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Exercise
1 The
present perfect simple and continuous. Put the verbs in
brackets into the correct tense: present perfect simple or present
perfect continuous.
1
Peter: You (telephone) for ages. You not nearly (finish)?
Jack: I (not get)
through yet. I (try) to get our Paris office but the line (be)
engaged all morning.
2
Ann (fail) her driving test three times because she’s so bad at
reversing. But she (practise) reversing for the last week and I think
she (get) a bit better at it.
3
Tom: I often (wonder) why Bill left the country so suddenly.
Peter: Actually,
I just (find) out.
4
He (play) the bagpipes since six o’clock this morning. He only
just (stop).
5
Why you (not bring) me the letters for signature? You (not type)
them yet?
6
Tom (looking up absent-mindedly as Mary comes in): You (sunbathe)?
Mary (crossly):
Don’t be ridiculous! It (rain) all day!
7
A pair of robins (build) a nest in the porch since last week. I
(watch) them from my window since they began.
8
The police (not find) the murderer yet, but the dead man’s brother
(be) in the station all day. The police say that he (help) them with
their enquiries.
9
They (pull) down most of the houses in this street, but they
(not touch) the old shop at the corner yet.
10
Tom is convinced that there is gold in these hills but we
(search) for six months and (not see) any sign of it.
11
I (wait) for the prices of the houses to come down before
buying a house, but I think I (wait) too long and the prices are
beginning to go up again.
12
Peter (be) a junior clerk for three years. Lately he (look)
for a better post but so far he (not find) anything.
13
I (do) housework all morning and I (not finish) yet.
-
I (do) mine already. I always start at 6 a.m.
14
I just (pick) ten pounds of strawberries! I (grow)
strawberries for years but I never (have) such a good crop before.
15
What you (do)
with the corkscrew? The point is broken off.
-
I’m afraid I (use) it to make holes in this tin.
16
She just
(sell) two of her own paintings.
-
She’s lucky. I (paint) for five years and I (not sell) a
single picture yet.
17
They are throwing crockery at each other in the next flat.
-
This (happen) before?
-
Well, they (have) a good many rows but this is the first time
they (throw) crockery.
18
What you (do) with my typewriter? I can’t find it anywhere.
-
Tom just (go) off with it. He says he’ll bring it back when
he (finish).
19
He (work) for Crow Brothers for forty years and never once (be)
late. The firm just (present) him with a gold watch as .a sign of
their appreciation.
20
We (mend) sheets all morning but we only (do) three, and now the
sewing machine (break) down so we’ll be even slower with the next
one.
21
George (collect) matchboxes ever since he left school. Now he
(collect) so many that he doesn’t know where to put them.
22
I (look) through my old photograph album. It’s full of photographs
of people whose names I completely (forget). I wonder what (happen)
to them all.
23
It was lovely at eleven o’clock, but since then the sky (get)
steadily darker and the wind (rise). I’m afraid the fine spell
(come) to an end.
24
Since he became Mayor, my brother reckons that he (eat) 30 official
lunches and 22 official dinners, and he (lose) count of the number of
receptions and parties that he (attend).
-
He (put) on a lot of weight?
25
Secretary: Customers (ring) up all morning complaining about getting
incorrect bills.
Manager: I know,
something (go) wrong with our computer. The mechanic (work) on it. I
hope he (find) out what’s wrong.
26
Someone (use) my umbrella! It’s all wet! And it was wet yesterday
and the day before!
-
Well, it wasn’t me. I (not be) out of the house for a week!
27
I (stand) in this queue for ages. It (not move) at all in the last
five minutes. I think the man in the ticket office just (shut) his
window and (go) off for lunch.
28
The Town Council (consider) my application for permission to build a
garage for three months. They just (give) my neighbour permission to
build one, so I hope they (decide) to let me have one too.'
29
You look exhausted!
-
Yes, I (play) tennis and I (not play) for years, so I’m not
used to it.
30
They began widening this road three weeks ago; but the workmen (be)
on strike for the last fortnight so they (not get) very far with it.
31
That man (stand) at the bus stop for the last half hour. Shall I
tell him that the last bus already (go)?
32
I wonder if anything (happen) to Tom. I (wait) an hour now. He often
(keep) me waiting but he never (be) quite so late as this.
