The Tenses in English Language

Verbs come in three tenses: past, present, and future. The past is used to describe things that have
already happened (e.g., earlier in the day, yesterday, last week, three years ago). The present
tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous. The
future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g., later, tomorrow, next week, next year,
three years from now).

1. The Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous tense describes actions or situations that are in progress at the moment of
speaking.
This includes activities that are happening right now or temporary activities.
In some cases, the present continuous tense can also refer to the future.
I am doing something= this means that I am in the middle of doing it, I have started doing it and
I haven't finished yet.

The rule for this tense is as follows:

Subject + am / is / are + main verb – ing + object.

I am driving

He/ she/ it is working

We/ you/ they are doing, etc.

Examples of affirmative sentences (Positives):

• She is majoring in Biology.
• He is learning Italian.
• It is running tomorrow.
• They are practicing on the ground.
• We are taking many courses this semester.
• You are working very hard this week.
• Fatima is studying in the room right now.
• Ayesha and Said are coming to see us now.
Examples of negative sentences:
• She isn’t majoring in Biology.
• He isn’t learning Italian.
• It isn’t running tomorrow.
• They aren’t practicing on the ground.
• We aren’t taking many courses this semester.
• You aren’t working very hard this week.
• Fatima isn’t studying in the room right now.
• Ayesha and Said aren’t coming to see us now.

Examples of interrogative sentences (questions):

• Is she majoring in Biology?
• Is he learning Italian?
• Is it running tomorrow?
• Are they practicing on the ground?
• Are we taking many courses this semester?
• Are you working very hard this week?
• Is Fatima studying in the room right now?
• Are Ayesha and Said coming to see us now?

Some verbs like (verbs of feelings, thoughts, perceptions, or possessions) are seldom used in the
continuous tenses except in certain situations:
appreciate, believe, need, prefer, dislike, recognize, hate, remember, know, consider, think, want,
mean, love, like, appear, seem, smell, taste, understand, own, possess, have.

Look at these examples:

• Ali is seeming like a nice guy. (wrong)
• Ali seems like a nice guy. (correct)

• The salad is tasting delicious. (wrong)

• The salad tastes delicious. (correct)
 • I am liking banana. (wrong)
• I like banana. (correct)

Exercises:
Make these sentences into negatives and questions:
• He is practicing basketball.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
• She is eating ice-cream.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
• They are working from home this week.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
• We are staying in a hotel in the city center.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
• My friends are having breakfast at the moment.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
• The weather is getting hotter.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Rearrange the jumbled words into good sentences:

1. now / for / father / walk / a / My / isn’t / going
________________________________________________________________________
2. We/ next / to/ Solo/ are/ going/ month
________________________________________________________________________
3. now/ the/ teacher/ lesson/ is/ the/ explaining
________________________________________________________________________
4. not/ they/ cooking/ soup/ are/ at the moment
 ________________________________________________________________________
5. buying/ a/ My/ new/ is/ mother/ television/ now
________________________________________________________________________
6. My/ three/ for/ staying/ for/ grandmother/ is/ in/ hotel/ the/ days
________________________________________________________________________
7. starting/ Dunia/ class/ tomorrow/ is/ her
________________________________________________________________________
8. We/ interesting/ watching/ an/ tonight/ movie/ are/ not
________________________________________________________________________

Make a negative sentence using the prompts given below:

• She/ read/ a detective story. _________________________________________________
• He/ watch/ a film. _________________________________________________________
• He/ go/ out with his friends. _________________________________________________
• She/ talk/ to her mother. ___________________________________________________
• They/ wear/ new clothes. __________________________________________________
• We/ study/ abroad. _______________________________________________________

Complete the sentences with the Present Continuous form of the verbs in brackets:
1. He_________________ (study) biology at college.
2. We _________________ (not/go) away this Summer
3. Sarah _________________ (not/enjoy) the meal.
4. _______ you___________ (See) the doctor tomorrow?
5. Where __________ you ___________ (go) on holiday?
6. Why ____________ they _____________ (laugh)?
7. Everyone _________________ (have) a great time.
8. You _________________ (listen) to me.
Choose the correct option in the sentences below:
• I’m sorry. I (am not understanding/ don’t understand) the key points here.
• She (is having/ has) a bath every evening.
• Some English words (are appearing/ appear) very difficult to pronounce.
• I (am never forgetting/ never forget) new words or phrases.
• They (are seeing/ see) a film on Fridays.
• I (am seeing/ see) your dad tomorrow.
• I (am knowing/ know) Jasmine. She's in my class.
 2. The Present Simple Tense
The simple present tense often refers to actions or situations that happen all the time or
repeatedly, or that do not change frequently or quickly.
This tense is used to describe habits or routines, to express opinions, or to make general
statements of fact.
The simple present can also be used to refer activities that happen again and again.
The only two auxiliaries for this tense are do/ does.
The rule for this tense is:
Subject + main verb – s /-es/ -ies + object

I / we/ you/ they drive/ work/ do etc

He/ she/ it drives/ works/ does etc

Examples of positive sentences:

• She works in the English Department.
• He drinks coffee after his evening meal.
• She studies very hard at the weekends.
• He goes to the college on his bike.
• They learn two languages at school.
• We give her a diary every year.
• He carries the shopping for his mother.
• Fatima enjoys her classes very much.
• Some birds fly south in winter.
• Lessons start at nine every morning.

Examples of negative sentences:

• She doesn’t work in the English Department.
• He doesn’t drink coffee after his evening meal.
• She doesn’t study very hard at the weekends.
• He doesn’t go to the college on his bike.
• They do not learn two languages at school.
• We don’t give her a diary every year.
 • He doesn’t carry the shopping for his mother.
• Fatima doesn’t enjoy her classes very much.
• Some birds do not fly south in winter.
• Lessons don’t start at nine every morning.

Examples of Questions:
• Does she work in the English Department?
• Does he drink coffee after his evening meal?
• Does she study very hard at the weekends?
• Does he go to the college on his bike?
• Do they learn two languages at school?
• Do we give her a diary every year?
• Does he carry the shopping for his mother?
• Does Fatima enjoy her classes very much?
• Do some birds fly south in winter?
• Do lessons start at nine every morning?

Spelling rules for –s ending:

For the third person singular verb form, follow these spelling rules:
• The normal rule is to add –s to the base of the verb.
E.g. wants, helps, eats, drinks, wears, works etc.
• Add -es to the verbs that end in –s, -sh, -ch, -o, -x, -z
E.g. kisses, washes, watches, fixes, goes, dresses, passes, teaches, taxes, fixes etc.
• Verbs that end in a consonant + y change the y to i and –es.
E.g. carry/carries, fly/flies, cry/cries, try/tries, reply/replies, study/studies, dry/dries
• But verbs which end in a vowel + y only add –s.
E.g. buy/buys, say/says, play/plays, pay/pays, enjoy/enjoys, pray/prays etc.
Frequency Adverbs:
Adverbs of frequency are commonly used with the simple present tense to describe habits or
routines. They tell us how often or how frequent something happens. Here are the meanings of
some frequency adverbs in approximate percentage of time:

Always = 100%
Usually = 90%
Often = 70%
Sometimes = 50%
Occasionally = 20%
Rarely = 10%
Never = 0%

Adverbs of frequency may go in mid position in the sentence; they go before the main verb but
after the verb to be.
We usually go shopping on Sundays.
She always gets eight hours of sleep each night.
My roommate rarely goes to bed before 3:00.
He doesn’t often eat spaghetti for lunch.
Students occasionally meet at the dormitory.
Our games are usually interesting.
He often fights with his brother.

