Tenses (practice)


1 Complete the sentences with the correct verb forms (present tenses)

1 Water ______________ at 100°C. (boil)

2 Well, good night, ______________ to bed . (I/go)

3 _______________ here in summer? Not very often. (it/rain)

4 _______________ golf? Yes, but not very well. (you/play)

5 Where ______________ these days? In a garage. (she/work)



2 Simple past or past progressive? Underline the correct tense.

1   When I saw John, he was playing / played tennis.

2   I lived / was living in France for eight years

3   Sue lived / was living in Poland when her uncle died.

4   At 6.15, when you phoned, I had / was having a shower.

5   We watched / were watching TV all evening.

6   Bill watched / was watching TV when Ann came in.

7   My father worked / was working hard all his life.

8   They got married while they studied / were studying at London University.

9   Yesterday we drove / were driving from Oxford to Edinburgh and back.

10  It was a nice evening, so she walked / was walking home form work.



3 Chose the correct  answer (the correct tense).


I know / have known Adrian for a very long time – we are / have been friends since our first day at
school, thirty years ago / before / since. He came / has come round to see me last night to ask for
my advice. His company did / has been doing very well for the last few years, and they opened /
have opened several new offices. They just asked / have just asked Adrian to move to Scotland, to
run an office there. He didn’t decide / hasn’t decided what to do yet. He doesn’t really want to
move: he never lived / has never lived outside Manchester, and he bought / has bought a new house
there last year. But the new job would be interesting, and very well paid.






Answers

1 boils, I’m going, Does it rain, Do you play, is she working

2 was playing, lived, was living, was having, watched, was watching, worked, were studying, drove,
walked

3 have known, have been, ago, came, has been doing, have opened, have just asked, hasn’t decided,
has never lived, bought