TEST FOR TENSES

TENSES

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the
following questions.

1. My parents first each other at the Olympic Games in 1982.

A. had met B. met C. have met D. meet
2. When I came to visit her last night, she a bath.
A. is having B. was having C. has D. had
3. Up to now, I a lot of information about her.
A. will learn B. learnt C. would learn D. have learnt
4. Wait here until I _____ you.
A. am going to call B. call C. will call D. am calling
5. The house caught fire while they .
A. are sleeping B. have slept C. sleep D. were sleeping
6. Peter at the moment, so he can‟t answer the telephone.
A. works B. has worked C. is working D. worked
7. Mary in London for 15 years.
A. is living B. was living C. has lived D. lives
8. The Second World War in 1939.
A. starts B. started C. start D. has started
9. He in London at the moment.
A. studies B. has studied C. is studying D. will study
10. She‟ll be a billionaire by the time she forty.
A. is going to be B. will be C. is D. was

11. By this time next year, my father here for 25 years.

A. are going to work B. will be working
C. will have been working D. will work
12. When my father was young, he get up early to do the gardening.
A. got used to B. use to C. used to D. was used to

13. I first met her two years ago when we at Oxford University
A. have been studying B. had been studying C. were studying D. are studying
14. Kim: “What this weekend?” – Sally: “Oh, we‟re going windsurfing.
It‟s fantastic!”
a. are you doing B. do you go C. would you go D. are you going
15. He went back to work in his country after he his course on Advanced
Engineering in London.
a. finishes B. has finished C. had finished D. was finishing
16. Robert in three important water polo games so far.
A. had played B. is playing C. has played D. played
17. We first each other in London in 2006.
A. meet B. have met C. met D. had met
17. At present, the new director to foster a culture of open communication within
the company.
A. tried B. was trying C. tries D. is trying
18. As soon as I saw the advertisement, I the house agent.
 A. phone B. had phoned C. have phoned D. phoned
19.When I last Jane, she to find a job.
A. saw/was trying B. saw/tried C. have seen/tried D. see/is trying
20. The air is not as pure as it .
A. used to be B. is used to be C. is used to being D. was used to be
21. Can you keep calm for a moment? You noise in class!
A. are always made B. always make C. have always made D. are always making

19. I this letter around for days without looking at it.

A. am carrying B. will be carrying C. carry D. have been carrying
She is very absent-minded: she her cell phone three times!
A. has lost B. loses C. was losing D. had lost
20. Whenever he had an important decision to make, he a cigar to calm his
nerves.
21. would light B. would be lighting C. would have lit D. had lit
My brother his driving test when he was 18.
A. has passed B. passes C. was passing D. passed

22. My favourite team 15 games so far this season, and will probably win the
championship.
A. are winning B. won C. have won D. will win

23. Hurry up, or they serving meals by the time we get to the restaurant.
A.stopped B. will have stopped C. are stopping D. would stop

24. How long ago to learn French?

A.have you started B. were you starting C. would you start D. did you start

25. The price of houses dramatically in recent years.

A.has risen B. was raising C. rose D. raises

26. Mrs. Black‟s son in hospital ever since he fell off his bicycle last week.
A. was B. is C. was being D. has been
27. I work last week, but I changed my mind.
A. have started B. was going to start C. had started D. would start
28. Due to ever more spreading poaching, there a dramatic decline in the
number of elephants over the last decade.
a. was B. is C. has been D. had been
29. I with my aunt when I am on holiday in Ho Chi Minh City next
month.
A. will have been staying B. will have stayed

C. stay D. will be staying

30. We could have caught the last train, but we five minutes late.
a. were B. would be C. have been D. are
31. It is blowing so hard. We such a terrible storm.
A. have never known B. have never been knowing
C. never know D. had never known
32. Our industrial output from $2 million in 2002 to $4 million this year.
A.was rising B. rises C. rose D. has risen
“You‟ll recognize Jenny when you see her. She a red hat.”
A. will wear B. will be wearing C. wears D. is wearing
33. When Peter was a child, there a cinema near his house.
a.used to be B. used to have C. used to be being D. used to have been
The boat was sailing north when a terrible storm .
 A. had broken B. broke C. would break D. was breaking
34. “Could you turn off the stove? The potatoes for at least thirty
minutes.”
a. boiled B. were boiling C. are boiling D. have been boiling
35. It is raining heavily with rolls of thunder. We such a terrible
thunderstorm.
a. have never seen B. would never see C. never see D. had never seen
36. For the last 20 years, we significant changes in the world of
science and technology.
A. witness B. have witnessed C. witnessed D. are witnessing
47. Many people homeless after the earthquake in Haiti a few months ago.
A. become B. will become C. became D. are becoming
48. I haven‟t met him again since we school ten years ago.
A. have left B. leave C. left D. had left
49. Jane law for four years now at Harvard.
A. is studying B. has been studying C. studies D. studied
5O. My best friend, Lan, to England 10 years ago.
A. was moving B. moves C. moved D. has moved
51. That pipe for ages – we must get it mended.
A. has been leaking B. is leaking C. had been leaking D. leaks

52. Michael water sports when he was younger.

37. A. is used to playing B. used to playing C. is used to play D. used to play
My children interested in kangaroos lately.
A. become B. have become C. will become D. were becoming