Grammar

1 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1 I ______________________________ (just / make) some biscuits. They’re

nicer than the ones I (make) last week.
2 In the past, children ______________________________ (work) in factories
and ______________________________ (live) in unsanitary houses.
3 Rick ______________________________ (just / change) the channel. Why?
Well, because he ______________________________ (already / watch) the
film on Channel 1 two nights earlier.
4 We ______________________________ (get) there late because the train
______________________________ (be delayed) back in Manchester.
5 ______________________________ (Sally / write) those letters yet? She
______________________________ (start) them hours ago, so they should
be finished.

2 Read the answers and write questions using the prompts.

1 When / Jenny / join / the book club?

__________________________________________________________
Oh, on the fifth of September.
2 How long / Simon / have / a bad cold?
__________________________________________________________
Oh, for a couple of days. He feels awful.
3 When / he / write / the play?
__________________________________________________________
Two years ago.
 4 he / lose / his umbrella?
__________________________________________________________
Yes. He can’t find it anywhere.
5 What time / she /get up?
__________________________________________________________
Seven o’clock this morning.

3 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1 I’ve ______________________________ (know) Simon all my life.

2 Susie got absolutely soaked because she
______________________________ (forget) to bring her umbrella.
3 We ______________________________ (wait) for you for ages. Why are
you so late?
4 Tim has ______________________________ (tell) that awful joke at least
four times already.
5 I ______________________________ (not eat) very much for breakfast so I
felt very hungry by twelve o’clock.
6 How long ______________________________ (you / renovate) that old
house? Will you finish the work soon?

4 Choose the best options to complete the sentences.

1 I’ve been to the gym …

__ a last weekend.
__ b since Tuesday.
2 He’s been playing computer games …
__ a twice today.
__ b all afternoon.
3 He had been phoning Donald …
__ a since he got in.
__ b these days.
__ c twice this weekend.
__ d a couple of days ago.
__ c from two to three o’clock.
__ d last night.
__ c twice today.
__ d but he has been busy.
 4 Josephine has left the school …
__ a since two o’clock.
__ b five minutes ago.
5 Sean had gone home …
__ a since five o’clock.
__ b before the lesson ended.
__ c before you rang.
__ d and is on her way home.
__ c as soon as the bell had rung.
__ d from two hours.

5 Complete the text with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

Sally (1) ______________________________ (work) as a journalist in

London for six months when I first (2) ______________________________
(meet) her in the summer of 2008. The week before, she
(3) ______________________________ (just / write) a couple of important
articles about British politics for her newspaper. Since then, Sally and I
(4) ______________________________ (be) friends. She
(5) ______________________________ (help) me many times in my career
as a reporter and we (6) ______________________________ (have) a lot of
fun together from time to time. She (7) ______________________________
(travel) in South America for the last month or so. She
(8) ______________________________ (send) me a postcard last week,
saying that she (9) ______________________________ (interview) a leading
politician there earlier in the day, and that she
(10) ______________________________ (have) a great story for one of the
tabloids.
6 Translate the sentences into your own language.

1 Amy had been playing tennis for an hour when we arrived.

__________________________________________________________
2 I’ve just bought a new coat.
__________________________________________________________
3 How many times have you fallen off your bike?
__________________________________________________________
4 Jo has been listening to music since she got home.
__________________________________________________________
5 Sue felt tired because she had been working hard all day.
__________________________________________________________