E1 VerbTenses Seminar

VERB TENSES
A. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form using the present
perfect simple or present perfect continuous as appropriate.
1. I (love) Tom all my life.

2. I always (want) to travel around the world.
3. How many times I (be asked) why I live in the country?
4. Doctor, I (have) trouble with my hands for months. What’s wrong?
5. He (have) headaches for two months. They suspect a brain tumor.
6. You don’t know what vita means! How long you (study) Latin?
7. I (try) to get you on the phone for over a week. Where you (be)?
8. “Jane’s looking very fit.” “Yes, she (go) to exercise classes”
9. “Who (take) my pen?”
10.“Who (sleep) in my bed? She asked, looking at the rumpled sheets.
B. Complete the sentences with the present perfect simple or past

tense simple form of the verbs in brackets.
1. Since he (move) to France his French (improve) a lot.

2. He (become) an ardent wine lover since he (live) in France.
3. No doubt greed and jealousy (exist) as long as mankind (do).
4. Since I (know) her she (always use) the same old battered handbag.
5. I (always wear) flat shoes since I (fall) off a pair of platform shoes and
(sprain) my ankle.
6. Since we (be) neighbours he (never even offer) me a cup of tea.
7. I am sure he (never clean) the car as long as he (own) it.
8. I (become) a much better cook since I (be married) to a chef.
9. She (only learn) to cook since she (get married).
10.Since they (be) here they (never stop) complaining.
C. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form, using either the
present perfect (simple or continuous) or past tense simple as
appropriate.
1. This is the first time I (visit) Germany.

2. On my visit to the school, I (be) pleased to see that many students (know)
how to handle computers.
3. This is the best program I ever (design).
4. Jane (live) and (work) in Paris for several years now.
5. For five years from 1980 to 1985, Mary (live) in New York.
6. I already (read) one hundred pages and so I expect to finish the book by
the weekend.
7. Yesterday I (work) for six hours and (complete) ten reports.
8. Sharon is only ten and already she (pass) two piano exams.
9. Although I (know) Kate and John for many years now, I never
(understand) what (attract) them to each other.
10.I never (be) so pleased as when I (hear) Anna had recovered from her
illness.
D. Rewrite each of the following sentences beginning with the words

given.
1. Negotiations for a settlement have been in progress for over two months
now. They….
2. Journalists have attacked the minister’s policies several times. The
minister’s policies have….
3. His sarcasm was plainly obvious to all but a few people in the room. The
fact that….
4. Political talks are already underway to bring peace to the region.
Politicians have….
5. Shortly before his eighteenth birthday he left home to go to university. By
the ….
6. That house has been up for sale for over a year now. They ….
E. Use the word in bold to link the sentences and put the verbs in
brackets in the appropriate tense.
1. The mistake (discover) yesterday. She (deny) all knowledge of it. WHEN
2. I finally (win) the lottery. I (play) it for thirty years. BY THE TIME
3. She (overcome) her initial reservations. She actually (enjoy) the concert.
ONCE
4. His latest novel (publish) last week. Tens of thousands of pounds (spend)
on promoting it. BY THE TIME
5. She (check) all the safety catches on the windows. She (not go) to bed.
UNTIL
F. There are eight mistakes with tenses in the following short text.
Find and underline them.
When I had been a little girl, my brother and I were going every New
Year to stay with grandma and grandpa in their mysterious old cottage by the
sea. Like many other houses in the village it had been rumoured to be
haunted.
One particular evening, a couple of days before New Year’s Eve, the
house was bitterly cold and rather gloomy because it was snowing heavily all
day. All of us had been sitting around the fire in the living room listening to
one of grandma’s favourite stories, when suddenly there was a tremendous
crash from upstairs. All our thoughts turned to the ghost she had been telling
us about and we looked at each other in horror. When we rushed up the
stairs, however, we discovered that the branch of a tree was snapped in the
wind and smashed one of the bedroom windows. I will always remember the
expression on grandma’s face. “I was never so scared in my life!” was all
she could whimper.
G.Put the verbs in the correct form.
1. Mary (type) all day and still not (finish) the report.
2. John just (complete) a course in engineering and now (want) pursue his
studies by (take) a Master’s degree.
3. “You (go) to the Tower of London?”
“No, not yet. I (want) to go ever since I arrived in London, but something
always (come) up. I (hope) (go) sometime soon. Perhaps you (like)
(come) with me?”
4. There (be) a terrible storm last month and several trees (fall down). The
telephone lines(bring down) and some still not (be fixed). Roads ( be
blocked) for several hours. Several homes (suffer) damage to their roofs
and chimneys that (be) very expensive to repair.
5. I asked John last week to find out this information, but he still not (do) so.
I (have) (ask) him again
6. Lisa (complain) about her husband for ages. I not (be) surprised that he
(leave) her. What she (do) now, on her own?
7. I (try) for ages to reach you. Where you (be)?
8. Someone (try) get in through the kitchen window during the night. If you
(look) carefully, you (be able) see the marks.
9. The police (question) the suspect for several hours, but so far they not
(get) any new information from him.
10.News from the earthquake zone (be) that over two hundred people (be )
injured. Help (be) urgently required.

E1 VerbTenses Seminar

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VERB TENSES

1. I (love) Tom all my life.

B. Complete the sentences with the present perfect simple or past

1. Since he (move) to France his French (improve) a lot.

1. This is the first time I (visit) Germany.

D. Rewrite each of the following sentences beginning with the words

G.Put the verbs in the correct form.

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