The pronunciation of -s or –es in Present Simple Tense:

In the Simple Present Tense we add an -s to the end of the verb to form positive sentences in the
third person singular subjects. We pronounce the –s in three different ways depending on the
final sound of the verb: /s/, /z/, /iz/
• After verbs which end in voiced consonant, the –s is pronounced as /z/. These consonant
phonemes are voiced: /b/, /d/, /g/, /l/, /r/, /v/, /y/, /z/, /d/, /m/, /n/, /ŋ/
Examples: rub-rubs come-comes love-loves swim-swims spin-spins bag-bags
climb-climbs play-plays
 • After verbs which end in voiceless consonants, the –s is pronounced as /s/. These
consonants are said to be voiceless consonants in English: /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /h/, /s/, /t/
Examples: stop-stops put-puts work-works attack-attacks
• After verbs which end in –s, -ch, -sh, -z, -x, the –s is pronounced like /iz/.
Examples: kiss-kisses fix-fixes punch-punches

Exercises:
Change the sentences according to the symbol in brackets:

1. She doesn’t speak Spanish. (?)

________________________________________________________________________
2. Do they know her name? (-)
________________________________________________________________________
3. Sara doesn’t get up early. (?)
________________________________________________________________________
4. Students spend at least four years at university. (-)
________________________________________________________________________
5. He doesn’t like cooking. (+)
________________________________________________________________________
6. We do not celebrate our birthday each year. (+)
________________________________________________________________________

Use the words in parentheses to complete the sentences. Use the SIMPLE PRESENT or the
PRESENT CONTINUOUS:
1. Alia is in her room right now. She (read) ________________ a book. She (like)
________________ the book.
2. It (snow) ___________________ right now. It's beautiful! I (like) _________________
this weather.
3. The teacher (talk) __________________ to us right now. I (understand)
_________________ everything she's saying.
4. Sofia is at a restaurant right now. She (eat) ________________ dinner. She (like)
_______________ the food. It (taste) ___________________ good.
 5. Jacob (tell) _________________ us a story right now. I (believe) _______________ his
story. I (think) ________________ that his story is true.
6. Look at the picture. Ali (sit) _________________ in a chair. A cat (sit)
___________________on her lap. Jane (hate) ___________________the cat.
7. Look at the picture. Mr. Allen (hold) ________________ a cat. He (love)
______________ the cat. The cat (lick) _________________Mr. Allen's face.
8. Ugh! That cigar (smell) ________________terrible.

Write the sentence again using he or she:

• I always listen to the radio in the morning. (she)
________________________________________________________________________
• I take the cat for a walk every day. (he)
________________________________________________________________________
• I teach history and French. (she)
________________________________________________________________________
• I walk to the office every day. (he)
________________________________________________________________________
• I watch the football on television every Saturday. (he)
________________________________________________________________________
• I study a lot when I am at the dorm. (she)
________________________________________________________________________

Complete the sentences with the present simple or present continuous:

1. Work
a. She _________________ in Digfeer Hospital.
b. She _________________ hard because she has exams next week.
c. I ____________________ very hard at the moment. I need the money.
2. Speak
a. Listen to Sophia. What language ___________ she _______________?
b. How many languages _____________ she _______________?
3. Read
a. I _______________ a very good book at the moment.
 b. I _______________ in bed every night.
4. Think
a. What _____________ you ____________of her latest book?
b. You look worried! What ___________ you __________________ about?
5. Not eat
a. Vegetarians____________________ meat.
b. I ________________ dinner with my wife this evening.
6. Go
a. Hi Ali, are you on the train? Where ___________ you ____________?
b. I usually ________________ to the museum at nights.
7. Do/ make
a. Sh! I ________________ my homework. You _____________ too much noise!
b. My mum usually _____________ the dinner, and my dad usually _____________ the
washing-up.
8. Translate
a. They __________________ documents and offer other services.
b. They __________________ some documents for an important case.
9. Drive
a. He _______________ a motorbike every day.
b. He _______________ to and from work this week.
10. Take
a. She ______________ a new course this semester.
b. She _______________ flaying lessons every Sunday evening.

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use either present
simple or present continuous:
1. I ________________ (make) some coffee. Do you want some?
2. She _______________ (work) in a secondary school.
3. They ______________ (visit) her mother this weekend.
4. They ______________ (repair) my car, so this week I _______________ (go) to work by
train.
 5. She is a primary school teacher, but this term, she _________________ (work) in a
secondary school.
6. I ______________ (like) sports and I _____________ (learn) how to play golf this year.

Complete the sentences with the present simple form of the verbs in brackets:

1. Esra (speak) speaks four languages.

2. Bashi (finish) ______________________ work at 6:00.
3. Sara (go) ________________________ to work at 7:30.
4. Bella (not like) __________ __________ skiing.
5. Sara and Gamal (play) ____________________ football.
6. Maria (study) _____________________ Russian with me.
7. Guled (come) ___________________ from Kismayo.
8. New York (not have) __________ __________ a train station.
9. What time _______________ Thabit (go) ______________ to work?
10. Where ____________________Ali (live) ___________________?

Complete the short answers:

• Does Jama live in Adis Ababa? Yes , he does.
• Does it fly to London? _____, _____ doesn’t.
• Does he have a sister? Yes, ____, _________.
• Does she like winter? No, _____, ________.
• Do they finish at 10:30? Yes, _____, _______.

Put the FREQUENCY ADVERBS in the correct place in each sentence:

1. Anisa is on time for her classes. (always)
2. Anisa comes to the class on time. (always)
3. Ali doesn’t come to the class on time. (always)
4. She is late for her classes. (often)
5. Said comes to class late. (often)
6. Rania is happy. (never)
7. Bilal is at home in the evening. (usually)
8. Bilal stays at home in the evening. (usually)
 9. Idil studies at the library in the evening. (seldom)
10. Idil is at the library in the evening. (seldom)
11. The weather is hot in July. (usually)
12. Suad drinks coffee. (never)
13. She drinks tea. (sometimes)

Read the sentences about Ali’s schedule. Circle the correct pronunciation for –s sound:
1. Ali wakes up at 6:15am every morning. /s/ /z/ /iz/
2. He jogs for an hour in the park. /s/ /z/ /iz/
3. Then he takes a shower. /s/ /z/ /iz/
4. He brushes his teeth. /s/ /z/ /iz/
5. He eats breakfast at 7:45. /s/ /z/ /iz/
6. He reads the newspaper. /s/ /z/ /iz/
7. He washes the dishes. /s/ /z/ /iz/
8. Then he drives to work. /s/ /z/ /iz/
9. He starts work at 8:30. /s/ /z/ /iz/
10. He goes home at 5:30. /s/ /z/ /iz/
11. He relaxes on Saturday and Sunday. /s/ /z/ /iz/
12. He loves weekends! /s/ /z/ /iz/

In your note, write sentences in the present simple about these people:
1. Name: Sara James
Nationality: British
Current city: London
Job: Bank cashier
Hobbies: I play tennis and work in the garden.
Languages: French and a little Spanish

2. Name: Pedro Karim

Nationality: French
Current city: Rome
Job: Shop manager
 Hobbies: I go for long walks and play volleyball.
Languages: Some English and a little Italian

3. Name: Adel Ahmed

Age: 28
Country: Saudi Arabia
Job: Engineer
Salary: $2000 a month
Hobbies: Goes to the gym and play tennis
Family: Isn’t married
3. The Past Simple Tense
The Past Simple Tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past, usually at a specific
time.
The time expressions like (yesterday, yesterday morning/ afternoon/ evening, last week/ month/
year, last summer, last Monday, five minutes ago, two hours ago, three days ago, four weeks
ago, five years ago) are often used with the past simple.
• I watched a nice film yesterday.
• I went to America last year.
The only auxiliary verb for this tense is did. It never appears in affirmative sentences. It can only
be found in questions and negatives.
The rule for this tense is as follows:
Subject + past verb + object

Examples of Affirmative Sentences:

• She dreamed about him last night.
• They went to Italy on their last summer holiday.
• We turned off the TV after the news.
• She made breakfast early in the morning.
• He bought a newspaper from the shop.
• Ali spent a lot of money yesterday.
• They had dinner at nine o´clock.
• My parents lived in Egypt in 2010.
• He studied very hard before the exam.
• My sisters watched a comedy last night.

