Open World p 9. Verb Tenses Exercise

 

 1. When you go to the airport follow these instructions: first you _________ (check) your baggage and then you _________ (make) your way to the departure gate.

 

KEY

 

check

 

make

The present simple can be used to give instructions or directions instead of the imperative. Instead of: First check your baggage and then make your way to the departure gate.

 

 

2. "And all of a sudden, as we ____________ (approach) the summit, I begin to feel a sense of euphoria."

 

KEY

 

approach

 

We can use the present simple to bring the reader closer to the events in a narration  

3. A woman ___________ (sail) to France when she sees a ship in the distance.

KEY

is sailing

 

In a narration the present continuous comes first to stablish  the background while the simple form narrates the main events.

4. They _______________(always/brag) on social media about their extravagant lifestyle. I hate it.

KEY

 

 

are always bragging 

brag: to talk too proudly about something you own or something you have done.

synonym boast.

E.g.

He bragged to his friends about the crime.

I’m not bragging but I think I did very well in the interview.

They repeatedly bragged that one of their men was responsible for the shooting.  

 

We use the present continuous with always, constantly, continually to express anger or irritation at a repeated action. 

5. I _______________ (see) the Joneses this evening. We arranged this meal some weeks ago.

KEY

am seeing

Present continuous with a future meaning for arrangements

The stative verb to see can be used in the continuous form when it means "meeting"

6. Her walking shoes ______________ (fit) well, so they won't hurt her feet.

KEY

fit

Stative verb fit only used in the simple form with the meaning (it's the right size)

 

 

7. Jason can't answer the phone right now because he ___________ (fit) a new kitchen sink.

KEY

 

is fitting 

The stative verb to fit can be used in the continuous form when it means "install"

 

8. This is the most difficult hike I ________________ (ever/attempt).

KEY

 

 

 

have ever attempted

We use the present perfect with present structures containing the superlative degree (hardest, best, ...) and ordinal numbers (This is the first/second time.... )

9. She _______________ (be) to New York and she loved it.

KEY

has been to

(She has gone and come back)

10. She ______________ (be) in London for two years now.

KEY

has been in 

(She lives there)

11. She _____________ (go) to New York.

KEY

has gone to

(She hasn't come back yet)

12. We _______________ (walk) for five hours already. We are utterly exhausted.

KEY

have been walking

We use the present perfect continuous to put emphasis on the duration of an action which started in the past and continues up to the present.

13. Paul _______________ (lie) on the beach ignoring us for hours. Unbelievable!

KEY

has been lying

We use the present perfect continuous to express anger, irritation or annoyance.

14. They ____________ (stay) in Miami when the hurricane _____________ (hit).

KEY

were staying

hit

We use past continuous for an action which was in progress when another action interrupted it. We use the past simple for the action which interrupted it.

15. When we were on holiday on Mallorca, people _____________ (constantly/ leave) towels out overnight on the best sunbeds. I thought it was a very selfish thing to do.

 

 

KEY

 

were constantly leaving

 

We use the past continuous with "always", "constantly" and "continually" to describe repeated unpleasant and irritating actions in the past. 

16. That was the coldest place they _____________ (ever/ live) in.

KEY

had ever lived

We use the past perfect with superlative structures.

 

17. It was the third time he ____________________ (visit) a non-English-speaking country.

 

 

KEY

 

had visited 

We use the past perfect with "It/That was the first/second ... time"

18. The town looked as if it _______________ (not/ change) for a hundred years.

 

KEY

had not changed

We use the past perfect after "as if" referring to the past.

19. I'd rather she _______________ (tell) me she was allergic to mosquitoes before we went to the Amazon Rainforest.

KEY

 

had told 

We use the past perfect after "'d rather" referring to the past with different subjects.

 

20. The teacher would sooner the students ________________ (do) the homework the night before. 

KEY

had done

 

We use the past perfect after "'d sooner" referring to the past with different subjects.

 

21. I wish I ___________ (go) to San Francisco while I was in the US.

 

KEY

 

had gone 

We use the past perfect after "wish" referring to the past

 

22. If only I __________________ (leave) earlier, I wouldn't have missed my flight.

 

KEY

 

had left

We use the past perfect after "if only" referring to the past.

 

23. He _____________(walk) in the forest for several hours when he realised he was lost.

 

KEY

 

had been walking

We use the past perfect continuous to put emphasis on the duration of an action in the past before another past action.

24. You will soon get used to ________________ (sleep) on  a camping mat (Sp. esterilla).

KEY

sleeping

We use get used to+ ing with the meaning "become accustomed to"

Open World p 9. Past and Perfect Tenses: Matt Cardle sings The First Time (Ever I Saw Your Face). Extra Listening

 Listen to the song and fill in the gaps

   

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face  

The first time ever I saw your face 

I thought the sun (1)____________ in your eyes 

And the moon and stars were the (2)__________ you gave 

To the (3)___________ and the empty skies 

And the first time ever I (4)_____________ with you 

I felt your heart so (5)___________ to mine 

The first time ever I saw your face, your face, your face, your face  

KEY: 

 First Time Ever I Saw Your Face  

The first time ever I saw your face 

I thought the sun (1) rose in your eyes 

 

And the moon and stars were the (2) gifts you gave 

 

To the (3) dark and the empty skies 

 

And the first time ever I (4) lay with you 

 

I felt your heart so (5) close to mine 

The first time ever I saw your face, your face, your face, your face

 

NOTES:

In this song you have the verbs: rise, rose, risen and lie, lay, lain (both intransitive). 

