Gerund or infinitive Exercise

Put the verb in brackets into a correct form. (gerund or infinitive)
Example: The snow kept (fall) _____ the whole day. (key = falling)

1.	I wish (be)  a manager.
2.	At dinner she annoyed me by (smoke) .
3.	He decided (disguise)  himself.
4.	I suggest (leave)  him here.
5.	I'm for (do)  nothing till the evening.
6.	He made me (do)  the same things.
7.	She apologized for (be)  late.
8.	You don't need (ask)  me to go out.
9.	I can hear the bell (ring) .
10.	We watched them (jump)  from a window.
11.	Don't keep him (stand)  at the door.
12.	I don't like (get)  bills.
13.	It is nice (sit)  in the garden at night.
14.	The fire seems (be)  out.
15.	Did you advise him (go)  to the police?
16.	Would you like (keep)  the tickets?
17.	This book tells you how (win)  at chess.
18.	He hates (be)  kept waiting..
19.	Did you remember (book)  seats for the cinema tomorrow?
20.	He offered (lend)  me money.

Table of Tenses

tense	Affirmative/Negative/Question	Use	Signal Words
Simple Present	A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?	action in the present taking place once, never or several times facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or schedule	always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
Present Progressive	A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking?	action taking place in the moment of speaking action taking place only for a limited period of time action arranged for the future	at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
Simple Past	A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak?	action in the past taking place once, never or several times actions taking place one after another action taking place in the middle of another action	yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
Past Progressive	A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking?	action going on at a certain time in the past actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another action	when, while, as long as
Present Perfect Simple	A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken?	putting emphasis on the result action that is still going on action that stopped recently finished action that has an influence on the present action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking	already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
Present Perfect Progressive	A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking?	putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the present	all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
Past Perfect Simple	A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken?	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)	already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)
Past Perfect Progressive	A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking?	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action	for, since, the whole day, all day
Future I Simple	A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?	action in the future that cannot be influenced spontaneous decision assumption with regard to the future	in a year, next …, tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.) assumption: I think, probably, perhaps
Future I Simple (going to)	A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak?	decision made for the future conclusion with regard to the future	in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future I Progressive	A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking?	action that is going on at a certain time in the future action that is sure to happen in the near future	in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future II Simple	A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken?	action that will be finished at a certain time in the future	by Monday, in a week
Future II Progressive	A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking?	action taking place before a certain time in the future putting emphasis on the course of an action	for …, the last couple of hours, all day long
Conditional I Simple	A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak?	action that might take place	if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.)
Conditional I Progressive	A: He would be speaking. N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking?	action that might take place putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action
Conditional II Simple	A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken?	action that might have taken place in the past	if sentences type III (If I had seen that, I would have helped.)
Conditional II Progressive	A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking?	action that might have taken place in the past puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action

Exercises on Tenses

Simple present - present progressive

It is a summer evening. Patrick and Barbara ___________ (play) football against Kevin and Melanie. They often___________ (play) football against Kevin and Melanie.

It is five o'clock. Kevin ___________ (take) Red's dog into the garden. He always___________ (take) Red's dog into the garden in the afternoon.

The Bensons usually___________ (have) breakfast in the kitchen. But today is Sunday, and they ___________ (have) it in the dining-room.

It is Thursday. A coach full of children___________ (go) to Cardiff. The children at Jenny's school ___________ (go) on a trip every summer.

Kevin always___________ (use) his new pen for his homework. But he cannot find it, so he ___________ (use) Tanja's pen now.

Simple Past - Past Progressive

Last month Amy___________ (spend) an exciting day at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Mrs Miller, her teacher___________ (tell) Amy and her classmates not to touch anything. Then they___________ (be allowed to) look at all the interesting things in groups of four. While Amy and her friends___________ (walk) around they___________ (hear) an alarm. Of course they ___________ (want to know) what was wrong. As they ___________ (try) to find the room where the alarm___________ (come) from they___________ (see) some of their classmates in the dinosaur room. Brian, a small quiet boy, ___________ (cry) terribly - and next to him there___________ (be) a large number of dinosaur bones.
"I___________ (not want) to ruin the T-Rex, but when I___________ (count) its leg bones I___________ (must) cough and___________ (fall) right into T-Rex."
Poor Brian! Mrs Miller___________ (be) very angry - but the director of the museum___________ (believe) Brian. He___________ (say): "In future there will be a big fence around our favourite dinosaur."

