University of the Aegean School of Sciences Department: SAFM Course: English Group: 3 Instructor: E. Landrou GRAMMAR 1: TENSE REVIEW A. Complete the following sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Then fill in the name of the tense you have used from the box below. present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous, present perfect simple, present perfect continuous, past perfect simple, past perfect continuous, future simple 1. Dan doing the washing-up. (hate - ) 2. Hi, Laura. Long time no see. How it? (go - ) 3. Sorry to keep you. How long you? (wait - ) 4. What you between 5 and 6 pm last Saturday? (do - ) 5. Good news everyone! We to build a new gymnasium with the new government grant. (can - ) 6. Julia ever seriously ill before her trip to India last year? (be - ) 7. Does anyone want a sandwich? No thanks, I just lunch. (have - ) 8. Where on earth you those shoes? They re awful! (buy - ) 9. We through the forest for two or three hours before we realised we were lost! (walk - ) Which of the verbs you used above: 1. describes an action that was in progress in the past? 2. describes an action that began and ended in the past? 3. expresses a general truth or fact? 4. is talking about the future? 5. shows that an action happened before another past action? 6. describes something that began in the past and has a result or is continued in the present? 7. describes something that is happening while we speak? B. Correct any mistakes you find in the following sentences. Not all of them are wrong. 0. There was a power cut while we watched the film on TV last night. were watching 1. Did you ever get into trouble at school when you were a kid? 2. Florencia never saw snow until she went to Scotland. 3. Just how many patients did Dr Harris examine so far this week? 1
4. Oh, what a lovely hat! Where have you bought it? 5. Mr Wolf has worked at the bank for 25 years before his retirement last May. 6. I ve been writing ten letters this morning I need a rest! 7. By the time we got to the theatre the play already started. 8. How long did you live in Italy for? Three years but then I got homesick. 9. I was sitting on the train for ten minutes when I realised I d left my suitcase on the platform. 10. Exactly what were you doing at eleven o clock yesterday evening sir? 11. When I looked out of the window I realised it had snowed for hours and there was no chance of getting back down the mountain. 12. That s the third time Sam crashed the car this month! 13. Just think, this time last week we rode a camel in the desert! 14. Of course it has rained. Look how wet the road is. C. Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous form of the verbs in brackets 1. We (discuss) the contract for a long time now. 2. (you / fax) any orders through this morning? 3. Mr Grant is not here, I m afraid. He (just / leave). 4. I (have) this laptop since 2001. I need a new one. 5. He (talk) to Jorge in America for the past two hours. 6. (she / give) you the figures yet? D. Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or the Past Perfect form of the verbs in brackets 1. They (spend) all their money on food, so they (not / buy) anything. 2. By the time the shipment of supplies (arrive), the store (close) for the day. 3. Yesterday I (meet) an old friend that I (not / see) for years. 4. I (not / see) Tom because he (already / go) home. 5. She (never / study) microeconomics until she (start) university last year. 6. By the time the morning classes (finish), the rain (stop). 7. Yesterday the delivery track (hit) the tricycle that the little boy (leave) in the street. E. Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect or the Past Simple form of the verbs in brackets. 1. Barry (postpone) this so many times before, but now he can t avoid it. 2. Why (you / not stop) at the shops on your way home? 3. That grass (be cut) for weeks. It looks dreadful. 2
4. The baby (take over) her life completely I never see her nowadays. 5. The wedding (take place) earlier today. F. Complete the sentences using the Past Perfect Simple or the Past Perfect Continuous tense of the verbs in brackets. 1. Jack (work) for five hours when he decided to stop. 2. The investors (already / set up) a partnership when their financial advisor suggested that a corporation would be more profitable. 3. By the time the company decided to lower the prices, demand for oil (decrease). 4. The customer (wait) for the equipment for two weeks when he wrote the angry letter. 5. He (apply) for seven jobs before he was finally called for an interview. 6. The firm (advertise) for four months before sales began to increase. G. Complete the sentences using the Future Continuous or the Present Continuous tense of the verbs in brackets. 1. Right now farmers are using half of the land for wheat production, but in two years they (produce) more corn and rice.. 2. Those students (study) microeconomics now. Next year at this time they (study) macroeconomics 3. The price of the airplane tickets (increase) on the 15th of next month. 4. Soon that store (sell) many products that it doesn't have now. 5. Right now that factory (turn out) 200 refrigerators a month. 6. Starting next week, that company (export) its products to two countries. 3