33
Mrs Brown (live) next door for quite a long time now but she never
(say) more than ‘Good morning’ to me.
34
I just (remember) that I (not pay) the rent yet. I am surprised that
the landlord (not ring) me up to remind me.
-
It is the first time you (be) late with the rent in 25 years.
He probably thinks that you (pay) and he (lose) the cheque.
35
Shop assistant; Could you give me some proof of your identity,
madam?
Customer: But I
(shop) here for fifteen years!
Shop assistant: I
know, madam, but apparently the company (lose) a lot of money lately
through dud cheques and they (make) new regulations which we (be
told) to apply to all customers no matter how long we (know) them.
36
What you (do)? I (look) for you for ages.
-
I (build) a barbecue in the garden.
Student
Exercise
2 The simple past and the past
perfect, simple and continuous. Put the verbs in brackets into the
correct tense.
1 He (give) me
back the book, (thank) me for lending it to him and he
(say) that he (enjoy) it very much; but I (know) that he (not
read) it because most of the pages (be) still uncut.
2 When he (see)
his wife off at the station he (return)
home as he (not have) to be at the airport till 9.30.
3
He (not have) to pack, for his wife already (do) that for him
and ms case (be) ready in the hall.
4
He (not have) to check the doors and windows either, for his wife
always (do) that before she (leave) the house.
5
All he (have) to do (be) to decide whether or not to take his
overcoat with him. In the end he (decide) not to.
6
At 8.30 he (pick) up his case, (go) out of house and
(slam) the door behind him.
7 Then he (feel)
in his jpodrets for the key, for his wife (remind) him to double-lock
the irast door.
8 When he
(search) all his pockets and (find) no key he Remember) where it
(be).
9 He (leave) it
in his overcoat pocket.
10
Then he (remember) something
else; his passport and tickets (be) m his overcoat pocket as well.
11
I (arrive) in England in the middle of July. I (be told) that
England (be) shrouded in fog all year round, so I (be) quite
surprised to find that it was merely raining.
12 I (ask)
another passenger, an Englishman, about the fog and he (say) that
there (not be) any since the previous February.
13 If I (want)
fog, he said, I (come) at quite the wrong time.
14 However, he
(tell) me that I could buy tinned fog at a shop in Shaftesbury
Avenue.
15 He (admit)
that he never (buy) fog there himself but (assure) me that they
(sell) good quality fog and that it (not be) expensive. I suppose he
was joking.
16
When the old lady (return) to her flat she (see) at once that
burglars (break) in during her absence, because the front door (be)
open and everything in the flat (be) upside down.
17
The burglars themselves (be) no longer there, but they probably only
just (leave) because a cigarette was still burning on an ornamental
table.
18
Probably they (hear) the lift coming up and (run) down the fire
escape.
19 They (help)
themselves to her whisky too but there (be) a little left, so she
(pour) herself out a drink.
20 She (wonder)
if they (find) her jewellery and rather (hope) that they had.
21 The jewellery
(be given) her by her husband, who (die) some years before.
22 Since his
death she (not have) the heart to wear it, yet she (not like) to sell
it.
23
Now it (seem) that fate (take) the matter out of her hands; and
certainly the insurance money would come in handy.
24
I (put) the £5 note into one of my books; but next day it (take) me
ages to find it because I (forget) which book I (put) it into.
25
A woman (come) in with a baby, who she (say) just (swallow) a safety
pin.
26
I (think) my train (leave) at 14.33, and (be) very disappointed when
I (arrive) at 14.30 and (learn) that it just (leave).
27
I (find) later that I (use) an out-of-date timetable.
28 He (park) his
car under a No Parking sign and (rush) into the shop. When he (come)
out of the shop ten minutes later the car (be) no longer there.
29 He (wonder)
if someone (steal) it or if the police (drive) it away.
30 It (be) now 6
p.m.; and Jack (be) tired because he (work) hard all day.
31 He (be) also
hungry because he (have) nothing to eat since breakfast.
32 His wife
usually (bring) him sandwiches at lunch time, but today for some
reason she (not come).
33
He (keep) looking at her, wondering where he (see) her before.
34
I (look) out before I (go) to bed and (see) a man standing on the
opposite pavement watching the house.
35
When I (get up) the following morning he (be) still there, and I
(wonder) whether he (stay) there all night or if he (go) away and
(come) back.
