Present and past; simple and perfect tenses

Nd year

Present and past; simple and continuous tenses

In these texts, use one of the following tenses for the verb in brackets: present simple, present continuous, past simple, past continuous. Where alternatives are possible, think about any difference in meaning or emphasis.

A A: John … (not looking) well these days. Is he okay?

B: Apparently, he … (not sleep) well just now, although he usually … (sleep) really soundly.

A: Sounds like something … (worry) him.

B: Well, that's part of the problem. You … (know) that he … (work) for Tardown, the engineers, don't you?

A: Yes, ever since he … (leave) university.

B: That's right. Well, at the moment he … (work) on a major road-building scheme in Liverpool, so he … (drive) up there every day, which … (take) a couple of hours each way. And on top of that, he … (suffer) from a cold and … (have) difficulty breathing.

B Concern … (mount) for the safety of two British climbers who … (miss) in the Andes. Their three companions, all French, … (raise) the alarm when the climbers … (fail) to arrive back at their base camp two days ago. It … (now become) clear that a number of avalanches … (hit) the area last week, and local experts … (blame) these on the very warm weather conditions for the time of year.

C Alex … (work) in the accounts department when I … (become) advertising manager at the firm. At first I … (find) him to be very efficient, but after a while his work … (start) to deteriorate. He … (forever lose) important documents and … (make) excuses when there were delays. The final straw was when he … (spend) three weeks on a piece of work that should have taken only a day or so. By the time he … (finish), I … (feel) pretty annoyed and …(complain) to the managing director.

DI … (buy) a new alarm clock the other day in Taylor's the jewellers, when I actually … (see) somebody shoplifting. I'd just finished paying for my clock and as I … (turn) round, an elderly woman … (slowly put) a silver plate into a bag that she … (carry). Then she … (walk) over to another part of the shop and, when she … (think) that nobody … (look), she … (put) an expensive-looking watch into the bag. Before I …(have) a chance to tell the staff in the shop, she … (notice) that I … (watch) her and … (hurry) out. Unfortunately for her, two police officers … (walk) past just at that moment and she … (run) straight into them.

Present and past; simple and perfect tenses

Fill the gaps with an appropriate verb using one of the following tenses: present simple, present perfect, past simple, past perfect. Give alternative tenses where they can be used. Sometimes various verbs are possible.

A A French engineer … an urban car that … only on compressed air. The latest version of the ZP car - ZP … for 'Zero Pollution’- … a small family saloon. It … a top speed of about 100 kmh and … for 10 hours. That … a better performance than any electric car currently in production.

B‘Cockroach' … the name given to one of the most successful of all animal groups. Fossils … that they … little in appearance in 320 million years, and today about 25 species … world-wide distribution.

C For many years now, Carmen … a card to me on my birthday. However, this year I … one from her, so I … her in Brazil to check that she was okay. It … out that she … her address book.

D We … (only just) breakfast when Derek … to take us to the airport. He really … to be late. In fact, last week he … to the dentist over an hour before the time of his appointment.

E Before they … in the match last Saturday, Redfern Town … every cup final … they … (ever) in.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 3845