Unit 3

Verb Tense
Pretest
Circle the best answer.
1. The Marconi family (has come) (came) to the United States thirty years ago.
2. I'm sorry. I (didn't finish) (haen't finish) my homewor!.
". The town (has had) (had had) two big snowstorms before Christmas last year.
#. My father (is smo!ing) (has smo!ed) for a long time.
$. %h& no' It (is starting) (starts) to rain and my clothes are on the line.
(. )ay and her boyfriend hae been dating (since) (for) fo*r years.
+.I tho*ght I wo*ld get to the resta*rant first& b*t ,im (had arried) (has arried- before
me.
../e (will sold) (will hae sold) the rest of the so*enirs by tomorrow.
0.I (had finally finished) (hae finally finished) reading this boo!.
11. The swimmers haen't com2leted the race (already) (yet).
11. /e haen't seen each other (since) (for) a long time.
12. 3o* loo! conf*sed. (4re yo* *nderstand) (5o yo* *nderstand) what I said6
1". 7ast night I came home& coo!ed dinner& and (watched) (was watching) T8.
1#. (9ae yo*) (9ad yo*) loo!ed a long time before yo* got a :ob6
1$. That man (has giing) (has been giing) money to the hos2ital for years.
1(. 5oes ;andy (has) (hae) eight brothers and sisters6
1+. /e (are !nowing) (!now) ,ohn better now that we hae class with him.
1.. 5eer (li!e) (li!ed) salt and are attracted to bloc!s of salt 2eo2le leae in their yards.
<
I (beginned) (began) the day with a :og aro*nd the bloc!.
= (I seen) (I'd seen) the moie before& b*t I decided to see it again.
Explanation
8erb tenses in >nglish can either occ*r in the sim2le form or the 2rogressie (contin*o*s) form.
The 2rogressie is generally *sed to indicate that the action is ongoing& in 2rogress& incom2lete&
I tem2orary. It may also re2resent a change from a normal actiity. The sim2le form is generally
sed to indicate a com2leted action& a 2ermanent or semi2ermanent state& a rec*rring eent or a
aabit or c*stom. St*dy the following e?am2les.
I'm drinking coffee today& b*t I *s*ally drink tea. (2rogressie@ sim2le)
She was taking a shower when the 2hone rang, (2rogressie@ sim2le)
A10A
Verb Tense
There are seeral erbs in >nglish& s*ch as understand, know, recognize, think, mean, believe, and
remember, that do not generally occ*r in the 2rogressie.
B3o* seemed conf*sed abo*t the instr*ctions I gae yesterday.B
B3es& b*t I understand them clearly now.B
B3o*'e only lied in May field for a month& haen't yo*6B
am getting to !now (or !now) B3es& b*t V-m
kn owin g- the town 2retty well now.B
In this section the following efb tenses will be disc*ssed.
sim2le 2ast
2resent 2erfect
2ast 2erfect
f*t*re 2erfect
Simple Past
The s2ea!er *ses the 2ast tense to tal! abo*t an eent or action that ha22ened in the 2ast.
The bird flew away.
The tree fell to the gro*nd.
4 chronological series of eents that occ*rred in the 2ast is commonly e?2ressed in the 2ast
tense.
/e ran inside and took off o*r wet boots. Then we stood by the fire to get warm.
Many times the 2ast tense is accom2anied by a s2ecific time reference& s*ch as six months
ago, last December, in 19!, when the" got married, etc.
/here is Tom6 9e was here five minutes ago#
The !ids dressed *2 as ghosts last $alloween#
Present Perfect
The 2resent 2erfect is generally releant to both 2resent and 2ast time. Two common *ses of the
2resent 2erfect incl*de<
indefinite 2ast
time leading *2 to the 2resent
Indefinite %ast& The 2resent 2erfect is *sed to refer to an eent that occ*rred at an uns'ecified
time in the 2ast. Unli!e 2ast tense& 2resent 2erfect cannot be *sed with a s2ecific time reference
s*ch as three weeks ago#
was
IAhae bee n in Me?ico seen years ago.
