verb tense

TENSES I. Write the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets. 1. We (finish)……………… our dinner half an hour ago. 2. The farmers (work)………………… in the field now. 3. Mrs. Green (always /go)…………………. to work by bus. 4. My parents (live)………………. in London. They (be)………………… there for 20 years. 5. She paid for her ticket and (leave)………………………. 6. She (sit)………………. under a tree when it (begin)……………………… to rain. 7. How many times…………… you (see) …………… him since he went to Edinburgh? 8. Mr. Davy (work) ………………….in the same place for thirty five years and he is not planning to retire yet. 9. Rivers usually (flow)………………… to the sea. 10. Do you know the man who (smoke)……………………………over there? 11. She ______________(sometimes/cut) her husband’s hair. 12. They _____________ (rarely /remember) his address. 13. She ____________ (sometimes / wear) uniform. 14. She doesn’t work, she _____________________ (swim) now. 15. She _____________ (enjoy) reading picture-books. 16. Our teacher _________________ (teach) English at the moment. 17. He ____________ (usually /believe) you. 18. She_______________ (usually/speak) so quickly that we can’t understand what she says. 19. They __________ (rarely /play) cards or watch TV when they are free. 20. I _____________ (usually/ go) by bus but tomorrow I __________________(take) a taxi. 21. The neighbors ____________ (often /complain) about the noise of this machine. 22. The Earth __________ (go) round the Sun. 23. The Sun ____________ (rise) in the East. 24. She ____________(always / ring) up and asks questions. 25. Ann ___________ (usually /do) the shopping at the weekend but today I _________ (do) it 26. You can’t see Tom now, he _________________ (have) a bath. 27. He usually drinks tea but now he ________________ (drink) coffee. 28. Ann ______________ (make) a new dress for her mother at the moment. 29. Water __________ (boil) at 100 centigrade degree. 30. I ___________________ (wear) the sunglasses today because the sun is very strong. 31. She always buys lottery tickets but she ___________ (never /win) anything. 32. He ___________ (always/say) that he will mend the curtain but he ________ (never/do) it. 33. What __________ you __________(usually/have) for breakfast? 34. I ________________(usually /have) bread and milk. 35. She __________________ (always /carry) an umbrella. 36. They _______________ (sometimes /miss) the train. 37. What ________ you___________ (do) now? 38. Busses____________ (pass) my house every day. - 1 - 39. We__________ (live) here since 1990. 40. He ______________(always / help) his father to plant the trees in the garden. 41. They ______________(ride) home from school now. 42. She _____________(fly) to New York tomorrow 43. By the time next year, they____________ (buy) a new house. 44. They had kissed their mother before they___________ (leave) home for school. 45. I __________(go) to Dalat last week and I have stayed there for five days. 46. The boys ________________ (play) football in the field when I arrived. 47. We ___________ (give) her 100 thousand dong last night. 48. We _____________________ (swim) in the sea by this time tomorrow. 49. She ____________________ (wash) the dirty plates in the kitchen with her mother. 50. When you phoned him, he ______________ (wash) my car. 51. I ____________ (meet) them last night. 52. She ________ (see) him at the supermarket yesterday. 53. We ________________ (eat) dinner before we came here. 54. They ___________(spend) all the money last Monday. 55. I ____________ (go) to Ho Chi Minh city with my parents last week. 56. The police ___________(catch) two thieves in Bien Hoa last night. 57. We ____________ (move) to Long Khanh in 1996. 58. Ann ___________ (draw) ten pictures for me last year. 59. The children were frightened because it _____________ (get) dark. 60. The road was crowded because many people _____________(rush) to Vung Tau beach. 61. I ______________(wait) for you at the hotel at midday tomorrow. 62. She______________ (find) her bag in the office yesterday. 63. When I last saw him, he _________________ (live) in Dong Nai. 64. The manager didn’t allow the actors to travel by air while they ___________________ (work) on film. 65. While we __________________ (plant) trees, the principal came and talked to us. 66. They were playing football in the field when it suddenly ____________ (rain). 