Tense Overview – Free Exercise

display incorrect answers

Exercises

What a Language Course Can Do

Complete the text using the verb in brackets in the correct tense. Sometimes there is more than one correct answer.

  1. I (learn)   English for seven years now.incomplete action that began in the past and lasts until the present time (signal word: for) → present perfect progressive
  2. But last year I (not/work)   hard enough in English and my marks (not / be)   very good.single or repeated action in the past (signal word: last year) → simple past
  3. As I (want)   to pass my English exam successfully next year, I (study)   harder this term.1: current wish → simple present
    2: first option: intention regarding the future → future I (going to)
    second option: action that began in the past and lasts until the present time (incomplete action) → present perfect progressive
  4. During my last summer holidays, my parents (send)   me to a language course in London.single completed action in the past → simple past
  5. It (be)   great and I (think)   I (learn)   a lot.1: single completed action in the past → simple past
    2: general validity → simple present
    3: completed action in the past → simple past (this sentence relates to the previous sentence where time is defined as last summer, because of this time reference the present perfect is not possible here)
  6. Before I (go)   to London, I (not/enjoy)   learning English.1: past action → simple past
    2: action took place before a certain time in the past → past perfect simple (simple past also possible, a series of past events)
  7. But while I (do)   the language course, I (meet)   lots of young people from all over the world.1: action in progress in the past, background action (signal word: while) → past progressive
    2: new action interrupting an action already in progress → simple past
  8. I (notice)   how important it (be)   to speak foreign languages nowadays.1: single completed action in the past → simple past
    2: general statement in the present (signal word: nowadays) → simple present
  9. Now I (have)   much more fun learning English.situation in the present → simple present or action in progress at moment of speaking (signal word: now) → present progressive
  10. At the moment I (revise)   English grammar.action in progress at moment of speaking (signal word: at the moment) → present progressive
  11. And I (begin/already)   to read the texts in my English textbooks again.recently completed action (signal word: already) → present perfect simple
  12. I (think)   I (do)   one unit every week.1: general validity (verb of thought) → simple present
    2: future prediction (signal word: think) → future simple (will)
  13. My exam (be)   on 15 May, so there (not/be)   any time to lose.1: confirmed future actions (timetable, schedule) → simple present
    2: fact/general validity → simple present
  14. If I (pass)   my exams successfully, I (start)   an apprenticeship in September.first conditional: if + simple present; will + infinitive
  15. Maybe I (go)   back to London for a while when I finish my apprenticeship.future prediction (signal word: maybe) → future simple (will)
  16. As you (see/can)  , I (become)   a real fan of London already.1: modal verb in present → simple present
    2: completed action with influence on present (I am a fan now; signal word: already) → present perfect simple