CONSOLIDATION: PAST TENSE

1. Choose the most appropriate time expression underlined.

(A) Once / Afterwards Id read the manual, I found I could use the computer quite well.
(B) It was more than a month before / until I realized what had happened.
(C) I managed to talk to Carol just as / while she was leaving.
(D) It wasnt until / up to 2006 that Nigel could afford to take holidays abroad.
(E) George always let me know by the time / whenever he was going to be late.
(F) I was having a bath at the time / that time, so I didnt hear the doorbell.
(G) We bought our tickets and five minutes after / later the train arrived.
(H) According to Grandpa, people used to dress formally those days / in his day.
(I) Everyone was talking but stopped at the time / the moment Mr. Smith entered the room.
(J) The letter still hadnt arrived by / until the end of the week.

2. Complete each sentence (A) to (J) with an appropriate ending form (1) to (10). Do not
use an ending more than once.
(A) I havent been feeling very well ..
(B) I went to the dentists
(C) Ive lived here .
(D) Dont worry. I havent been waiting.
(E) Ive lived in this house .
(F) I waited outside your house
(G) Ive warned you about this
(H) I havent made a decision ..
(I) The repair has worked ..
(J) Ive decided to believe you

(1) time and time again.

(2) all my life.
(3) so far.
(4) for the time being.
(5) for the past hour or two.
(6) yet.
(7) till half past eight.
(8) for a while.
(9) the other day.
(10) long.

3. Put each verb in brackets into the most appropriate perfect or past tense.
(A) Im sorry I __________________________________________ (not come) to class lately.
(B) I wonder if Mary _________________________________ (reach) home yet?
(C) ______________________________ (you made up) your minds?
(D) What _____________________________ (you decide) to do?
(E) Recent research ___________________________ (show) that Columbus ________________
(not discover) America, but that Vikings ______________________ (land) there five hundred
years before him.
(F) I think that people ___________________ (become) tired of the poor quality of television
programs, though they ____________________ (improve) lately.
(G) Bill ______________________ (get) that new job, but he _______________________
(complain) about it ever since.

ANSWERS:

TENSE CONSOLIDATION: TWO

1. Choose the most appropriate time expression underlined.
(K) Once Id read the manual, I found I could use the computer quite well.
(L) It was more than a month before I realized what had happened.
(M) I managed to talk to Carol just as she was leaving.
(N) It wasnt until 2006 that Nigel could afford to take holidays abroad.
(O) George always let me know whenever he was going to be late.
(P) I was having a bath at the time, so I didnt hear the doorbell.
(Q) We bought our tickets and five minutes later the train arrived.
(R) According to Grandpa, people used to dress formally in his day.
(S) Everyone was talking but stopped the moment Mr. Smith entered the room.
(T) The letter still hadnt arrived by the end of the week.

2. Complete each sentence (A) to (J) with an appropriate ending form (1) to (10). Do not
use an ending more than once.
(A) I havent been feeling very well ..
(B) I went to the dentists
(C) Ive lived here .
(D) Dont worry. I havent been waiting.
(E) Ive lived in this house .
(F) I waited outside your house
(G) Ive warned you about this
(H) I havent made a decision ..
(I) The repair has worked ..
(J) Ive decided to believe you

(1) (g) time and time again.

(2) (e) all my life.
(3) (i) so far.
(4) (j) for the time being.
5) (a) for the past hour or two.
(6) (h) yet.
(7) (f) till half past eight.
(8) (c) for a while.
(9) (b) the other day.
(10) (d) long.

3. Put each verb in brackets into the most appropriate perfect or past tense.
(H) Im sorry I have not been (not come) to class lately.
(I) I wonder if Mary has reached (reach) home yet?
(J) Have you made up (you made up) your minds?
(K) What have you decided (you decide) to do?
(L) Recent research shows (show) that Columbus did not (not discover) America, but that Vikings
landed (land) there five hundred years before him.
(M) I think that people have become (become) tired of the poor quality of television programs,
though they have improved (improve) lately.
(N) Bill got (get) that new job, but he has complained (complain) about it ever since.