Tense review (keys)
Give the correct verb tenses
1. A: What you (look) are you looking for?
B: I (lose) have lost my purse near here and I want to find it before it (get) gets dark
A: When you (lose) did you lose it?
B: I think that I (drop) dropped it when I (go) was going shopping this morning
2. I (study) have been studying English for three years but I never (be) have never been to England
3. I never (see) had never seen a film that interested me so much as the one I saw last week
4. I (not see) have not seen her since we (leave) left school
5. We didn’t enjoy the trip because of the rain. If it (not rain) hadn’t rained, the trip (be) would have
been more enjoyable
6. While we (have) were having dinner, the man (come) came in
7. When I (arrive) arrived at the station, Mary (wait) was waiting for me. She (wear) was wearing a blue
dress and (look) looked very pretty. As soon as she (see) saw me, she (wave) waved and (shout) shouted
something but I couldn’t hear what she (say) said because there (be) was much noise.
8. He (lose) lost the key when he (play) was playing football.
9. He said he (be) was sorry as he (give) had given me so much trouble.
10. I (meet) met Mary while I (go) was going to the bookshop yesterday. I asked her to go with me. She
and I (want) wanted to find a dictionary. At last both of us (buy) bought the same ones after we (look)
had looked for and (read) had read many kinds of dictionary carefully.
11. Eric (have) had to go to New York last week but he almost (miss) missed the plane. He (stand) was
standing in the queue at the check-in desk when he suddenly (realize) realized that he (leave) had left his
passport at home. Fortunately, he (not live) didn’t live very far from the airport so he (have) had time to
go home to get the passport. He (get) got back to the airport just in time for his flight.
12. Look, that girl (run) is running to catch the bus
13. As I (cross) was crossing the road, I (step) stepped on a banana skin and (fall) fell heavily.
14. When we (come) came to the stadium, the match (already/begin) had already begun.
15. I (not/speak) haven’t spoken to her since I (move) moved to London.
16. They didn’t pass the exam. If they (revise) had revised the lessons carefully, they (not fail) wouldn’t
have failed the exam.
17. You’d better (have) have your car (service) serviced immediately.

41. We (meet) will meet you tomorrow after you have finished your work.
42. In a few minutes’ time, when the clock strikes six, I (wait) will have been waiting here three quarters
of an hour.
43. When we (go) went to see them last night, they (play) were playing cards; they (say) said they (play)
had been playing since 6 o’clock.
44. We hear that he (make) has made good progress since the beginning of the school year.
45. Every morning, in the city park, the grass (cut) is cut, the flowers beds (weed) are weeded, and the
paths (sweep) are swept.
46. This morning when I (get) got to the station, I (learn) learned/learnt that the train I had expected to get
(leave) had left ten minutes before. The station-master (tell) told me that the time-table (change) had been
changed the previous week.
47. He told his wife that he (be) would be back about six o’clock and (ask) asked her to have dinner ready
about seven o’clock. He said that he (bring) would bring three friends back with him, so he (want) wanted
her to prepare a special good meal
48. When I (go) went back to the shop, they (sell) had sold the book I wanted.
49. He told me he (be) had been very ill since he (return) returned from abroad.
50. Mr. Hill (not finish) had not finished the report when the Manager came in.
51. The train (not arrive) didn’t arrive on time yesterday. It (be) was ten minutes late.
52. I saw Jim in the park. He (sit) was sitting on the grass and (read) was reading a book.
53. You (look) are you looking for George? I think he (read) is reading in the library.
54. On the way to work, he often (meet) meets a lot of children who (go) are going to school.
55. She (sleep) sleeps easily when the radio (play) is playing.
56. _ Where the Scotts usually (stay) do’stay when they come in town?
- At a hotel. But tonight they (stay) are staying with us.
57. My mother (cook) is cooking something in the kitchen at the moment. She always (cook) cooks in the
morning.
58. Tom (meet) met Mary in 1998 and they (be) have been good friends since then.
59. Jenny (study) studied French for a few months last year.
60. By the end of autumn, most of the leaves (fall) will have fallen from the trees.
61. I (look) have been looking at this picture for five minutes, but I can’t see you in it.