Examples of negative Sentences:

• She didn’t dream about him last night.
• They didn’t go to Italy on their last summer holiday.
• We didn’t turn off the TV after the news.
• She didn’t make breakfast early in the morning.
• He didn’t buy a newspaper from the shop.
 • Ali didn’t spend a lot of money yesterday.
• They didn’t have dinner at nine o´clock.
• My parents didn’t live in Egypt in 2010.
• He didn’t study very hard before the exam.
• My sisters didn’t watch a comedy last night.

Examples of questions:
• Did she dream about him last night?
• Did they go to Italy on their last summer holiday?
• Did we turn off the TV after the news?
• Did she make breakfast early in the morning?
• Did he buy a newspaper from the shop?
• Did Ali spend a lot of money yesterday?
• Did they have dinner at nine o´clock?
• Did my parents live in Egypt in 2010?
• Did He study very hard before the exam?
• Did my sisters watch a comedy last night?

Time Expressions:
The following table indicates the most commonly used time expressions used with the Past
Simple Tense. They usually appear either at the beginning or at the end of the sentence – never
in the middle of the sentence.

Yesterday yesterday morning/ afternoon/ evening

last last week/ month/ year/ summer/ Monday
in in 1996/ July/ summer/ the morning/ the 1990s/ 20th century
on on 10 August/ Sunday/ Sunday morning/ Friday evening
At at seven o’clock/ weekends/ night/ noon/ dinnertime/ midnight/sunset
Ago five minutes ago, two hours ago, three days ago, four weeks ago, five years ago

Study the examples below:

• They went home at lunchtime.
 • My sister arrived in Mogadishu on Sunday.
• My wife and I moved into a new house last year.
• It rained in this city two weeks ago.
• I bought a new sweater yesterday.
• They got married on 10 August 1993
• My grandmother was born in 1927.

The pronunciation of –ed: /t/, /d/ and /Id/

The pronunciation of past simple verbs ending in (–ed) depends on the final sound of the verb.
Some of the verbs are pronounced with a voiceless /t/ sound, others are pronounced with the
voiced /d/. Still some other verbs are pronounced with /Id/. Why?

Here are the rules:

(Rule 1) If (–ed) is preceded by a voiceless consonant sound, /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /s/, /t/, the (-ed)
sounds as a voiceless /t/.

Examples:
• Stop + ed = stopped /stɒpt/
• Look + ed = looked /lʊkt/

(Rule 2) If (–ed) is preceded by a voiced consonant sound, /b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /d/, /m/, /n/, the (–
ed) is pronounced like /d/. Notice that the /e/ in the (–ed) ending is not pronounced.

Examples:
• Pull + ed = pulled /pʊld/
• Stay + ed = stayed /steɪd/
• Burn + ed = burned /bɜːnd/
• Climb + ed = climbed /klaɪmd/

(Rule 3) After verbs which end in /t/ or /d/, the past tense ending (–ed) is pronounced like /Id/.

Examples:
• Act + ed = acted /æktid/
• Land + ed = landed /lændid/
 • Protract + ed = proracted /prətræktid/

Exercise:
Change the sentence according to the symbol in brackets:
1. I walked to the museum. (-)
2. Did you know her name? (-)
3. They didn’t get up early. (?)
4. She left when the class finished. (?)
5. He didn’t write her an email. (+)
6. Did they go to the meeting? (+)
7. She didn’t ask the teacher. (+)
8. I saw him at the office. (-)
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Complete the sentences with the verbs in the Past Simple:

1. My granddad ___________ (be) born in 1932. He ____________ (die) in 2010.
2. My parents _____________ (meet) in London in 1983. They ____________ (get)
married in 1985.
3. I ___________ (arrive) late for the lesson. It _____________ (begin) at two o'clock.
4. I (catch) ____________ the bus to school today. It ____________ (take) just 40 minutes.
5. I ____________ (have) a very busy morning. I ____________ (send) 30 emails before 10
o'clock.
6. Our football team ______________ (win) the match 3-0. Your team ___________ (lose)
again.
7. My brother _____________ (earn) a lot of money in his last job, but he ___________
(leave) because he _____________ (not like) it.
8. I _____________ (study) Chinese for four years, but when I _____________ (go) to
Shanghai, I ____________ (cannot) understand a word.

Make true sentences about you using a positive or negative:

1. Watch TV yesterday ____________________________________
2. Get up early this morning ____________________________________
3. Have coffee and bread for breakfast ____________________________________
4. Come to school by car yesterday ____________________________________
 5. Play computer games on Friday evening ____________________________________
6. Send a text just before this lesson ____________________________________
7. Meet some friends last night ____________________________________
8. Go shopping yesterday ____________________________________

Make the past simple positive, negative or question:

1. I _________________ (not / drink) any tea last night.
2. She _________________ (get on) the bus in the centre of the city.
3. What time _________________ (he / get up) yesterday?
4. Where _________________ (you / get off) the train?
5. We _________________ (wake up) very late.
6. What _________________ (he / give) his mother for her birthday?
7. I _________________ (receive) $300 when my uncle _________________ (die).
8. We _________________ (not / use) the computer last night.
9. _________________ (she / make) good coffee?
10. She _________________ (read) the newspaper yesterday.
11. I _________________ (not / watch) TV.
12. He _________________ (not / study) for the exam.
13. _________________ (I / forget) something?
14. What time _________________ (the film / start)?
15. _________________ (he / go) to the party?

Complete the sentences with the Past Simple form of an irregular verb:
1. I didn't go to Nairobi, I ________ to Kampala.
1. We didn't meet Sara, we _________ Jama.
2. He didn't leave last week, he ___________ yesterday.
3. We didn't see a film, we ___________ a play.
4. I didn't buy a computer, I ___________ a camera.
5. He didn't send a letter, he ___________ an email.
6. She didn't make spaghetti, she ____________ rice.
7. We didn't have tea, we ____________ coffee.
8. She didn’t find her purse, she ____________ her keys.
 9. We didn’t speak French, we ____________ German.
10. The children didn’t break the window, they ____________ the door.

Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions of time "in, on, at":
1. My father came home late _______ night.
2. She celebrated her birthday ________ 20th July.
3. I graduated from secondary school _______ 2015.
4. I wanted to see them ___________ lunchtime.
5. We had a wonderful time ________ Saturday afternoon.
6. My grandfather was born ________ the 1950s.
7. The semester started _____________ Sep 5th.
8. Columbus sailed to the America ___________ the 16th century.
9. The train left _________ sunrise this morning.
10. We met at the restaurant _____________ 8pm.

Decide if –ed in each verb in the following sentences is pronounced as /t/, /d/, or /Id/:
1. We lived in a small house. __________
2. He kissed his daughter on the forehead. __________
3. I played tennis with my friends last week. __________
4. He worked in an office for too long. __________
5. We decided to stay there without any condition. __________
6. I earned a lot of money from my last job. __________
7. She talked about her childhood. __________
8. She wanted a pizza from a nearby restaurant. __________
9. Dani is a good cook. He cooked some delicious food last night. __________
10. We stopped at a hotel near the downtown. __________
 4. The Past Continuous Tense
The past continuous tense is used to describe activity or situation that was in progress at some
time in the past.
• I was doing something= I was in the middle of doing something at a certain time.
Rule: Subject + was / were + verb - ing + object.

