1. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.

Dear Tony,
I ..(be) here for almost a week now. I still .(decide) whether to take the job. I just
cant ..(make) a decision.
Do you remember Bill Hemsky? I ..(meet) him by chance two days ago. He was one of those tall,
thin Americans I ..(know) when I .(study) at Cambridge. (By the way, he
..(put) on a lot of weight since he came back here). Anyway, he is an analyst with one of the big
Wall Street firms now. He thinks I should ..(take) the job, even if only for a year or so because it
..(be) excellent experience.
You told me before I (come) here that I shouldnt let our relationship influence my decision.....
Do you really think that? They ..(give) me a month to decide. We can talk about it when I
..(get) back to London next week.
Since I arrived here the weather (be) very pleasant, warm and sunny, but not too hot. Autumn
(The Americans call it fall) is a wonderful time to visit New York. The colours are so different here, much brighter and
richer than in England.
By the way, I .(not / have) dinner with your father yesterday , but I (see)
him at lunchtime. He (not / change) very much since I last ..(see) him almost ten
years ago! We .(talk) about this and that, but mostly about you.
I .(write) to you again as soon as I (make)decision.
Love,
Mary
2. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
Dear Donna,
I have some wonderful news for you. Clive (return) at last. He .(be) with us for five days now. He looks
very different, but he .(suffer) a lot, so it is not surprising. He .(become) much thinner and he
.(lose) the good looks he .(have) when he was a little boy. I .(cook) all his
favourite meals, but so far he ..(refuse) to accept anything I give him. He says he .(feel) more
comfortable in jeans and that he .(lose) his taste for rich foods. At least now he (not
quarrel) with his father as much as he used to. The thing that really upsets me is that he (not forget)
that dreadful girl
who .(be) such a bad influence on him in the old days. On his first day home
he (go) to look for her. Fortunately, he (not find) any trace of her yet.
You and he .(get) on so well together when you .(be) children.
..( you / like ) to come and stay for a few days? I am sure you could help him forget the past.
Give my love to your parents.
With love from
Aunt Silvia
3. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
Police Inspectors 1) (still, look) for the jewellery thief. He 2) ..(disappear) at
Victoria Station yesterday morning while the policemen 3) .(follow) him. He 4) (wear) a
grey suit and sunglasses at the time. Afterwards, at lunch time, a policeman 5) .(see) him near St.
James Palace. He 6) (take off) his sunglasses and 7) (carry) a small bag. The
policemen 8) .(run) after the thief but he 9) ..(jump) into a taxi and 10)
.(escape) again.
4. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form.
This is a letter from Joanna, who is staying with a family in New York, to her parents in England. Put the verb in
brackets in the correct tense
Dear Mum and Dad
I cant believe I (be) in New York for three months now. Time (pass) far too quickly. So much has
happened since I last (write) to you that I ..(not know) where to begin.
I ..(start) by telling you of my little adventure. Last Saturday I ..(go) shopping in the
local shopping mall. I (look) for some new jeans for the party I was going to that evening when suddenly
I .(realise) that my purse ..(steal). The police (call) immediately, but I
couldnt answer their questions because I ..(cry) so much. I .(look) in my bag for a
tissue when - guess what?- I .(find) my purse! It .(get) hidden underneath all the other stuff. I
(feel) such a fool!
Anyway, the party that evening wasnt much good, which was a shame as I (look) forward to it all
week. When I (arrive), all the food ..(eat). The friends I hoped to meet
.(go) home already. After half an hour we .(tell) we were making too much noise, so we

