MIXED TENSES

Choose the correct option.

1 I cut myself with a knife while I ____ dinner.

a) was making b) made c) have made d) have been making

2 You ____, but the doctor saved your life.

a) were dying b) are dying c) have died d) had died

3 I ____ TV about this time tomorrow.

a) will have watched b) will have been watching c) will be watching d) will watch

4 They ____ for an hour when there was a knock on the door.
a) have danced b) had been dancing c) had danced d) have been dancing

5 I ____ the last train, so I had to walk all the way home.
a) was mising b) have missed c) have been missing d) missed

6 I hope that some scientist ____ a cure for AIDS.

a) will be discovering b) will have been discovering c) will discover d) is discovering

7 I ____ since two o'clock without a break.

a) have written b) am writing c) have been writing d) write

8 They ____ for the championship this time tomorrow.

a) will be fighting b) will fight c) will have fought d) will have been fighting

9 I ____ only a few pages before I fell asleep.

a) had been reading b) have been reading c) have read d) had read

10 I ____ Hamlet three times if I read it again.

a) will have been reading b) have been reading c) have read d) will have read

11 Tom now ____ he said the wrong thing.

a) is realizing b) realizes c) has been realizing d) was realizing

12 Tom ____ his room white. It looks much better now.

a) has been painting b) has painted c) had painted d) had been painting

13 I wonder whether or not Tom ____ this movie.

a) had been seeing b) has been seeing c) has seen d) had seen

14 ____ at yourself in the mirror recently?

a) do you look b) are you looking c) have you looked d) are you going to look

15 Tom asked Mary what she ____ all morning.

a) has done b) has been doing c) had done d) had been doing
16. It happened while I ____.
a) didn’t look b) wasn’t looking c) haven’t been looking d) haven’t looked

17. He ____ when you get to his house.

a) will have slept b) will have been sleeping c) will sleep d) will be sleeping

18. I ____ the police station. Can you help me?

a) look for b) looked for c) am looking for d) will look for

19. Fred ____ out of town at the end of next month.

a) has been moving b) has moved c) moved d) is moving

20. Tom didn't know who ____ the letter.

a) had written b) had been writing c) has been writing d) has written

21. This isn't the first time that I ____ to do that.

a) have forgotten b) had forgotten c) forgot d) have been forgetting

22. I ____ this report since this morning, but I'm only halfway through.
a) have been typing b) typed c) have typed d) had been typing

23. Fred ____ to the beautiful girl and asked her what her name was.
a) had walked b) was walking c) has walked d) walked

24. I ____ for an hour when he appeared.

a) had waited b) have been waiting c) had been waiting d) have waited

25. This is the hottest summer that we ____ in thirty years.

a) had had b) have been having c) have had d) had

26. When he turned up, we ____ for two hours.

a) had been waiting b) had waited c) have waited d) have been waiting

27. Robert heard a big explosion and ____ outside to see what had happened.
a) had been running b) had run c) was running d) ran

28. I ____ English for six years by the end of next month.
a) am studying b) will have been studying c) will be studying d) am going to study

29. What kind of music ____ to when you were a teenager?

a) have you been listening b) have you listened c) did you listen d) were you listening

30. Tom ____ a flower out of the vase while no one was looking.
a) had taken b) took c) was taking d) had been taking
31 What ____ you makes you stronger.
a) won’t be killing you b) isn’t killing c) isn’t going to kill d) doesn’t kill

32 I ____ down the street when suddenly someone tapped me on the shoulder.
a) walked b) was walking c) had walked d) had been walking

33 The French Revolution ____ in 1789.

a) took place b) was taking place c) had taken place d) has taken place

34 He was out of breath because he ____.

a) has been running b) had been running c) has run d) had run

35 Roger ____ TV now. He's sleeping.

a) doesn’t watch b) isn’t watching c) hasn’t watched d) hadn’t been watching

36 Tom was talking on the phone when Mary ____ into the room.
a) has walked b) was walking c) walked d) had walked

37 I ____ for two hours when I suddenly felt sick.

a) was working b) have been working c) had been working d) had worked

38 Tom checked the list again to make sure he ____ everything.

a) has been doing b) had been doing c) had done d) has done

39 The time may come when people ____ all the oil.
a) used up b) will have been using up c) will have used up d) will be using up

40 Bill ____ the sports page when Jane came into the living room.
a) has been reading b) read c) was reading d) has read

41 What sound ____?

a) has a giraffe been making b) has a giraffe made c) is a giraffe making d) does a giraffe make

42 Tom makes a lot of mistakes when he ____ French.

a) speaks b) spoke c) has spoken d) has been speaking

43 By the time you get home, all the cherry blossoms ____.
a) will be falling b) will have fallen c) will fell d) will have been falling

14 Tom and Mary ____ a lot of blood and they're weak.

a) were losing b) lost c) have lost d) had lost

45 Nick ____ the dark room and turned on the lights.

a) was entering b) entered c) had been entering d) had entered
46 Tom heard a noise behind him and ____ around.
a) turned b) was turning c) had turned d) had been turning

47 When Tom went to have breakfast, he found that all the bread ____ mouldy.
a) has already been going b) already went c) had already gone d) has already gone

48 The movie ____ before we get there.

a) will have started b) will have been starting c) will be starting d) will start

49 Tom and Mary ____ several very big mistakes recently.

a) have been making b) have made c) had been making d) were making

50 Tom was a very bad cook until Mary ____ teaching him how to cook.
a) was starting b) had started c) has started d) started

51 Why didn’t you try the dress on before you ____ it?
a) bought b) have bought c) had bought d) will buy

52 ____ to learn the piano when you were three, like Mozart?
a) had you started b) have you been starting c) have you started d) did you start