Present Perfect - Present Perfect Progressive

"Hallo, Sam, where___________ (you/be)? I___________ (wait) for you for quite some time at the stamp club."
" Sorry, Tina, but you know that I___________ (always/want) to visit Disney World in Florida, and guess what I___________ (just/notice) in my mother´s new magazine: a crossword puzzle - and the first prize for the right solution is a trip there for one week. So for the last two hours I___________ (try to find) all the right words. ___________ (you/ever/hear) of a magical sword, the first letter is an "a" the last letter is an "r"?"
"___________  (you/never/read) the story of King Arthur and his powerful sword Excalibur, Sam?"
"No, I___________ (never/be) too interested in legends, but thanks, you___________ (help) me a lot."
"That´s okay, good luck. Oh, by the way, your mother seems to be quite angry. I think she___________ (look for) her new magazine all afternoon - and now I know why she ___________ (have) a chance to find it yet. But I have to go now - I___________ (not do) my homework yet, and my stomach___________ (make) strange noises for an hour. I guess, I´m terribly hungry. I hope mother___________ (already/prepare) her famous roast beef. See you at school tomorrow."

will - going to

Mr Corona's holiday plans

Mr Corona is from Rome. He works at a factory in Hamburg. His work isn't very interesting, so he's looking forward to his holidays. This year he ___________ (take) his holiday early in September: he's lucky because he___________ (get) one day more than last year. He___________ (spend) his holidays in Rome, of course, because he wants to see his family again and he___________ (visit) some good friends as well.
He___________ (fly) because it's too expensive for him. He___________ (have) to go by train. At least he hopes___________ (be able) to get a seat in the train because the journey___________ (take) almost twenty hours and the train___________ (be) full - so it___________ (not be) a very nice journey.

Tenses, tenses, tenses

___________(ever - you - fly) to America? Kevin is lucky - he___________ (can) visit his cousin Amy Baxter last year. Yesterday, while Kevin___________ (read) a book, his mother___________ (come) in and gave him a letter from Amy. He read:" Hi, Kevin, I hope you___________ (not forget) me yet. ___________ (you - remember) how much fun we___________ (have) last year?
What___________ (do - you) since then? Well, let me tell you the chaotic story of my trip to the Poconos. I___________ (want) to spend a nice weekend with my friend Jane. She___________ (live) in Manhattan for some months now.
"I´m sure we___________ (have) lots of fun," Jane said while I___________ (unpack) my things. "If the weather___________ (be) fine tomorrow we___________ (go) on a trip to the Poconos." " I think this is a fantastic idea," I___________ (agree). "I___________ to climb the highest mountains."
When we___________ (drive) along Interstate 95 the next day we___________ (notice) a red light in Jane´s mother´s car. "I think, if we___________ (want) to reach the Poconos we___________ (need) some help first", Jane´s mother said.
"I___________ (read - never) the handbook, so I___________ (not have) any idea what´s wrong."
We___________ (leave) the expressway and soon saw the sign of a car repair garage. The mechanic quickly___________ (check) the car and smiled. "Lady," he said, "I___________ (see) this problem many times before. I´m sorry, but a mechanic is not what you need. If you___________ (not fill) up the tank, you___________ (get - never) to the Poconos."

Put the verb in brackets into the Present Perfect Continuous (have been doing) or Present Perfect Simple (have done).
Example: She is out of breath, she (run) _____.

1.   These shoes are nice and clean. (you clean) ___________ them? 2.   This room was white. Now it is blue. He (paint) ___________ it. 3.   He (drink) ___________ too much recently. 4.   Mary is still watching TV. She (watch) ___________ TV all day. 5.   (you ever play) ___________ volleyball? 6.   How many pages of the homework (you do) ___________? 7.   I (know) ___________ him for a long time. 8.   Somebody (steal) ___________ my keys. They are not on the table. 9.   Where's the magazine I gave you? What (you do) ___________  with it? 10.   'My friend is a teacher.' 'Really? How long (she teach) ___________.' 11.   He (read) ___________ 20 pages so far. 12.   Sorry I'm late. (you wait) ___________ long? 13.   I (not see) ___________ him since Monday. 14.   Look! Somebody (spill) ___________ wine on the floor. 15.   You look tired! Yes I (work) ___________ very hard. 16.   (you ever work) ___________ at home? 17.   I (climb) ___________ quite a lot of mountains. 18.   We (have) ___________ the same car for twelve years. 19.   This is the first time I (drive) ___________ a car. Thanks for lending me your car. 20.   (he show) ___________ you his new watch yet?

TENSES

Simple present – present progressive – simple past ? Fill in the correct tense.