Grammar reference Present Simple & Present Continuous Use the Present Simple: to talk about habits, or general truths Most authors write about 1,000 words a day. The President of the U.S. works in the White House. Use the Present Continuous: for temporary situations or activities that are taking place as we speak He is acting as a manager while the boss is away. Listen! This computer is making a strange noise. Past Simple & Past Continuous Use the Past Simple: for events that took place at a specific time in the past (and are completed) - When did you last write a letter by hand? - I think it was about a year ago. Use the Past Continuous: to talk about things that were in progress in the past (sometimes when something else happened) Last week, the police were watching the house on the corner. We were looking at the stars when a comet flew across the sky Present Perfect Simple & Continuous Use the Present Perfect Simple: when there is a connection between the past and the present (when something continues or is important in the present); time is not important The explorers have just reached the North Pole. He s lost a lot of weight in the last few months. Use the Present Perfect Continuous: for events that began in the past and continue into or are relevant to the present; the events might be repeated, and we re also interested in how long They have been going out with each other since Christmas. You re late! Sorry, I ve been trying to park my car. Past Perfect Simple & Continuous Use the Past Perfect Simple: to talk about what happened before a certain point in the past By the time the police arrived, the robber had gone away. Use the Past Perfect Continuous: 4
to describe a longer action that starts in the past and continues up to a certain point in the past; we re interested in how long I m not surprised that Dave and Amy emigrated; they had been thinking about it for years. Future Simple, Continuous & Perfect Use the Future Simple: to express instant decisions or predictions Will you marry me? No, I won t. Soon, we will pay all our bills by mobile phone. Use the Future Continuous: to talk about an event that will be in progress at a certain time in the future This time next year we will be travelling to South America. Use the Future Perfect: to talk about things that will have happened by a certain time in the future By this time next week we will have finished our report. Verbs not usually in the continuous form Some verbs do not usually have a continuous form. For thinking and feeling think We think the report is excellent. believe I believe he's in Japan at the moment. know They know that she's coming today. understand I'm sorry, I don't understand. remember Do you remember that hotel in London? For possession belong This book belongs to Antonia Baena. have Do you have any red shirts? own He owns half the island. For the senses feel The office feels very cold today. smell It smells awful. taste But it tastes delicious. sound It sounds OK. For wants and likes want They want a bigger pay rise. like I like it here. love I love you more than I can say. hate She hates the winter. need I need you so much. prefer He prefers cross-country to downhill skiing. wish I wish I could fly. 5
For how things look or seem look She looks absolutely great. seem It seems OK. Others matter It doesn't matter. depend It depends on the weather. hear I hear that you're getting married. owe He owes me $100. 6
Key A. 1. hates present simple 2. is going present continuous 3. have been waiting present perfect continuous 4. were doing past continuous 5. will be able future simple 6. Had been past perfect simple 7. have ( ve) had present perfect simple 8. did buy past simple 9. had ( d) been walking past perfect continuous 1. 4 2. 8 3. 1 4. 5 5. 6, 9 6. 3, 7 7. 2 B. 1. OK 2. had never seen 3. has Dr Harris examined 4. did you buy 5. worked / had worked / had been working 6. I have ( ve) written 7. had already started 8. OK 9. had been sitting 10. OK 11. had been snowing 12. has crashed 13. were riding 14. OK (or: has been raining) C. 1. have ( ve) been discussing 2. Have you faxed 3. has just left 4. have ( ve) had 5. has ( s) been talking 6. Has she given D. 1. had spent / did not (didn t) buy 2. arrived / d (had) closed 7
3. met / had not (hadn t) seen 4. did not (didn t) see / d (had) already gone 5. d (had) never studied / started 6. finished / had stopped 7. hit / d (had) left E. 1. postponed 2. didn t you stop 3. has not (hasn t) been cut 4. has ( s) taken over 5. took place F. 1. d (had) been working 2. had already set up 3. had decreased 4. had been waiting 5. d (had) applied 6. had been advertising G. 1. ll (will) be producing 2. are studying / ll (will) be studying 3. is increasing (also: will be increasing) 4. ll (will) be selling 5. is turning out 6. ll (will) be exporting 8