I/ he/ she/ it was Playing

We/ you/ they were Working

Examples:
• He was working at a restaurant when he met his wife.
• She wasn’t watching a movie when the phone rang?
• I fell asleep while I was reading a book.
• Were they staying with my parents?
• We were sleeping when the fire burned the house.
• My sister was repairing on her computer while I was reading a novel.
When and While:
When and while are frequently used to connect two past actions:
While may connect two past continuous actions that were occurring at the same time.
e.g.:
• He was watching TV while I was doing the ironing.
• I was screaming while the thieves were running down the street.
• While I was working on my computer, the children were doing their homework.

When or while: the simple past and the past continuous can appear in the same sentence. In this
case, while begins clauses with past continuous and when begins clauses with simple past.
One event began before the other one and was in progress when the second interrupted it.
e.g.:
• The woman fell asleep while she was smoking a cigarette.
Or when the woman fell asleep, she was smoking a cigarette.
 • I was reading a magazine when my friends arrived.
Or while I was reading magazine, my friends arrived.

Exercises:
Complete the sentences with the past continuous form of the verbs in brackets:
1. I ____________ (make) my dinner at 8 o’clock last night.
2. Jama and Samira ______________ (use) the wrong program in IT yesterday.
3. Who was that guy you ______________ (jog) with in the park?
4. Billan ______________ (come) home from school when she saw an accident.
5. In 1999 my father ______________ (live) in Dublin. That’s where he met my mother.
6. The divers ______________ (work) off the cost of Kismayo when the discovered the
gold.
7. This time last week, we ______________ (visit) my grandmother.
8. I ______________ (sit) at the back of the classroom so I couldn’t see the screen.
9. Sabrina ______________ (insert) a photo into her document when the teacher stopped
the class.
10. I ______________ (start) to do my homework when my friend sent me a message.

Use the prompts below to write what was happening yesterday at lunchtime in the park:
1. What/ people/ do/ in the park/ at midday yesterday.
_________________________________________________________
2. Two workers/ dig/ a hole.
_________________________________________________________
3. A man/ read/ a newspaper/ on a bench.
_________________________________________________________
4. A woman/ eat/ a sandwich - but she/ not enjoy/ it.
_________________________________________________________
5. Two children/ paly/ hide and seek.
_________________________________________________________
6. And old woman/ walk/ her cat.
_________________________________________________________
7. Two tourists/ take/ photos.
 ________________________________________________________

Underline the correct form of the verb in each sentence:

1. We (were cleaning/ cleaned) the window when it (was starting/ started) to rain.
2. While she (was looking/ looked) herself in the mirror, she (was noticing/ noticed) her
first grey hairs.
3. It (was getting/ got dark) when I (was switched on/ switched on) the lights.
4. They (were dropping/ dropped) the sculpture while they (were carrying/ carried) it inside.
5. While she (was closing/ closed) the curtains, she (was seeing/ saw) something outside.
6. I (was painting/ painted) the bedroom wall when I (was falling off/ fell off) the ladder.

Complete the sentences with the past simple or the past continuous form of the verbs in
brackets:
1. I _____________ (switch off) the computer because it _____________ (make) a strange
noise.
2. My dad _____________ (listen) to classical music when I _____________ (arrive) home
from school.
3. We _____________ (play) video games when my mum _____________ (say) ‘Turn the
volume down!’
4. My cousin _____________ (meet) his wife, Bianca, while he _____________ (live) in
Italy.
5. My little sister _____________ (draw) a picture while I _____________ (study) for my
French exam.
6. While they _____________ (try) to fix the computer, all the lights _____________ (go
out).
7. When we_____________ (leave) school yesterday, it _____________ (pour) with rain.
8. When you _____________ (see) Ahmed, he _____________ (wear) a black jacket?
9. I_____________ (try) to log on when the WiFi _____________ (stop) working.
10. While Dad _____________ (print) an article, the printer_____________ (run out) of
paper.
Combine the sentences. Use the past simple and past continuous:
For example: she walked to work from 9.00-9.00am. She saw an accident at 9.15am.
She was walking to work when she saw an accident.

1. He lived in Russia from 1994 to 2004. He met his wife in 1998.

_________________________________________________________________
2. I worked all morning. The fire alarm went off at ten o’clock.
_________________________________________________________________
3. She listened to the teacher for the whole class. Her phone rang in the middle of class.
_________________________________________________________________
4. I had a meal in a restaurant. Someone took my bag.
_________________________________________________________________
5. The boy played on the roof. He fell down and broke his leg.
_________________________________________________________________
 5. Present perfect tense
The present perfect tense is used to describe activities or situations that relate past and present
time together (it is a past-to-present time frame).
This tense also refers to events that happened at an unknown or unspecified time in the past. No
specific time is given with this tense. When a specific time is used, the verb is in the simple past
tense.
This tense indicates a past action that has a present result. Present perfect means before now. The
present perfect does not express when an action happened. If we want to say the exact time, we
have to use the past simple:
• In my life I have travelled to all five continents.
• I travelled round Africa in 1988.
Look at the following Venn diagram:

Present
Present perfect Past

The above diagram shows two figures that overlap each other. Therefore the present perfect
tense connects past and present time together.
Rule: Subject + have / has + past participle + object
Examples:
• I have lost my pen. (Now I am searching for my pen)
• I have just seen him.
• She has lived in this house for twenty years. (She still lives in this house)
• Has she cut her finger?
• I have painted the bathroom.
• I haven't seen him recently.
• We have worked hard for several weeks.
• I have studied a lot since the beginning of the semester.
The following adverbs are common with the present perfect tense:
Already, ever, just, never, recently, still, and yet
• Already is used to say that something happened sooner than expected, it means before
now. Already usually appears before the past participle but after the auxiliary have or
has.
• Ever means at any time, it appears before the past participle in questions and negative
statements.
• Just refers to very recent past. It may go before the past participle.
• Never means not at any time. It generally comes before the past participle in negative
statements.
• Recently is used when we are talking about a period of time that is continuous until
now. It can come at the end of the sentence or before the past participle in affirmative
sentences. It is sometimes used to begin sentences.
• Still is used to say that a situation or action is continuing. It hasn’t changed or
stopped. Still means up to now. It must come before has or have in negative
statements.
• Yet means until now or up to now, and is generally used at the end of sentences in
questions and negative statements.
e.g.:
• Have you already read the book?
• I have already read it.
• Have you ever visited that area?
• I haven’t ever visited that area.
• We have just arrived here.
• I have never visited that museum.
• I have recently visited that museum.
• I have visited that museum recently.
• Has he replied yet?
• He hasn’t replied yet.
• She still hasn’t come
 • I still haven’t read it.

Since and for

Use the time expressions since and for with the present perfect to talk about unspecified time.
Since is used to give the starting point of actions and situations that continue up to the moment
of speaking. (It is used if we say when something started)
For is used to say how long an action or a situation lasts. (It is used to say how long sometthing
lasts)
Examples:
• It has been raining since this morning.
• I have been waiting for two hours.

Exercises:
Complete the sentences with the present perfect form of the verbs in brackets.
1. Salah ___________ always ___________ (want) to be a professional footballer.
2. You _____________ (not stop) talking since you got here!
3. You _____________ (see) my new laptop? It’s really cool!
4. Cristiano Ronaldo _____________ (score) eighteen goals so far this season.
5. My dad just _____________ (buy) a new car.
6. What _____________you_____________ (do) to your hair? It’s pink!
7. My mum and dad _____________ (teach) me the most in life.
8. Where _____________you_____________ (be) all morning?
9. I_____________ (not pass) all my exams this year so I’m disappointed.
10. My brother_____________ (fall) in love with a girl from France.