67. I usually go by bus but tomorrow I _______________ (go) in Tom’s car. 68. I ____________ (not / tell) the secret if you don’t promise. 69. The milk smells sour. _________ you________ (keep) it for a long time? 70. We ____________ (hurry) because we had to meet my parents at the airport. 71. _______ you _________ (ever /see) him before? 72. This message__________________ (just/ arrive). 73. We _________________ (already/ meet) our friends in the school yard. 74. I can’t read because I _____________ (not/ wear) the glasses. 75. Peter ____________ (seldom /work) in the garden. He often works in the office. 76. I ________ (go) to work by bus yesterday. 77. We ___________ (understand) the lesson well after the teacher had explained it slowly. 78. He spoke very slowly so that we _________ (can) understand that. - 2 - 79. We ___________ (hear) a terrible noise on the street yesterday. 80. They__________ (drink) all the wine when we came in the living-room. 81. _________ you_________ (forgive) him after he apologized you for that? 82. They _________(sell) their house and moved to Ho Chi Minh city. 83. The children were frightened because it ________ (get) darker and darker. 84. _________they_________ (go) to Da Lat tomorrow morning? 85. When I last saw him, he _______________ (wear) boots. 86. The children________ (play) on the sand when the man came and shouted at them. 87. We ________________ (fish) for 5 hours. 88. She _________________ (play) the piano when our guests (arrive) last night. 89. She ___________ (come) to see him since five o’clock. 90. I __________________ (come) as soon as I finish my work. 91. We ____________________ (not live) in London for the last two years. 92. I __________________ (never/ forget) what you _______________(just/ told) me. 93. They _____________ (prepare) the Christmas dinner at this time. 94. When I last stayed in Cairo, I _____________ (ride) to the Pyramids on a camel. 95. John __________________ (live) in the same house since he ___________(leave) school. 96. The experience was so terrible that we ________ ________ (never/ forget) it. 97. He is saving so that he ______________ (take) a long vacation. 98. Our teacher _______ (tell) us yesterday that he __________ (visit) London in 1990. 99. Mr. John _____________ (work) at the university for 45 years before he ______________ (retire) last year. 100. When he lived in England, he ______________ (work) in a bank. 101. I______________ (lose) my key. Can you help me to look for it? 102. Alice and Peter ________________ (know) each other for 6 months. 103. My teacher wasn’t at home. When I ________(arrive) he __________ (just/ go) out. 104. We went to the airport late. By the time we ______________ (get) there, Bob’s plane __________________(already/ arrive). 105. We have been married for a long time. By the next anniversary, we ____________ (be) married for 43 years. 106. She _________________ (play) the piano when we __________ (arrive) last night. 107. He________________ (come) and (see) you in ten minutes. 108. I _________________ (never /forget) what you _______________ (just/tell) me. 109. She ____________ (cook) the meal for us now. 110. The doctor ___________ (examine) the patients thoroughly before he _______________ (prescribe) the medication. 111. I _______________ (sit) here for 2 hours. 112. Yesterday Tom __________ (eat) breakfast at 8 o’clock. He ______________________ (already / finish) when he left for class at 8:45. He _____________________(always/ eat) breakfast before he __________ (go) to class. 113. At 10 o’clock tomorrow morning we _______________ (clean) the floor. - 3 - 114. When Tom arrives at 8 p.m. this evening, Jim ____________ (already/go) to bed. 115. Before the end of the holiday he ______________ (spend) all his money. 116. Next month, they_____________ (be) here for exactly 6 months. 117. How long_____________ they ________ (live) here? 118. He __________ (lose) his wallet last week. 119. They _____________ (often /kiss) their mother when they leave home for school. 120. When I arrived, the orator ________________ (deliver) the speech. 