quite hard to achieve. Jim and Helen are in their last year of school,
and 5........................ (take) their A-levels this summer. They both 6........................(own)
surfboards, but they 7.................... (not surf) much these days. They 8................. (study)
very hard for their A levels. They 9........................(know) the academic requirements
for acceptance to the surfing course are high, and the course itself is also hard. It
10...................(include) oceanography, marine biology, ecology and the design of
wetsuits and surfboards, as well as actual surfing.
But Jim and Helen both 11................. (believe) it’s worth the effort. Let’s wish them
luck.

2 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the
Past Simple or the Present Perfect Simple.
1. John ........................... (not call) me recently.
2. They ........................... (buy) a new car last month.
3. The teacher ........................... (not return) the tests yet.
4. How long ........................... she ........................... (know) about this problem?
5. ........................... you ever ........................... (hear) such an unbelievable story?
6. When I was a child, I ........................... (live) in England for two years.
7. He ........................... (buy) me a beautiful gift for my birthday.
8. I am so excited to have a dog. I ......................................... (always / want) one.

3 Correct the error in each of the sentences.

1. Have you ever eat Chinese food?
.............................................................
2. She has moved to another city last year.
............................................................
3. They have sent out the invitations yet.
........................................................................
4. Jack hasn’t seen Jill since she has graduated.
..........................................................................
5. Mr Brown already left the office.
..........................................................
6. We haven’t been abroad since a year.
......................................................
7. The lesson has started ten minutes ago.
.........................................................
8. Did she just leave?
........................................................

4 Complete the sentences with past simple or continuous:

1. Paul ________ (go) to Madrid last week.
2. The boys ________________ (play) football yesterday afternoon.
3. While my mum _______________ (wash) the dishes, the telephone ________
(ring)
4. While my mum _______________ (wash) the dishes, I _______________ (tidy) my
room.
5. We __________ (want) to go to Buenos Aires last week, but we _____________
(not go).
6. I _____________ (do) sport when I ________ (see) you.
7. The baby ______________ (cry) when Tom ___________ (arrive).
8. James ___________ (slip) while he _______________ (walk) down the street.
9. James _______________ (walk) down the street when he ___________ (slip).
10. I ________________ (watch) TV while he _________________ (listen) to music.
5. Complete the following sentences with since or for.

a. She has worked as a secretary since 1991.

b. They have been married ________ a few years.
c. They have lived in Manchester ________ a long time.
d. He’s written 5 books ________ I met him.
e. We haven’t seen them ________ several weeks.
f. I haven’t been to the beach ________ last summer.
g. Have you used the phone ________ you arrived?
h. We haven’t heard any noise ________ many hours.
i. Has she studied hard ________ yesterday?

6. Complete the text using the Past Simple or the Present Perfect tense.

London has had (have) an underground train system since the 19th century. The London
Underground________ (start) in 1863, when engineers and workers ________ (build) the Metropolitan
railway. This railway line ________ (go) from Paddington Station to Farringdon Street Station. It
________ (be) a very short line. Eight more lines ________ (open) since then.
The world’s first electric railway ________ (open) in 1890. This line ________ (go) from the city centre
to South London. The most modern line is the Jubilee line. It ________ (open) in 1977. Since the London
Underground ________ (begin), many other cities, like New York and
Moscow, ________ (build) their own systems.

7. Write questions for the underlined part of the sentences.

-My sister’s name is Susan.

-Peter has got a lot of friends in Italy.

-Peter has got twenty-two cats in the garden.

-Thomas went to Australia last year.

-Mary worked with Thomas in the same company.

-I often play chess with my friends.

-She is 15 years old.

-I get up at 9 o’clock.

8. Change the sentences according to the information in brackets.

-Did they go to the cinema? (past simple affirmative)

-Paul won’t study Medicine. (Present continuous negative)

-She hasn’t liked my car. (Present simple affirmative)

-My new friend isn’t from Italy (Past simple interrogative

-We didn’t read the newspaper (Present perfect interrogative)