Mixed Tense Exercises

A. Fill in the appropriate verb forms in the following paragraph:

1. I usually get up late on Saturday (get up).
2. It was (be) the beginning of the week-end and I like to
Get relaxed (relax).
3. But on that particular Saturday two months ago I had to
(have to) get out of bed at 6:00 AM.
4. Terrible sounds of sirens and horns were coming (come) from
the street straight into my room.
5. I walked (walk) over to the window to see what
Was happening (happen).
6. Two cars had crashed (crash) on the corner near the bakery.
7. Lots of angry people Were screaming ¬¬¬¬ (scream) and
shouting (shout) at each other.
8. The baker was ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬ trying (try) to calm everybody.
9. So he brought (bring) out coffee and cookies for everyone.
10. “What a nice neighbour!”, I thought (think).
11. I smiled (smile) to myself and got (go) back to bed.
What an exciting neighbourhood!
B. Fill in the appropriate verb form in the following sentences:
1. When Carol had called (call) last night, I was watching (watch)
my favorite show on television.

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2. I _had worked had worked (work) for this company for more
than 40 years when I retired (retire).
3. Sharon loves (love) to travel. She visits (visit) a
different country every summer. Next year, she plans to go to Peru.
4. Noble Thomas is a writer. He writes (write) mystery novels
and travel memoirs. Last year, he wrote (write) one novel,
three short stories and a book of poetry.
5. We were late because we had some car problems. By the time we
got (get) to the train station, Susan had waited (wait) for
us for more than two hours.
6. Sam was trying (try) to change a light bulb when he slipped
(slip) and fell (fall).
7. Everyday I wake up (wake up) at 6 o’clock, eat (eat)
breakfast at 7 o’clock and leave (leave) for work at 8 o’clock.
But this morning I got up (get up) at 6:30, skipped (skip)
breakfast and left (leave) for work late because I
Had forgotten (forget) to set my alarm.
8. Right now, Jim is reading (read) the newspaper and Kathy
Is making (make) dinner. Last night at this time, they were doing
(do) the same thing. She was (prepare) dinner and he
preparing
Was reading (read) the paper. They are very predictable people!
9. The students are usually (be,usually) taught by Mrs. Monty. But
next week they would be (be) taught by Mr. Smith.
10. Everybody is so excited because tomorrow, we will be having (have)

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our end of the term party!

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Verb Tenses Tutorial Exercise 1
SimplePresent/PresentContinuous
(“be” 0---is, are, was, were, has
been….)
1. Every Monday, Sally (drive) ......drives......... her kids to football
practice.
2. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) ...is asleep......
3. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It is raining (rain).

4. Usually, I (work) ..work............ as a secretary at ABT, but this

summer I (study)
.....have been studying........... French at a language school in Paris.
That is why I am in Paris.

5. I hate living in Seattle because it (rain, always) ...is always

raining.........
6. I'm sorry I can't hear what you (say) are saying.........because
everybody (talk) ......is talking.......... so loudly.
7. Justin (write, currently) ..is currently writing.......... a book about his
adventures in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is
finished.
8. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight. Oh, I'm sorry, I can't. I
(go) ...am going........ to a movie tonight with some friends.

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9. The business cards (be, normally )......are norally being.......... printed
by a company in New York. Their prices (be)....are............. inexpensive,
yet the quality of their work is quite good.

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10. This delicious chocolate (be) .....is being .............. made by
a small chocolatier in Zurich, Switzerland.

Verb Tenses Tutorial Exercise 2

SimplePresent/PresentContinuous
Today (be) .......is....... the second day of my trek around Mount
Annapurna. I am ex-
hausted and my legs (shake) .are shaking...........; I just hope I am able
to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really)...are really killing..........
me and my toes (bleed) ,
but I (want, still).......still want... to continue. Nepal is a fascinating
country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be) .....is........ so
different, and I (try)....am trying....... to adapt to the new way of life
here. I (learn)...learn....... a lit- tle bit of the language to make
communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn, not)....dont learn...........
foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not) ......am not
understaning........... much yet, I believe that I (improve,
gradually)
......am gradually imroving..............
I (travel, currently) ....am currently travelling........... with Liam, a
student from Leeds
University in England. He (be) ...is ............ a nice guy, but impatient. He
(walk, always) ...always walks.......... ahead of me and
(complain)..complains.......... that I am
too slow. I (do) .....am doing............. my best to keep up with him, but
he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for
my- self because I am getting old.
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Right now, Liam (sit)........is sitting......... with the owner of the inn. They
(discuss)....are discussing............ the differences between life in
England and life in Nepal. I (know, not) don’t know the

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real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just)...are just
calling .............. him Tam. Tam (speak)....speks............... English very
well and he (try) is trying to
teach Liam some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say)....says........... a
new word, Liam (try)....tries.......... to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam
(seem, also)...also seems........... to have difficulty learning foreign
languages. I just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for directions.

Verb Tenses Tutorial Exercise 3

Simple Past / Past Continuous
1. A: What (you, do) ..were you doing.............. when the
accident occurred? B: I (try) .............was trying ........ to change a
light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find) ...found.... the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately)
.....immediately went ...
to the police and (turn)
..returned............. it in.
3. The doctor (say) ...said............ that Tom (be) ....was............ too sick
to go to work and that he (need)
.........needed......... to stay at home for a couple of days.
4. Sebastian (arrive) .........arrived.............. at Susan's house a little
before 9:00 pm, but she (be, not)
.........was not........................ there. She (study, at the library) ...had been
studying............ for her final examination in French.
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5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time
yesterday, she (watch, also) was also watching

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................... television. That's all she ever does!
6. A: I (call) .......had called..... you last night after dinner, but you (be,
not) ...were not.......
there. Where were you?
B: I (work) ...was working............ out at the fitness center.
7. When I (walk) ..........was walking...... into the busy office, the
secretary (talk)
..........was talking....... on the phone with a
customer, several clerks (work, busily) .....were busily working........ at
their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly)
....were quietly discussing......... methods to improve customer service.
8. I (watch) ....was watching......... a mystery movie on T.V. when the
electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie
ends.
9. Sharon (be) ............was...... in the room when John (tell)…was
telling……. me what had happened, but she didn't hear anything
because she (listen, not)
.........was not listening........
10. It's strange that you (call) .......were calling.......... because I
(think, just)
......just thought ................about you.
11. The Titanic (cross) ...........had crossed............ the Atlantic when it
(strike)
.....striked....................an iceberg.
12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily)
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 ....were busily bargaining........... and (try) .....were trying....... to sell their
goods to naive tourists who (hunt) were hunting.......... for souvenirs.
Some young boys (lead)
...were leading........ their donkeys through the narrow streets on their
way home. A couple of men (argue)
.......were arguing....over the price of a leather belt. I
(walk) .....walked............... over to

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a man who (sell) ..was selling............... fruit and
(buy) .......bought............. a banana.
13. The firemen (rescue) .....rescued..... the old woman who (be) was
trapped
on the third floor of the burning building.
14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) .had left............... her
dirty dishes in the sink. I think she
(expect, actually) ....was actually expecting................. me to do them for
her.
15. Samantha (live) ......had lived..... in Berlin for more than two years.
In fact, she (live) ......was living....... there when the Berlin wall came
down.

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