TENSES

EXERCISES

Present Simple and Continuous

1

Change the sentences into negative sentences or questions.

Its Thursday today. (question) Is it Thursday today?

She is at home. (negative) ___________________________________________

Anna is hungry. (question) __________________________________________

This answer is wrong. (negative) _____________________________________

Your sister works in the morning. (question) ____________________________

Katy likes tennis. (negative) _________________________________________

They watch T.V. in the afternoon. (negative) ____________________________

They eat vegetables. (question) _______________________________________

Mehmet drinks coffee. (question) _____________________________________

We play basketball at the weekend. (negative) ___________________________

10

George wants to go to the cinema. (question) ____________________________

Underline the correct word in each sentence.

Alice goes/go to school by bus.

They is/are in the living-room.

Harry and Peter works/work in Manchester.

My uncle sings/sing in a rock group.

Joe dont/doesnt like chocolate.

Peter is/am Australian.

I have/has a new CD.

My cat is/are thirsty.

Jane get up/gets up at 7 oclock.

The children often play/plays in the park.

10

It rains/rain a lot in Dublin.

Read the paragraph. Choose the best word for each space.

My name (0) B David Jackson. I (1) ______ in an office in the city. I (2) ______ work at 9.00
and usually (3) ______ at 4.30. I sometimes (4) ______ lunch with my friend, Karen. She works
in the same office as me. We always (5) ______ to the same caf. I (6) ______ a sandwich and
Karen (7) ______ hamburger. We both (8) ______ coffee with our lunch. After lunch Karen and
I often (9) ______ for a walk in the park, but we always (10) ______ back at the office by 2.00.
0

A are

B is

C am

A work

B working

C works

A starts

B start

C started

A finishes

B finishs

C finish

A eats

B eaten

C eat

A goes

B go

C gone

A has

B having

C have

A has

B having

C have

A drinks

B drink

C drinking

A going

B go

C goed

10

A arrive

B arrives

C arrived

Change the verbs in brackets into the present continuous.

It (rain) is raining today.

I (read) ________________ a very good magazine at the moment.

Joe and Ron (play) ________________ football.

The police officer (talk) ________________ to us.

I (make) ________________ a cup of coffee.

The train (arrive) ________________ .

Bob (come) ________________ to school early today.

We (study) ________________ for our tests.

Lots of people (listen) ________________ to the radio at the moment.

You (stand) ________________ on my foot!

10

Hurry up! The bus (leave) ________________ .

Past Simple and Continuous

Change the verbs in brackets into the past simple.

I (finish) finished my exams last week.

Yesterday, Simon (walk) ________________ to the supermarket.

The plane (arrive) ________________ on time.

We (play) ________________ tennis for two hours.

A bird (fly) ________________ into the window.

It (begin) ________________ to snow.

My family (go) ________________ to Spain for a holiday.

Clare (bring) ________________ her new book to school.

The children (wear) ________________ their best clothes.

I (have) ________________ to talk to the teacher after school.

10

Graham was ill so he (stay) ________________ at home all day.

Underline the correct word in each sentence.

Do/Did/Dont Sue want to go shopping?

The shop do/didnt/dont open at 9.30.

I does/didnt/dont answer the question.

Do/Did/Dont you see him yesterday?

Does/Did/Dont they come to the disco?

He do/didnt/dont wash the clothes.

Do/Did/Dont your Mother cook your lunch?

My dog do/didnt/dont do it!

I do/doesnt/didnt go to the cinema.

I doesnt/do/didnt hear you.

10

Does/Did/Doesnt you go to bed early?

Change the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

For dinner, my sister (eat) ate pizza, but I (have) had soup.

My brother (drink) ________________ coffee while he (do) ________________ his

homework.

He (walk) ________________ into the classroom, then he (sit) ________________ down.

While I (study) ________________ , Sue (run) ________________ into the library.

When the class (finish) ________________ , the teacher (drive) ________________ home.

Harry (sing) _______________ a song when Jane (come) _______________ in.

Nothing happened when I (turn on) ________________ the DVD player.

It (start) ________________ to rain while I (walk) ________________ to the park.

Yuki (listen) ________________ to the radio when the phone (ring) ________________ .

The children (go) ________________ to the cinema last night.

10

Mr. Jones (find) ________________ some money when he (clean) ________________ the
cupboards.

