Grammar 20 Review
Grammar 20 Review
Department of English
GRAMMAR 20
REVIEW
PRACTICE 1: TOTAL TENSE REVIEW
I. Fill in the blanks with appropriate tenses of the verbs given. In some cases, there are more
than one correct choice.
1. When Carol (call) ________________ last night, I (watch)______________________________ my favorite
show on television.
2. I (work) _____________________________________ for this company for more than thirty years, and I
intend to stay here until I retire!
3. Sharon (love) ________________________ to travel. She (go) ___________________________________ abroad
almost every summer. Next year, she plans to go to Peru.
4. Thomas is an author. He (write) ________________________ mystery novels and travel memoirs.
He (write) ___________________________________ since he was twenty-eight. Altogether, he (write)
__________________________________ seven novels, three collections of short stories and a book of
poetry.
5. We were late because we had some car problems. By the time we (get) _________________ to the
train station, Susan (wait) ________________________ for us for more than two hours.
6. Sam (try) ________________________ to change a light bulb when he (slip) ______________________ and
(fall) __________________________.
7. Every day I (wake) __________________ up at 6 o'clock, (eat) ________________ breakfast at 7 o'clock
and (leave) _____________________ for work at 8 o'clock. However, this morning I (get)
____________________ up at 6:30, (skip) ______________________ breakfast and (leave)
____________________ for work late because I (forget) ______________________ to set my alarm.
8. By this time next summer, you (complete) ___________________ your studies and (find)
________________ a job. I, on the other hand, (accomplish, not) _________________________ anything. I
(study, still) __________________________ and you _______________________ (work) in some new high
paying job.
9. The students (be, usually) _______________________ taught by Mrs. Monty. However, from now on,
they (be) ________________________ taught by Mr. Tanzer.
10. You look really great! (you, work) ____________________________ out at the fitness center recently?
11. Police: What (you, do) ___________________________ when the accident occurred?
Passenger: I (try) ___________________________ to call the ambulance.
12. I (have) _____________________________ the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about
buying a new one.
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13. If it (snow) _____________ this weekend, we (go) _____________ skiing near Lake Tahoe.
14. I came to England six months ago. I started my economics course three months ago. When
returning to Australia, I (study) _____________ for nine months and I (be) _____________ in
England for exactly one year.
15. Samantha (live) _____________ in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) _____________
there when the Berlin wall came down.
16. If Vera (keep) _____________ drinking, she (lose, eventually) ____________________________ her job.
17. The Maya established a very advanced civilization in the jungles of the Yucatan; however,
their culture (disappear, virtually) _____________ by the time Europeans first (arrive) ________ in
the New World.
18. It (rain) _____________ all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go to the beach.
19. “Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) _____________ the bus this morning. You (be)
_____________ late to work too many times. You are fired!“
20. I am sick of rain and bad weather! Hopefully, when we (wake) _____________ up tomorrow
morning, the sun _____________ (shine) .
21. I have not traveled much yet; however, I (visit) _____________ the Grand Canyon and San
Francisco by the time I leave the United States.
22. I (see) _____________ many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the
monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.
23. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) _____________ much easier and very comfortable.
In the 19th century, it (take) _____________ two or three months to cross North America by
covered 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 New York
to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.
24. Joseph's English (improve, really) _____________, isn't it? He (watch) _____________ American
television programs and (study) _____________ his grammar every day since he first arrived in
San Diego. Soon he will be totally fluent.
25. When I (arrive) _____________ home last night, I discovered that Jane _____________ (prepare) a
beautiful candlelight dinner.
26. If you (need) _____________ to contact me sometime next week, I (stay) _____________________ at
the Sheraton in San Francisco.
27. He (be) _____________ two years old when his parents (move) ____________ to New York next
year.
28. Even after reading this material, I think you (not figure out) ______________ how the machine
work.
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29. She (work) ________________ for the company since she left school, so I wasn’t surprised when
she took a new job in London.
30. By the smell and his guilty expression I could tell that Alex ___________________
II. Provide the correct tenses for the verbs in the following passage.
Peter Journey is visiting (visit) his parents in France at the moment. He ________________ (live)
in New York now, but _________________ (visit) his parents for the past few weeks. He
___________________ (have) the routine of coming to visit his parents at least once a year since his
teenager.
This year, Peter ________________ (fly) over 50,000 miles for his job. He _______________ (work) for
Jackson & Co. for almost two years now. He's pretty sure that he ______________ (work) for them
next year as well. His job _________________ (require) a lot of travel. In fact, by the end of last year,
he _________________ (travel) over 120,000 miles! So far this year he (travel) ______________ half that
number. His next journey _______________ (be) to Australia. He really _________________ (not like)
going to Australia because it is so far. This time he __________________ (fly) from Paris after a
meeting with the company's French partner. He _______________ (sit) for over 18 hours by the time
he ________________ (arrive)!
Peter _________________ (talk) with his parents earlier this evening when his girlfriend from
New York __________________ (telephone) to let him know that Jackson & Co. _________________
(decide) to merge with a company in Australia. The two companies _________________ (negotiate)
for the past month, so it _________________ (not be) much of a surprise. Of course, this ________________
(mean) that John _______________ (have to catch) the next plane back to New York. He
________________ (meet) with his boss at this time tomorrow.
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
24. It’s high time you made arrangements for the get-together.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25. It’s impossible to plant flowers in this garden.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
26. It is possible to leave your luggage here.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
27. People say that earth is round.
a. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
28. They believe that Columbus discovered Africa.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
29. They report that five people were injured in the accident.
a. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
30. I will have my brother repair the motorbike for me.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________