EXERCISES

Exercise 1. Read the following extracts and put the verbs in brackets into the
Present Simple or the Present Continuous. Then, say what use of these tenses each
extract shows.
A. These days, it seems everything 1)______is changing_____ (change). Cities
2) _______become____ (become) bigger and busier every year, technology 3) _is
developing__________ (develop) faster than ever before, and scientists 4) ____are
learning_______ (learn) more about the way things work.
B. Water 1)______boils_____ (boil) at 100°C and 2)_____freezes______ (freeze)
when the temperature 3)_____drops______ (drop) below 0°C. Salt water
4)_____is______ (be) different, however.
C. This film 1)_____is______ (be) great! It 2)____has_______ (have) an all-star
cast and the script 3) ______is_____ (be) very funny. The action
4)___begins________ (begin) when two young men 5)____is trying_______ (try)
to rob a bank.
D. Rogers 1)______kicks_____ (kick) the ball and 2)____passes_______(pass) it
to Jones. Jones 3)_____runs______ (run) down the pitch. He
4)_____passes______ (pass) the ball to Smith who 5) ____shoots_______ (shoot)
and 6)______scores_____ (score)!

Exercise 2. Fill in gaps with: recently, how long, yet, for, always, ever, already,
since, so far or just.
1. A: Has Tom finished his exams ______yet_____?
B: No. He finishes next Thursday.
2. A: ___How long________has Janet been working at the hospital?
B: She has been working there _______since____she left school.
3. A: How are you finding your new job?
B: Great! I haven’t had any problems _____so far______.
4. A: Is John at home, please?
B: No, I’m afraid he’s _____already_____gone out.
5. A: Have you been waiting long?
B: Yes, I’ve been here ____for______two hours.
6. A: Has Martin _____ever______been to Spain?
B: No, I don’t think so.
7. A: Have you spoken to Mathew ____yet_______?
B: Yes. I phoned him last night.
8. A: Can you do the washing-up for me, please?
B: Don’t worry. Mike has ____already_______done it.
9. A: Lucy has ____always_______been musical, hasn’t she?
B: Yes, she started playing the piano when she was five years old.
10. A: Shall we go to that new restaurant tonight?
B: Yes. I have ____already______been there. It’s really nice.
11. A: Your dog’s been barking _____for_____three hours!
B: I’m sorry. I’ll take him inside.
12. A: Have you finished reading that book yet?
B: No, I’ve ____just_______started it.
Exercise 3. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or the Present
Continuous.
1. Are you doing anything tomorrow evening?
Yes. I___am seeing________ (see) Jack at nine o‘clock.
2. I ____see_______ (see) you're feeling better.
Yes, I am thank you.
3. What's that noise?
The people next door___are having________ (have) a party.
4. Graham_____has______ (have) a new computer.
I know. I‘ve already seen it.
5. This dress___doesn’t fit________ (not/fit) me anymore.
Why don't you buy a new one?
6. Your perfume_____smells______ (smell) nice.What is it?
It’s a new perfume called Sunshine.
7. What is Jane doing?
She___is smelling________ (smell)the flowers in the garden.
8. What___are you looking________ (you/look) at?
Some photos I took during my holidays. They aren't very good, though.
9. You___look________ (look) very pretty today.
Thank you. I‘ve just had my hair cut.
10. I ___think________ (think) we’re being followed.
Don‘t be silly! It's just your imagination.
11. Is anything wrong?
No.I__am just thinking_________ (just/think) about the party tonight.
12. This fabric___feels________ (feel) like silk.
It is silk, and it was very expensive.
13. What are you doing?
I ___am felling________ (feel) the radiator to see if it‘s getting warm.
14. She_____is______ (be) generous, isn't she?
Yes, she has never been a mean person.
15. He_____is______ (be) very quiet today,isn‘the?
Yes, I think he has some problems.
16. Would you like some cherries?
Yes, please. I ___love________ (love) cherries.They‘re my favourite fruit.
17. I’m sorry, but I ___don’t understand________ (not/understand) what you
mean.
Shall I explain it again?
18. The children are making lots of noise today.
I know, but they__are having_________ (have) fun.
19. This cake___tastes________ (taste) awful.
I think I forgot to put the sugar in it!
Exercise 4. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Perfect or Present Perfect
Continuous.
1. Look! Somebody _____has broken______ (break) the window.
2. I wonder if John ____has forgotten_______ (forget) my number. I __have
expected_________ (expect) him to call for the past two hours.
3. You look very upset. What ___has happened________(happen)?
4. Haven’t You __finished_________(not finish) that book yet? You _have been
reading__________(read) it for more than a week.
5. The meat must be nearly ready. I __have been cooking_________ (cook) it for
nearly an hour.
6. What have you _been doing__________ (do) for the last two hours? – I _have
been
sitting__________ (sit) here working at this problem.