Every summer our class___________  (go) on a short trip. Last year we___________  (go) to a zoo. Our teacher___________  (be) very nervous. Teachers___________  (be) often nervous on a school trip. But why? We___________  (not understand) that. I___________  (take) lots of photos of a baby elephant. "Why___________ you___________  (not take) photos of other animals, too?" my friend___________  (ask) me. But I___________  (not want) to take photos of other animals. I___________  (want) to take photos of all my friends. They___________  (have) some bananas and___________  (show) them to the gorillas. "What___________ you___________  (do) there? Come here", our teacher___________  (shout). We___________  (find) a nice place for a picnic. But nobody___________  (eat) a banana but the gorillas___________  (have) a nice lunch that day. It___________  (be) a great day at the zoo and we___________  (have) a lot of fun.

English Tense Exercise

1. A: You seem energetic! B: Really, I (exercise) ___________  for some time.

2. A: What (you, do) ___________  when the robbery took place?
B: I (change) ___________  a light bulb that had burnt out.

3. Mike (use) ___________  the same PC for more than three years. He is thinking of upgrading it.

4. If it (snow) ___________  tomorrow, we (go) ___________  skiing near Vesuvius.

5. This is the second pill I (take) ___________  to make me sleep.

6. Sami started his business in Spain three months ago. When he returns to Turkey next July, he (spend) ___________  nine months there.

7. Mary (not, call) ___________  me since she (leave) ___________  the city.

8. Karen (live) ___________  in Hong Kong for more than two years. In fact, she (live) ___________  there when the political takeover occurred.

9. By the time the police (arrive) ___________ , the robbers (run) ___________  away.

10. The book writes that the Maya tribes founded an advanced civilization in the forests of the Yucatan; nevertheless, their culture (disappear) ___________  by the time Europeans first (arrive) ___________  in the New World.

11. Hey.. Be quiet! The boss (come) ___________ .

12. It (snow) ___________  all day. I hope it stops by noon because I wish to go to the market.

13. Listen Ed, I don't care whether you (miss) ___________  the bus this morning. You (be) ___________  late for meetings too many times. This is my last warning.

14. We are fed up with storm and those dark clouds! We expect, when we (wake) ___________  up tomorrow morning, the sun (shine) ___________ .

15. When Hasan arrived at the cafe, I (wait) ___________  for him for half an hour.

16. I (not, hear) ___________  of the pyramids before I went to Egypt.

17. During the past 50 years, traveling (become) ___________  much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) ___________  two or three months to cross Africa by wagon. The trip (be) ___________  very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) ___________  a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from Ankara to Tokyo in a matter of hours.

18. Your English (improve) ___________ . You (watch) ___________  television programs and (study) ___________  grammar every day since you first arrived in London. It is apparent that you will be fluent very soon.

19. When Ted (arrive) ___________  home last night, he discovered that Hilary (prepare) ___________  a beautiful candle-lit dinner.

20. Do not forget that if you (need) ___________  to contact me sometime next week, I (stay) ___________  at the Hilton in Istanbul.

MIXED PRESENT AND PAST TENSES

1. When I (enter) ___________ , the meeting (already, start) ___________ .
2. After the film (end) ___________ , we went to a restaurant.
3. The phone (ring) ___________  at about ten o'clock last night.
4. He (tell) ___________  us that he couldn't come.
5. There are a few things that ought to (do) ___________ .
6. He should (tell) ___________  me. Now it's too late.
7. I wonder what I (do) ___________  at this time next week.
8. When I applied for the job, they (already, engage) ___________  somebody.
9. I'll come as soon as I (be) ___________  ready.
10. I can't find it. I must (leave) ___________  it at home.

 

Grammar Tenses Mix

What a language course can do

Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.

1. I (learn) ___________  English for seven years now.
2. But last year I (not / work) ___________  hard enough for English, that's why my marks (not / be) ___________  really that good then.
3. As I (pass / want) ___________  my English exam successfully next year, I (study) ___________  harder this term.
4. During my last summer holidays, my parents (send) ___________  me on a language course to London.
5. It (be) ___________  great and I (think) ___________  I (learn) ___________  a lot.
6. Before I (go) ___________  to London, I (not / enjoy) ___________  learning English.
7. But while I (do) ___________  the language course, I (meet) ___________  lots of young people from all over the world.
8. There I (notice) ___________  how important it (be) ___________  to speak foreign languages nowadays.
9. Now I (have) ___________  much more fun learning English than I (have) ___________  before the course.
10. At the moment I (revise) ___________  English grammar.
11. And I (begin / already) ___________  to read the texts in my English textbooks again.
12. I (think) ___________  I (do) ___________  one unit every week.
13. My exam (be) ___________  on 15 May, so there (not / be) ___________  any time to be lost.
14. If I (pass) ___________  my exams successfully, I (start) ___________  an apprenticeship in September.
15. And after my apprenticeship, maybe I (go) ___________  back to London to work there for a while.
16. As you (see / can) ___________ , I (become) ___________  a real London fan already.