Use the present perfect and the words in brackets to describe these situations:
1. He is carrying a suitcase. (He/ be/ on holiday)
_______________________________________________________
2. Her plate is empty. (She/ eat/ everything)
_______________________________________________________
3. She can’t find her bag. (She/ lose/ it)
_______________________________________________________
4. The final score is 3-1 to our team. (Our team/ win/ the match)
 _______________________________________________________
5. I haven’t got any more money. (I/ spend/ all my money)
_______________________________________________________

Rewrite the sentences with the word in brackets in the correct place:
1. I don’t think I’ve tried surfing. (ever)
_______________________________________________________
2. We haven’t sent the letter about inheritance. (still)
_______________________________________________________
3. I have heard such an inspiring story. (never)
_______________________________________________________
4. Have you asked your parents? (yet)
_______________________________________________________
5. He has seen the film twice. (already)
_______________________________________________________
6. I’ve finished reading the most amazing book. (just)
_______________________________________________________
7. Have you studied English before you came here? (already)
_______________________________________________________
8. I haven’t paid the electricity bill? (yet)
_______________________________________________________
9. Have you seen the film about Titanic? (ever)
_______________________________________________________
10. We haven’t heard about that loan. (still)
_______________________________________________________

Read the following sentences and write a ‘how long’ question for each one.
Example: I live in Toronto. How long have you lived in Toronto? I have lived in Toronto
for twenty years. Or I have lived in Toronto since I was a child. Or I have lived in Toronto
since 2003.
1. Jasmine works at a travel agency.
_______________________________________________________
 2. Bilal wears glasses.
_______________________________________________________
3. Maria and Sharif are married.
_______________________________________________________
4. Mohamed has a bad cold.
_______________________________________________________
5. Dalal and Sara are on vacation in Europe now.
_______________________________________________________
6. Anwar speaks French very well.
_______________________________________________________
7. The teacher is in the classroom now.
________________________________________________________
8. The boss is angry at his secretary.
________________________________________________________

Choose the correct verb from the list below to complete the following sentences. Put the
verb in the present prefect tense:
take / work / find / see / speak / know / begin / do / learn / eat / have / write / give / live / buy / be

1. I met Badra when we were in elementary school. We _______________ each other for
over twenty years.
2. We __________________ many new words since we started this course.
3. That’s a wonderful movie. I ____________________ it three times.
4. Mr. and Mrs. Tanya _____________________ married for ten years.
5. You are late! The class ________________ already __________________.
6. Roble is my neighbor. He ___________________ next door to me for five years.
7. Maria ____________________ several letters to her parents since she left home.
8. We _____________________ in that restaurant several times.
9. Our teacher _____________________ us a lot of help with the homework assignment.
10. She ______________________ to her landlord many times about the broken window.
11. We have a new camera. We _____________________ some beautiful pictures of the
grandchildren.
 12. They ____________________ all their homework already.
13. Mrs. Baker _________________________ all her groceries for the week.
14. Abraham ______________________ a bad cold for two weeks.
15. Farah _____________________ for that company for many years.
16. After three months of looking, she __________________ a beautiful apartment to rent.

Choose the correct verb from the list below to complete the following sentences. Put the
verb in the negative form of the present prefect tense:
fix / begin / arrive / be / see / stop / speak / buy / read / visit

1. Majed is waiting on the corner for his girlfriend, but she __________________ yet.
2. My brother lives in a different country. I _____________________ him for two years.
3. Elias and Billan got a divorce five years ago. They ________________ to each other
since then.
4. It is only 8:45. The class _____________________ yet.
5. It started to snow last night and it still __________________________.
6. She has finally decided which car she wants, but she ________________________ it yet.
7. I heard that the movie at the Theater is great, but I ______________________ it yet.
8. I bought a newspaper today, but I still ______________________ it.
9. He took his car to the service station yesterday, but they ____________________ it yet.
10. Her family moved out of New York ten years ago and they__________________ back to
the city since then.

Complete the sentences with since or for:

1. I have had this job ____________ 2014.
2. They have known each other ____________ 20 years.
3. Maria is in her office. She has been there ____________ 7 o’clock.
4. Mosa has been ill ____________ a long time. He has been in hospital ____________
October.
5. I have liked travelling ____________ I went on my first school trip.
6. Somalia has been an independent country ____________ 1960.
7. Nobody lives in those houses. They have been empty ____________many years.
8. We have had the same TV ____________ 2015.
 9. I haven’t seen her ____________ days.
10. They haven’t got anything to eat ____________ 6am.
11. The weather is dry. It hasn’t rained ____________ a few weeks.

6. Present perfect Continuous tense

The Present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an activity which began in the past and
continues to the present.
Rule: Subject + have / has / + been + present participle + object
Examples:
• We have been waiting here for hours.
• They have been living here for six years.
• She has been learning English for two years.
• It has been raining for days.
• You are out of breath, have you been running?
• I am wet because I have been swimming.
• She is tired because she has been working hard all day.
• My hands are very dirty. I have been repairing the car.
• That couple has been fighting since the beginning of the party.

Exercise:
Complete the sentences with the present perfect Continuous using the verbs in brackets:
1. My cat _____________ _____________ (sleep) _____________ all day.
2. A: _____________ Jimale _____________ (do) _____________ exercise?
B: Yes, he _____________. He needs a rest.
3. It _____________ _____________ (rain) _____________ for several days.
4. I failed the test because I _____________ not _____________ (study) _____________
hard.
5. We _____________ _____________ (drive) _____________ for two hours.
6. Tracy and Tom _____________ _____________ (play) _____________ tennis for an
hour.
7. A: I’m sorry I’m late. _____________you _____________ (wait) ____________ a long
time?
 B: No, I ______________.
8. Where ____________ you _____________ (spend) _____________ your summer
holidays?
9. Who _____________ _____________ (eat) _____________ my cookies?
10. A: You look tired. _____________you _____________ (work) _____________ hard?
B: Yes, I _____________.
11. I _____________ _____________ (think) _____________ about quitting my job.
12. Why _____________ you _____________ (get) _____________ up so early recently?

Write sentences first in the negative and then in the affirmative using the words provided
and the present perfect continuous tense. Follow the example given below:
Example: Tayib /study French/ study German.
Tayib hasn’t been studying French. He’s been studying German.
1. Zakaria / knit a sweater/ make a scarf
________________________________________________________________________
2. Annas / work overtime this week/ go home early
________________________________________________________________________
3. Kamal / study for his exam/ watch TV all evening
________________________________________________________________________
4. Sarah / send postcards to her friends/ write e-mails
________________________________________________________________________
5. Riyale / drive to work this week/ take the bus.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Laila / feel well this week/ cough a lot.
________________________________________________________________________
7. Mrs. Fatima / clean the house / talk on the phone all morning.
________________________________________________________________________
8. The children/ do their homework/ play card games.
________________________________________________________________________
Read the situations below and write a sentence using the present perfect continuous tense
to say how long the situation has been happening. Include for & since in each sentences:
Example: The baby is crying. She started to cry twenty minutes ago.
The baby has been crying for twenty minutes.
1. The tap is leaking. It started to leak last week.
________________________________________________________________________
2. It is snowing. It began to snow last night.
________________________________________________________________________
3. The children are studying now. They started to study an hour ago.
________________________________________________________________________
4. Said smokes. He started to smoke when he was a teenager.
________________________________________________________________________
5. Ahmed works in a bank. He got his bank job last April.
________________________________________________________________________
6. Mrs. Nafisa teaches French. She started to teach French 15 years ago.
________________________________________________________________________
7. Sumaya and Jamal are planning their vacation. They started planning last winter.
________________________________________________________________________
8. The mechanic is fixing my car. He started working on it this morning.
________________________________________________________________________

