VERB TENSES 2

Exercise I: Choose ONE phrase for each of the following sentences by circling A, B,
C, or D

1. They ……………….. in that factory for three years - from 1995 to 1998.
A. are working B. have been working
C. worked D. have worked
2. We …………………… the television when the lights ………………… out.
A. were watching / were going B. were watching / went
C. watched / went D. watched / were going
3. When I ………………………… In Ho Chi Minh city for ten years, I …………………………
a book.
A. have been / write B. have been / shall write
C. am / write D. shall be / shall write
4. I ………………………………… ten records from Tom this month.
A. have borrowed B. borrow
C. am borrowing D. have been borrowing
5. He ……………………. A book while she ……………… the flowers.
A. was reading / watered B. was reading / was watering
C. is reading / watered D. reads / was watering
6. By the end of this year, my father ……………………… for 40 years.
A. will have been teaching B. will be teaching
C. will teach D. has been teaching
7. He ………………………….. in space for 10 days by tomorrow.
A. will travel B. will be travelling
C. will have been travelling D. has travelled
8. He said he would visit me but he …………………. me yet
A. has not visited B. had not visited
C. is not visiting D. does not visit
9. The weather ………………………. fine so far this week.
A. is B. has been
C. was D. had been
10. We had just got out of the car when it ………………………… to set fire.
A. has begun B. had begun
C. was beginning D. began
11. As soon as he ………………………….. a certificate in English, he will apply for a job.
A. would get B. got
C. gets D. will get
12. She has been studying engineering ………………………………. .
A. since 8 years B. for 8 years
C. 8 years before D. during 8 years
13. We …………………………….. waiting for her for half an hour before she came.
A. have been B. will be
C. will have been D. had been
14. I ……………………………….. it is a stupid idea. He should stay where he is.
A. think B. am going to think
C. am thinking D. have been thinking
15. Since my accident, I ……………………………. with my left hand.
A. wrote B. am writing
C. have written D. was writing
16. This is the worst book I am …………………………………….
A. read B. am reading
C. have ever read D. had read
17. The population of the world …………………….. very fast.
A. rises B. doesn’t rise
C. is rising D. A & B are correct
18. When she came back, everything ……………………………
A. has changed B. had changed
C. have changed D. were changing
19. They ………………………….. this course by next June.
A. have finished B. will finish
C. are going to finish D. will have finished
20. She will go abroad as soon as she …………………………… this English course.
A. has completed B. will complete
C. will have completed D. completed
21. She is tired now. She ……………………. for a long time.
A. has been learning B. has learned
C. learns D. learned
22. Hurry up or the train …………………………. before you can catch it.
A. will leave B. leaves
C. will have left D. has left
23. I ……………………. that novel at least twice.
A. have read B. read
C. reads D. have been reading
24. You can’t see Tom now: He …………………….. a bath.
A. have B. has
C. had D. is having
25. I won’t go out now as it …………………. and I …………………………. an umbrella
A. is raining / haven’t got B. rained / hasn’t
C. rains / haven’t had D. rains / haven’t
26. Can I borrow your pen or ………………………… you …………………………… it at the
moment.
A. do / use B. have / used
C. are /using D. did / use
27. He never ………………………… to what you say. He ………………………. about
something else.
A. listens / is always thinking B. listens / always thinks
C. listen / is always thinking D. listens / always think
28. The children were frightened because it ……………………… dark.
A. was getting B. is getting .
C. got D. gets
29. It …………………………. heavily when he …………………………… up.
A. snowed / wakes B. was snowing / woke
C. has snowed / woke D. was snowing / has woken
30. She was too far away, so she ………………………. you.
A. mustn’t see B. hasn’t seen
C. couldn’t have seen D. hadn’t seen
31. I’ve lost my gloves. I ……………………… it somewhere.
A. must drop B. must have dropped
C. must be dropping D. must have been dropping
32. I ………………… a new house last year, but I …………………….. my old house yet, so
at the moment I have two houses.
A. buy / didn’t sell B. bought / didn’t sell
C. bought / haven’t sold D. have bought / haven’t sold
33. I hope they ………………………. this road by the time we come back next summer.
A. will have repaired B. have repaired
C. repair D. repaired
34. He ……………………….. us up when he arrives in England.
A. ring B. rings
C. will ring D. rung
35. I ………………………. here till he comes back.
A. wait B. waited
C. have waited D. will wait
36. His eyes hurt because he …………………. for 8 hours.
A. been reading B. have been reading
C. had been reading D. was reading
37. After I …………………………. Lunch, I looked for my bag.
A. had B. had had
C. have had D. has had
38. By the end of next year, George ……………………. English for 2 years.
A. will have learned B. will learn
C. has learned D. would learn
39. Henry …………………….. into the restaurant when the writer was having dinner.
A. was going B. went
C. has gone D. did go
40. He will take the dogs out for a walk as soon as he …………………………… dinner.
A. finsh B. finishes
C. will finish D. shall have finished
41. Ask her to come and see me when she ………………………… her work.
A. finish B. has finished
C. finished D. finishing
42. Oil ……………………. if you pour it into water.
A. floated B. floats
C. will be floated D. float
43. When he returned home, he found the door …………………………… .
A. unlocking B. unlocked
C. to be unlocked D. have unlocked
44. Almost everyone ……………………………….. for home by the time we arrived.
A. has left B. left
C. leaves D. had left.
45. By the age of 25, he …………………… two famous novels.
A. wrote B. writes
C. has written D. had written
46. When he ………………………… all his newspapers, he will go home.
A. has sold B. sold
C. sell D. sells
47. When I arrived at the party, Martha …………………………. home already.
A. went B. has gone
C. had gone D. would go
48. How long ……………………….. you to travel to school every day?
A. does it take B. has it taken
C. it takes D. is it taking
49. She ……………………. music all day. Now she feels tired.
A. has been playing B. is playing
C. played D. plays
50. At first she …………………….. out with him because she thought he was weird, but then
she changed her mind.
A. didn’t wanted to B. wanted not to
C. wasn’t wanting to D. didn’t want to

