PRESENT and PAST TENSE – EXERCISE
I. Use either the SIMPLE PRESENT or the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Diane can’t come to the phone because she (wash)…………………her hair.
2. Diane (wash)……………….her hair every day.
3. Kathy (usually, sit)…………………..in the front row during class, but today she (sit)…………………in the last row.
4. Please be quiet. I (try)…………………….to concentrate.
5. ( Lock, you, always)……………………………..the door to your apartment when you leave?
6. I wrote to my friend last week. She hasn’t answered my letter yet. I ( still, wait)………………………for a reply.
7. After three days of rain, I’m glad that the sun (shine)………… .again today.
8. Every morning, the sun……………(shine) in my bedroom.
9. A: Look! It (snow)……………………..
B: It’s beautiful! This is the first time I’ve ever seen snow. It (not, snow)…………….in my country.
10. Mike is a student, but he (not, go)……………………..to school right now because it’s summer. He (attend)……………..college from September to May every year, but in the summers he (usually, have)……………a job at the post office. In fact, he (work)……………………….there in this summer.
11. There’s a book on my desk, but it (not, belong)…………………….to me.12. I can’t afford that ring. It (cost)…………..too much
II. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PROGRESSIVE in the following.
1. I’m sitting in class right now. I (sit)……………….in class at this exact time yesterday.
2. I don’t want to go to the zoo today because it is raining. The same thing happened yesterday. I (not, want)……………….to go to the zoo because it (rain)……………..
3. I (call)………………..Roger at nine last night, but he (not, be)……………….at home. He (study)…………………….at the library.
4. I (not, hear)……………….didn’t hear the thunder during the storm last night because I (sleep)…………………
5. It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun (shine)………………… A cool breeze (blow)…………........The bird (sing)………………
6. My brother and sister ( argue)……………….about something when I (walk)…………..into the room.
7. I got a package in the mail. When I (open)……………it, I (find)………………a surprise.
8. Tommy went to his friends’ house, but the boys (not, be)…………there. They (play)………………….soccer in the vacant.
9. Stanley (climb)………………the stairs when he (trip)…………and (fail)…………..Luckily, he (not, hurt)……………..himself.
10. While Mrs. Emerson (read)……………..the little boy a story, he (fall)……………..asleep, so she (close)……………the book and quietly (tiptoe)……………..out of the room.
11. I really enjoyed my vacation last January. While it (snow)……………..in Iowa, the sun (shine)………………..in Floria. While you (shovel)………………..snow in Iowa, I (lie)……………on the beach.
12. While Ted (shovel)……………………snow from his driveway yesterday, his wife (bring)…………….him a cup of hot chocolate.
III. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PRESENT PERFECT.
1. What ( you, learn)………………………………….since you came here? How many new friends (you, make)……………………………?
I hope you (already, meet)………………………………..a lot of interesting people.
2. Since classes began, I (not, have)…………………much free time. I (have)………………several big tests to study for.
3. Last night my roommate and I (have)……………….some free time, so we (go)………..to a show.
4. I admit that I (get)……………………older since I last (see) you, but with any luck at all. I (also, get)……………………………….wiser.
5. The science of medicine (advance)………………….a great deal in the nineteenth century.
6. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, medical scientists (make)………………..many important discoveries.
7. Libraries today are different from those in the 1880s. For example, the contents of libraries
(change) ………………………greatly through the years. In the 1800s, libraries (be)……….simply.
Collections of books. However, today most libraries (become)……………………multimedia centers that contain tapes, computers.
8. I (know)…………………Greg Adams for ten years.
9. Bill (arrive)………………here three days ago.
10. In her whole lifetime, Anna (never, see)…………………snow.
IV. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PERFECT
1. He (be)………………a newspaper reporter before he (become)……………….a business man.
2. I (feel)……………………..a little better after I (take)……… ……………the medicine.
3. I was late. The teacher ( give)…………………….a quiz when I (got)……………….to class.
4. The anthropologist (leave)…………………………the village when she (collect)………………………enough data.
5. It was raining hard, but by the time class (be)…………………...over, the rain (stop)……………..
6. Class (begin)……………………………….by the time I (get)……………………..there, so I (take)…………………………..a set in the back.
7. Million of years ago, dinosaurs (roam)…………………………….the earth, but they (become)…………………….extinct by the time humankind first (appear)………………….....
8. I (see, never)…………………………………any of Picasso’s paintings before I (visit)………………………….the art museum.
9. I almost missed my plane. All of the passengers (board)………………………by the time I (get)………………………..there.
10. Yesterday at a restaurant, I (see)………………………….Pam Bonnelly, an old friend of mine.
I (not, see)……………………………her in years. At first, I (not, recognize)………………………….her because she (lose)……………………..at least fifty pounds.
