Tenses Review

Practice
1st Batxillerat
Past Simple or Past Continuous? Choose the past simple or past continuous:

1. He was sleeping _______________(sleep) when the doorbell

______________rang___________ (ring).

2. We ate _____________________ (eat) dinner at 8pm last night (we started

eating at 7:30).

3. Yesterday I wwent ________________ (go) to the post office,

__________bought_______________ (buy) some fruit at the supermarket and
___________read______________ (read) a book in the park in the afternoon.

4. We were watching ____________ (watch) TV when we

__________heared_______________ (hear) a loud noise.

5. Julie was ____________________ (be) in the garden when Laurence

_____________arrived____________ (arrive).

6. A: Whatn were you doing __________ (you / do) at 3pm yesterday? B: I

__i was cleaning_______________________ (clean) my house.

7. Last year I visited___________________ (visit) Paris and Rome.

8. They were having ____________ (have) dinner when the police

_______came__________________ (come) to the door.

9. He was working _______________(work) in the garden when he

_______________found__________ (find) the money.

10. Laura was studying _____________ (study) at 11pm last night.

11. I was walking ______________ (walk) along the road when I

_______met__________________ (meet) an old friend.

12. It was_____________________ (be) a day in December. Snow

______was falling___________________ (fall), children ___________were

singing______________
(sing) carols and people __________________________ were doing (do) their
Christmas
shopping.

13. My ex-boyfriend was ____________________ (be) so annoying! He

___allways missed ______________________ (always / miss) the bus and
__________________arrived_______ (arrive) late.

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 14. When I called ___________________ (call) Julie, she
_______was working __________________ (work).

15. Why were you crying ___________ (you / cry) when I

______arrived ___________________ (arrive)?

16. When he got ____________________(get) home, we started to eat dinner.

17. At 10am yesterday I was sitting _____________ (sit) on a bus.

18. I was enjoying _____________ (enjoy) my book so much that I

____________didn’t notice _____________ (not / notice) the train had stopped.

19. David was not sleeping __________ (not / sleep) when I

____________arribed _____________ (arrive), he _______was studying

__________________

(study)!

20. Mr Black was not working __________ (not / work) in the garden at 10pm

Choose the past simple or the present perfect:

1. Last night I lost ______________ (lose) my keys – I had to call my flatmate to

let me in.
2. I have lost __________ (lose) my keys – can you help me look for them?
3. I have visited _______ (visit) Paris three times.
4. Last year I visited ____________ (visit) Paris.
5. I knew ______________ (know) my great grandmother for a few years - she
died when I was eight.
6. I have knew __________ (know) Julie for three years – we still meet once a
month.
7. I I have been playing __ (play) hockey since I was a child – I’m pretty good!
8. She played ___________ (play) hockey at school, but she
________didn’t like__________ (not / like) it.
9. Sorry, I missed ___________ (miss) the bus, so I’m going to be late.
10. I _____missed_____________ (miss) the bus, and then I ________ missed
__________
(miss) the aeroplane as well!
11. Last month I went ____________ (go) to Scotland.

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 12. I’m sorry, John isn’t here now. He went ____________ (go) to the shops.
13. We finished __________ (finish) this room last week.
14. I have finished ______ (finish) my exams finally – I’m so happy!
15. Yesterday, I saw ______________ (see) all my friends. It was great.
16. I have seen _________ (see) Julie three times this week!
17. She has liveed ________ (live) in London since 1994.
18. She lived _____________ (live) in London when she was a child.
19. I have drunk _________ (drink) three cups of coffee this morning.
20. I drank ____________ (drink) seven cups of coffee yesterday.

Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous:

1. (they / arrive) already?

2. Lucy run ______________ (run) 2000 metres today.

3. I have been cleaning __ (clean) all morning – I’m fed up!

4. How long have you known _____ (you / know) Simon?

5. I have been drinking ____ (drink) more water lately, and I feel better.

6. Sorry about the mess! I have been baking ____ (bake).

7. How many times you taken __________ (you / take) this exam?

8. He has eaten __________ (eat) six bars of chocolate today!

9. Julie has cooked __________ (cook) dinner. Let’s go and eat!

10. The students have finished _______ (finish) their exams. They’re very happy.

11. The baby’s face is really dirty! What has he eaten ________ (he / eat)?

12. Iona is exhausted these days. She has been working ____ (work) too hard

recently.

13. Luke has never been ______ (never / be) abroad.

14. I have been waiting ____ (wait) for three hours already !

15 have you finished _____ (you / finish) your homework yet?

16. How long have you been _______ (you / be) a lawyer?

17. I have been reading ____ (read) your book all day. It’s very interesting, but

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 I’m only on chapter 2.

