VERB TENSES.

Write the most appropriate tense of the verbs in brackets

1. Where ...................................................... (you/put) the History book? I ................................................
(not/find) it anywhere though I ................................................. (look) for it for more than an hour.
2. Peter .................................................................... (not/usually/smoke) but last night
he ........................................................ (smoke) a cigar and he ..................................................... (feel) sick.
3. Mr. Brown .............................................................. (work) in this school for ten years when
he ................................................... (decide) to retire.
4. She .................................................................. (not/often/watch) TV, ................................................ ?
(verdad)
5. a: ......................................................... (Paul/be) at Mary’s party a week ago? B:
I ............................................. (not know). I ...................................... (not/see) him.
6. If I ............................................. (be) you, I .............................................. (buy) a house instead of a big flat.
7. a: The last time I ............................................ (be) with them, they .......................................... (live) in the
country, .......................................? (verdad) b: Yes, they.............................
They ................................................... (move) just a few weeks before.
8. Paul and Mary .................................................... (get) married in a week and
they ........................................... (live) in Paris for a year.
9. I ....................................................... (take) another cake when you ....................................................
(not/look).
10. a: When ....................................................... (they/arrive)? B: I suppose she ...................................... (be)
here next Saturday.
11. Lend me your rubber. I ............................................... (make) a mistake and I ............................................
(want) to rub it out.
12. Oh! You ..................................................... (have) a shave! You look strange without a beard.
13. a: ...................................................................(you/see) a good film lately? B: Yes, I ..........................
14. I ...................................................... (hear) the news last night but I .................................................
(not/hear) it today.
15. You ......................................................... (work) harder or you ............................................. (not/pass) your
exams.
16. We ..................................................... (see) our grandparents tonight because they .........................................
(leave) for the USA the day after tomorrow. They ........................................................... (visit) my uncle
there.
17. Peter ............................................................ (usually/stay) at home at weekends.
He ....................................................... (not/like) going out and wasting time.
18. You can turn the radio off. Nobody .................................................................... (listen)
19. a: .................................................................................. (you/understand) the present tense now? B: Yes,
I ........................... I ....................................(do) an exercise on it at the moment.
20. He ............................................... (go) to Paris last year but he ................................................ (not/bring) me
anything when he ........................................ (come) back.
21. When my father ................................................. (arrive) home last night my
mother ................................................. (make) dinner and my sister ..........................................................
(lay) the table.
22. a: How often ............................................................... (Pat/watch) TV? B: He ................................................
(watch) it every night.
23. a: What ..................................................................... (you/do) at three o’clock yesterday? B:
I ................................................... (study) my lessons.
24. I ..................................................................... (come) to see you three days ago but
you ..................................................... (not/be) at home.
25. Mary, what ....................................................... (you/do)? B: I .......................................................... (do) my
homework, Mum.’
26. He always ..................................................................... (watch) TV after lunchtime but today
he ........................................................ (not/watch) it. He ....................................................... (study). (It’s 10
p.m. now)
27. My parents ............................................................ (go) to Rome some weeks ago but when
they .......................................... (come) back, they ....................................................... (not/bring) me
anything.
28. I ................................................................. (see) Mary yesterday afternoon.
She .................................................. (drive) down the road when I ........................................ (be) at the
traffic lights.
 29. Sean ............................................................ (live) in Paris since February and
he ............................................... (not/be) back till next month.
30. a: ................................................................ (he/understand) English? b: Yes, he ...................... and
he ............................... (speak) it fluently.
31. Her parents ................................................. (give) a party for her in three days.
They .................................................. (already/invite) sixty guests.
32. Don’t go out now! It ........................................... (rain)
33. I ..................................................... (usually/go) to work by car and I ........................................................
(sometimes/walk)
34. a: Have a cigarette!. B: No, thank you. I ............................................... (not/smoke)
35. Excuse me, but you .......................................... (sit) on my place.
36. She is very intelligent. She ..................................................... (speak) four languages.
37. How often................................................ (he/play) tennis at weekends?
38. ............................................... (you/see) last week?
39. John works in a bookshop. He ............................................... (work) for three years.
40. I think Diana ................................................ (pass) the exam. She ......................................... (prepare) it for
a long time.
41. Susan ........................................... (start) her new job two weeks ago.
42. I ....................................... (see) her when I .................................... (arrive) in the office.
43. a: It’s raining outside. Would you like to borrow an umbrella? B: Oh, thank you.
I ......................................... (bring) it back tomorrow.
44. ......................................................... (you/do) anything this evening?

Complete the letter Harry wrote to his friend, Tom while on holiday using the correct tense of the verb in
brackets

20th November

Dear Tom,
Hi! How are you? We …………………………. (arrive) in the Bahamas a week ago. The island is great and the
weather …………………. (be) wonderful. We ……………………. (do) a lot of things since we ………………..
(get) here. We …………………….. (see) almost all of the island. Every day we ……………… (go) swimming in
the morning and lie on the beach under the hot sun. Bert …………………… (sleep) a lot and ………………..
(not/want) to move, but always ………………………. (follow) me when I go exploring. Yesterday I ……………..
(decide) to take some photos and I …………………. (have) to climb a hill. Bert ……………… (not/like) the idea
and he ……………………. (be) very angry with me when he finally ……………………. (return) to our hotel
thirsty and tired.
Anyway, I like it here and I ……………………. (have) a great time! I’ll tell you all about it when we get back.
Bert sends his love. See you soon.

Harry