8erb Tense
9oweer& the 2resent 2erfect is *sed with less s2ecific time references s*ch as before, alread",
and ever,
I'e seen that moie before#
These flowers hae alread" grown a foot.
9ae yo* ever been to Ciagara Dalls6
(ime )eading *' to the %resent& Time leading *2 to the 2resent refers to an eent or sit*ation
that began sometime in the 2ast and is still going on in the 2resent.
Mrs. 4lareE has lived in Cew %rleans for six "ears#
/e !now that Mrs. 4lareE moed to Cew %rleans si? years ago and is still liing there. Cotice
that for is *sed with e?2ressions of d*ration of time& s*ch as for six "ears or for a long time#
The teacher has been sic! since (uesda"#
9ere& the teacher got sic! on T*esday and is still sic!. Cotice that since is *sed with a s2ecific
day& year& eent& etc.& in the 2ast s*ch as since (uesda", since the o'ening of the store, since I was
seventeen#
Sam hasn't finished dessert
In this e?am2le& Sam started his dessert at an *ns2ecified time in the 2ast and is 2resently still
eating it. Cotice that "et is *sed in negatie statements and also F*estions +$as ,am finished
dessert "et-. to mean *2 to now or *2 to this time.

Past Perfect
The 2ast 2erfect is *sed to indicate a sit*ation that e?isted or an eent that occ*rred 2rior to a
time in the 2ast.
Maria hadn't s'oken >nglish before last year.
9ere& Maria began to s2ea! >nglish last year. Gefore that 2oint in time she had not s2o!en
>nglish.
1 hadn't begun to ta!e my bath when the 2hone rang.
The 2ast 2erfect is always *sed with reference to another& s*bseF*ent time or eent in the
2ast. The 2resent 2erfect cannot be s*bstit*ted for the 2ast 2erfect.
had
IAhaeA finished my homewor! by the time the teacher came.
7i!ewise& the 2ast 2erfect cannot be s*bstit*ted for the 2resent 2erfect when it is *sed in
the indefinite 2ast.
BCan yo* finish the re2ort before tomorrow6B
hae BIAtedHalready finished
it.B
Verb Tense
Future Perfect
The f*t*re 2erfect is *sed to indicate an eent that will occ*r in the f*t*re before another f*t*re
time or eent.
I will have left the office before the boss arries.
/e will have cleaned the ho*se by the time the g*ests arrie.
The second e?am2le means that we 2lan to finish the ho*se cleaning before a certain time (the
arrial of the g*ests).
Cotice that b" the time, b", before, and when are commonly *sed in sentences containing
the f*t*re and 2ast 2erfect.
Iractice
>?ercise 1
Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. B4re 4lice and Tom still liing in Cew 3or!6B
BCo& theyJJJJJJJJJJJJJ to 5allas.B
a. are :*st moed c. hae :*st moed
b. had :*st moed d& will :*st moe
2. B/here is the new stoe that yo* bo*ght yesterday6B
BThe color didn't match& so I JJJJJJJJJJJJJ it to the store.B
a. ret*rn c& ret*rned
b. had ret*rned d. did ret*rn
". B3o* and Carl seem to be getting along well.B
B3es& IJJJJJJJJJJJJJ him better than before.B
a. li!ing c. li!ed
b. li!e d. hae li!ed
#. B9ow are yo* feeling6B
Blie been feeling better since JJJJJJJJJJJJ .B
.a. the doctor has came c. the doctor had come
b. the doctor will came d. the doctor came
$. BIsn't it hard to drie downtown to wor!6B
B3es& that's why I JJJJJJJJJJJJJ to wor! by train.B
a. hae been going c. hae been gone
b. hae went d. going
(. B9ow long hae yo* been with the com2any6B
BIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAthere two years by ,an*ary.B
a. will wor! c. will hae
b. was wor!ing d. will hae wor!ed
+. B/hen are yo* 2lanning to send the memo to the staff6B
BIJJJJJJJJJJJJJJit already.B
a. send c. hae sent
b. had sent d. was to sent
.. BGetty told me that yo* hae a cottage on 7a!e S*2erior&B
B3es& weJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ there since we first moed to Michigan.B
a. had gone c. are going
b. hae been going d. had been going
0. BCan I come by for my chec! tomorrow6B
B3es& by then IJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ time to go to the ban!.B
a. will hae had c. will has had
b. will had d. hae
11. B/here are )en and Margaret6B
BThey were h*ngry& so theyJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ to the grocery store.B
a. go c. went
b. had gone d. were gone
>?ercise 2
Circle the letter of the best answer.
