Grammar Practice - Oxford University Press



Grammar Practice

Tenses

Grammar Reference p166–169

1 For sentences a–h, put the verbs in brackets into the past simple or the past continuous.

a She nearly ………… (have) a heart attack when she ………… (see) the tiger.

b We ………… (go) down the road at 120 kph when the wheel ………… (fall) off.

c They ………… (read) the instructions when the lights ………… (go) out.

d The happy couple ………… (get) married three weeks after he ………… (propose).

e Our dog ………… (jump) up into the air and ………… (howl) when I ………… (stand) on his tail.

f The winning racing driver ………… (shake) the bottle of champagne then ………… (take) the cork out.

g She ………… (fill) in a questionnaire when the pen ………… (run) out of ink.

h Uncle Sam ………… (get) dressed when he ………… (feel) a searing pain in his back.

2 Write the correct form of the verbs in brackets to complete sentences a–l.

Present Simple or Present Continuous

a Decisive people ………… (make) their minds up very quickly.

b You want me to come and work for you! ………… you …………? (joke)

c Listen to the crowd. Everyone ………… . (sing)

d He always ………… (think) carefully before he ………… (say) anything.

Past Simple or Past Continuous

e The midnight train ………… (leave) five minutes early this evening.

f The linesman didn’t see the fight because he ………… (face) the other way.

g The referee ………… (blow) his whistle when the game ………… (finish).

h He ………… (dive) off the coast of South Africa when a shark ………… (swim) right past his leg.

Past Simple or Present Perfect Simple

i ………… you ………… (vote) in the last General Election?

j Zak ………… (go) to the cinema three times so far this week.

k Jack ………… (study) T’ai Chi until the day he died.

l ………… you ………… (think) about my offer yet?

3 For sentences a–h rewrite the information using the words in brackets.

a Last week Jeff Smith finished writing a book about his life in Kenya. (recently)

……………………………….…………………………….

b Three men escaped from a high security prison within the last hour. (just)

……………………………….…………………………….

c I sorted out the software problems a short while ago. (already)

……………………………….…………………………….

d Ollie Gonzales signed a new three-year contract earlier this morning. (just)

……………………………….…………………………….

e I didn’t tell my parents about my tattoo! (yet)

……………………………….…………………………….

f Sorry, Mr Brown isn’t here. He left for the airport a few minutes ago. (just)

……………………………….…………………………….

g Did you go to the British Museum when you were in London? (ever)

……………………………….…………………………….

h Sorry. I didn’t get a chance to finish the report. (yet)

……………………………….…………………………….

4 For A–D, complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in the box.

A

was looking has been looking looks looked

1 That man ………… at that painting for the past ten minutes.

2 The schoolboy ………… in five lockers, but he still didn’t find his dictionary.

3 The robbers ran past the policeman when he ………… the other way.

B

is seeing hadn’t been seeing don’t see hadn’t seen

1 She ………… the price list until the waiter pointed it out to her.

2 Daisy ………… a specialist tomorrow about her back pains.

3 I ………… how you can get all those books into that small box.

C

think will have thought have been thinking will be thinking

1 Even though they live apart, they often ………… about each other.

2 Have a good trip. I ………… of you.

3 I ………… about emigrating to Canada for a long time.

D

have had was having had had has been having

1 Harry ………… a shave when he cut himself.

2 He ………… trouble with his computer since he installed the new software.

3 They ………… enough of living in a big city. They’re moving to the country

5 For a–f write an appropriate sentence using the words in brackets.

Marco bought his Fiat when he was 19. (next July/six years)

Next July Marco will have been driving his Fiat for six years.

a Anna is an English teacher in Portugal. (January/two months)

……………………………….…………………………….

b The politician is giving a speech about public transport. (midnight/three hours)

……………………………….…………………………….

c Mrs Green started to work for the FBI when she was eighteen. (Christmas/10 years)

……………………………….…………………………….

d Ben came here to meet Kate. (Kate arrives/an hour and a half)

……………………………….…………………………….

e Al Lorenzo is a second-hand car salesman. (next year/25 years)

……………………………….…………………………….

f Ulli moved to Greece when she left university and has lived there ever since. (this summer/eight years)

……………………………….…………………………….

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