121. Your teacher __________________ (wait) for you since 7:30. 122. They _____________ (drink) all the wine last night. 123. Why___________ you___________ (not / finish) this letter yet? 124. He ________________ (study) English for 3 years. 125. I found this ring while I _____________ (dig) a hole in the garden. 126. He ________________ (not / smoke) cigarettes since 1998. 127. She ________________ (buy) this house 3 years ago. 128. We ______________ (never /drink) whisky. 129. The tourists __________________ (come) here yesterday. 130. We ______________ (meet) my parents at the airport tomorrow afternoon. 131. Why________ you________ (go) to Vung Tau last week? 132. My family ________________ (move) to Nha Trang next month. 133. They ____________ (be) at home today. 134. The woman __________________ (wait) for the doctor since 7 o’clock. 135. I_____________ (have) time to help you tomorrow. 136. He _______________ (phone) his girlfriend at the moment. 137. I wonder how many people_________ (be) here next week? 138. He ____________ (take) the bus to Ho Chi Minh city everyday. 139. __________you_____________ (interview) Miss World tomorrow? 140. When we come in, the students _______________ (learn) mathematics. 141. After they had finished their work, they__________ (go) home at once. 142. He ___________ (ask) me to do it yesterday. 143. I_______ (have) to finish my homework last night because I’ll go to the cinema with him. 144. They ___________ (not / can) come last night. 145. I ____________ (meet) him yesterday. 146. They wanted to buy a new house but they___________ (not/have) enough money. 147. He ________________ (not / go) to school because tomorrow is Sunday. 148. She ________________ (make) the beds as there are some guests staying here. 149. Who __________ she____________ (meet) first? 150. How long ________ you _____ (be) able to swim? 151. I ______________ (drive)a car since 1995. 152. She _______________ (not / speak) French well. 153. We _______________ (already/have) dinner. 154. She ________________ (learn) English since she was 12 years old. - 4 - 155. He__________ (learn) to play the piano when he was 8 years old. 156. We ___________________ (just / come) back from my uncle’s farm. 157. I____________ (expect) some money from the bank now. 158. The banks open at 8 o’clock and _____________ (close) at four thirty. 159. Mr. and Mrs. Brown _____________ (go) shopping every Saturday. 160. After John _________________ (wash) his clothes, he began to study. 161. George__________________ (wait) for an hour before the bus came. 162. Jane sent a letter to her university after she _________ (receive) her scholarship. 163. I think he____________ (leave) as soon as he__________ (know) the news. 164. I_________________ (never/ read) a story that interested me so much as the one I__________________(read) last night. 165. He_______________ (sleep) so he didn’t understand what you said to him. 166. I ________________(finish) the book before my next birthday. 167. Some animals _______________(not/ eat) during the Winter. 168. Why didn’t you listen while I_____________( speak) to you? 169. This time next week, we ______________(walk) about in HCM City. 170. Will you wait a minute while I____________________ (look) through the text? 171. Hurry up! The train_____________ (come) in. 172. He said he________________ (do) his homework since 7 o’clock. 173. They_______________ (build) a new house in this corner of the street right now. 174. How many films____________ you____________ (see) this month? 175. When George________ (come) this afternoon, he_________ (bring) his friends. 176. I___________ (speak) to you about that matter after the meeting tonight. 177. Tom was very tired because he ____________ (run) for an hour. 178. His health has improved since he_______________ (leave) India. 179. Where ________ you_________ (be) all this morning? It’s nearly midday now. 180. Where are you? - I’m upstairs. I_____________ (have) a bath. 181. I _________________ (not/see) him since last month. 182. It ______________ (rain) very much in the summer. It ___________(rain) now. 183. Be quiet! The baby ___________ (sleep). 