27 Tense Revision

27.1 Read the following in the present then change to a) PRESENT PERFECT and b) PAST SIMPLE. (elementary)

I drink tea for breakfast [always/last night]. e.g. I have always had cocoa for supper. I had cocoa for supper last night.
The class begins at six o'clock [usually/ last year].
His brother lives in Rome [always/ in 1930].
We go to Monte Carlo.. [sometimes/for our last holiday].
It rains here [never/last week].
Miss X buys a new hat [often/ on Monday].
It rains here [never/last week].
That boy eats too much [often/at the party last night].
He makes himself ill with ice-cream [often/yesterday].
The plane starts very early [always/ this morning].
It arrives in the afternoon [usually/ when you were out].
He smokes in bed [never/when he was ill].
Mother makes a nice cake [often/for tea yesterday].
She learn quickly [generally/ when she was at school].
These children lose their pencils [often/for tea].
We speak French [seldom/ during Marie's visit].
She shuts the windows [frequently/ when I was out].
Do you write letters [often/ while you were away].
Do you play football [ever/when you were a boy].
Does the train start at the right time [ever/ before the change of timetable].
Does John forget his books? [regularly/yesterday].
Do you have coffee after dinner? [ always/ at the Smiths'].
He sleeps in the garden [often/all last week].
We don't see a policeman [often/ all last week]
That student doesn't come [always/last Wednesday].

27.2 Read the following sentences twice using the alternatives and replacing the word in italic (intermediate)

He often cooks his own breakfast [yesterday/ every morning since his wife left home]
We are living in the country now [until 1972/ since 1972]
The fat lady next door frequently practises singing [for three hours yesterday/ every day since we came to live here].
Cyril doesn't often drink any beer [at the party last night/ since I first met him].
He was preparing for the examination last month [now/ for a fortnight].
I've known all about it for years [at last/days ago].
I was selling a lot of my old books last month [today/lately].
You don't often come to see us nowadays [last year/ since you left the district].
Who are you laughing at now [just now/all this time]?
You look like a murderer in that hat [when you came in with that knife/ ever since you grew that moustache].
Then she had to go to the doctor's [in a minute/every morning this week].
He has told me that time and time again [two years ago/ every time he sees me].
Maisie was hiding from me when I called on her yesterday evening [at this very moment/ for weeks].
The barber shaves the Prime Minister whenever he visits this town [yesterday/ every day since he came here].
She always keeps us waiting a long time [last night/this evening].

27.3 Use the most suitable tense of PRESENT, PAST or PRESENT PERFECT (including CONTINUOUS tenses). (elementary)

She (go) away every weekend.
He (go) abroad last week.
No, he isn't here. He just (go) out.
He (go) downstairs when I met him.
Where is Mr Green? He (go) out ten minutes ago.
The boy never (see) the sea.
You (see) my bag? I (lose) it.
I (see) you yesterday. You (sit) outside a café.
He )already write= a lot of letters, but his sister )not write= many.
He is busy now: he (write) a letter.
I (Hope) he (get) better now, I (hear) he (have) a bad cold all the week.
O isia;;u (not take) sugar in my tea.
You (see) a good film lately?
He (live) in England since 1970.
When I last (see) him, he (live) in London.
He (sit) in the garden when the storm (break).
"You (go)to the cinema last night?" "No, I (not be) for three weeks."
I (hear) the news last night, but I (not hear) it today.
"You (read) that book yet? " "No, I only just (begin) it."
I (see) that you (buy) a new hat. How much you (pay) for it?

27.4 Use the most suitable tense - PRESENT, PAST or PRESENT PERFECT (including CONTINUOUS tenses) (intermediate)

When I (see) him he (sit) asleep in a chair.
I suppose you (here) the latest news: John (marry) that horrible Jackson girl yesterday.
The sun (shine) for the last half-hour and the wind (drop).
He (write) a letter now.
He already (write) two letters this morning.
He (write) a lot of letters yesterday.
We (not play) tennis together since last May
I (go) away last weekend.
You (see) my fountain-pen? I (lose) it.
I (learn) English for the last two years, and now I (study) Russian, too
When water (boil) the liquid (change) to a vapour that ( be called) steam.
He (study) chemistry for three years and then (give) it up.
Cyril never (wash) behind his ears; he (say) the soap (get) in his eyes.
Maisie (paint) her toe-nails and her hair (change) colour at least three times since last winter.
My wife (not come) home yet. She never (come) home before midnight and last night she (not get) in till two o'clock.
At present he (read) an English novel; it is the third English novel he (read) this year.
When your train (leave)? You (pack) your bags yet? Here are some sandwiches I (make) you for the journey.
She never (see) the sea. She (want) to go last year but she (have) no money.
You (speak) to my sister yesterday? No, I (not see) her for a long time. I (can) not remember when I last saw her.
While I (walk) through the park with Maisie last night, a man (snatch) her bag from her hand and (run) away. I (can) not run after him because if (be) too dark to leave her alone. The police (not catch) him yet.

27.5 Use the correct tense - including continuous forms (advanced)

Lend me your rubber. I (make) a mistake and (want) to rub it out.
I (see) you yesterday. You (drink) ginger beer at a café, but you (not see) me.
I (go) to Portugal five years ago. Since then I (not speak) Portuguese, and (forget) nearly all I (learn) there.
"You (read) Pickwick Papers?" "I (begin) the book last week and just (finish) it".
I (go) to the Zoo tomorrow. You ever (be) there?"
I hear you just (get) married. When the ceremony (take place).
We (go) to the Valley of the Rocks last Sunday. While we (eat) our lunch there a man (fall) from the rocks and (hurt) his head. We (take) him to hospital in our car, and (be) to see him twice since then. He (get) better now.
"Hello, who you (bring) with you? He (have) supper yet?" "No, he (not have)." "We usually (have) supper at eight, but Mary (not finish) yet. She still (eat) in the dining-room. He (not meet) Mary, and she (not know) him, so take him in , introduce him and give him something to eat."
"What you (look for?" "I (lose) my purse near here and (want) to find it before it (get) dark". "When you (lose) it?" "I think I (drop) it when I went to school this morning."
"I (look) at your photographs while you (be) out." "You (like) them? They (be) not very good."
As he (run) to jump over the ditch, he (fall) and (twist) his ankle. We (have) to carry him home. He now (lie) on the sofa, and he (read) a book until a few minutes ago. The doctor just (leave) and (say) as he (go) out that he must rest for a week.
"You (like) chess?" "Yes, but I (not play) for many years." "I (live) with a good chess player for the last six months, but he (play) extremely well and I (not wish) to play with him."
"We (wait) here for half an hour now, so I (not think) she will come. "She always (arrive) late, or you (think) something (happen) to her?" *I (not know), but I (think) we (wait) long enough."
You (remember) my name, or you (forget) it?
Look! My socks already (wear) out at the heels, even though I (wear) two pairs at once these last few weeks.

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