ALL TENSES

I. Read the text and choose the best alternative to fill in the gaps:

He…….(1) running at school and raced in school competitions from the age of eight, but not with any plans to be an Olympic athlete. “It………(2) the late Sixties, early Seventies, remember. Sport was only something you did when you…….(3) nothing else to do. It wasn’t something you………(4) think of making a living out of, except maybe as a PE teacher. I don’t know of anyone who……..(5) as a career, except perhaps kids who went to Eton.”Christie and his family……..(6) from racial harassment – on occasion at the hands of the police. He…….(7) also been stopped more than once in order to explain why he………(8) in possession of a new car. But he says these experiences do not mean that when he………(9), he is, or ever………….(10) fuelled by a sense of grievance.

1. A. starting B. started C. have started 2. A. was B. were C. has been

3. A. have B. had C. have had

4. A. could B. were able to C. can

5. A. think B. was thinking C. thought

6. A. suffered B. have been suffering C. have suffered

7. A. has B. have C. had

8. A will be B. is C. was

9. A is running B. has run C. runs

10. A is B. was C. has been

II. Complete the following lines with the words given in the box:

send, learn, do, attend, work, drop, trust, survive, achieve, cope

Oliver Wilmore is just such a pupil. He is particularly lucky. His school……..(1) on adventure camp twice a year. He……..(2) three scout camps each year with adventure activities. He………..(3) even more adventure skills as a voluntary trainee soldier. “Most weekends”, says Oliver, “I’m off………..(4) something. It’s great camping and canoeing and doing rope work in cliffs! It’s the………(5) together, we have to………..(6) one another. Therefore, it’s us that …….(7) it, not just me. I’ve learned to……..(8) You could …………..(9) me in the mountains, with my kit, and I’d be able to………(10) really well.”

III. Underline the most suitable verb form:

1. He had been/was upset because he had lost his wallet. 2. When I arrived home Tom has already left/ had already

left.3. They were having/had dinner when the lights went off.4. He had been lying on the beach for two hours when his

brother arrived/was arriving.5. The tourists left/had left the hotel before we arrived.

6. When I opened/ was opening the door I found out that the flat has been/had been broken into.

7. It was late when I arrived at the cinema so they didn’t let /hadn’t let me in.

8. When the housekeeper opened the door, she saw that somebody was/were walking through the hall in muddy shoes.

9. His friends have already finished/ had already finished eating when the waiter brought them the refreshments

10. When the taxi arrived we have been waiting/had been waiting for twenty minutes.

IV. Rephrase the following sentences so that they mean the same:

e.q. She hadn’t seen her granny for three years. It was three years since she had seen her granny.

1. I haven’t seen him for ages.It’s ages……………………………………………..

2. I’ve lived here since twenty-five years.How long……………………………………………

3. Julie has visited Rome twice this year.How many times……………………………………

4. Father has read 200 pages up to now.How many…………………………………………….

5. He hadn’t phoned her for two weeks.How long……………………………………………

6. When did you last have your car repaired?When was…………………………………………….

7. While he was cleaning his room my brother spilt the ink.While………………………………………………

8. First they had dinner, then watched TV.After…………………………………………………

9. She has never been given such a nice album.

It’s…………………………………………………10. After he had written his report he went for a walk.

Having………………………………………………

V. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct past forms:

I (enter), closed the door behind me at once, (turn) the key I found in the lock within, and (stand) with the candle (hold) aloft; there it was, the great red room of Lorraine Castle, in which the young duke (die). Or, rather, in which he (begin) his dying, for he (open) the door and fallen headlong down the steps I just (ascend). That (be) the end of his vigil, of his gallant attempt to conquer the ghostly tradition of the place. And there (be) other and older stories that clung to the room; the tale of a timid wife and the tragic end the tragic end that (come) to her husband’s jest of frightening her.

