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EXERCISES WITH MIXED TENSES

1. Simple present - present progressive

It is a summer evening. Patrick and Barbara (play)…………… football against Kevin and Melanie. They often (play)…………..
football against Kevin and Melanie.

It is five o'clock. Kevin (take) …………..Red's dog into the garden. He always (take)………….. Red's dog into the garden in the
afternoon.

The Bensons usually (have)…………. breakfast in the kitchen. But today is Sunday, and they (have)…………… it in the dining-
room.

It is Thursday. A coach full of children (go) ……………to Cardiff. The children at Jenny's school (go) …………..on a trip every
summer.

Kevin always (use) ………….his new pen for his homework. But he cannot find it, so he (use) ………….Tanja's pen now.

2. Simple Past - Past Progressive

Last month Amy (spend)…………. an exciting day at the Museum of Natural History in New York. Mrs Miller, her teacher (tell)
…………… Amy and her classmates not to touch anything. Then they (be allowed to) ……………look at all the interesting things in
groups of four. While Amy and her friends (walk)………….around they (hear)………….. an alarm. Of course they (want to know)
………….. what was wrong. As they (try)………….. to find the room where the alarm (come)…………. from they (see)
…………..some of their classmates in the dinosaur room. Brian, a small quiet boy, (cry) ………….terribly - and next to him there
(be)…………. a large number of dinosaur bones.
"I (not want) ……………to ruin the T-Rex, but when I (count)………… its leg bones I (must)………….. cough and (fall)…………
right into T-Rex."
Poor Brian! Mrs Miller (be)………….. very angry - but the director of the museum (believe) Brian. He (say)…………..: "In future
there will be a big fence around our favourite dinosaur."

3. Present Perfect - Present Perfect Progressive

"Hallo, Sam, where (you/be)………….? I (wait)…………. for you for quite some time at the stamp club."
" Sorry, Tina, but you know that I (always/want) …………to visit Disney World in Florida, and guess what I (just/notice)………….
in my mother´s new magazine: a crossword puzzle - and the first prize for the right solution is a trip there for one week. So for the last
two hours I (try to find)……….. all the right words. (you/ever/hear)…………. of a magical sword, the first letter is an "e" the last
letter is an "r"?"
" (you/never/read)…………. the story of King Arthur and his powerful sword Excalibur, Sam?"
"No, I (never/be) ………….too interested in legends, but thanks, you (help)…………. me a lot."
"That´s okay, good luck. Oh, by the way, your mother seems to be quite angry. I think she (look for)………… her new magazine all
afternoon - and now I know why she (have)……….. a chance to find it yet. But I have to go now - I (not do) ………….my homework
yet, and my stomach (make) …………strange noises for an hour. I guess, I´m terribly hungry. I hope mother (already/prepare)
………….. her famous roast beef. See you at school tomorrow."

4. Will - going to

Mr Corona's holiday plans.


Mr Corona is from Rome. He works at a factory in Hamburg. His work isn't very interesting, so he's looking forward to his holidays.
This year he (take)……….. his holiday early in September: he's lucky because he (get) ………….one day more than last year. He
(spend)………… his holidays in Rome, of course, because he wants to see his family again and he (visit)………… some good friends
as well.
He (fly) …………because it's too expensive for him. He (have) ……….to go by train. At least he hopes (be able)……….. to get a seat
in the train because the journey (take)…………. almost twenty hours and the train (be)………….full - so it (not be)………… a very
nice journey.

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Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.
1. The British explorer James Cook was born in the village of Marton, Yorkshire, on 27 October, 1728. But his family soon

(move) to another village, called Great Ayton, where Cook (spend) most of his childhood.

2. As a teenager James Cook (develop) a fascination for the sea and (travel) to Whitby where he

(find) employment on a coal ship.

3. While he (serve) in the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), Cook (have) the
command of a ship.

4. After the war (end) , Cook (take) command of the vessel Grenville and (go) to
Newfoundland to survey the coasts there.

5. While he (map) the coasts of Newfoundland, he (observe) a solar eclipse off the North
American coast.

6. Cook (send) the details to the Royal Society, England's leading scientific organisation, and (win)

their attention.