36 When I (open)
the door I (see) a man on his knees.
37 He clearly
(listen) to our conversation and I (wonder) how much he (hear).
38 When I (ask)
him what he (do), he (say) that he (drop) a 50p piece outside the
door and (look) for it.
39 I (not see)
any sign of the money, but I (find) a small notebook and pencil which
he probably (drop) when the door (open) suddenly.
40 So he (take)
notes of our conversation!
41 The notes
(be) written in a foreign language, so I (turn) to the stranger and
(ask) him to translate.
42 But he (pull)
my hat over my eyes and (run) off down the corridor.
43 By the time I
(recover) from the shock he (disappear) round the corner.
44 Curiously
enough, when I (move) my foot I (find) that I (stand) on a 50p piece.
45 Perhaps he
(tell) the truth after all!'
Student
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Answers
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Exercise 1
1 have been telephoning; Haven’t you nearly finished; haven’t
got; have been trying, has been 2 has failed; has been practising,
has got 3 have often wondered; have just found out 4 has been
playing; has only just stopped 5 haven’t you brought; Haven’t
you typed 6 Have you been sunbathing; has been raining/ has rained
7 have been building; have been watching/have watched 8 haven’t
found, has been; has been helping 9 have pulled down, haven’t
touched 10 have searched/have been searching, haven’t seen 11
have been waiting, have waited 12 has been; has been looking,
hasn’t found 13 have been doing, haven’t finished; have done
14 have just picked; have grown/have been growing, have never had
15 have you been doing; have been using 16 has just sold; have
been painting, haven’t sold 17 has this happened; have had, have
thrown 18 have you done; has just gone; has finished 19 has
worked/has been working, has never once been; have/has just
presented 20 have been
mending/have mended, have only done, has broken down 21 has
collected/has been collecting; has collected 22 have been looking,
have completely forgotten; has happened 23 has been getting/has
got, has been rising/has risen; has come 24 has eaten, has lost
count, has attended; Has he put on 25 have been
ringing up; has gone; has been working; has found out 26 has been
using; haven’t been 27 have been standing; hasn’t moved; has
just shut... and gone off 28 has/have been considering; have just
given, have decided 29 have been playing, haven’t played 30 have
been, haven’t got 31 has been standing; has already gone 32 has
happened; have been waiting/have waited; has often kept, has never
been 33 has been living/has lived, has never said 34 have just ,
remembered, haven’t paid; hasn’t rung; have been; have paid;
has lost 35 have been shopping/have shopped; has been losing/has
lost, have made, have been told, have known 36 have you been
doing; have been looking; have been building
Exercise 2
1 gave, thanked, said, had enjoyed, knew, hadn’t read, were 2
had seen, returned, didn’t have/hadn’t 3 didn’t have, had
already done, was 4 didn’t have, did, left 5 had, was; decided 6
picked, went, slammed 7 felt, had reminded 8 had searched and
found, remembered, was 9 had left 10 remembered, were 11 arrived;
had been told, was, was 12 asked, said, hadn’t been 13 wanted,
had come 14 told 15
admitted, never bought/had never bought, assured, sold, wasn’t
16 returned, saw, had broken in, was, was 17 were, had only just
left 18 Probably they (had) heard/They (had) probably heard, had
run/ran 19 had helped, was, poured 20 wondered, had found, hoped
21 had been given, had died 22 hadn’t had, hadn’t liked 23
seemed, had taken 24 put, took, had
forgotten/forgot, had put 25 came, said, had just swallowed 26
thought, left, was, arrived, learnt, had just left 27 found, had
been using/had used 28 parked, rushed; came, was 29 wondered, had
stolen, had driven 30 was, was, had been working/had worked 31
was, had had 32 brought, hadn’t come 33 kept, had seen 34
looked, went, saw 35 got up, was, wondered, had stayed, had gone
away and come back 36 opened, saw 37 had clearly been listening,
wondered, had heard 38 asked, had been doing/was doing, said, had
dropped, had been looking for/was looking for 39 didn’t see,
found, had probably dropped, opened 40 had been taking 41 were,
turned, asked 42 pulled, ran off 43 (had) recovered, had
disappeared 44 moved, found, had been standing 45 had been
telling/was telling
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