VERB TENSES – EXERCISES WITH ANSWERS

Do the exercises below and then look at the answers and correct them:

1. Put the verbs in the following text into the correct tense:

Billy…………………… (live) in London now, he……………. (live) in a council flat in Brixton.

He………….…(come) from Jamaica in 1990. In Jamaica he…………………(neg./ live) in a flat,
he………………….( live) in a hut with an iron roof. The children…………………(neg./ go) to
school. Billy…………..(be) a hardworking boy but………….……(neg/ there is / are) any jobs in his
town. In summer he ……………….(work) on a sugar cane plantation and in winter he
sometimes…………….(do) some work at the docks. But he never……………( find) a regular job.
At weekends, in Jamaica he ……………. (play) cricket with his friends. The sun………….
(shine) and after the games they……………………(play) music and……………………(sing) songs.
Billy……….… (be) happy, but he…….……(be) hungry and worried too. He………………….…
(want) to marry his girlfriend Rose but he…………………..(neg./ have) any money. So
he……………(come) to England. He……………….(get) a job at the railways. At first
he……………………(clean) the station and……………………………(sweep) the platforms, then
he……………………(become) a ticket collector, he……………… (have) a job, he………………..
(neg./ earn) a lot of money but he………………. (marry) Rose. Now he can look after his family.
Rose ……………… (work) in a supermarket and his children ……………… (go) to school.
Billy……………….(be) happy now.

2. Complete the gaps with the verb in the correct tense:

When Professor Mallory, the famous archeologist, ………………….. (invite) me to take part
in his expedition to find the Lost city of the Himalayas I ………………………. (neg. / hesitate) to
accept his invitation. Mallory discovered an ancient map showing the position of the city, although
no European ……………………… (go) to the area before.
In fact most of Mallory’s colleagues in Oxford either believed that the city ……………………
(neg. / exist) or felt that it ……………………. (vanish) long ago and simply ………………………..
(become) a legend. According to the Professor, the builders of the city ……………………… (hide)
it among the mountains in order to protect its immense riches. He …………………….. (believe)
that the descendants of the ancient people still ……………………. (keep) themselves apart from
the rest of mankind for the very same reasons. So when we …………… (set off) on a cool May

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morning towards the distant mountains, each of us ……………………….. (look) forward to exciting
discoveries. For a week or more we …………………….. (climb) higher and higher, following the
map which Mallory ……………………… (study) from time to time. Then one afternoon when we
……………….(rest) at the top of the valley we ……………….. (notice) that a rider on a horse
……………….. (wave) at us from the other side of the valley. A rider whose clothes ……………
(shine) like gold!

3. Complete the following letter with the Past simple or continuous:

Yesterday, as I …………………………. (walk) down the Strand, I ………………… (meet)

George, an old friend of mine. He ………………………. (recognize) me at once, though I
……………………… (wear) a scarf round my face as I …………………….. (suffer) from toothache.
He ……………………. (tell) me how sorry he ………………….. (be) to see me in such a poor way
and ……………………… (add): “I ………………….(come) to see you a fortnight ago but
unfortunately we ……………………………. (prepare) the annual accounts and as one of my
colleagues ……………………. (be) ill. I …………………… (neg. / can) find time to get round to
you”. All the time he ……………………… (say) this, I …………………………. (try) to remember
something I ………………………. (want) to tell him. Eventually I …………………………
(remember) and …………………….. (say) to him: “Just before I ………………………. (come) out, I
………………………. (receive) a letter from Smith in which he ………………………….. (say) that
he ……………………… (hope) you would call him soon. He last ………………………… (see) you
at Marion’s birthday party but you ……………………….(talk) so animatedly to the Chairman of
Robertson’s that he ……………………………. (not / dare) interrupt!” just then I …………………..
(see) another friend of mine; he …………………… (wave) from the other side of the road. I
……………………(say) goodbye to George and ……………………… (start) to cross the road; while
I ……………………………… (cross), a car ………………………….. (rush) out from nowhere and
………………………… (knock) me down. Luckily I …………………….. (fall) into an open crate of
bananas, which a boy ……………………………….. (sell) so I ………………………(neg. / sustain)
no great injury – though the bananas …………………….. (do).

