EXERCISES ON VERB TENSES WITH ANSWERS

A.IDENTIFYING TENSES

Match the tense name with the number

of the sentence in which that verb tense
is used in ALL CAPS.
Your Answers Tenses Sent. No.
5 past perfect 1
7 simple future 2
9 future progressive 3
4 past progressive 4
1 present perfect 5
8 present progressive 6
10 simple present 7
2 future perfect progressive 8
6 present perfect progressive 9
3 simple past 10

B. Complete the following journal with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
You can’t imagine what this adventure ___is_______(be) like. October 1 st
___is__________ (be) the third day of my walking tour around
Nepal. I am exhausted and my legs __are shaking___________
(shake); I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet
___are really killing__________ (kill, really) me and my toes _____were
bleeding________ (bleed),
but I ____still want_________ (want, still) to continue.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn.
Everything ___is__________ (be) so different, and I ____am trying_________
(try) to adapt to the new way of life here. I ___am learning__________ (learn)
a little bit of the language to make communication easier;
unfortunately, I___don´t learn__________ (learn, not) foreign languages quickly.
Although I___dont understand__________ (understand, not) much yet, I believe that I
___i will be gradually_________ (improve, gradually). I____am currently
travelling_________ (travel, currently) with Liam, a student from Leeds University in
England. He_____is________ (be) a nice guy, but impatient. He ____walks_________
(walk, always) ahead of me and ____complains_________ (complain) that I am too
slow. I _____am doing________ (do) my best to keep up with him, but he is younger
and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because I am getting
old.
Right now, Liam ____is sitting_________ (sit) with the owner of the inn. They ____are
discussing_________ (discuss) the differences between life in England and life in
Nepal. I ____don´t know_________ (know, not) the real name of the owner, but
everybody ______calls_______ (call, just) him Tam. Tam ____speaks_________
(speak) English very well and he _____is trying________ (try) to teach Liam some
words in Nepali. Every time Tam ____says_________ (say) a new word, Liam
______tries_______ (try) to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam _____seems________
(seem, also) to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost
and have to ask for directions

C. Complete the following letter with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Explain the numbered cases.
Dear William,
Thank you for your last letter. I ______am__________ (be) sorry I ____havent
written___________ (not write) for so long, but as you can probably imagine, I
____am____________ (be) pretty busy with the new job.
Anyway, the reason I ____am writting____________ (write) is that I
___saw_____________ (see) Stuart the other day and he ____asked____________
(ask) after you. He ____has_just got___________ (just /get) back from Nairobi, and he
____is staying____________ (stay) here for the next few months. He ___is
tinking_____________ (think –1) about getting in touch with everyone again, so
_____drop___________ (drop) him a line if you ____feel____________ (feel) like it. His
address ____is____________ (be) 6, Mardsen Crescent, London NE10. Apparently, he
___is having_____________ (have – 2) a really good time out there but no doubt he’ll
tell you about it.
By the way, I ______am having__________ (have -3) a drinks party here on the 25th. I
____i am not___________ (not be) sure yet who ________will come________ (come),
but there’ll be some people from the office plus a few others. Please
_____let___________ (let) me know if you can make it.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again.
Yours,
James

D. Choose a verb with either the present perfect or past simple to complete these
sentences.

agree /appear /continue/ disappear/ move /reach/ show/ solve/ write

1. Research ……has shown………that cycling can help patients overcome their

illnesses.
2. The rabbit just ……apeared…………………in my garden one day last week.
3 .With this promotion, I feel that I …have reached…………….a turning point in my
career.
4. Oh, no! My car ……desappeared………………..!
5. Breaking news: Quite early in the negotiations, they…have agreed…………. to lower
the prices.
6. In 1788 he ……showed………..his last great work in Vienna.
7 .There's not much more to do, now that we…have solved………. the main problem.
8. Throughout the summer of 1980 Malcolm ……continued………to divide his time
between London and New York.
9. When he was 13, his parents……moved………. to the United States.

E. Find the following: (i) three sentences that are incorrect;

(ii) three sentences with the present perfect which could also
have the past simple (consider the difference in meaning);
(Hi) three sentences where only the present perfect is correct.

