General Grammar Exercise

Fill in the blanks.

1. ..................................... that report yet?

Have you finished
Did you finish
Do you finish
The present perfect is more common with the expressions yet and already.

2. No, I haven't finished that report. I .................................... on it.

work
have worked
am working
The present continuous is used to talk about actions and situations that are going on at the
moment of speaking.

3. It ..................................... be ready by evening.

should
would
shall
We use should to express logical possibility.

4. This is the first time I ........................................ Amsterdam.

visited
have visited
am visiting
The present perfect is more common with this is the first / second / last time ....

5. She .................................... for hours.

has been knitting
is knitting

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 General Grammar Exercise

knits
The present perfect continuous is used to talk about an action or situation that started in the
past, has continued up to the present and is still continuing.

6. We ........................................ in this town for ten years.

are living
have been living
live
The present perfect continuous is used to talk about an action or situation that started in the
past, has continued up to the present and is still continuing.

7. I ................................... ill last week.

was
have been
had been
The simple past is used to talk about finished events in the past.

8. ...................................... you want to see the pictures of my holiday?

Do
Have
Does

9. I ..................................... dinner before dad came home.

finished
had finished
Either could be used here
The past perfect tense is used to talk about the earlier of two past events. Sometimes we use
the conjunctions before and after to show which action took place first. The use of the past
perfect tense is optional in this case.

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 General Grammar Exercise

10. The boy ................................... before people came to rescue him.

drowned
had drowned
has drowned
The past perfect tense is used to talk about the earlier of two past events. The simple past is
also sometimes possible here.

11. He .................................... before he left.

called
had called
Either could be used here
Sometimes we use the conjunctions before and after to show which action took place first.
The use of the past perfect tense is optional in this case.

12. I ..................................................... my lessons before I went out to

play.
learnt
had learnt
Either could be used here

PLAY AGAIN !
Answers
1. Have you finished that report yet?

2. No, I haven’t finished that report. I am working on it.

3. It should be ready by evening.

4. This is the first time I have visited Amsterdam.

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 General Grammar Exercise

5. She has been knitting for hours.

6. We have been living in this town for ten years.

7. I was ill last week.

8. Do you want to see the pictures of my holiday?

9. I finished / had finished dinner before dad came home.

10. The boy had drowned before people came to rescue him.

11. He called / had called before he left.

12. I had learnt / learnt my lessons before I went out to play.

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