Choose the correct verb from the list below to complete the following sentences. Put the
verb in the present perfect continuous tense:
talk / look / lift / work / wait / feel / rain / deliver / shop / cry / plan / read / drive / study / sit / watch

1. Maria _________________ at the coffee shop for her boyfriend for the past half hour, but
he still hasn’t arrived.
2. The students__________________ Spanish since the semester began.
3. I ___________________ on this report for the past two days.
4. You should take your umbrella when you go out. It ____________________ all day.
5. The children _________________ television all evening.
6. Ali’s back hurts. He ___________________ heavy boxes all morning.
7. The students____________________ in the classroom for 20 minutes, but the teacher
hasn’t come yet.
8. The girls___________________ on the telephone for over an hour.
9. Farah _________________ the same car for almost twenty years.
10. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are very excited about going to China next summer. They
_________________ this trip for over a year.
11. That mailman _____________________ the mail in our neighborhood for nearly twenty
five years. He is going to retire soon.
12. Rania and Cabdi are at the mall. They ___________________ since the stores opened
this morning.
13. My eyes are getting tired. I _________________ all day.
14. Bile hopes to find a new job soon. He _________________ in the paper and on the
Internet every day for the past month.
15. Halima is planning to call the doctor this afternoon. She _________________ sick for
several days.
16. Fouzia’s eyes are all red. She __________________ all morning.
 7. Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense refers to an activity or situation in the past that was completed before
another action in the past.
Rule: Subject + had + past participle + object
Examples:
• When we arrived at the party, Ali had already gone home.
• When she arrived, I had waited for two hours.
• When I had read the paper, I threw it.
• She was crying because, her father had died.
• When they had heard the news, they burst out crying.
• The man sitting next to me on the plane was very nervous, he hadn't flown before.

Exercises:
Complete the sentences with past perfect form of the verbs in brackets:
1. A: __________ Jimale ever (fly) ______________ before his flight last week?
B: Yes, he __________.
2. A: __________ your sister (eat) _________________ breakfast before she left?
B: No, she __________.
3. Hamza said he ___________ already (see) _________________ the movie last year.
4. I got lost because I (forget) __________ _________________ to bring a map.
5. They (not study) __________ _________________ English before last year.
6. She (live) __________ _________________ in Garowe before she moved to London.
7. The baby (fall asleep) __________ _________________ before eight o’clock.
8. I (not think) __________ _________________ of that question before.
9. Susan got wet because she (not bring) __________ _________________ an umbrella.
10. He (own) ___________ _________________ his car for a year before he sold it.
11. I didn’t notice that the traffic light (turn) __________ _________________ red.
12. He (order) __________ _________________ rice, but the waiter served him soup.

Past Simple or Past Perfect Tense: Fill in the correct form:

1. Maria ___________________ (give) me Sara's address before she left.
2. When the boys arrived at the cinema, the film ___________________ (already, start).
3. Before we reached the station we saw that we ___________________ (lose) our way.
4. All the tickets ___________________ (be) sold before the concert began.
5. They took a shower after they___________________ (finish) the game.
6. I asked Mr. Green how many books he___________________ (read).
7. Mum asked me why I ___________________ (not tidy) up my room.
8. Bari was sorry that he ___________________ (told) me the story.
9. Halane watched TV after he ___________________ (have) lunch.
10. The sun ___________________ (shine) yesterday after it ___________________ (be)
cold for many weeks.
11. Uncle Daud ___________________ (go) to the doctor after he ___________________
(be) ill for a month.
12. Before the police ___________________ (catch) the thief, he ___________________
(steal) two more watches.
13. Mum once ___________________ (paint) a picture although she ___________________
(never, learn) it.
14. I ___________________ (not tell) my teacher that my mum ___________________
(help) me with my homework.
15. I ___________________ (be) very angry when I ___________________ (see) that my
brother ___________________ (eat) my apple.
16. The bicycle ___________________ (be) much more expensive than he
___________________ (think) at first.
17. Dad ___________________ (drive) me home after I ___________________ (fall) into
the water.
18. Marion ___________________ (ask) me what ___________________ (happen) to me
last week.
19. We ___________________ (eat) two Big Macs before we ___________________ (go)
home.
20. Burhan ___________________ (not say) that he ___________________ (take) Ali's
watch.
21. The days ___________________ (become) colder after it ___________________
(snow).
 22. Marshale ___________________ (tell) me that he ___________________ (be) in
London.
23. I ___________________ (feel) great after I ___________________ (pass) the exam.
24. It ___________________ (be) Farida who ___________________ (clean) the room.
25. When I ___________________ (get) off the bike I ___________________ (see) that one
of those tires ___________________ (lose) air.
26. I ___________________ (be) sorry that I ___________________ (not be) nicer to him.
27. Nobody ___________________ (come) to the meeting because Safia
___________________ (forget) to tell them about it.
28. I know that I ___________________ (see) her somewhere before.
29. Because she ___________________ (not check) the oil for so long, the car
___________________ (break) down.
30. She couldn't find the book that I ___________________ (lend) her.
31. They never ___________________ (never find) where he ___________________ (hide)
the money.
32. It was a firm that I ___________________ (never hear) of.
33. When she ___________________ (come) in we all knew where she
___________________ (be).
34. The lesson ___________________ (already start) when I ___________________
(arrive).
35. When I ___________________ (get) to the park I found out that I
___________________ (lose) my keys.
36. She told me that she ___________________ (work) in Germany.
37. When he ___________________ (paint) the kitchen he ___________________ (decide)
to have a rest.
38. After I ___________________ (finish) the report, I saw that it ___________________
(be) too late.

Join the sentences. Use The past Perfect Tense:

1. She ran 20 km. She was tired.
She was tired because ___________________________________
2. I finished playing tennis. I took a shower.
 When _________________________________________________
3. The swimmer failed a drug test. He lost his medal.
The swimmer lost his medal because __________________________________
4. She was optimistic. She won the race.
Before she won the race, ________________________________________
5. The referee sent a player off. The team played with ten men.
After ________________________________________________________
6. She hurt another player. She paid a fine.
______________________________ because ______________________________

8. Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense is used to indicate an action that had been in progress before a
particular time or another action in the past.
This tense may be used instead of the past perfect tense to emphasize the continuous nature of
the earlier activity.
The past perfect continuous is seldom used in conversation but does appear in written English.
Rule: Subject + had + been + present participle + object
Examples:
• Yesterday morning, I got up and looked out of the window, the sun was shining but the
ground was very wet, it had been raining.
• At last the bus came; I had been waiting for twenty minutes.
• I was very tired when I got home; I had been working hard all day.
• When the boys came into the house; their clothes were dirty, their hair was untidy, and
they had been fighting.
• Before independence era, my grandfather had been living in a small town near Jowhar.
• Before they lost their farm, the Jones family had been making a good living.

Exercise:
Write down the correct form of the verb given in the bracket to make a sentence into
the Past Perfect Continuous Tense:

1. The receptionist _______________ the applications for the interview. (accept)

 2. The delivery boy________________ the parcel on time at the destination. (not/deliver)
3. Abader _________ always ____________ in front of his teacher in his lecture. (nod)
4. __________ Saber’s friends always _______________ him in school? (annoy)
5. They __________________ much because of their friend’s absence. (not/enjoy)
6. The stored water ___________________ above the dam in the rainy season. (overflow)
7. When I saw him, he_________________ near the traffic signal on the highway. (beg)
8. She __________________ the water in the milk to give to the customers. (not/mix)
9. Her brother_____________ always ____________________ her from intruders. (protect)
10. They ____________________ the overall budget of the party last night. (not/calculate)
11. We ______________________ another chopper in our artillery. (include)
12. ___________ he ______________ from fever due to the change in the climate? (suffer)
13. She _________________ anything to anyone about the incident. (not/explain)

Make the past perfect continuous positive sentences:

1. I _____________________ (work) all day, so I didn’t want to go out.
2. She __________________ (sleep) for ten hours when I woke her up.
3. They ________________ (live) in Beijing for three years when he lost his job.
4. When we met, you ________________ (work) at that company for six months.
5. We (eat) ________________ all day, so we felt a bit ill.
6. He was red in the face because he ____________________ (run).
7. It _______________ (rain), and the road was covered in water.
8. I was really tired because I __________________ (study).
9. We ________________ (go) out for three years when we got married.