Don't confuse them with their transitive counterparts: raise, raised and lay, laid, laid. 

Also notice the structure: "the first time I did something" and compare it with these other structures that need to be followed by the perfect form (not the past simple):  

- This/that/it is the first/second/third...time I have done something 

- That/it was the first/second/third...time I had done something

Compare:

I ate fish and ships the first time I went to England when I was only 17

I went to England when I was only 17. That was the first time I had eaten fish and ships.

 

Finally, notice one of the judges' comment: completely and utterly stunning

Ready for C1 p 20 . Past and Perfect Tenses. Speaking

 

 

A. Interaction

1.Have you ever been abroad? If so, what special difficulties did you experience?

2. What ambitions have you harboured? Have you ever thought they would be too great to fulfil? Have you ever given up any ambitions you had? What were the reasons?

3. Do you usually go out for dinner or lunch? How often do you do it?

4. Did your parents use to read you a story at bedtime? If so, what stories do you remember them telling you? Do you think this is something positive? Do bedtime stories encourage people to read later in life?

5. When you were a little child, did your parents let you watch everything on TV? What kind of programmes or films were you NOT allowed to watch? Do you remember any films in particular?

B. Monologue

Partner A

1. Have you been learning new vocabulary this week? What new words have you learnt so far?

2. Is this the first time you have attended an Advanced English course?

3. Where have you been eating during the summer? What healthy meals have you been cooking at home?

Partner B

1. Would you rather the English grammar was easier than it is? 

2. Would you sooner study online than face-to-face?

3. Would you rather have worked than come to class?

Open World p 9. Past and Perfect tenses. Extra Grammar Exercise

Correct the following sentences by changing the underlined word or words. You may need to write more than one word.

1.I know him since we were at school together.
2.We would have a parrot, but he flew away one day when I was cleaning his cage.
3.The service was terrible; when our dessert arrived, Paul still ate his supper.
4.I have met some very interesting people on my holiday last year.
5.This must be about the tenth time I eat in this restaurant.
6.It’s a long time since we don’t see each other.
7.It wasn’t the first time she was catching him taking money from her purse.
8.I’d like to stay in London longer, but we had to get back for Sandra’s wedding.
9.I’d rather you didn’t give him my phone number – he phoned me three times yesterday!
10.You did nothing but complain since we’ve been here.
11.She was about sitting down when she noticed the chair was broken.

12. I am going to send you an email, but I had a few problems with my computer.

13. I am about to call the doctor, but then the pain suddenly disappeared.

14. She has been thinking of going to Iceland for quite some time, but changed her mind and went to Norway instead.

15. The meeting, which is to take place last weekend, was unexpectedly cancelled.

16. We stayed in a hotel but I'd sooner I slept in a tent.

17. She would have preferred he to say it to her face, rather than put it in a Whatsapp message.

Sentences with KEY

1.I know him since we were at school together.

 

KEY

 

1. have known


2.We would have a parrot, but he flew away one day when I was cleaning his cage.

KEY

 

2. used to have


3.The service was terrible; when our dessert arrived, Paul still ate his supper.

KEY

 

3. was still eating


4.I have met some very interesting people on my holiday last year.

KEY

 

4. met


5.This must be about the tenth time I eat in this restaurant.

KEY

 

5. have eaten


6.It’s a long time since we don’t see each other.

KEY

 

6. saw/have seen


7.It wasn’t the first time she was catching him taking money from her purse.
 

KEY

 

7. had caught


8.I’d like to stay in London longer, but we had to get back for Sandra’s wedding.

KEY

 

8. would have liked to stay/
would have liked to have stayed/ 

would liked to have stayed

 

9.I’d rather you didn’t give him my phone number – he phoned me three times yesterday!

KEY

 

9. hadn't given


10.You did nothing but complain since we’ve been here.

KEY

 

10. have done


11.She was about sitting down when she noticed the chair was broken.

KEY

 

11. to sit (Unfulfilled past event)

12. I am going to send you an email, but I had a few problems with my computer.

 

KEY

 

 

12. I was going to send you an email, but I had a few problems with my computer.
(Unfulfilled past event)

13. I am about to call the doctor, but then the pain suddenly disappeared.

 

 

KEY

 

 

13. I was about to call the doctor, but then the pain suddenly disappeared.
(Unfulfilled past event)

 

14. She has been thinking of going to Iceland for quite some time, but changed her mind and went to Norway instead.

 

KEY

14. She had been thinking of going to Iceland for quite some time, but changed her mind and went to Norway instead.

(Unfulfilled past event)

15. The meeting, which is to take place last weekend, was unexpectedly cancelled.

 

KEY

 

15. The meeting, which was to have taken place last weekend, was unexpectedly cancelled.
(Unfulfilled past event)

 

16. We stayed in a hotel but I'd sooner I slept in a tent.

 

KEY

16. We stayed in a hotel but I'd sooner have slept in a tent.

 

 

17. She would have preferred he to say it to her face, rather than put it in a Whatsapp message.

 

KEY

17. She would have preferred him to say it to her face, rather than put it in a Whatsapp message.