7. I __have lost_________(lose) my key. Can you help me look for it?
8. My brother is an actor. He __has appeared_________(appear) in several films.
9. Sorry! I’m late. – That’s all right. I __haven’t been waiting_________(not wait)
long.
10. She has just ___sold________ (sell) two of her paintings. – She’s lucky. I
__have been painting_________(paint) for five years and I _haven’t
sold__________(not sell) a single picture yet.
11. He __has slept_________ (sleep) since ten o’clock. It’s time he woke up.
12. I __have pumped_________ (pump) up three tyres. Would you like to do the
fourth?
13. That boy _has eaten__________ (eat) seven ice-creams.
14. That helicopter ___has been flying________ (fly) round the house for the last
hour; do you think it’s taking photographs?
15. We __have walked_________ (walk) ten kilometers.
16. We __have been walking_________ (walk) for three hours.
17. I __have been working_________ (work) for him for ten years and he never
once say “Good morning” to me.
18. The radio ___have been playing________ (play) since 7 a.m. I wish someone
would turn it off.
19. He __has been studying_________ (study) English for two years and doesn’t
even know the alphabet.
Exercise 5. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct present forms.
Dear Sally,
You'll never guess where I 1)__am writing_________(write) from. I 2)__am
sitting_________(sit) in the garden of a hotel overlooking Lake Windermere. It's
so good to get away. We 3)___have been staying________(stay) here for nearly a
week now. Every morning I 4)______get up_____ (get up) at 7 o'clock and I
5)___go________ (go) for a swim in the lake before breakfast. Since we arrived ,
we 6)____have done_______ (do) a lot of sightseeing but we 7)__haven’t
visited_________ (not/visit) the castle yet. We 8)___have been
watching________(watch) the boats coming and going all morning and the owner
of the hotel 9)_____has just suggested______ (just/suggest) that we take a boat trip
this afternoon. There is a boat that 10) ___is leaving________(leave) at 2 o'clock
that we can take to cross the lake to Wray Castle - it sounds like fun. We 11)___are
travelling________(travel) to Scotland this weekend to visit relatives and then we
12)_are returning__________(return) to London next week. What 13)__have you
been doing_________ (you/do) in Devon since you got there? Email me soon and
tell me your news.
Mary.
Exercise 6. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or Past Continuous.
1. When I ____came_______(come) home, my little sister __was
sleeping_________(sleep).
2. When Kate ___opened________ (open) the door, the children__were
dancing_________(dance) round the fir-tree.
3. He_____is reading______ (read) on the sofa when Jill___came________(come)
in and___sat________(sit) down beside him.
4. She ___was looking________ (look) out of the window when
I____saw_______(see) her.
5. I ____was walking_______ (walk) along the street with my friend when a tram
___passed________(pass).
6. When I ____was washing_______ (wash) the floor, I ___found________(find)
my old toy under the sofa.
7. When granny ____was reading_______(read) a book on the sofa, she
__fell_________(fall) asleep.
8. When Nick ___rang________(ring) me up yesterday, I ___was
helping________(help) my mother.
9. When Mike __was playing_________(play) in the yard, he
__found_________(find) a ball.
10. When I ___was preparing________(prepare) breakfast in the morning, I
___cut________(cut) my finger.
11. When I ___was going________(go) to the stadium, I ___met________(meet)
Kate and Ann.
12. When we __were walking_________(walk) up the hills it suddenly
_started__________(start) raining.
13. When they ___were sailing________(sail) down the river, they
___saw________(see) a little island.
14. I __was playing_________(play) the piano when my mother
___asked________(ask) me for dinner.
Exercise 7. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Perfect or Past Simple.
1. They ___ate________ (eat) everything by the time I ____arrived_______
(arrive) at the party.
2. Last night I __arrived_________ (arrive) home at half past twelve. I
___had________ (have) a bath and then I __went_________ (go) to bed.
3. Nobody ___came________ (come) to the meeting because Ann __have
forgotten_________ (forget) to tell people about it.
4. When the police __arrived_________ (arrive), the car _had gone__________
(go).
5. The house was very quiet when I got home. Everybody ___had gone________
(go) to bed.
6. All the garages __closed_________ (close) by the time we __had
crossed_________ (cross) the border.
7. I _____tried______ (try) telephoning her several times but she __had
left_________ (leave) the city.
8. When we were on holiday, the weather __had been_________ (be) awful.
9. The car _____had gone______ (go) when I __looked_________ (look) into the
street.
10. You had already ___left________ (leave) when the trouble
___started________ (start).
11. When I __found_________ (find) the purse, someone __had taken_________
(take) money out of it.
12. We arrived at the cinema late. The film had already ___begun________
(begin).
13. Richard had already ____gone_______ (go) when his boss ___called________
(call).