Make the past perfect continuous negative sentences:

1. I __________________ (not / work) there long when she quit.
2. She ________________ (not / work) but she was tired anyway.
3. It _________________ (not / rain) long when I got home.
4. He was in trouble with the teacher because he________________ (not / go) to classes.
5. We ______________ (not / live) in London for three years when we got married.
6. Although it was hot in the kitchen, Julie __________________ (cook) for hours.
7. I _______________ (not / sleep) long when there was a knock on the door.
 9. Future Simple Tense
We use future simple to express future actions, decisions, intentions, predictions, offers, or
promises made at the time of speaking.
Rule: Subject + will/ shall + main verb + object.
Examples:
• I / we shall break the class.
• You / they/ he/ it will do something.
• Divorce rate in US will remain high.
• I shall phone you back in a minute.
• Labor will win the next election.
• I shall help you carry those bags.
• Will you open the window?
• They won’t go until you arrive.
• Shall we eat out tonight?
• I shan’t attend the meeting tonight.

Will vs be going to?

We use will, not be going to, to express a future decision or intention made at the moment of
speaking.
For example:
• Do you want the blue or the red pen? ‘I will take the red one.’
• What are you going to do?
I am not sure. I guess I will stay at home.
May be I will watch some movies.
I don’t know. I think I will go swimming.
I probably won’t go anywhere.

We use be going to + verb to express a future decision, intention or plan made before the time of
speaking.
• What are you going to do?
I am going to relax at the beach
We are going to go swimming every day.
 I am not going to do anything special.

Exercise:
Choose the correct future tense phrase in the following sentence:
1. I am feeling energetic. So, I think I (will / am going to) wash my car.
2. It has been decided that we (will / are going to) to climb Mount Everest tomorrow.
3. A. Who wants to come with me to the movie tonight?
B. Oh that sounds fun. I (will / am going to) come with you.
4. We have already made plans for the vacation. We have decided that we (will / are going
to) go to Nairobi.
5. Tonight seems like a nice night to be outside. I think I (will / am going to) go for a walk
after dinner.
6. A. Have you thought about what you want to do after college?
B. Yes, I have decided that I (will / am going to) become an engineer
7. I guess I (will / am going to) help you clean the kitchen if no one else will.
8. My car tires look low on air. I think I (will / am going to) fill them up at the next gas
station.
9. I think my dad said we (will / are going to) go to the beach this weekend.
10. A. Where are you going to go?
B. I haven’t thought about that yet. I guess I (will/ am going to) go to one of the national
parks.

Complete the sentences. Use the correct form of going to:

1. We ____________________ (give) our children a future.
2. This government ____________________ (not help) our country.
3. When ____________________ (you/ stop) this war?
4. How ____________________ (we/ feed) our children?
5. We ____________________ (not give up)!
6. Who ____________________ (help) the poor?
7. I ____________________ (fight) for what I believe!
8. Cars ____________________ (destroy) our environment.
Choose the correct form:
1. I (will be/ am going to be) an astronaut when I grow up.
2. A. I am not sure which one to buy, but I (will take/ am going to take) the blue one.
3. A. Look at the mess!
B. I (will help/ am going to help) you clear it up.
4. Helen is pregnant. She (will have/ is going to have) a baby.
5. A. the phone is ringing.
B. Ok, I (will answer/ am going to answer) it.
6. A. Do you want a cheese sandwich or a fish sandwich?
B. I (will choose/ am going to choose) a fish sandwich.
7. I have decided I (will get/ am going to get) a new job.
8. That glass is too near the edge. I think it (will fall/ is going to fall).
9. A. This bag is so heavy.
B. I (will help/ am going to help) you carry it.

Fill in GOING TO or WILL future:

1. When the weather is fine, we ___________ a picnic in our garden. (probably have)
2. Susan __________ the bathroom next weekend. (paint)
3. I think he __________ her name. (find out)
4. I ___________ a walk in the garden this evening. (take)
5. Maria _________ a good mark because she has studied hard. (get)
6. Are you sure you __________ in a tent in your holidays? (sleep)
7. Peter ___________ his new bike in the park. (ride)
8. I hope Jasmine _________ me to her party. (invite)
9. I _____________ dad's car tomorrow afternoon. (wash)
10. Mum thinks dad ________ home early tonight. (come)
11. It __________ very cold in the mountains. Take a sweater with you. (probably be)
12. We __________ our bikes in the park. Can you come with us? (ride)
13. It's my birthday next Friday. Mum ___________ a cake. (bake)
10. Future Continuous Tense
The future continuous normally refers to an activity or situations that will be in progress (going
on) at a particular moment or a specified time in the future.
Rule: subject + will/shall be +present participle + object
Examples:
• Don’t phone at 8:00, we’ll be having supper.
• At this time tomorrow, we will be landing in London.
• This time tomorrow, I’ll be flying to New York.
• Will you be having dinner at home this evening?
• Will you be using the car tomorrow?
• This time tomorrow, I will be lying on a beach in Tunisia
• Right now I am sitting in class. At this time tomorrow, I will be studying at the library,
and I will be working on my assignment.
• Right now I am studying grammar. At this time tomorrow, I will be studying chemistry.

Exercise:
Write down the correct form of the verb given in the bracket to make a sentence into
the Future Continuous tense.
1. The tourists____________ French language. (speak)
2. He ___________ her hand tightly. (hold)
3. ________she_________ her dinner this time? (eat)
4. They ____________ anything in this noise place. (not/hear)
5. What _____ he _____________ today? (play)
6. She __________ from Japan tonight. (come)
7. They _____________ their homework. (do)
8. We ___________ in the swimming pool. (swim)
9. The patient ___________ a single word. (not/say)
10. Indian army ___________ him at the border. (send)
11. They _________ together. (not/fight)
12. This bird _____________ so high in the sky. (not/fly)
13. She __________ something to her little brother. (give)
 14. He ______________ this dress for the gathering ceremony. (not/wear)
15. What _____ you _________ for an essay competition? (write)

Complete each sentence with the verb in brackets in the future continuous tense using the
positive or negative form as appropriate:

1. It's my birthday soon. I _________________ (have) a big party.

2. We _________________ (go) to school tomorrow because it's a holiday.
3. I _________________ cook) dinner tonight because the oven is broken.
4. Where _________________ (you / stay) when you go to London?
5. I _________________ (sing) in the concert because I have a sore throat.
6. The kids_________________ (get) hungry soon. It's nearly their dinner time.
7. I don't like walking alone at night. I _________________ (take) a taxi home.
8. I have vegans coming for dinner tonight, so I ________________ (serve) any meat.