Write statements, negative sentences or questions with used to.

you/have/brown hair (question) Did you use to have brown hair?

people/use/the computer (negative) ___________________________________

he/go/running (statement) ___________________________________________

they/like/painting (question) _________________________________________

your brother/come/by bus (statement) __________________________________

we/drink/coffee (negative) __________________________________________

my mother/speak/Spanish (negative) __________________________________

he/live/in Paris (statement) __________________________________________

Julie/play/football (question) ________________________________________

houses/have/bathrooms indoors (negative) ______________________________

10

all children/go/to school (question) ____________________________________

Read the paragraph. Choose the best tense for each space.

My grandfather (0) C to the same school as me. He (1) ______ to our school last week to talk to
the class about what it (2) ______ like in the old days. He (3) ______ he (4)______ the names of
all his teachers. One of them still teaches at the school.
He (5) ______ art and music, but now he only teaches music. As he (6) ______ , he
(7) ______ us pictures of his school friends. He (8) ______ us that the boys
(9) ______ only football, but now we play basketball as well. He thinks things
(10) ______ better in the old days.
0

A goes

B was going

C used to go

A comes

B came

C was coming

A was being

B is

C was

A said

B says

C was saying

A remembered

B remembers

C was remembering

A is teaching

B used to teach

C teaches

A talks

B is talking

C was talking

A is showing

B showed

C was showing

A told

B is telling

C tells

A play

B were playing

C used to play

10

A are

B were

C used to

Present Perfect Simple and Continuous

10

Underline the correct word in each sentence.

Ive worked here since/for 2001.

Your mother has ever/just come home.

Has he ever/since arrived on time?

Weve never/ever been to Spain.

Katy has just/for come back from her holiday.

Ive worked here since/for 5 years.

I started this book 2 days since/ago.

Theyve lived here since/for a few months.

Shes early. Shes yet/already arrived.

5

Mikes played golf since/for last year.

10

We havent started our homework just/yet.

11

Change the verbs in brackets into the present perfect.

Someone (eat) has eaten my orange.

Oh no. I (break) ________________ a glass.

My sister (start) ________________ a new school.

Your boyfriend (phone) ________________ .

I (leave) ________________ my new bag on the train.

We (not lose) ________________ all my money. Here it is!!

We (spend) ________________ 75 already. Have we got any more money?

I (buy) ________________ some shoes, a new coat a hat.

Pierre (not do) ________________ his homework yet.

My father (go) ________________ to the shops, hell be back soon.

10

You (not write) ________________ that letter yet.

Means of Expressing Future

12

Underline the correct tense.

Its very cold. It will/is going to snow.

I will/am going to do it tomorrow, promise!

I havent got any plans. I dont know what I will do/am doing next month.

The party will/is going to be on 28th November.

I will/am going to have a cake, please.

I will/am working at 10.00.

Mary has just told me. She will/is going to have a baby.

I am seeing/will see the dentist at 11.15.

Im sure the train will/is going to arrive soon.

They are leaving/will leave in the morning.

10

I will finish/am finishing this later.

11

The party will/is going to be on 17th March.

6

12

I am seeing/will see the doctor at 2.30.

13

I will/am going to do it next week. Promise.

14

I havent got any plans. I dont know what I will do/am doing next year.

15

I expect the bus will/is going to arrive very soon.

16

I will/am working at 9.00.

17

I will/am going to have a salad, please.

18

I will tell/am telling you tomorrow.

19

Michelle has just told me. Her sister is going to/will have a baby.

20

They are going to arrive/are arriving at 5.00.

REVISION
Underline the most suitable word(s) in each sentence.
0

I suddenly remembered that I forgot/had forgotten my keys.

I used to eat/was eating cakes and sweets all the time when I was young.

Have you spoken/Did you speak to David yesterday?

When I arrived at the theatre, the play already started/had already started.

Im going to buy/I will buy a new PC at the weekend.

Roberta, how nice to see you! I havent seen/didnt see you for ages!

What awful weather! Its rained/Its been raining all day.

While I walked/was walking through the park, I saw something very strange.

Dont call after 11pm. Ill be sleeping/Ill sleep.

By this time next year Ill be/Ill have been a member of the film society for ten years.

10

I usually leave/am leaving work at 5 oclock.