53 John has a dog named Max. He ____ him at the same time every day.
a) is feeding b) fed c) was feeding d) feeds

54 How long ____ here by the end of next year?

a) will you have been working b) will you work c) are you working d) will you be working

55 Roger ____ a song from the list and began singing it.
a) has chosen b) was choosing c) has been chosing d) chose

56 Who ____ Romeo and Juliet?

a) had written b) did write c) has written d) wrote

57 My mother ____ supper for two hours when I got home.

a) had cooked b) had been cooking c) has been cooking d) has cooked

58 Tom ____ how to do that since he was three.

a) has known b) knows c) will have known d) knew

59 Tom speaks five languages, but ____ how to be polite in any of them.
a) hadn’t known b) didn’t know c) doesn’t know d) didn’t know

60 I hope Tom ____ and pick me up at the airport.

a) has come b) is coming c) will come d) will have come
61 ____ Belgian or German beer?
a) have you been preferring b) are you preferring c) have you preferred d) do you prefer

62 We had to get something to eat so we ____ at a restaurant near the exit.

a) have stopped b) stopped c) were stopping d) had stopped

63 The Berlin Wall ____ in 1989.

a) had fallen b) fell c) has fallen d) has been falling

64 This is the third time Tom ____ late this week.

a) is b) had been c) was d) has been

65 The fire must have broken out after the staff ____ home.
a) had gone b) have been going c) had been going d) have gone

66 How many guitar lessons ____ so far?

a) do you have b) did you have c) have you been having d) have you had

67 Our family didn’t have a dog when I ____.

a) was growing up b) grew up c) have grown up d) had grown up

68 Tom ____ for hours and was beginning to get tired.

a) has been walking b) had walked c) had been walking d) has walked

69 Speaking of hobbies, ____ stamps?

a) have you collected b) do you collect c) are you collecting d) have you been collecting

70 I ____ my pen. Will you help me look for it?

a) lost b) have been losing c) had lost d) have lost

71 When ____ her for the first time?

a) did you meet b) have you been meeting c) were you meeting d) have you met

72 While she was staying in Japan, she ____ Kyoto.

a) often visited b) had often visited c) has often visited d) was often visiting

73 My grandfather ____ the Bible ten times if he reads it again.

a) will be reading b) will have read c) will have been reading d) has read

74 Why ____ a raincoat? It's not raining, is it?

a) have you worn b) had you worn c) do you wear d) are you wearing

75 He ____ for five hours by noon.

a) has worked b) will work c) will have been working d) will be working
76 I don't know when Tom ____, but it was either yesterday or the day before.
a) called b) had called c) was calling d) had been calling

77 She ____ New York before, so I offered to show her around.

a) never saw b) had never seen c) has never seen d) will never have seen

78 Tom ____ when we get there.

a) will be sleeping b) has been sleeping c) will have been sleeping d) has slept

79 Tom and Mary ____ again. Please do something.

a) are fighting b) fought c) fight d) were fighting

80 Mary's washing machine broke down a week after the warranty ____.
a) has been running out b) had run out c) has run out d) had been running out

81 I hope that you ____ your new school. It's a wonderful place.
a) will have liked b) will like c) will be liking d) will have been liking

82 By the time our mother came, we ____ our room.

a) had cleaned b) have been cleaning c) have cleaned d) had been cleaning

83 When I woke up this morning, both of my parents ____ to work.

a) have been going b) had gone c) had been going d) have gone

84 She ____ roses for two hours when he came.

a) was planting b) had planted c) had been planting d) planted

85 Jack ____ the farm after Jill died and went back to Boston.
a) was selling b) sold c) has sold d) had sold

86 Tom is usually the last to leave, but last night Mary ____ after he did.
a) has been leaving b) left c) has left d) had left

87 And then he met a girl who ____ his life forever.

a) had changed b) was changing c) has been changing d) changed

88 Why ____ your nails? Are you feeling nervous?

a) have you bitten b) are you biting c) had you bitten d) do you bite

89 The family ____ for about two hours when the fire broke out.
a) has slept b) had been sleeping c) had slept d) has been sleeping

90 Tom ____ to get a haircut, but he should be back soon.

a) had gone b) went c) has been going d) has gone
91 I met some friends while I ____ for a bus.
a) was waiting b) waited c) had been waiting d) had waited

92 This is the first time I ____ England.

a) am visiting b) visited c) have visited d) had visited

93 ____ your house off by the time you're fifty?

a) will you be paying b) will you have been paying c) will you have paid d) will you pay

94 Tom ____ why everybody was looking at him.

a) didn’t understand b) hasn’t understood c) hasn’t understood d) doesn’t understand

95 Though this is a bulky book with over 1000 pages, I ____ it all by this time next week.
a) will read b) will have been reading c) will have read d) will be reading

96 Tom ____ to Mary for a long time. He is divorced now.

a) will have been married b) is married c) was married d) has been married

97 Stanley was glad when Jenny ____ to help him in the garden.
a) offered b) was offering c) had offered d) has offered

98 He ____ in the library when I saw him.

a) had sat b) was sitting c) sat d) had been sitting

99 I am a married man, and ____ so for three years.

a) was b) am c) have been d) had been

100 I ____ a watch and I lost it the next day.

a) bought b) have bought c) had bought d) was buying

101 Tom said that he ____ the house all day.

a) has been cleaning b) has cleaned c) had been cleaning d) had cleaned

102 Harry ____ back to Boston and should be there by 2:30.

a) has driven b) is driving c) was driving d) drives

103 He fell asleep while he was driving and ____ an accident.

a) caused b) had caused c) has caused d) was causing

104 I ____ TV about this time tomorrow.

a) will have been watching b) will be watching c) will watch d) will have watched

105 He fell and broke his arm while he ____.

a) had been skiing b) had skied c) was skiing d) skied