Complete the sentences below with the verbs in the box in the future continuous.
Take get wear come eat not/have sit arrive
climb bake sleep close use not/buy

1. It is Halloween tomorrow, so the children ____________________ costumes to school.

2. Sally ____________________ to the cinema with us tonight if she can find a babysitter.
3. The guests ____________________ soon. You'd better get ready.
4. It's a lovely evening, so we ____________________ dinner in the garden.
5. The bar ____________________ soon. Hurry up and finish your drink.
6. Please don't call before 7 a.m. I ____________________
7. He proposed to her last night. They ____________________ married next March.
8. It is Ali's birthday next week. I____________________ him a chocolate cake
9. We are going to a Japanese restaurant for dinner, so we ____________________ chopsticks.
10. They ____________________ in the front row at the theatre tonight.
11. I have no money. I ____________________ anyone any presents this year.
12. Samia____________________ lots of photos when she buys a new camera.
13. When we visit Africa in the spring, we ____________________ Mt Kilimanjaro.
14. We ____________________ a picnic tomorrow because the weather forecast is awful.
Complete the paragraph using the words below. Use Future continuous tense:
Every year, my family and I go on holiday to Spain. This year, however, we _______________
(not/ stay) in a hotel like we usually do. Instead, we _______________ (camp), and sleeping in
tents near the sea. It won't be as comfortable as staying in a hotel, but there is a beach nearby, so
I _______________ (spend) my days swimming in the sea, sunbathing, and learning to surf. In
order to save money, we _______________ (not/ go) to restaurants. Instead, we
___________(cook) all our meals over a fire and washing our dishes at the campsite. My parents
want to stay in Spain all summer, so we _______________ (not return) until the end of August.
After two months of camping, I _______________(look) forward to sleeping in a bed even
though I _______________ (feel) sad that the summer is over, and that it is time to go back to
school.

11. Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect is used to describe actions or situations that will be completed before some
other point in the future.

The future perfect and the future perfect continuous appear in written English, but they are not
used often in spoken English.

Rule: Subject + will / shall have + past participle + Object.

Examples
• They will have finished the downstairs rooms by Tuesday.
• By the end of this trip, we will have travelled over ten thousand miles.
• I shall have come here by five tomorrows.
• We shall have written the report by tonight.
• He will have gone to bed by eleven o’clock tonight.
• I shall have done all my work by this evening.
• By next November, I will have received my promotion.

• By the time I finish this course, I will have taken ten tests.
Exercise:
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences in the future perfect tense:
1. Hajer _________________study) for 12 years when he graduates.
2. Our team ________________ (finish) our season by September.
3. Her sister ________________ (do) research before writing her essay.
4. The dog ______________ (sleep) for 6 hours by the time I got home.
5. By Sunday, my parents ________________ (paint) the whole house.
6. I ________________ (clean) everything before my brother wakes up.
7. We ________________ (learn) a lot by the end of the year.
8. The horse ____________ (leave) the barn by now if the gate was open.

Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Use future perfect tense:
1. I’m hungry now. I (eat) __________ __________ __________ dinner before you get
home.
2. A: __________ the sun (rise) __________ __________ by the time you get up
tomorrow?
B: Yes, it __________.
3. How many kids __________ you (have) __________ __________ by the time you are
35?
4. My classmate (not / finish)__________ __________ __________ his homework before
class.
5. Don’t worry. I (return) __________ __________ __________ the library books by
tomorrow.
6. I think robots (take over) _________ _________ _________ _________ the world by
2050!
7. A: _________ they (arrive) __________ __________ at the airport in time to catch their
flight?
B: No, they __________.
8. Why (not / fix) __________ the mechanics __________ __________ your car by
Tuesday?
9. A: How many hours of TV __________ you (watch) __________ __________ by this
time tomorrow?
 B: Actually, I (not / watch) __________ __________ __________ any TV!
10. By what age __________ Sarah __________ __________ from college?
11. A: Do you think people (land) __________ __________ __________ on Mars by 2030?
12. B: No, I __________.

Fill in each blank with the correct words to change each present continuous tense sentence
into a future perfect tense sentence:
1. I am writing a book.
By this time next month, I ____________________the book.
2. Maria is preparing a report.
By this time tomorrow, Maria _________________ the report.
3. Majed is learning German.
By this time next year, Majed ____________________German.
4. They are inviting all their friends.
By this time tomorrow, they ____________________ all their friends.
5. We are bringing our stuff to our new apartment.
By this time tomorrow, we ____________________ all our stuff to our new apartment.
6. I am fixing my computer.
By this time next week, I ____________________my computer.
7. My mother is making dinner.
By the time the guests arrive, my mother ____________________dinner.
8. Peter is reading a magazine.
By the time his flight lands, Peter ____________________ the magazine.
9. My sister and I are painting our apartment.
By this time tomorrow, my sister and I ____________________ our apartment.
10. Jamal is cleaning the house.
By the time his parents arrive, Jamal ____________________ the house.
 12. Future Perfect Continuous tense
We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular
event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all
durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to
the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or
before a reference point in the future.
We also use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in
the future.

Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look
back. It refers to events or actions in a time between now and some future time are unfinished. It
is most often used with a time expression.

Also, we use this tense to express situations that will last for a specified period of time at a
definite moment in the future. It is important that we expect these situations to last longer.
Rule: Subject + will /shall have+ been + present participle+ object.
Examples:

• I will have been working here for ten years next week.
• He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24 hours.
• The wind will have been blowing for many days.
• By the next year, I will have been working as a teacher for 30 years.
• When you arrive, you will have been flying for more than twenty hours.
• You will have been travelling for two years
• By 2016 I will have been living in Mogadishu for twenty years.
• Next year I will have been working here for six years.
• They will have been talking for over an hour by the time Ali arrives.
• Ali will have been teaching at the university for more than a year by the time he leaves
for Asia.
• He will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.
• She will have been working at that company for three years before travelling to
America.
 • Next Monday, I will have been working on this project for three years.
• Before they come, we will have been cleaning the house for 5 hours.
• By the next year, Ben and his wife will have been living together for 50 years.
• By 2025 linguists will have been studying and defining the Indo-European language
family for more than 200 years.
• We will have been driving 6 hours by the time we get home.

• She will have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.

• When you finish your English course, will you have been living in New Zealand for over
a year?

Exercise:
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences in the future perfect progressive:
1. This show __________________ (end) at midnight.
2. My family ___________________ (eat) turkey and potatoes for Thanksgiving.
3. Sarah and Rauf ___________________ (study) for the history test at the library.
4. My teacher ___________________ (give) us homework tonight.
5. The plumber ___________________ (fix) the sink in our kitchen.
6. Juneid ___________________ (go) to the park to practice baseball with his friends.
7. Our favorite team ___________________ (play) in the finals of the tournament.
8. The workers ___________________ (repair) the street over the summer.

Complete the following sentence using the appropriate verbs to make it a future perfect
continuous tense statement:
1. He __________________ for two months. (not/travel)
2. We __________________ for two hours. (sing)
3. I __________________ an essay for one hour. (not/write)
4. _________my mom ______________ food for many years? (cook)
5. They__________________ a bicycle for two hours. (not/ride)
6. He __________________ to learn the French language for three years. (try)
7. She__________________ a job for five years. (not/do)
8. ____ I ____________ till 2030? (win)
9. We __________________ these formal shirts for three months. (wear)
 10. She __________________ early in the morning for a week. (wake)
11. I __________________ rent for ten months. (not/pay)
12. The butterfly __________________ for one hour. (fly)
13. We __________________ chess for two hours. (not/play)

Put the verbs into the correct form (future perfect continuous):
1. By the end of the week, I (work) ____________________ here for four months.
2. By the end of this month, we (live) ___________________ together for six years.
3. By the end of the term, she (study) ___________________ for nine years.
4. By midnight, we (play) __________________ this computer game for 48 hours.
5. She (talk) _________________ on the phone for the last couple of hours.
6. They (look for) ____________________me all night long.
7. He (play) _________________________soccer all day long.
8. You (watch) _______________________ TV all the time.
9. He (not / sleep) ___________________ all morning.

Wish U the best

Mr. Okay