Unit 5: Grammar Consolidation: Verbal Tenses Revised

1. Fill the gaps with the most appropriate present or past tenses:
What a language course can do

1. I (learn) English for seven years now. have been learning

didn't w ork

2. But last year I (not / work) hard enough for English, that's why my marks
w eren't

(not / be) really that good then.

w ant to pass

3. As I (pass / want) my English exam successfully next year, I (study)

am studying

harder this term.

sent

4. During my last summer holidays, my parents (send) me on a language course

to London.
w as think learnt

5. It (be) great and I (think) I (learn) a lot.

w ent didn’t enjoy

6. Before I (go) to London, I (not / enjoy) learning English.

w as doing met

7. But while I (do) the language course, I (meet) lots of young

people from all over the world.
noticed is

8. There I (notice) how important it (be) to speak foreign

languages nowadays.
am having have had

9. Now I (have) much more fun learning English than I (have)

before the course.
am revising

10. At the moment I (revise) English grammar.

11. And I (begin / already) to read the texts in my English textbooks again. have
already began
think w ill do

12. I (think) I (do) one unit every week.

 is isn’t

13. My exam (be) on 15 May, so there (not / be) any time to be lost.
pass w ill start

14. If I (pass) my exams successfully, I (start) an apprenticeship in

September.
w ill go

15. And after my apprenticeship, maybe I (go) back to London to work there for
a while.

2. Speaking: Ask questions to fill the gaps with the missing information

Student A

Frank was born in __ Buenos Aires ____ (where?) in 1977. He went to school in Buenos Aires
for ____12 years __ (how long?) before moving to Denver. He misses ___ living in Buenos
Aires ____ (what?), but he enjoys studying and living in Denver. In fact, he __has lived___
(what?) in Denver for over 4 years. Currently, he ____is studying_____ (what?) at the University
of Colorado where he is going to receive his Bachelor of Science next ____ June __ (when?).
After he receives his degree, he is going to return to Buenos Aires to marry __ his fiance Alice
___ (who?) and begin a career in research. Alice __ studies Art History ____ (what?) at the
University in Buenos Aires and is also going to receive ___ a degree in Art History ___ (what?)
next May. They met in __ Peru ___ (where?) in 1995 while they were hiking together in the ___
Andes ___ (where?). They have been engaged for ___ three years _____ (how long?).

Student B
Frank was born in Buenos Aires in ___1977___ (when?). He went to school in ____ Buenos
Aires ___ (where?) for 12 years before moving to ___ Denver ___ (where?). He misses living in
Buenos Aires, but he enjoys ____ studying and living ____ (what?) in Denver. In fact, he has lived
in Denver for ___ over 4 years ___ (how long?). Currently, he is studying at the ___ University of
Colorado ___ (where?) where he is going to receive his __ Bachelor of Science _____ (what?) next
June. After he receives his degree, he is going to return to ___ Buenos Aires __ (where?) to marry
his fiance Alice and begin a career in ___research___ (what?). Alice studies Art History at the
_____ the University in Buenos Aires ___ (where?) and is also going to receive a degree in Art
History next __May___ (when?). They met in Peru in ___1995__ (when?) while they ___ were
hiking ____ (what?) together in the Andes. They have been engaged for three years.

3. Fill in the gaps with the correct form of Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect
Progressive:
a) Tom: Hi Ana. I (try) to ring you several times today. Where (you / be)

? have been trying, have you been

have been

b) Ana: I (be) at home all the time. But I (clean) the house all day,
so maybe I didn't hear the phone ring. have been cleaning

c) Tom: (you / clean) everything now? Have you cleaned

haven't tidied

d) Ana: No, not yet. I (tidy / not) up the kitchen yet. But why are you here?
has invited

e) Tom: Don't you remember? Jane (invited) us to her birthday party and we
haven't bought

(buy / not) a present for her yet.

f) Ana: Oh, that's right. (you / find out / already) what she wants? Have you
already found out

g) Tom: Well, she (learn) Spanish for a year and wants to spend her next
holiday in Mexico. Maybe we could get her a guide book. has been learning
h) Ana: That's a good idea. There is a good bookshop in the big shopping centre. I (see)
have seen

some nice books about Mexico there recently.