I. Use either the SIMPLE PRESENT or the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE of the verbs in parentheses.
1. Diane can’t come to the phone because she (wash)…………………her hair.
2. Diane (wash)……………….her hair every day.
3. Kathy (usually, sit)…………………..in the front row during class, but today she (sit)…………………in the last row.
4. Please be quiet. I (try)…………………….to concentrate.
5. ( Lock, you, always)……………………………..the door to your apartment when you leave?
6. I wrote to my friend last week. She hasn’t answered my letter yet. I ( still, wait)………………………for a reply.
7. After three days of rain, I’m glad that the sun (shine)………… .again today.
8. Every morning, the sun……………(shine) in my bedroom.
9. A: Look! It (snow)……………………..
B: It’s beautiful! This is the first time I’ve ever seen snow. It (not, snow)…………….in my country.
10. Mike is a student, but he (not, go)……………………..to school right now because it’s summer. He (attend)……………..college from September to May every year, but in the summers he (usually, have)……………a job at the post office. In fact, he (work)……………………….there in this summer.
11. There’s a book on my desk, but it (not, belong)…………………….to me.12. I can’t afford that ring. It (cost)…………..too much
II. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PROGRESSIVE in the following.
1. I’m sitting in class right now. I (sit)……………….in class at this exact time yesterday.
2. I don’t want to go to the zoo today because it is raining. The same thing happened yesterday. I (not, want)……………….to go to the zoo because it (rain)……………..
3. I (call)………………..Roger at nine last night, but he (not, be)……………….at home. He (study)…………………….at the library.
4. I (not, hear)……………….didn’t hear the thunder during the storm last night because I (sleep)…………………
5. It was beautiful yesterday when we went for a walk in the park. The sun (shine)………………… A cool breeze (blow)…………........The bird (sing)………………
6. My brother and sister ( argue)……………….about something when I (walk)…………..into the room.
7. I got a package in the mail. When I (open)……………it, I (find)………………a surprise.
8. Tommy went to his friends’ house, but the boys (not, be)…………there. They (play)………………….soccer in the vacant.
9. Stanley (climb)………………the stairs when he (trip)…………and (fail)…………..Luckily, he (not, hurt)……………..himself.
10. While Mrs. Emerson (read)……………..the little boy a story, he (fall)……………..asleep, so she (close)……………the book and quietly (tiptoe)……………..out of the room.
11. I really enjoyed my vacation last January. While it (snow)……………..in Iowa, the sun (shine)………………..in Floria. While you (shovel)………………..snow in Iowa, I (lie)……………on the beach.
12. While Ted (shovel)……………………snow from his driveway yesterday, his wife (bring)…………….him a cup of hot chocolate.
III. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PRESENT PERFECT.
1. What ( you, learn)………………………………….since you came here? How many new friends (you, make)……………………………?
I hope you (already, meet)………………………………..a lot of interesting people.
2. Since classes began, I (not, have)…………………much free time. I (have)………………several big tests to study for.
3. Last night my roommate and I (have)……………….some free time, so we (go)………..to a show.
4. I admit that I (get)……………………older since I last (see) you, but with any luck at all. I (also, get)……………………………….wiser.
5. The science of medicine (advance)………………….a great deal in the nineteenth century.
6. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, medical scientists (make)………………..many important discoveries.
7. Libraries today are different from those in the 1880s. For example, the contents of libraries
(change) ………………………greatly through the years. In the 1800s, libraries (be)……….simply.
Collections of books. However, today most libraries (become)……………………multimedia centers that contain tapes, computers.
8. I (know)…………………Greg Adams for ten years.
9. Bill (arrive)………………here three days ago.
10. In her whole lifetime, Anna (never, see)…………………snow.
IV. Use the SIMPLE PAST or the PAST PERFECT
1. He (be)………………a newspaper reporter before he (become)……………….a business man.
2. I (feel)……………………..a little better after I (take)……… ……………the medicine.
3. I was late. The teacher ( give)…………………….a quiz when I (got)……………….to class.
4. The anthropologist (leave)…………………………the village when she (collect)………………………enough data.
5. It was raining hard, but by the time class (be)…………………...over, the rain (stop)……………..
6. Class (begin)……………………………….by the time I (get)……………………..there, so I (take)…………………………..a set in the back.
7. Million of years ago, dinosaurs (roam)…………………………….the earth, but they (become)…………………….extinct by the time humankind first (appear)………………….....
8. I (see, never)…………………………………any of Picasso’s paintings before I (visit)………………………….the art museum.
9. I almost missed my plane. All of the passengers (board)………………………by the time I (get)………………………..there.
10. Yesterday at a restaurant, I (see)………………………….Pam Bonnelly, an old friend of mine.
I (not, see)……………………………her in years. At first, I (not, recognize)………………………….her because she (lose)……………………..at least fifty pounds.