4. Complete the following letter with the Present simple or continuous:

Dear Karen,
I ………………… (sit) outside the student union by the lake. It ………… (be) a warm
day and the sun …………………. (shine) I …………….. (like) the campus of the University of
Wisconsin. It ……………… (be) big and beautiful, and the city of Madison ……………. (have)
many interesting places to see. People from all over the world ……………… (come) here to study.
At first I was lonely but now I ……………… (have) a lot of new friends. Some of my friends and I
………………… (play) soccer in the local league. My team ……………….. (practice) three times a
week.
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 My classes ……… (be) interesting. I ……….. (not / take) English this semester. I
…………. (do) five different courses. All my professors usually…..………. ( give) us a lot of
homework so I …………… (not / have) much free time. Now I ……………….. (study) for my first
chemistry exam. The exam ……………….. (include) the first two chapters of my chemistry text.
What ………………. (you / do) this semester? …………….. (you / go) to school or
………….. (you / work)? ………..…… (you / plan) to visit me in Madison this school year? I ….……
(hope) you are well. Please write soon.
Lots of love
5. Adam is asking Anna about a party. Put the verbs in the correct tense:

Adam: What ……………………………….. (be) the party like last night?

Anna: It ……………..(be) good. Why …………………………….(you / come)?
Adam: I …………………………………(have) too much work to do last night. I …………………..
(have) exams all this week, so I ……………………………….(be) very busy.
……………………. (you / see) Lucy there?
Anna: Yes, I …………………
Adam: …………………………………………. (you / talk) to her?
Anna: Yes. She ………………………(seem) really happy because she
…………………………………. (apply) for a new job.
Adam: That’s good. And ………………………(be) Nick with her?
Anna: No, they……………………………. (break up). They ………………………… (not /be)
together for a month now.
Adam: Oh, I ………………………………………….(not / know).
………………………………………………. (Lucy / find) anyone else?
Anna: No, she ………………………………..(tell) me last night that she (not / want)
…………………………… another boyfriend at the moment.
Adam: Oh, well, I might phone her in that case.

ANSWERS

1. Put the verbs in the following text into the correct tense:

Billy……is living / lives……… (live) in London now, he…lives / is living……. (live) in a

council flat in Brixton. He……came….…(come) from Jamaica in 1990. In Jamaica he……didn’t
live …… (neg./ live) in a flat, he……lived…. (live) in a hut with an iron roof. The children ……didn’t
go……… (neg./ go) to school. Billy……was / is …..(be) a hardworking boy but ……there
weren’t……(neg./ there is / are) any jobs in his town. In summer he ……worked……. (work) on a
sugar cane plantation and in winter he sometimes……did….(do) some work at the docks. But he
never……found……( find) a regular job.

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 At weekends, in Jamaica he ……played…. (play) cricket with his friends. The sun …
shone…. (shine) and after the games they……played……(play) music and……sang……… (sing)
songs. Billy……was.… (be) happy, but he……was……(be) hungry and worried too. He……
wanted…… (want) to marry his girlfriend Rose but he……didn’t have……..(neg./ have) any money.
So he…came……(come) to England. He……got…….(get) a job at the railways. At first he ………
cleaned……… (clean) the station and ……swept………… (sweep) the platforms, then he ……
became……(become) a ticket collector, he…had……… (have) a job, he……didn’t earn….. (neg./
earn) a lot of money but he……married……. (marry) Rose. Now he can look after his family.
Rose …works…… (work) in a supermarket and his children ……go… (go) to school. Billy……
is…….(be) happy now.
************************
2. Complete the gaps with the verb in the correct tense:

When Professor Mallory, the famous archeologist, ……invited…….. (invite) me to take part
in his expedition to find the Lost city of the Himalayas I ……didn’t hesitate……. (neg. / hesitate) to
accept his invitation. Mallory discovered an ancient map showing the position of the city, although
no European ………had gone…… (go) to the area before.
In fact most of Mallory’s colleagues in Oxford either believed that the city ………didn’t
exist……… (neg. / exist) or ……felt…….. (feel) that it ……had vanished………. (vanish) long ago
and simply ………had become…….. (become) a legend. According to the Professor, the builders
of the city ………had hidden……… (hide) it among the mountains in order to protect its immense
riches. He ……believed……….. (believe) that the descendants of the ancient people still ………
kept……. (keep) themselves apart from the rest of mankind for the very same reasons. So when
we ……set off…… (set off) on a cool May morning towards the distant mountains, each of us
………looked / was looking…….. (look) forward to exciting discoveries. For a week or more we
………climbed…….. (climb) higher and higher, following the map which Mallory ………
studied………… (study) from time to time. Then one afternoon when we ………were
resting……….(rest) at the top of the valley we ………noticed……….. (notice) that a rider on a
horse …was waving….. (wave) at us from the other side of the valley. A rider whose clothes
………shone…… (shine) like gold!
*********************************
3. Complete the following letter with the Past simple or continuous:

Yesterday, as I ………was walking……. (walk) down the Strand, I …met…… (meet)

George, an old friend of mine. He ………recognized………. (recognize) me at once, though I ……
was wearing……… (wear) a scarf round my face as I …was suffering…….. (suffer) from
toothache. He ……told……. (tell) me how sorry he ………was….. (be) to see me in such a poor
way and ……added……… (add): “I ……came…….(come) to see you a fortnight ago but
unfortunately we ………were preparing…………. (prepare) the annual accounts and as one of my
colleagues ……was……. (be) ill. I ……couldn’t……… (neg. / can) find time to get round to you”.

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All the time he ………was saying…… (say) this, I ……tried………. (try) to remember something I
……wanted………. (want) to tell him. Eventually I ……remembered…… (remember) and ……
said…….. (say) to him: “Just before I ……came………. (come) out, I ……received……. (receive) a
letter from Smith in which he ………said……….. (say) that he ……hoped…… (hope) you would
call him soon. He last ……saw……… (see) you at Marion’s birthday party but you ……were
talking…….(talk) so animatedly to the Chairman of Robertson’s that he ……didn’t dare……….
(not / dare) interrupt!” Just then I ……saw….. (see) another friend of mine; he ……was
waving……… (wave) from the other side of the road. I ……said………(say) goodbye to George
and ………started……… (start) to cross the road; while I ………was crossing…… (cross), a car
………rushed…….. (rush) out from nowhere and ……knocked……… (knock) me down. Luckily I
………fell….. (fall) into an open crate of bananas, which a boy ………was selling……….. (sell) so I
……didn’t sustain……(neg. / sustain) no great injury – though the bananas ………did…….. (do).

**************************************
4. Complete the following letter with the Present simple or continuous:

Dear Karen,
I ……am sitting…… (sit) outside the student union by the lake. It ……is… (be) a
warm day and the sun ……is shining………. (shine) I ……like…….. (like) the campus of the
University of Wisconsin. It ……is…… (be) big and beautiful, and the city of Madison ……has…….
(have) many interesting places to see. People from all over the world ……come…… (come) here
to study. At first I was lonely but now I ………have…… (have) a lot of new friends. Some of my
friends and I ………play…… (play) soccer in the local league. My team ……practices …..
(practice) three times a week.
My classes ……are… (be) interesting. I ……am not taking….. (not / take) English this
semester. I ……am doing…. (do) five different courses. All my professors usually….give…….
(give) us a lot of homework so I ……don’t have…… (not / have) much free time. Now I ………am
studying….. (study) for my first chemistry exam. The exam ……includes….. (include) the first two
chapters of my chemistry text.
What ……are you doing……. (you / do) this semester? ……Are you going …….. (you / go)
to school or ……are you working….. (you / work)? ……Are you planning.…… (you / plan) to visit
me in Madison this school year? I ….hope…… (hope) you are well. Please write soon.
Lots of love
***************************************************
5. Adam is asking Anna about a party. Put the verbs in the correct tense:

Adam: What ………was………….. (be) the party like last night?

Anna: It ……was……..(be) good. Why ………didn’t you come……….(you / come)?

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Adam: I …………had………(have) too much work to do last night. I ……have had…….. (have)
exams all this week, so I …………have been……….(be) very busy. ……Did you see…….
(you / see) Lucy there?
Anna: Yes, I ……did……
Adam: ……Did you talk……………. (you / talk) to her?
Anna: Yes. She ………seemed………(seem) really happy because she ………has applied
………. (apply) for a new job.
Adam: That’s good. And ………was………(be) Nick with her?
Anna: No, they………have broken up……. (break up). They ………haven’t been……………..
(not /be) together for a month now.
Adam: Oh, I …………didn’t know…………….(not / know). ………Has Lucy found…………….
(Lucy / find) anyone else?
Anna: No, she ………told………..(tell) me last night that she (not / want) ………doesn’t
want……… another boyfriend at the moment.
Adam: Oh, well, I might phone her in that case.