184. Look! A man ___________ (run) after the train. He_________(want) _______(catch) it. 185. I ______________(do) an exercise on the verb tense at this moment and I ___________ (think) that I ___________(know) how __________(use) it now. 186. Michael _______________ (work) thirty eight hours a week. 187. At present, that author _________________(write) a historical novel. 188. We ____________ (study) almost every lesson in this book so far. 189. As we_______________(cross) the street, the policeman_________(shout) at us. 190. The light __________(go) out while we _____________(have) dinner. 191. When the students _________(hear) the bell, they________(get) up and _________(leave). 192. After they _________(go), we ___________(sit) down and ___________(rest). - 5 - 193. When I ________(come) to see them last night, they___________(play) cards. They ___________(say) they____________________(play) cards since six o’clock. 194. We’ll go out when the rain __________________(stop). 195. I____________ (stay) here until he______________(answer) me. 196. After the class_____________(be) over, ask your teacher about that sentence. 197. I_________(come) and__________(see) you before I __________(leave) for England. 198. By next month, I__________________(leave) for India. 199. I ___________(give) Mr. Brown your letter when I ___________(see) him tomorrow. 200. My wife and I ________________(travel) by air many times in the past. We ___________ (travel) to Mexico by air last summer. 201. We (wait)…………………… for you right here when you (return)……………… 202. They had sold all the books when we (get)……………………… there. 203. I think he (leave)………………… as soon as he (know)………………………… the news. 204. Mother (cook)………………………. some food in the kitchen at present. She always (cook) …………… in the morning. 205. We (live)………………… here for the last six months, and (just /decide) …………………to move. 206. I (wait) ………………………… here nearly half an hour for my girlfriend Joanna. Do you think she (forget)…………………………. to come? 207. The children (do)………………………… their homework when their father (come) …………………. back from the office. 208. My friend (not, see)…………………. me for many years when I (meet)……………… . him last week. 209. While Mrs. Emerson (read) …………………… …the little boy a story, he (fall)…………………… asleep, so she (close)…………………… the book and quietly (walk)………………… out of the room. 210. Wilson (move)………………………… to New York five years ago. He (teach)…………………… mathematics at a junior school since then. He says that he (retire)……………………… in 2010. By that time he (be)………………………………. a teacher for 16 years. 211. My father (use)…………………. to smoke while he (read) ……………………….newspapers. But he (give) ………………………… up smoking two months ago. He often (drink)………………… tea while he (read)………………………. now. 212. Mike is a student, but he (not, go) ……………………….to school right now because it’s summer. He (attend)…………………………… college from September to May every year, but in the summer he (usually, have) …………………………….a job at the post office. In fact, he (work) …………… there this summer. 213. I (not, speak)…………………… to her since I (move) ……………………… to London. 214. She (become) ……………………… widow at the age of thirty. She (get)………………… married for seven years when her husband (die) …………………………in an automobile accident. 215. Yesterday I (go)……………… to my daughter’s dance recital. I (be, never)……………………. to a dance recital before. I (not, take) …………………………… dancing lessons when I was a child. 216. When I (open)………………… the door, I saw a man on his knees. He clearly (listen) …………… to our conversation and I (wonder)………………… how much he (hear)……………………… . When I (ask) - 6 - …………………….him what he (do)……………………., he said that he (drop) …… ……………… a 50 piece outside the door and (look)………………………. for it. 217. Mary (have)…………………………. to go to new York last week, but she almost (miss) ………… the plane. She (stand)…………………… in the queue at the check-in desk when she suddenly (realize) …………………that she (leave) …………… ……….her passport at home. Fortunately, she (not, live) ………………. very far from the airport so she (have)………………… time to go home to get the airport. She (get) …………………… back to the airport just in time for her flight. 