VI. Use the word written in capitals to form a word that fits in the space:

In the huge new cemetery, some two miles (1)DISTANCE, the old people (2)BURY their dead, and came back to the house steeped in shadow and silence. It was all over so quickly that at first they could hardly realise it, and remained in a state of (3) EXPECT as though of something else to happen.But the days passed, and expectation gave place to (4) RESIGN. It was about a week after that the old man, waking (5)SUDDEN in the night, stretched out his hand and found himself alone. The room was in (6) DARK, and the sound of subduet (7)WEEP came from the window. He (8) RAISE himself in bed and listened.

VII. The following lines contain ten grammar and spelling mistakes. Identify and correct them:

She knew nothing of the truth about him, but she seems to understand him, and the only response he ever given to anything was to her childish sympathy. She sat and chated to him. He come to recognize her step, and would looked up before she entered the room. Once or twice in the evening, when the shop were empty, and Nameless was sitting miserably with him, he would ask, without lifted his eyes; “ Where’s Bubbles?” and would be telling that Bubbles had went to the pictures or is out at a dance.

VIII. Read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space: provide, insist, say, be send, require, announce, need, switch, squeeze.

Health Care Next

Now that President Clinton’s budget bill …………..(1) through the Senate by the narrowest of margins, the legislative focus …………(2) to health care reform. The President ………..(3) his plan in September.If Clinton is to overhaul the health care system, he…………(4) at least some support from moderate Republicans. This………….(5) a change from the first six months of the Clinton administration, during which the Republicans solidly opposed nearly every government initiative.Some Republican leaders …………(6) signals that they may be willing to work with the President on health care reform. Senator Bob Dole, who……….(7) one of the most powerful of Clinton’s opponents, …………(8) that Republicans ………..(9) no longer - that they would never accept a proposal that all employees be required …………(10) insurance for their employees.

IX. Underline/circle the correct form:

“Wake up, Alice dear!” said her sister. “Why, what a long sleep you’ve had/you had had!”“Oh, I’ve had such a curious dream!” says/sad Alice. And she told her sister, as well as she can/could remember them, all these strange Adventures of hers that you have/had just been reading about; and when she have/had finished, her sister kissed her, and said, “It was/has been a curious dream dear, certainly; but now run into your bed; it’s getting/it was getting late”. So Alice got up and run/ran off, thinking while she ran, as well as she may/might, what a wonderful dream it has been/had been.

X.Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense:

I walked away at a good pace, thinking it was easier to go than I (1) (suppose) it (2) (be), and reflecting that it would never have done to have had an old shoe thrown after a coach, in sight of all the High Street. I (3) (whistle) and (4) (make) nothing of going. But the village (5) (be) very peaceful and quiet, and the light mists solemnly (6) (rise), as if to show me the world, and I (7) (be) so innocent and little there and all beyond was so unknown and great, that in a moment with a strong heave and sob I (8) (break) into tears. It (9) (be) by the finger-post at the end of the village, and I (10) (lay) my hand upon it and said, “Good-bye, my dear, dear friend!” Charles Dickens – Great Expectations

XI. Correct the mistakes in the following sentences:

1. By the time she is 40, she will live in this town for ten years.

2. It’s a surprise party and her friends won’t know anything about it until they got there.

3. The other guests should be arrived before us.4. By the time we will have finished our work, everybody

will have left the office.5. At this rate, they will have been exhausted by the time

father arrives home.6. By the time the train came to a standstill, get on and try

to find your seats.7. By June she will be living here for fifteen months.8. We were just about leaving the house when Alice called.

XII.Choose the most appropriate of the underlined words:

1. He looks very pale. I think he’ll faint/ he is going to faint.

2. My brother will be/ is going to be a famous scientist when he grows up.

3. Somebody’s at the door. I’ll/ I’m going to see who it is.4. They need to be home early today so they leave/ are

leaving at six.5. Our guests will be in plenty of time providing the traffic

is not/ will not be bad.6. Sue asked me if I would/ will be so kind as to give her a

lift.7. What sort of job do you think he will do/ will be doing in

a few years time?8. By the time our parents get back all the food will have

gone/ will go.]9. “I’ll do/ going to do that for you”, she told me.10. The two politicians are to/ will discuss the current

political affairs.