7. After Cook (publish) his observations of the solar eclipse, the Royal Society (ask) him to lead a

scientific expedition to Tahiti and (put) him in command of of the HMS Endeavour.

8. From Tahiti Cook then (go on) to explore the South Pacific.

9. He also (reach) New Zealand, which only the Dutchman Abel Tasman (visit) before Cook.

10. After Cook (map) New Zealand's complete coastline, he (sail) to Australia's east coast.

11. Cook (name) the area New South Wales as it (remind) him of the south coast of Wales in Great
Britain.

12. In 1772, one year after Cook (return) from his first voyage to the Pacific, the Royal Society (hire)

him for another expedition to find the mythical Terra Australis.

13. On his journey, Cook (discover) several islands and almost (go) as far as the continent of
Antarctica.

14. He (make) maps of the South Pacific and (prove) that Terra Australis (exist / not)

.
15. His third and last voyage for the Royal Society (take) him to the west coast of North America where he (try)

to find a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific.

16. He (not / can / pass) the Bering Strait, however; the ice (force) him to return to Hawaii, which

he (discover) earlier.

17. While he and his crew (rest) in Hawaii, some Hawaiians (steal) one of his boats.

18. When cook and his men (try) to get the boat back from the natives, a violent fight (break out)

in which the natives (stab) James Cook to death.


2. Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.

1. I (learn) English for seven years now.

2. But last year I (not / work) hard enough for English, that's why my marks (not / be) really that
good then.

3. As I (pass / want) my English exam successfully next year, I (study) harder this term.

4. During my last summer holidays, my parents (send) me on a language course to London.

5. It (be) great and I (think) I (learn) a lot.

6. Before I (go) to London, I (not / enjoy) learning English.

7. But while I (do) the language course, I (meet) lots of young people from all over the world.

8. There I (notice) how important it (be) to speak foreign languages nowadays.

9. Now I (have) much more fun learning English than I (have) before the course.

10. At the moment I (revise) English grammar.

11. And I (begin / already) to read the texts in my English textbooks again.

12. I (think) I (do) one unit every week.


13. My exam (be) on 15 May, so there (not / be) any time to be lost.

14. If I (pass) my exams successfully, I (start) an apprenticeship in September.

15. And after my apprenticeship, maybe I (go) back to London to work there for a while.

16. As you (see / can) , I (become) a real London fan already.


3. Fill the gaps with the correct tenses.

1. A famous New York institution _____ address last year.

changed had changed has changed is going to change

will change

2. Did you see Tom Cruise's last movie last week? No, I _____.

didn't don't hadn't haven't won't

3. Do you usually watch TV on Mondays? Yes, I _____.

did had have will do

4. Have you ever seen Tom Cruise's last movie? Yes, I _____.

did do has will have

5. Have you got a digital camera? No, I _____

haven't don't didn't hasn't doesn't

6. How long _____ for the Maths test?

has you been studying have you been studying studied will you studied you study

7. I saw a terrible accident while I _____ on the beach.

were walking has been walking was walking has walked had walked

8. I _____ for the maths test since August and I still have a lot to revise.

had studying has studying have been studying was studying will studying

9. I _____ this exercise.

have just finished had finishing will finishing has just finished will just finishing

10. If Mary continues smoking like that, she _____ probably have a lung disease.

have haven't will would wouldn't


11. In the future, people _____ more modern houses and flying cars.

has will have had have had will have

12. In the past, people _____ to the beach more often.

used to go use to go go do go did go

13. Latest news: A famous New York institution _____ address.

change changes had changed has changed will change

14. Mary _____ a lot lately.

works worked will work is working has worked

15. Nowadays the beaches _____ polluted.

are is was were have been

16. Soon, people _____ most of the time at home.

had worked have worked will work worked works

17. These days, people _____ to stay at home watching TV.

have preferred prefer preferred will prefer won't prefer

18. Tom _____ dinner when you arrived.

were cooking were cooked was cooking has cooked had cooked

19. Twenty years ago, people _____ more.

had read will read used to read has read did read

20. Yesterday I _____ a terrific talk show from 11:00 pm to 12:00 am.

had watched watch watched watches will watch


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