blue dress and (look) ………………very pretty. As soon as she (see)…………… me, she (wave)…………... and
(shout) ………………something but I couldn’t hear what she (say) …………….because there (be)
…………….much noise.
8. He (lose) ………………..the key when he (play)…………………. Football
9. He said he (be)……………sorry as he (give)…………………..me so much trouble.
10. I (meet)…………..Mary while I (go)………………… to the bookshop yesterday. I asked her to go with me.
She and I (want)……….. to find a dictionary. At last both of us (buy)………………. the same ones after we
(look)……………….for and (read) many kinds of dictionary carefully
11. Eric (have)………….to go to New York last week but he almost (miss)………….the plane. He (stand)
……………..in the queue at the check-in desk when he suddenly (realize)…………….that he (leave)
…………….his passport at home. Fortunately, he (not live)………………….very far from the airport so he
(have)……………..time to go home to get the passport. He (get)……………back to the airport just in time for
his flight.
12. Look, that girl (run)…………………..to catch the bus
13. As I (cross)……………..the road, I (step)…………on a banana skin and (fall)……………heavily.
14. When we (come)…………..to the stadium, the match (already/begin)……………………………….
15. I (not/speak)……………………to her since I (move)…………………to London.
16. They didn’t pass the exam. If they (revise)……………..the lessons carefully, they (not fail)…………………
the exam.
17. You’d better (have)…………..your car (service)……………..immediately.
18. I don’t think it is worth spending money on it. It (be)…………there in shop for ages.
19. If I (be)………….you, I (apply)………………..for the job as soon as possible.
20. When I (meet)……………him two weeks ago, he told me that he (just/return)…………………from Paris.
21. Water (freeze)………….at zero degree.
22. I wish I (be)………………at Tom’s birthday party yesterday.
23. When I (get)…………there, all the tickets (sell)………………… out.
24. He does that work, as if he (be)………….a skilled worker.
25. That man (teach)………………in this school since 1995. Before he (come)…...............here he (live)
……………in Hue. Now he (live)………….in the suburb and (come)…………..to school everyday on his bike.
26. Your train (leave)…………….at 7 o’clock. Why you (sit)……………..here doing nothing as though you

47. He told his wife that he (be)…………back about six o’clock and (ask)…………..her to have dinner ready
about seven o’clock. He said that he (bring)…………..three friends back with him, so he (want)…………..her
to prepare a special good meal.
48. When I (go)…………back to the shop, they (sell)…………….the book I wanted.
49. He told me he (be)…………..very ill since he (return)…………from abroad.
50. Mr. Hill (not finish)……………..the report when the Manager came in.
51. The train (not arrive)……………..on time yesterday. It (be)…………ten minutes late.
52. I saw Jim in the park. He (sit)…………….on the grass and (read)……………..a book.
53. You (look)………………for George? I think he (read)…………in the library.
54. On the way to work, he often (meet)………….a lot of children who (go)…………….to school.
55. She (sleep)…………. easily when the radio (play)……………..
56. _ Where the Scotts usually (stay)……………..when they come in town?
- At a hotel. But tonight they (stay)………………with us.
57. My mother (cook)…………….something in the kitchen at the moment. She always (cook)………in the
morning.
58. Tom (meet)……………Mary in 1998 and they (be)……………….good friends since then.
59. Jenny (study)……………French for a few months last year.
60. By the end of autumn, most of the leaves (fall)……………………. from the trees.
61. I (look)…………..at this picture for five minutes, but I can’t see you in it.
62. By eight o’clock this evening, the spaceship (travel)……………..for five hours round the earth.
63. My eyes are tired. I (read)…………..for a long time
64. We stopped for a rest after we (walk)……………for two hours
65. They (play)……………for half an hour when there was a terrible storm.
66. At this time next week, all of you (sit)……………..for you examination
67. The manager (leave)…………….for the conference by the time we got to the office.
67. How many countries they (visit)………………by March last year?
68. The sun (not rise)……………..in the west; it (rise)……………in the east
69. Be careful! The teacher (look)……………..at you
70. She (speak)……………..English well but she (not understand)…………………..Spanish.
71. Yesterday, while I (read)……………in my room, Tom (come in)……………and (ask)………….me to lend