218. Yesterday afternoon I (go)…………………… to visit the Parker family. When I (get)……………… there around two o’clock, Mrs. Parker (be)………………… in the yard. She (plant) ……………… flowers in her garden. Mr. Parker (be)………………… in the garage. He (work)…………………. in their car. The children (play) …………………. in the front yard. 219. When I (hear)…………………. a knock at the door last night, I (walk)…………… to the door and (open)………………… it. When I (open)………………. the door, I (see)……………… my brother, I (greet)…………………. him and (ask) ………………………him to come in. 220. Mrs. Reed (turn)………… on the radio in her car while she (drive)……………… home yesterday. She (listen)………………… to some music when she suddenly (hear)………………. a siren. She (look) ……………… in her mirror and (see)…………………… an ambulance behind her. She immediately (pull) …………….her car to the side of the road and (wait)……………… for the ambulance to pass. 221. My mother called me around five o’clock. My husband came home a little after that. When he (come) ……………………in, I (talk)………………………… to my mother on the phone. 222. Dennis Heal is a politician. He (go)……………………. to Oxford University in 1950 and (become) …………………… a member of Parliament for the Labour Party in 1957. He (be)………………… an MP since then. He (write)…………………… three story books including his auto-biography. He is married to the artist, Edna Heal, and they (have)…………………. two children. They (live) …………… in Oxford for 15 years, then (move)…………………… to London in 1970. They now (live) ……………. in Cardigan Square in central London. II. Choose the best answer of the four choices. I/ The clock (1)…………… four as she (2)…………… her flat. She (3) ………………. a final cigarette and (4)………………. at her dressing – table thinking of the party she (5)………………… an hour before. She would have been home much earlier but she (6)……………. difficulty in finding a taxi at that late hour. Reflecting that if she didn’t go to bed quickly, she would feel dreadful at work the next day, she (7)…………… down her cigarette, (8)……………… quickly, and (9)………………. into bed. She (10)………………. asleep at once. 1. a. struck b. strikes c. is striking d. has struck 2. a. had reached b. reached c. has reached d. reaches 3. a. lights b. is lighting c. lit d. will light 4. a. sits b. has sat c. was sitting d. sat 5. a. leaving b. left c. was left d. had left 6. a. had had b. has c. had d. was having 7. a. was put b. put c. puts d. will put - 7 - 8. a. undressed b. undresses c. has undressed d. will undress 9. a. gets b. got c. has gotten d. was getting 10. a. falls b. fallen c. has fallen d. fell II/ I (1)……………. Mary while I (2) …………………. to the bookshop yesterday. I (3)……………… her (4)………………. with me. She and I (5)…………… (6)………… a good English dictionary. At last both of us (7)……………………. the same ones after we (8)………………… for and (9)………………. many kinds of dictionary carefully. 1. a. met b. was meeting c. had met d. was met 2. a. were going b. was going c. am going d. went 3. a. had asked b. have asked c. asked d. was asking 4. a. to go b. went c. going d. has gone 5. a. want b. were wanting c. wanted d. had wanted 6. a. find b. to find c. found d. will find 7. a. bought b. had bought c. have bought d. were buying 8. a. looked b. were looking c. have looked d. had looked 9. a. reading b. had read c. were reading d. have read III/ Rob Fellow (1)……………… from England. He (2)………………… to Paris six months ago to learn French. He (3)……………………. learning French at school in London when he was eleven, so he (4) …………………… it for nearly ten years. He (5)……………… . an exam . If he passes, he (6) ………… ……. into the next class. He (7) ………………… excited today because his parents (8)……………………… tomorrow to stay with him for a few days. 1. a. came b. comes c. has come d. is coming 2. a. came b. comes c. had come d. has come 3. a. had started b. has started c. started d. was starting 4. a. has learnt b. has learned c. has been learning d. all are correct 5. a. just took b. just takes c. has just taken d. has just took 6. a. moves b. move c. are moving d. will move 7. a. is being b. is c. has been d. none is correct 8. a. will to come b. are going to come c. are coming d. all are correct - 8 - . TENSES I. Write the correct tenses of the verbs in brackets. 1. We (finish)……………… our dinner half. He_________(want) _______(catch) it. 185. I ______________(do) an exercise on the verb tense at this moment and I ___________ (think) that I ___________(know) how