General revision

Exercise 1. Using the verbs in brackets, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses. There is an example at the beginning.

THE CAR THIEF.

My cousin and her husband live in Hanwell, one of the suburbs of London. One morning they woke up (wake up) to find to their dismay that their car … (steal) from outside their house. They immediately … (phone) the police to report the theft, before … (leave) for work by bus.

When they … (return) home later the same day, they … (find) to their surprise that their car … (bring back) and was parked in its usual place outside their house. Under one of the windscreen wipers … (be) a small envelope.

They quickly … (open) it and … (find) a note … (apologize) profusely for ‘borrowing’ their car. The man who … (write) it explained that he … (not have) a car himself, and his wife … (go) into labor in the middle of the night with their first baby. So he … (hope) they … (not mind) too much that he … (take) their car without their permission in order to run her to the hospital, as it was something of an emergency.

By way of compensation, he … (enclose) two tickets for the West End show Sunset Boulevard on Saturday evening. They … (be) both delighted as they loved Lloyd Webber’s music and … (try) for ages to get tickets for this particular musical.

It was a perfect evening. They … (have) front row seats and the show itself was every bit as good as they … (expect). They … (be) in such a good mood after it that they … (decide) to go for a meal at their favorite Italian restaurant. When they eventually … (get) home just after midnight, a new shock … (await) them. While they were away, their house … (burgle)! Everything of value … (steal). They … (know) immediately who the thief was because … (lie) on the kitchen table was a note in a handwriting they … (recognize), … (say): HOPE YOU … (enjoy) THE SHOW.

Exercise 2. Choose the correct item.

1. One morning last week I realized that my bike ………. from my garden.
A. had stolen B. had been stolen C. was stolen D. has been stolen

2. As soon as you ………. what you’re doing I’d like a word with you.
A. are finishing B. will finish C. will be finished D. finish

3. You’ve got three sisters, ……….?

A. have you got B. don’t you C. isn’t it D. haven’t you

4. None of my letters ………. to Vera since her change of address.

A. were delivered B. are delivered C. is delivered D. has been delivered

5. He ………. to find a job but he had no luck.
A. had hardly tried B. tried hardly C. hardly tried D. tried hard

6. We ………. by a loud noise during the night.
A. woke up B. are woken up C. were woken up D. were waking up

7. They ………. for half an hour when the doctor came.
A. have waited B. waited C. had been waiting D. were waiting

8. We’ve been very busy ………..
A. late B. lately C. later D. later on

9. By the time we came to the park the park gates ………. already.
A. were locked B. were being locked C. had been locked D. would be locked

10. Our work ………. last night so we can relax this morning.
A. had been finished B. finished C. was finished D. had finished

11. Let’s go to theatre tonight, ……….?

A. will we B. do we C. won’t we D. shall we

12. Pat ………. by her parents for two years before she was awarded a scholarship.

A. was supported B. had been supported C. supported D. has been supported

13. When we were younger, we ………. go dancing every Saturday.
A. would to B. used C. would D. had used

14. Although Shakespeare was a great dramatist, ………. that as an actor, he was only able

to play minor roles.
A. it is thought B. it thought C. it thinks D. thinking

15. The ambassador heard that ………. at his post a year longer.

A. he be staying B. he will have stayed C. him to stay D. he would be staying

16. Although she was listening, she didn’t hear ………. because there was so much noise.
A. what said B. what did he say C. what he was saying D. what said he

17. The family has been in America ………..
A. in last year B. for a last year C. after last year D. since last year

18. She ………. catch the bus every morning, but now she rides with her fiancé.
A. used to B. is used to C. use to D. was used to