(have to) turn off the music. I decided to leave at about 11.00. I ..(give) a lift home by a guy called
Peter, who youd really like. When I got home, I ..(starve)!
Mrs Goldstein .(say) for weeks that she wants to take me to the Statue of Liberty, so tomorrow we
..(see) it. They are a very kind family, and I .(feel) at home here. They
.(teach) me to speak with an American accent, so when I speak to you on the phone you
(not recognise) me!
The course I .. (do) in psychology is interesting. The college .(situate) on the edge of Central
Park, so I often .(have) my lunch there as the canteen in the college ..(decorate) at the moment. My
teachers are great. One of them..(write) a book which ..(translate) into five languages! I HAVE NOT READ
(not read) it yet, but its on my list. She ..(study) how children learn their first language for years and
years, and I .(think) she is quite well-known.
Dad, please, could you send me some money? I only (have) $10 to last me till I .(pay) next
week. I (save) up for my return fare home, so you cant be cross with me!
Please write soon with all the news from England. Give my love to the dog.
Lots of love
Joanna
5. LEARNING TO SURVIVE
Last summer I took/had taken/am taking a three-week survival course. The purpose of the course was to teach us
how to survive outdoors, where there are/arent/have no shops, no houses and no electricity. I have never
slept/never sleep/had never slept outdoors before the course, and here I was, learning to make a fire, navigate
and find food in the forest. The part that I likes/liked/was liking the most was catching our own fish and cooking
them over a fire. While I did/was doing/have done the course, I realised how much people depend on modern
technology. They are thinking/thought/think that they cant survive without it-but they can if they learn how. I did!
Ill never forget/I will have forgotten/I was never going to forget that course- it was the greatest experience I ever
have/Ill ever have/Ive ever had.
6. Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past form.
This time last year I (1. cycle)..in the rain along a country road in France with a friend of mine. We (2.
decide).to go on a cycling holiday in Normandy. Neither of us (3. be)..to France before, but we (4.
know).some French from our time at school and we (5. manage)..to brush up on the basics before
the trip. Now we (6. wonder)if we (7. make)..the right decision. We (8.plan)..our route carefully in
advance, but we (9. forget)one important thing, the weather. It (10. rain)a lot since our arrival and that
night we (11. end up)..sleeping in the waiting room at a railway station. Then the next morning as we (12.
ride).down a steep hill my bike (13.skid)on the wet road and I (14. fall off) I (15.realise).immediately
that I (16. break).my arm, and after a visit to the local hospital I (17. catch).the next train to Calais for the
ferry home. Unfortunately my parents (18. not expect) ..me home for a fortnight, and (19. go)..away on
holiday. So I (20. spend)..a miserable couple of weeks along, reading Teach yourself French.

7. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a. I havent decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But I think/am thinking about it.
b. All right, you try to fix the television! But I hope/ Im hoping you know what youre doing.
c. Every year I visit/am visiting Britain to improve my English.
d. Its time we turned on the central heating. It gets/ is getting colder every day.
e. Of course, you are Mary, arent you! I recognise/am recognising you now.
f. The film of War and Peace is very long. It lasts/is lasting over four hours.
g. I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you do/ are you doing in the
afternoons?
h. Im going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesnt fit/isnt fitting any more.
i. Whats the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that?

ANSWERS
1. Dear Tony,
I have been here for almost a week now. I still haven't decided whether to take the job. I just cant make a decision.
Do you remember Bill Hemsky? I met him by chance two days ago. He was one of those tall, thin Americans I knew
when I was studying at Cambridge. (By the way, he has put on a lot of weight since he came back here). Anyway,
he is an analyst with one of the big Wall Street firms now. He thinks I should take the job, even if only for a year or so
because it will be excellent experience.
You told me before I came here that I shouldnt let our relationship influence my decision.
Do you really think that? They have given me a month to decide. We can talk about it when I get back to London
next week.
Since I arrived here the weather has been very pleasant, warm and sunny, but not too hot. Autumn (The Americans
call it fall) is a wonderful time to visit New York. The colours are so different here, much brighter and richer than in
England.
By the way, I didn't have dinner with your father yesterday , but I will see him at lunchtime. He hasn't changed very
much since I last saw him almost ten years ago! We talked about this and that, but mostly about you.
I will write to you again as soon as I have made a decision.
Love,
Mary

2. Dear Donna,
I have some wonderful news for you. Clive has returned at last. He has been with us for five days now. He looks
very different, but he has suffered a lot, so it is not surprising. He has become much thinner and he has lost the
good looks he had when he was a little boy. I have been cooking all his favourite meals, but so far he has refused
to accept anything I give him. He says he feels more comfortable in jeans and that he has lost his taste for rich
foods. At least now he doesn't quarrel with his father as much as he used to. The thing that really upsets me is that
he hasn't forgotten that dreadful girl who was such a bad influence on him in the old days. On his first day home he
went to look for her. Fortunately, he hasn't found any trace of her yet.
You and he got on so well together when you were (be) children.
Would you like to come and stay for a few days? I am sure you could help him forget the past.
Give my love to your parents.
With love from
Aunt Silvia
3. Police Inspectors 1) are still looking for the jewellery thief. He 2) disappeared at Victoria Station yesterday
morning while the policemen 3) were following him. He 4) was wearing a grey suit and sunglasses at the time.
Afterwards, at lunch time, a policeman 5) saw him near St. James Palace. He 6) had taken off his sunglasses and
7) was carrying a small bag. The policemen 8) ran after the thief but he 9) jumped into a taxi and 10) escaped
again.
4. Dear Mum and Dad
I cant believe I have been (be) in New York for three months now. Time has passed (pass) far too quickly. So much
has happened since I last wrote (write) to you that I don't know (not know) where to begin.
I will start (start) by telling you of my little adventure. Last Saturday I went (go) shopping in the local shopping mall. I
was looking (look) for some new jeans for the party I was going to that evening when suddenly I realised (realise)