Exercise II: Supply the correct tense.

1/ They (just decide) __________ that they (undertake) ___________ the job.
2/ We (go) ___________ to the theatre last night.
3/ He usually (write) __________ in green ink.
4/ She (play) __________ the piano when our guests (arrive) __________ last night.
5/ We (do) __________ an English exercise at the moment.
6/ She (just come) __________ in and (see) __________ you in 5 minutes.
7/ I (come) __________ as soon as my work is finished. (You be) __________ ready ?
8/ Where (you go) __________ for your holiday last year ?
9/ I (not leave) _________ Paris since we (go) _________ to Dieppe three years ago.
10/ My mother (come) __________ to stay with us next weekend.
11/ We (meet) __________ only yesterday and (already decide) __________ to get
married.
12/ I (never see) __________ snow.
13/ Violets (bloom) __________ in spring.
14/ We (not live) ___________ in England for the last two months.
15/ I (lose) _________ my keys; I cannot remember where I last (see) _________ them.
16/ He (not arrive) __________ when I (write) __________ my last letter to you.
17/ Whenever you (go) _________ to town nowadays, you (spend) _________ a lot of
money.
18/ I (never forget) __________ what you (just tell) __________ me.
19/ They (prepare) __________ the Christmas dinner today.
20/ When I last (stay) ___________ in Cairo, I (ride) __________ to the Pyramids on a
camel that my friend (borrow) ____________ the day before.
21/ I (finish) ___________ the book before my next birthday.
22/ “Hello! (You make) __________ a cake ?
23/ He (walk) __________ very quickly when I (meet) __________ him yesterday.
24/ We (meet) __________ you tomorrow after you (finish) __________ your work.
25/ Yesterday I (buy) __________ a new watch as my old one (be) __________ stolen.
26/ He said he (be) __________ sorry he (give) __________ me so much trouble.
27/ I am sorry that I (not know) _________ you (leave) __________ your pipe when you
(come) __________ to see me last Thursday.
28/ He (be) __________ so good to me when I was a boy that to this day I (not forget)
__________ his kindness, and I hope that I (never forget) __________.
29/ He (sleep) __________ and (not understand) ___________ what you (say) __________
to him. He (wake) __________ if you (speak) __________ louder.
30/ Some animals (not eat) ___________ during the winter and only (come) __________
out in spring.
31/ After leaving school he (study) __________ French in Paris for two years and then
(move) __________ to America, where he now (live) _________. He (visit) __________
England once or twice and (know) __________ English well; but (not have) __________ yet
the opportunity of visiting European countries.
32/ I (know) __________ him for a very long time.
33/ When my friend Tom grows a beard, even his closest friends (not recognize)
__________ him.
34/ When I (meet) __________ him in the street, he (go) __________ to the pictures.
35/ I (study) _________ English for six years now.
36/ I expect he (leave) __________ for France as soon as he (get) __________ a visa.
37/ He (visit) ______ his friend yesterday and (find) _______ that he (be) ________ out.
38/ They (sell) _________ all the dresses before we (get) __________ there.
39/ After she (work) __________ at the hospital for two years, she (decide) __________ to
give up the job.
40/ He will come at once because I (tell) __________ him by phone that you (need)
__________ him urgently. I’m sure he (find) __________ his way easily although he (never
visit) __________ this house before.
41/ By the time you get back, I (finish) __________ all my correspondence and then I (can
help) ______________ you with yours.
42/ In a few minutes’ time, when the clock (strike) __________ six, I (wait) __________
here for an hour.
43/ He (know) ________ her a long time before he finally (get) _______ married to her.
44/ I hope it (not rain) __________ when the bride (leave) __________ the church.
45/ I (tell) a lie if I said that I (like) __________ you.
46/ They (intend) __________ to go there next week; but now they (find) __________ they
(not have) __________ enough money.
47/ When he grew old he often (think) __________ of all the things he (do) ___________
when he (be) __________ young.
48/ When we (go) __________ to see them last night, they (play) __________ cards; they
(say) __________ they (play) __________ since six o’clock.
49/ This is the second time you (break) __________ a cup; you (break) __________ one
yesterday. My last servant (never break)____________ anything, and you (break)
___________ nearly half the things in the house.
50/ I always (tell) ___________ you to comb your hair, but you never (do) ___________
what I (say) ___________ .