Time phrases

Choose the correct option to complete these sentences.

1. I am always / in the past / recently curious to know why one person succeeds and
another might fail.
2. My father recently lost his job. Up until then / Since then / At the moment, he had
always been really hardworking, but now he seems less positive.
3. I’ve been studying the secrets of success three days ago / for many years / up to
then.
4. At the moment / Soon / Previously I am willing to try out new things and see where it
leads me.
5. I used to worry about making mistakes, so on Friday / from now on / often I’m going to
be more adventurous in my life.
6. Before that / Prior to that time / About 20 years ago, most people communicated by
letter or phone – that’s no longer the case.

The perfect aspect

Complete the sentences with perfect tenses of the verbs in brackets.

1. He ………….…………… several jobs before he found one that really suited him. (have)
2. Helena is really busy at work at the moment, so I ………………………… her with the
children every night this week. (help)
3. By this time next week, I …………………..…… my report. (complete)
4. I’m pretty happy with my life so far. I ……………………… a lot of interesting things. (do)
5. They were tired when they got back because they ……….………………… all night.
(travel)
6. We have been planning a big leaving party because by the time he retires, our boss
………..………………… here for 40 years. (work)
7. When we arrived at the cinema, the film ……..………………… . I was really
disappointed. (start)
8. Over the last few years, it’s clear that people ………………………… more concerned
about the environment. (become)

Continuous aspect
Complete these sentences with the simple or continuous form of the verbs.

1. I didn’t have much work last week, but I……………………… (work) really hard this week.
2. We received 100 applications, but we only ……………………….… (interview) five people
for the job. We didn’t have time for any more.
3. It’s not surprising James has been signed by a premiership club – he …………………..…
(play) football since he was three.
 4. It …………………………. (snow) heavily for a week, so all the mountain roads were
blocked.
5. I won’t be at work this time next week because I ………………………… (visit) my family
in India.
6. Frances …………………………… (have) dinner when I phoned. It was a bad time to
call!
7. Carl Redman ……..…………………… (write) over 70 plays so far – and apparently he’s
writing another one at the moment.
8. I …………………………… (know) what I need to do, but I don’t want to do it

Present and perfect participles

Rewrite the sentences using a participial clause.

1. I completed my essay. Then I went out to meet my friends.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Martin lost his job, so he had to start looking for another one.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. I didn’t have the necessary experience, so I didn’t get the job.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. They carried the firefighting equipment. They made their way carefully towards the fire.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Anna worked hard because she knew that there was the possibility of a promotion.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. Because James was dedicated to the charity, he did voluntary work for them for over
three years.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Intensifying adverbs
Complete the text with intensifying adverbs. There is sometimes more than one possible answer.
absolutely entirely extremely incredibly quite totally utterly
Tina recently converted a disused public toilet in London into her very own subterranean flat.
The space is …………………………… small, but it’s got everything she needs. Here’s what she
says about the project: ‘The building hadn’t been used for over ten years, and the place was
…………………………… filthy. So my first task was to clean it up and clear the space. That was
…………………………… a big job, as you can imagine! Being an architect, I had a clear idea of
how the space could work so I set about putting my design ideas into practice. The work took
about six months in all – by the end I was …………………………… exhausted, but at the same
time …………………………… delighted with the result. My builders were brilliant and I
was…………………………… grateful to them for all the extra hours they put in to finish the job.
Some of my friends didn’t agree …………………………… with my plan – they thought it was
rather off the wall. But it’s amazing how much space I managed to create and it was definitely
worth it as I now have a two-bedroom flat in the centre of London, which was always my dream.’

Past modals
Rewrite the responses in italics using past modals and the words in brackets.

1. A: I missed the train by about 20 seconds.

B: I’m sure that was frustrating. (must)
That………………………………………………………………………………………

2. A: There are plenty of tickets left for the concert.

B: So pre-booking our tickets wasn’t necessary. (needn’t)
So we……………………………………………………………………………………

3. A: Apparently they couldn’t use the car abroad as they didn’t have the right
insurance.
B: It would have been sensible to check their policy before they left. (should)
They………………………………………………………………………………………

4. A: The car has stopped working.

B: Maybe it’s run out of petrol. (might)
It……………………………………………………………………………………………

5. A: Sophia wasn’t in class today.

B: It’s possible she forgot we were having an extra class. (well)
She ………………………………………………………………………………………

6. A: They’re very late.

B: Clearly, their train has been delayed. (must)
Their train ………………………………………………………………………………
 7. A: I couldn’t find my phone yesterday.
B: I imagine you were obliged to use your old one. (had)
I imagine …………………………………………………………………………………

8. A: Manuela’s car is still outside.

B: Clearly she is still here. (can’t)
She ………………………………………………………………………………………

Probability
Rewrite the sentences so they have the same meaning. Use the words in brackets.

1. Different types of technology will probably be used in scientific research. (chances)

The…………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………… in scientific research.

2. Many companies will almost certainly invest in the field of nanotechnology. (likely)
It……………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………..…………………………………………… of nanotechnology.

3. Nanotechnology will possibly help in medical research. (could)

Nanotechnology……………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………… research.

4. I think nanotechnology may be used in the home too. (probably)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………..………………………………………………… too.

5. Homeowners will probably be able to install windows that never need cleaning. (good)
There………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………… that never need cleaning.

6. There’s no doubt that nanopackaging will also become popular. (likelihood)

The…………………………………………………………………………….……………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………popular.

7. This technology will almost definitely continue to evolve at a great speed. (certainly)
This technology ………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………… at a great speed.

8. Soon there’s a good chance that many solutions to medical problems using
nanotechnology will be within our reach. (may well)
Soon………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………… within our reach.