that my purse had been stolen (steal). The police was called (call) immediately, but I couldnt answer their questions
because I was crying (cry) so much. I was looking (look) in my bag for a tissue when - guess what?- I FOUND (find)
my purse! It had got (get) hidden underneath all the other stuff. I felt (feel) such a fool!
Anyway, the party that evening wasnt much good, which was a shame as I had been looking (look) forward to it all
week. When I arrived (arrive), all the food had been eaten (eat). The friends I hoped to meet had gone (go) home
already. After half an hour we were told (tell) we were making too much noise, so we had to (have to) turn off the
music. I decided to leave at about 11.00. I was given (give) a lift home by a guy called Peter, who youd really like.
When I got home, I was starving (starve)!
Mrs Goldstein has been saying (say) for weeks that she wants to take me to the Statue of Liberty, so tomorrow we
will see (see) it. They are a very kind family, and I feel (feel) at home here. They have taught (teach) me to speak
with an American accent, so when I speak to you on the phone you won't recognise (not recognise) me!
The course I am doing (do) in psychology is interesting. The college is situated (situate) on the edge of Central Park,
so I often have (have) my lunch there as the canteen in the college is being decorated (decorate) at the moment. My
teachers are great. One of them has written (write) a book which has been translated (translate) into five
languages! I have not read (not read) it yet, but its on my list. She has been studying (study) how children learn their
first language for years and years, and I think (think) she is quite well-known.
Dad, please, could you send me some money? I only have (have) $10 to last me till I am paid (pay) next week. I am
saving (save) up for my return fare home, so you cant be cross with me!
Please write soon with all the news from England. Give my love to the dog.
Lots of love
Joanna
5. LEARNING TO SURVIVE
Last summer I took/had taken/am taking a three-week survival course. The purpose of the course was to teach
us how to survive outdoors, where there are/arent/have no shops, no houses and no electricity. I have never
slept/never sleep/had never slept outdoors before the course, and here I was, learning to make a fire, navigate
and find food in the forest. The part that I likes/liked/was liking the most was catching our own fish and cooking
them over a fire. While I did/was doing/have done the course, I realised how much people depend on modern
technology. They are thinking/thought/think that they cant survive without it-but they can if they learn how. I did!
Ill never forget/I will have forgotten/I was never going to forget that course- it was the greatest experience I ever
have/Ill ever have/Ive ever had.

6 . Put each verb in brackets into a suitable past form.

This time last year I (1. cycle)was cycling..in the rain along a country road in France with a friend of mine. We (2.
decide)had decided.to go on a cycling holiday in Normandy. Neither of us (3. be)had been..to France
before, but we (4. know)knew.some French from our time at school and we (5. manage)had
managed..to brush up on the basics before the trip. Now we (6. wonder)were wonderingif we (7.
make)had made..the right decision. We (8.plan)had planned..our route carefully in advance, but we (9.
forget)had forgottenone important thing, the weather. It (10. rain)had been raining/had raineda lot since
our arrival and that night we (11. end up)ended..sleeping in the waiting room at a railway station. Then the next
morning as we (12. ride)were riding.down a steep hill my bike (13.skid)skiddedon the wet road and I (14. fall
off)fell I (15.realise)realised.immediately that I (16. break)had broken.my arm, and after a visit to the
local hospital I (17. catch)caught.the next train to Calais for the ferry home. Unfortunately my parents (18. not
expect) were not expecting/didnt expect..me home for a fortnight, and (19. go)had gone..away on holiday.
So I (20. spend)spent..a miserable couple of weeks along, reading Teach yourself French.

7. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a. I havent decided yet about whether to buy a new car or a second-hand one. But I think/am thinking about it.
b. All right, you try to fix the television! But I hope/ Im hoping you know what youre doing.
c. Every year I visit/am visiting Britain to improve my English.
d. Its time we turned on the central heating. It gets/ is getting colder every day.
e. Of course, you are Mary, arent you! I recognise/am recognising you now.
f. The film of War and Peace is very long. It lasts/is lasting over four hours.
g. I can see from what you say that your mornings are very busy! But what do you do/ are you doing in the
afternoons?
h. Im going to buy a new swimming costume. My old one doesnt fit/isnt fitting any more.
i. Whats the matter? Why do you look/are you looking at me like that?