1. Jane has agreed to lend us her car. (II)

2. Do you know how many people have walked on the moon?
3 .Phone for an ambulance. I think Keith's broken his arm.
4. In his twenties, Lawrence has spent many years travelling around Spain.
5 .The Vikings have established a settlement at what is now York, in the north of
England.
6. The house looks so much bigger now that we've painted the walls in brighter colours.
7 .My brother has gone into town to buy some new shoes.
8. The Earth has been formed about 4,500 million years ago.
9. I've worked in Malaysia for three years.
 ANSWERS

A. Answers: 5-7-9-4-1-8-10-2-6-3

B. Complete the following journal with the correct form of the verb in brackets.

You can’t imagine what this adventure ___is______(be) like. October 1 st

________is_____ (be) the third day of my walking tour k around
Nepal. I am exhausted and my legs __are shaking___
(shake); I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet
________are really killing _____ (kill, really) me and my toes _are bleeding
____________ (bleed), but I _still want ____________ (want, still) to continue.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn.
Everything ______is_______ (be) so different, and I _am trying ____________
(try) to adapt to the new way of life here. I ___am learning__________ (learn)
a little bit of the language to make communication easier;
unfortunately, I______don’t learn _______ (learn, not) foreign languages quickly.
Although I______don’t understand _______ (understand, not) much yet, I believe that I
__will be gradually___________ (improve, gradually). I____am currently__travelling
_______ (travel, currently) with Liam, a student frlom Leeds University in England.
He_______is ______ (be) a nice guy, but impatient. He __always walks ___________
(walk, always) ahead of me and __complains___________ (complain) that I am too
slow. I __am___doing________ (do) my best to keep up with him, but he is younger
and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because I am getting
old.
Right now, Liam _____is sitting ________ (sit) with the owner of the inn. They
_______are discussing ______ (discuss) the differences between life in England and
life in Nepal. I _____don’t know ________ (know, not) the real name of the owner, but
everybody _________just calls ____ (call, just) him Tam. Tam ________speaks _____
(speak) English very well and he ___is trying __________ (try) to teach Liam some
words in Nepali. Every time Tam ____says_________ (say) a new word, Liam
___________tries __ (try) to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam ____also seems _________
(seem, also) to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost
and have to ask for directions
C.Complete the following letter with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Explain the numbered cases.
Dear William,
Thank you for your last letter. I _________am_______ (be) sorry I ____haven’t written
___________ (not write) for so long, but as you can probably imagine, I
____________am____ (be) pretty busy with the new job.
Anyway, the reason I __am writing ______________ (write) is that I
___________saw_____ (see) Stuart the other day and he __asked ______________
(ask) after you. He _______has just got _________ (just /get) back from Nairobi, and he
______________is staying __ (stay) here for the next few months. He
_____________is thinking ___ (think –1) about getting in touch with everyone again, so
_________drop_______ (drop) him a line if you ____feel____________ (feel) like it. His
address _________is_______ (be) 6, Mardsen Crescent, London NE10. Apparently, he
____________is having ____ (have – 2) a really good time out there but no doubt he’ll
tell you about it.
By the way, I ____am having ____________ (have -3) a drinks party here on the 25th.
I _____am not __________ (not be) sure yet who _____will come ___________
(come), but there’ll be some people from the office plus a few others. Please
____________let____ (let) me know if you can make it.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again.
Yours,
James

1. Think: a synonym of “consider” or “reflect on something” for a temporary period of

time.
2. Have: a synonym of “spend”. It does not “possession” here. The continuous form can
be used.
3. Have: a synonym of “throw” a party. The Present Continuous is used to refer to the
future.

D.Choose a verb with either the present perfect or past simple to complete these
sentences.

agree /appear /continue/ disappear/ move /reach/ show/ solve/ write

1. Research …has shown…………that cycling can help patients overcome their

illnesses.
2. The rabbit just …appeared……………………in my garden one day last week.
3 .With this promotion, I feel that I ………have reached……….a turning point in my
career.
4. Oh, no! My car ……………has disappeared………..!
5. Breaking news: Quite early in the negotiations, they……have agreed……. to lower
the prices.
6. In 1788 he ……showed………..his last great work in Vienna.
7 .There's not much more to do, now that we…have solved…………. the main problem.
8. Throughout the summer of 1980 Malcolm …continued …………to divide his time
between London and New York.
9. When he was 13, his parents……moved………. to the United States.

E.Find the following: (i) three sentences that are incorrect;

(ii) three sentences with the present perfect which could also
have the past simple (consider the difference in meaning);
(Hi) three sentences where only the present perfect is
correct.
1. Jane has agreed to lend us her car. (II)
2. Do you know how many people have walked on the moon? (Hi)
3 .Phone for an ambulance. I think Keith's broken his arm.(Hi)
4. In his twenties, Lawrence has spent many years travelling around Spain.(i)
5 .The Vikings have established a settlement at what is now York, in the north of
England.(i)
6. The house looks so much bigger now that we've painted the walls in brighter colours.
(Hi)
7 .My brother has gone into town to buy some new shoes.(ii)
8. The Earth has been formed about 4,500 million years ago.(i)
9. I've worked in Malaysia for three years.(ii)