18. She has drunk __________ (drink) ten glasses of water!

19. I have had ___________ (have) my dog for sixteen years.

20. Help, I have lost ___________ (lose) my wallet! How can I get home?

Choose the past perfect, or the past perfect continuous

1. When we arrived the film had already started. ________________(start).

2. She had been working _________________ (work) in that company for

twenty years when she was made redundant.

3. I felt ill because I had been drinking _________________ (drink) six cups of

coffee.

4. I had been studying _________________ (study) all day, so I was tired.

5. How long had you been living ________________ (you / live) in London

when your daughter was born?

6. When I arrived at the airport I realised I

________had forgotten ________________________ (forget) my passport.

7. I had broken ______________________ (break) my ankle, so I couldn’t go

skiing last year.

8. She had been studying ________________ (study) English for three years

when she took the exam.

9. I had been running __________________ (run), so I was hot and tired.

10. I didn’t go to the class because I hadn’t done _______________________(not /

do) my homework.

Complete the sentences with the verbs in brackets, using the Past Simple or the
Past Perfect Simple. Example:

When I got (get) home, I realised (realise) I had left (leave) my sunglasses in the office.

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 1. When I ......arrived .................. (arrive) at the station, the train ......had already
left..................

(already, leave).

2. We ...........thanked ............. (thank) the couple for everything they had done
(do) to
help save our daughter.

3. As soon as I ..........heared.............. (hear) the voice, I realised (realise) I

.had met....................... (meet) the person before.

4. I .............went........... (go) to the shop to buy the shirt I had seen (see) the day
before.

5. I ....... returned.............. (return) the book when I had finished (finish) reading
it.

6. I ......did not go .................. (not go) to bed until the film had finished (finish).

7. The test .........was............... (be) difficult because I had not studied (not
study).

8. When Mr Smith ......retired.................. (retire), he had run .. (run) the company

for over forty years.

9. When I last ............spoke............ (speak) to her, she still hadn’t finished (not
finish)
her assignment.

10. We ........... had apologise............. (apologise) for the inconvenience we

..........caused..............
(cause).

11. Our exam results .........were............... (be) much better than we .........had
expected...............
(expect).

12. We ..............went.......... (go) to the cinema as soon as we had ....... (have)

dinner.

Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.

1. I (learn) English for seven years now. Have been learning

2. But last year I (not / work) hard enough for English, that's why my

marks (not / be) really that good then. Didn’t work/weren’t

3. As I (pass / want) my English exam successfully next year, I (study)

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 harder this term.
Want will study

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 4. During my last summer holidays, my parents (send) me on a
language course to London. sent

5. It (be) great and I (think) I (learn) a lot.

Was think learned

6. Before I (go) to London, I (not / enjoy) learning English.

Went didn’t enjoy

7. But while I (do) the language course, I (meet) lots of

young people from all over the world. Was doing /met

8. There I (notice) how important it (be) to speak foreign

languages
nowadays.noticed /
was

9. Now I (have) much more fun learning English than I (have)

before the course. Have / had

10. At the moment I (revise) English grammar. I am revising

11. And I (begin / already) to read the texts in my English textbooks

again.

12. I (think) I (do) one unit every week.

Think will do

13. My exam (be) on 15 May, so there (not / be) any time to

be lost. has
been lost.
my exams successfully, I (start) an
14. If I (pass)
apprenticeship in September. Pass/ won’t be

15. And after my apprenticeship, maybe I (go) back to London to work

there for a while. Will go

I have already begun

Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.

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1. They (build) They are building a new power station at the moment.

2. When I was buying the stamps somebody (call) called my name.

3. 'What time (Kevin come) did Kevin come ?' 'An hour ago.'

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4. I (not go) didn't go to the cinema last night. I was too tired.

5. Carol invited us to the party but we (not go) . We had other

didn't go things to do.
6. I saw Bridget at the museum when I was going to the restaurant but she (not

see) didn't see me.

7. 'Where (your parents live) ?' 'In a village near London.

They have always lived there.'

8. She speaks English but she (not speak) French.

9. Jeff is from London. He (live) there all his life.

10. My favourite country is Canada. I (be) there four times.

11. I (never eat) bananas.

12. 'How long (you study) Photography?' 'For one year.'

13. 'Where are you going on holiday?' 'I don't know. We (not decide)

yet.'

14. Who (invent) the washing machine?

15. 'Where's Jill?' 'She (have) lunch at the moment.'

16. (Terry work) ? No, he is on holiday.

17. Somebody (steal) my sunglasses at the swimming pool

last week.

18. (she wear) the nice jacket when you saw her?

19. Where (be) you yesterday?

20. As you (see / can)

already.

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 19 were you
7 do your
parents
live?
20 can see / have
become
8 doesn't
speak

9 has lived

10 I have
been

11 I have
never eaten

12 have you
been
studying

13 haven't
decided

14 Who
invented

15 She is
having
lunch

16 Is Terry
working

17 stole
18 Was she
wearing

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