Present tenses

Write the correct form of the words in the brackets to complete the sentences. Use only the
present simple or the present continuous.
Example
It’s nearly half past ten. __Do they always eat_ (they/always/eat) this late in Spain?
1. Carine ______________________ (enjoy) hospital drama so she ________________ ( watch) ER
every week.
2. We ___________________ (take) a two-week winter holiday in Gstaad every year.
3. I ______________________ (feed) the neighbor’s cat this week while she’s in hospital.
4. Then you __________________ (mix) all the ingredients together quickly and _______________
(put) the mixture in a hot oven for twenty minutes.
5. I can see the leaders. The three front runners ______________ ( turn) the corner into the stadium
complex now.
6. Hurry up and buy your sandwich! Here ____________ ( come) the bus!
7. Sorry I haven’t phoned. I lost my address book – Oh, you _________________ ( always/ lose) your
address book! Why don’t you keep everything on the computer?
8. The part-time philosophy course _____________ ( consist of) twenty evening lectures and five full-day
seminars.
9. ___________________ (you/think) we should allow more than an hour to get to the station?
10. We can’t leave a ten-year-old child on her own. What on earth ______________ ( you/think) of?
11. Don’t ask him! He _____________(be) really difficult at the moment.
12. Would you like to try these champagnes? We _______________ ( taste) them to write a review for the
wine club newsletter.

Past tenses
Underline the correct verb form in italics.
Example
The Incas didn’t have/weren’t having a written script.
1. The thieves ran out of the bank, jumped/were jumping into their car and sped away up the high
street.
2. Intervention was urgently required – the starving children grew/were growing weaker by the day and
there was/was being little sign of an end to the drought.
3. Jim left/was leaving on the early flight the next morning so he made his excuses and left the party
before midnight.
4. Phil stood at the door soaked from head to toe; he had been running/was running in the rain.
5. By the third month of the war rebel forces took/had taken most of the province.
6. At the time of the trial last summer Hinkley had been/was in prison for eight months.
7. We missed the first act of the play because when we arrived at the theatre the performance already
started/had already started.
8. At midnight Mr. Rochester had climbed/climbed the stairs and went into his bedchamber.
9. At the time of the take-over the company’s shares had declined/had been declining in value for
several months.
10. Brendan was surprised to find the gas tank empty as he had only been using/had only used the truck
twice that week.
11. Before the advent of satellite television viewers didn’t used to have/use to have a very wide selection
of channels.
12. The staff were used/used to be paid weekly but now they receive a monthly salary.

Past to Present tenses

Underline the best choice of words in italic.
Example
Has the package arrived/Did the package arrive safely yesterday?
1. We still hold meetings in the old manor house, which stood/had stood on the same spot for over two
hundred years.
2. Beethoven has written/wrote some of the most accomplished symphonies you will ever listen to.
3. The nurses’ strike increased/has increased the current waiting time for minor surgery by two to three
weeks.
4. News is coming in of an incident in Parliament. A group of armed men surrounded/has surrounded the
building and is holding hostages.
5. He’s really much more handsome in the flesh that I thought/have thought.

All of the sentences below contain a grammatical mistake. Find and correct the mistake.
Example
My family is living in this country for over twenty years. __has been living/has lived__
1. Hurry up! We have been waited for you for twenty minutes! ___________________________
2. There were seven police dramas on TV so far this week – and it’s only Thursday!
___________________
3. The Indian Government has imposed a ban on tiger hunting five years ago.
_________________________
4. This farm is growing organic vegetables for more than ten years now. ________________________
5. Oasis has been recording a new album. It was a great success on its release last week.
________________
The future (1)
Write the correct form of the verb in brackets to complete the sentences. Use one of these
structures: will, shall, be going to, will be + ing, will have + past participle, will have been
+ing, present continuous or present simple.
Example
Have you booked a holiday yet for this year? – Yes, we _are taking (take) a cruise around the Caribbean
in November.
1. I’ve taken the 10.40 to Bristol every Friday for three years and it’s always half empty. Believe me, you
____________ (find) a seat.
2. Going to all of the recent polls, the social democrats ___________ ( win) next week’s election by a
huge majority.
3. Look at those black clouds. It ______________ ( rain) this afternoon.
4. I’m going on holiday tomorrow. This time next Tuesday afternoon I _____________ ( ski) down a
mountain!
5. At our next wedding anniversary we ____________ ( be/married) for twenty-five years.
6. Sit down and watch the TV; I _______________ ( just/finish) this letter quickly before I join you.
7. Have your parents decided whether you can come to the festival next weekend? – Not yet, but they
can’t stop me. I ____________ (come) with you.
8. I’ve won the jackpot on the lottery and I ____________ ( spend) it all straight away!
9. Erm, I don’t want to be rude, but _____________ (you/stay) with us for long when you come over to
Britain?
10. The plane ________________ (take off) at 10.45, so we had better check in by 8.45.

The future (2)

Choose the correct word or phrase (a-c) to complete the sentences.
Example
Shh! You _b__ disturb your mother.
a) are due to b) are not to c) are to
1. The Mayor of Paris _____ attend the service tomorrow before leaving the city.
a) is about to b) is to c) is on the point of
2. The timetable ______ be published on 1st May.
a) is due to b) is about to c) is on the point of
3. Hurry! Run! The train’s just ______ leave without us!
a) to b) due to c) about to
4. Because of the erosion of their habitats, some species are ________ extinction.
a) about to b) on the verge of c) likely to
5. He’s very ________ to accept the position as we can’t match his current salary.
a) unlikely b) likelyc) sure
6. I’m sorry about spilling wine on your dress last week. – Don’t worry, I ______ take to the cleaner’s
anyway.
a) was going to b) would c) was to
7. As he raised his arm she realized that he ________ strike her again.
a) was due to b) was to c) was about to
8. I’m really sorry. We ______ to stop at a service station and phone you, but we didn’t want to waste any
more time.
a) were due to b) were going to c) were to
9. Look, I didn’t put the rubbish out this morning because I thought you ______ do it!
a) were going to b) would c) were to
10. The new department store ________ on 2nd January, but the explosion prevented this.
a) was to open b) would open c) was to have opened

Correct the mistakes

Identify the one underlined expression (a, b, c or d) that must be changed in order to correct
the sentences.
1. My next door neighbour, who is usually shy and doesn’t say much, is being very friendly this morning
and has a
A B C
D
big party tonight for all his friends.
2. Martin was used to smoke a lot when he was studying, but since he has been working in the bank, he
hasn’t
A B C
D
been smoking as much.
3. People were slipping on the wet floor because no one had cleaned up the water that all of us were
knowing had
A B C
D
leaked from the coffee machine.
4. When you will make a promise, you tell someone that you will definitely give them something or that
you
A B C
definitely will or won’t do something.
D
5. As we were entering the building, I noticed a sing that someone has put above the door which said,
“Be alert”.
A B C D