19. The roof of the building ………. in a storm a few days ago.

A. has been damaged B. was damaged C. is damaged D. was being damaged

20. I’m the worst student in our class, ………. I?
A. aren’t B. amn’t C. isn’t D. don’t

21. This is the first time the painting ………. to the public.
A. is shown B. is being shown C. has been shown D. was shown

22. I have ………. to the USA.
A. never gone B. never been C. not gone D. not never been

23. Hurry up! We haven’t got much time. The train ………. at 5.30.
A. is leaving B. leaves C. has left D. has been leaving

24. They ……….. a beautiful house in the country years ago.

A. would have B. were having C. used to have D. have had

25. The children ………. to the seaside for a day.

A. were took B. were taking C. were being taken D. were taken

26. George can’t use his car now. It ………. at the garage.

A. is being serviced B. has been serviced C. was serviced D. will be serviced

27. He looks terrible because he ………. well for weeks.

A. didn’t sleep B. hasn’t slept C. has been sleeping D. was sleeping

28. I’ll give you the money as soon as I ………..

A. be paid B. am pay C. am paying D. get paid

29. The office ………. cleaned when I left.
A. has still B. was still being C. was still D. still being

30. ………. he wrote his first book when he was sixteen.
A. It is said that B. It is said to C. He is said that D. He is said to

31. Don’t drive too fast, ……….?

A. don’t you B. do you C. shall you D. will you

32. He ………. his talk when he was interrupted.
A. had hardly begun B. hardly begun C. hardly had begun D. began hardly

33. Vitamin C must be taken daily, as it cannot ………. by the body.
A. store B. stored C. be stored D. be storing

34. Fred ………. that they had moved to London.

A. said me B. told me C. told D. told to me

35. An election ………. in the autumn, the government announced this morning.

A. is held B. will be held C. will have been held D. is being held

36. I’ve bought two tickets to Paris. Alex and I ………. tomorrow.

A. to leave B. will leave C. leave D. are leaving

37. She didn’t use to work here two years ago, ……….?
A. did she B. used she C. didn’t she D. did she use

38. I’m terribly sorry, I had no idea you ………. deputy director.

A. are appointed B. were appointed C. had been appointed D. has been appointed

39. No one was surprised at the change in Bank Rate. It ………. by the investors.

A. was expected B. had been expected C. is expected D. was being expected

40. He refused to go to the theatre because he ………. an exam in a few days.

A. was having B. had C. will have D. has had

41. You’ll never forgive him, ……….?

A. won’t you B. will you C. will you not D. you will

42. Dan Brown’s books ………. in any bookshop.

A. you can buy B. will buy C. can buy D. can be bought

43. Many interesting books ………. by the company this year.

A. are published B. have been published C. were published D. will have been published

44. The Gregorian Calendar ………. all over Europe at the same time, since Italy adopted

it in 1582, England in 1752 and Russia not until 1918.

A. introduced B. was introducing C. wasn’t introduced D. wasn’t introducing

45. ………. that five people died in an explosion.

A. They are reported B. It has reported C. It’s reported D. It’s reporting

46. How long ………. Susan?

A. you know B. are you knowing C. do you know D. have you known

47. I ………. three more days to decide if I want to accept their offer.

A. gave B. have given C. have been given D. will give

48. Kate ………. most of her money by the time she goes back home.

A. will spend B. will be spending C. will have been spent D. will have spent

49. I’ll see you in August when I ………. back.

A. will come B. come C. came D. will have come

50. How long did you say you ………. these pills?

A. take B. are taking C. have taken D. have been taking

51. I ………. busy since we last met.

A. am B. have been C. was D. had been

52. Did he say whether ………. lend you the money or not?

A. could he B. can he C. he could D. he

53. Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America,. ………. in 1607.

A. was established B. it was founded C. founded D. colonists arrived there

54. I’m not hungry. I’ve eaten three sandwiches ………..

A. yesterday B. two hours ago C. at two o’clock D. today

55. Oh, there’s no tea? OK then. I ………. some orange juice.

A. am going to have B. will have C. will be having D. am having

56. If we don’t hurry, all the tickets ………. by the time we get there.

A. are sold B. will sell C. will be sold D. will have been sold

57. For the past few days I have been working in Jack’s office, as my own office ………..

A. was redecorated B. is redecorated C. is being redecorated D. has been redecorated

58. That’s Christine’s mother over there, isn’t ……….?

A. that B. her C. she D. it

59. We ………. by Mrs. Jones for five years before she returned to her own country.

A. taught B. have been taught C. had been taught D. were taught

60. The entire coastline will be covered by smog tomorrow unless something ……….

to clean up the air.

A. will be done B. is done C. is being done D. will have been done