PERFECT TENSES EXERCISE – ENGLISH LITERATURE

A. Which sentence is written in perfect tense?

1. I had never tried sushi until I moved to Japan. (C / I)

2. They will not finish the project unless the boss raises the salary. (C / I)

3. Steven didn’t appear last night because he had a terrible headache. (C / I)

4. She will have a baby soon. (C / I)

5. The counselor had waited for hours when we cancelled the appointment. (C / I)

6. I have been invited to the palace for many times but I refused. (C / I)

7. Life will be much happier when we do not take everything too seriously. (C / I)

8. Did you go to the graduation party last night? (C / I)

9. People have become more concerned about their health since the coronavirus outbreak. (C / I)

10. He had a lot of cars but he gave them away to random people. (C / I)

B. Complete the blanks by changing the provided verbs correctly!

1. They (catch) the bus before I called them to cancel the meeting.

2. She (become) more confident since she returned from the live-in program.

3. By this time tomorrow the president (broadcast) his message on all TV stations.

4. I (dream) of my late father many times lately.

5. When the vaccine was finally invented, the virus (already spread) globally.

6. In five years’ time, Liverpool FC (win) 2 UCL cups and 3 EPL trophies.

7. I (already teach) twenty different courses this year.

8. We (find) the solution to the problem before the technician came.

9. Marry and Jane (found) a charity foundation before they graduate from university next year.
PERFECT TENSES EXERCISE – ENGLISH LITERATURE

10. (finish) We ____________ our game before The Meteors started theirs.

11. (graduate) Margie ____________ before her birthday this October.

12. (vote) Union members ____________ before they saw the contract.

13. (exercise) We ____________ three times this week.

14. (warn) The teacher ____________ us before the incident happened.

15. (clean) I ____________ the whole kitchen by the time Mom returns.

16. (offer) Angelica frequently ____________ to help.

17. (produce) By the end of this writing course, you ____________ a plot outline and at least

four chapters of your novel.

18. (pick) He ____________ ten bushels by the time the truck showed up.

19. (search) The rescuers ____________ the area for hours.

B. CHOOSE ONE OF THE CORRECT OPTIONS!

1. She ________ to Africa many times.

was going has gone will have gone
2. By the time the troops arrived, the war ________.
had ended has ended will have ended
3. Women ________ in US presidential elections since 1921.
vote have voted had voted
4. By the time help arrives, the refugees ________ many weeks.
waited have waited will have waited
5. The bus ________ by the time I got to the bus stop.
has already left had already left will have already left
6. The plane ________ by the time we get through this traffic.
PERFECT TENSES EXERCISE – ENGLISH LITERATURE

has left will have left was leaving

7. My parents ________ on King Street for 50 years and they’re still there.
live have lived will have lived
8. As soon as I saw her face, I knew I ________ her before.
had met have met was meeting
9. By this time tomorrow, he ________ his exams.
finished had finished will have finished
10. In July this year, they ________ 10 years.
are married have been married will have been married
11. I ________ for hours for Li to reply, and I’m still waiting!
have waited had waited am waiting
12. He didn’t realize that he ________ his keys until he got home.
has lost had lost will have lost

D. The following is a journal entry of a girl of the mid-1800s in a wagon train heading for
California. Supply verbs to the narrative in the tenses indicated in parentheses.
Use verbs from the list below: be, expect, walk, insist, pack, lose

The first month on the trail (present perfect) _______________________ challenging.

Before we set out, I (past perfect) _______________________ that I would ride the wagon, but

instead I (present perfect) _______________________ miles every day. Mother (present

perfect) _______________________ that I always wear a bonnet because of the sun. It’s a good

thing that we (past perfect) _______________________ so many bonnets, because the wind

keeps blowing them off my head and across the prairie! I think I (future perfect)

_______________________ all my bonnets before we arrive in California.