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.