Verb Tenses

 

 

 

verb tenses 1

verb tenses 2

verb tenses 3

Note: In speech, the past perfect and future perfect tenses are often substituted by past simple and future simple correspondingly.

verb tenses 4

Note: In speech, the past perfect progressive and future perfect progressive tenses are often substituted by past simple and future simple correspondingly. 

The information in this handout is adapted from Folse, K. S. (2009). Keys to teaching grammar to English language learners: A practical handbook. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Practice

Determine the correct tense for the verbs in brackets. In some cases, more than one correct answer is possible.

  1. I __________________(drive) to GMU tomorrow.
  2. I __________________(cook) dinner when I realized that I _____________(leave) my textbook at school.
  3. I __________________ (wear) my favorite sweater to the game last night.
  4. She __________________ (not sleep) for two days. She looks tired.
  5. They __________________ (date) for seven years, but they are not ready for marriage yet.
  6. I __________________ (listen) to my IPod every day on my way to work.
  7. I __________________ (won) a lot of money in Las Vegas this month.
  8. We __________________ (play) tennis at this time tomorrow.
  9. I __________________ (enjoy) my time studying abroad, but I cannot wait to go home.
  10. Mike __________________ (email) you by 5 o’clock.
  11. I __________________ (work) on my car engine for several hours before the car mechanic comes.
  12. I __________________ (not feel) well today.
  13. Brian __________________ (hear) about the incident yesterday.
  14. He __________________ (practice) his guitar for 10 years before he became a renowned musician.
  15. She __________________ (talk) very loudly! I can’t stay in this room any more.
  16. My professor __________________ (give) me a ‘B’ on my paper.
  17. (The phone rings) Don’t worry, I __________________ (answer) the phone.
  18. The assignment __________________(be) due yesterday.
  19. She __________________ (write) her book by the end of next year.
  20. Tomorrow we __________________ (eat) dinner at Olive Garden.  

 

Answers

1. am driving (if the action was planned in advanced) / will drive (if it was decided at the time of talking) 2. was cooking - had left 3. wore 4. has not slept 5. have been dating 6. listen 7. have won 8. will be playing 9. am enjoying / enjoy 10. will have emailed 11. will have been working 12. am not feeling (if the current state is reported) / don’t feel (in general) 13. heard 14. had been practicing 15. is talking 16. gave 17. will answer 18. was 19. will have written 20. are eating / will eat