1. B5id yo* meet 4nn here at the *niersity6B
BCo& weJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ when I started college.B
a. hae already met c. had already been meeting
b. had already met d. had already meet
2. BI too! the T%>D7. It was really hard.B
BJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ a lot before yo* too! it6B
a. 9ae yo* st*died c. 9ad yo* st*died
b. 5id yo* st*died d. 5o yo* st*dy
". B/o*ld yo* li!e to go to the band concert6B
BThan!s& b*t IJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ it already.B
a. had seen c. hae seen
b. hae been seeing d. did see
#. B/hat did yo* do last night6B
BI watched T8& 2racticed the iolin& andJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ my homewor!.B
a. made c. done
b. do d. did
Verb Tense
Verb Tense
$. B/hy is Teddy so sad6B
BGeca*se his bird
JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ
a. flown
b. flew
away.
c. fly
d. had flown
(. B5id yo* go to 9awaii for acation6B
BI JJJJJJJJJJJJJJ to go& b*t I got sic! at the last min*te.B
a. was 2lanned c. had been 2lanning
b. had 2lanning d. hae 2lanned
+. 1 to the same barber since 10$1.
a. am going
b. hae been going
.. 5id yo* say that yo*
a. came
b& hae come
c. go
d. had going
here only three days ago?
c. had came
d. come
0. I haen't heard from Maria J
a. since many months before
b. for many months
11. This boo! is so long that IJJJ
a. haen't finished it yet
b. haen't finished it already
c. for many months ago
d. since a long time
c. stli' hae finished it
d. still haen't finished it already
11. S2ain
a. was
b. has been
at one time a ery 2owerf*l co*ntry.
c. is
d& was being
12. B/ho ate all the coo!ies6B
BMary 4nn JJJJJJJJJJJJJJ .B
a. has c. ate
b. did d. had
1". BIs Tony ma!ing dinner6B
B9e's :*st JJJJJJJJJJJJJJ to ma!e it.B
a. beg*n c. began
b. begin d. beginned
1#. B3o* seem to li!e this resta*rant a lot.B
BIJJJJJJJJJJJJJJ here for years.B
a. hae been eaten c. had eaten
b. hae been eating d. am eating
8erb Tense
1$. B/here was Michael Caine born6B
BIn Gritain& b*t today heJJJJJJJJJJJJJJin the United States.B
a. has lied c. lies
b. liing d. is lie
Final Test
St*dy the following sentences. 5ecide if the italiciEed 2ortion of the sentence is correct (C) or
incorrect (I). Circle yo*r answer.
1. 4 fire 2rotection deice had a mechanism that reacts to smo!e and heat. C I
1# It was after the Ciil /ar ended that an assassin named ,ohn /il!es Gooth killed
4braham 7incoln. C I
B. Millions of 2eo2le have visit 5isney /orld in %rlando& Dlorida& since it o2ened. C I I
Kertr*de Stein& a wellA!nown 4merican noelist& was born in 1.+# and had died in
10#(. C I =
9arry S. Tr*man ass*med the 2residency of the United States after D. 5. ;ooseelt
dies in office. C I
c
# 4t s*mmer cam2 last year children swam& rode horses& and
were 'la"ing baseball.
C I
B. St*dents who did not brought 2encils to the test were not allowed to ta!e it. C I I&
Teleision had been ery 2o2*lar in the United States since the fifties. C I
<
. >liEabeth I
has reigned as F*een of >ngland from 1$$. to 1(1". C I 11. /hen it to*ches a cold
s*rface& water a2or condensed, C I
-