4. Fill in with the correct form of Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive:

haven't w aited

a) Sorry for being late. I hope you (wait / not) long.

b) My grandparents are coming to see us next weekend. They (visit / not) us for
two years. haven't visited
hasn't been

c) She (be / not) on holiday for 3 years.

haven't driven

d) I don't want you to drive my car. You (drive / not) a car for ages.

e) He (watch / not) TV all afternoon, he only switched the telly on 10 minutes

ago. hasn't been watching
5. Fill in with the correct form of Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive:

a) How much money (Jack / spend) in the casino? has Jack spent

b) How long (she / sit) there? has she been sitting

c) How many short messages (send / you) this month? have you sent

d) (you / empty) the bin yet? Have you emptied

e) Lucy, (you / bathe) your dolls? The bathroom floor is absolutely wet. have
you bathed

6. Fill in with the correct form of Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive:

a) Daughter: Mum, Jane (phone / just) to ask if I will go to the cinema with her.
May I? has just phoned

b) Mother: (you / do) your homework yet? Have you done

c) Daughter: Well, I (do) it for about 2 hours now, but I (finish / not)

it yet. have been doing, haven't finished

d) Mother: If you (complete / not) your homework, you cannot go. School

comes first. Remember, you (promise) me to study harder this year. haven't
completed, have promised
have w orked

e) Daughter: But mum, I (work) really hard this year and I (improve / already)

in Maths and Chemistry. have been already improving

have alw ays p

f) Mother: But that's only because I (push / always) you to do something.

 haven't been

g) Daughter: But I also need a break some time. Look, I (be / not) to the cinema
for two months. May I go? Just this once.

7. Put the verbs into the correct form of Simple Past or Past Progressive:

w as doing broke

a) When I (do) the washing-up, I (break) a plate.

w as playing did

b) While Tom (play) the piano, his mother (do) the washing-up.
drank ate

c) He (drink) some juice and then he (eat) a few chips.

w as having heard

d) I (have) dinner when I suddenly (hear) a loud bang.

w as w orking passed

e) When my father (work) in the garden, an old friend (pass) by to

see him.
w ent took

f) She (go) to school, (take) out her textbook and (begin)

began

to learn.
started w anted

g) When it (start) to rain, our dog (want) to come inside.

w as doing visited

h) When Jane (do) a language course in Ireland, she (visit) Blarney

Castle.
w as saw

i) When I (be) on my way home, I (see) an accident.

w ere talking

j) I (not / understand) what they (talk) about. didn't understand

8. Put the verbs into the correct form of Simple Past or Past Progressive:

got w as shining

a) When I (get) up yesterday, the sun (shine) .

w as

b) It (is) a beautiful morning.

decided

c) So I (decide) to cycle around a little.

 w ent took

d) I (go) to the shed and (take) out my bike.

w as cycling saw

e) While I (cycle) past some villages, I (see) some people in their

gardens.
w as mow ing w as picking

f) One man (mow) the grass while his wife (pick) strawberries.
appeared

g) After one hour of cycling in sunshine, a big fat raincloud suddenly (appear)
started

and it (start) to rain.

noticed told

h) Luckily, a farmer (notice) me and (tell) me to come in.

w as raining sat

i) While it (rain) outside, I (sit) in the farmer's house.

came

j) After a while, the sun (come) out again.

thanked moved

k) I (thank) the farmer for his hospitality and (move) on.

9. Put the verbs into the correct form of Simple past or Present Perfect Simple:

a) William (tidy / already) up his room. has already tidied

missed

b) Caroline (miss) the school bus yesterday.

c) I (finish / just) my homework. have just finished

have came

d) I cannot go out tonight. My grandparents (come) to see us.

took

e) In 2004, the Olympic Summer Games (take) place in Athens.

10. Put the verbs into the correct form of Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple:

didn't w atch

a) We (watch / not) TV last night.

 hasn't read

b) Joanna (read / not) the book yet.

didn't go

c) Collin (not / go) on holiday last year.

haven't had

d) I (have / not) any problems so far.

haven't learnt

e) They (learn / not) the new words yet.

f) (they / be / ever) to New York? Have they ever been

Did you see

g) (you / see) Catherine a minute ago?

did you get

h) What time (you / get) up today?

Has he heard

i) (he / hear) the news yet?

do you play

j) How often (you / play) that game up to now?

11. Put the verbs into the correct form of Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple:

haven't seen

a) A: I (see / not) you for a long time. Where (you / be) ? have you
been

b) B: I (come / just) back from Canada. have just came

did you do

c) A: Oh really? What (you / do) in Canada?

took

d) B: I (take) a nature tour.

Did you see

e) A: Wow! (you / see) many wild animals there?

w atched

f) B: Of course. I (watch) bears, wolves and whales in the wild. That (be)
w as

so interesting. (you / spend / ever) a holiday in Canada? Have

you ever spent
 travelled

g) A: Yes, I (travel) around Canada twice so far.

did you go

h) B: When (you / go) there?

w ent w as

i) A: The first time I (go) there (be) in 1997 and the second time in
2004.
Did you enjoy

j) B: (you / enjoy) it?

loved

k) A: I absolutely (love) it, especially the west coast.