TENSES

I. Complete the sentence, using either the past simple or past progressive of the verbs in parentheses.
1. When Mrs. Chu (hear) ______________ a strange noise, she (get) ______________ up to investigate.
2. I (not hear) ______________ the thunder during the storm last night because I (sleep) ______________
3. At 8 o’clock last night, I (practice) ______________ the piano
4. When I (be) ______________ a child, we (make) ______________ our own amusement.
5. It (happen) ______________ while I (live) ______________ in Eastbourne last year.
6. I (live) ______________ in London for 10 years while I (be) a child.
7. As I (walk) ______________ down the road, I (see) ______________ Bill
8. I got a package in the mail. When I (open) ______________ it, I (find) ______________ a surprise
9. While Jane (wash) ______________ the dishes, her brothers (watch) ______________ TV
10. I (rewind) ______________ the rented video before I (return) ______________ it to the store yesterday.
11. When he realized I (look) ______________ at him, he (turn) ______________ away.
12. Richard (live) _____________ in Chicago for five years when his company (transfer) _____________ him to New
York.
13. He usually wears sandals but when I last (see) ______________ him he (wear) ______________ boots.
14. I was alone in the house at that time because Mr. Jones (work) ______________ in the garage and Mrs. Jones (shop)
______________
15. Jane (meet) ______________ her husband while she (study) ______________ law at Harvard.

II. Complete the sentences with the correct form or tense of the verbs in brackets.
1. When Glen (open) ______________ the book, some pages (fall) ______________ out.
2. Since she (work) ______________ at the company she (not have) ______________ a day off through illness.
3. It was the first time I (talk) ______________ to Ella outside the office
4. My boss (come) ______________into the office just as I (show) ______________ everyone my holiday photos
5. Mozart (die) ______________while he (compose) ______________the Requiem.
6. At the time of the robbery, they (stay)______________with my parents.
7. Mr. Count (work) ______________as a cashier for 25 years. Then he (retire) ______________and (go)
______________ to live in the country.
8. The pollution problem (get) ______________worse over the last decade.
9. I (not/see) ______________Jane for ages. When I last (see) ______________her, she (try) ______________to find a
job
10. In a surprise move, the Prime Minister (resign) ______________ last night.
11. Alexander Graham Bell (already/invent) ______________ the telephone by the time I was born.
12. That’s the first time I (see) ______________ Jan look embarrassed.
13. I didn’t know who she was, I (never/see) ______________her before.
14. I (buy) ______________a new alarm clock the other day in Taylor’s the jewelers when I actually (see)
______________ somebody shoplifting.
15. I (not like) ______________ having Sam for my roommate last year. He (always/leave) ______________his dirty
clothes on the floor.
III. Complete each of these sentences with an appropriate preposition.
1. Will you take responsibility _________ arranging the food?
2. As I am now in my final year _________ the secondary school, I am _________ a lot of study pressure.
3. Can you give me a hand _________ loading the van?
4. We are a very close-knit family and very supportive _________ one another
5. Please will you all join me _________singing the national anthem.
6. Whenever problems come _________, we discuss them frankly and find solutions quickly.
7. Women’s responsibility is to look _________ the family.
8. The children are very excited _________their camping holiday.
9. Responsibility is shared _________parents and teachers.
10. She has every confidence _________her students’ abilities

IV. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first.
1. Steve started working for this company 5 years ago.
→ Steve has ……………………………………………………………………………………...
2. Do you have any experience of driving this kind of car?
→ Have you ……………………………………………………………………………………...?
3. When she heard the results, Mary began to feel more confident.
→ Since ……………………………………………………………………………………...
4. Nancy hasn’t come here since 1999.
→ The last time ……………………………………………………………………………………...
5. During my dinner, the phone rang.
→ While ……………………………………………………………………………………...
6. David left the party before we arrived there.
→ When ……………………………………………………………………………………...
7. We haven’t gone to the concert for ages.
→ It’s ……………………………………………………………………………………...
8. Sarah hasn’t seen her friends since she left for the United States
→ Sarah last ……………………………………………………………………………………...
9. I have never stayed in such an expensive hotel before.
→ This is ……………………………………………………………………………………...
10. In the middle of our sleep there was a knock at the door.
→ When ……………………………………………………………………………………...
11. My wait for a bus has lasted thirty minutes so far.
→ I ……………………………………………………………………………………...
12. Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music before he was 35.
→ By the age ……………………………………………………………………………………...