Mastering English Verb Tenses: Practice Exercises and Solutions

School in the Cloud: Verb Forms

(Exercise: Identify the correct verb forms.)

1. has tested
2. have never seen
3. taught
4. led
5. decided
6. has been operated

Tense Practice: Completing Sentences

(Exercise: Complete the sentences using the appropriate perfect or continuous tense.)

1. Football practice usually lasts two hours, but it ended early today.
   • Before the rain started, we had been practicing football.
2. I met my best friend when we were in Year 2.
   • What about you and Katherine? How long have you known each other?
3. She had better start studying for the test.
   • She has not studied for the test.
4. I was late for the art class today.
   • By the time I arrived, everyone had started the class.
5. I'm not surprised you're so tired these days!
   • You have been studying a lot at night.

Sentence Transformation Drills

(Exercise: Rewrite the sentences using the word in parentheses.)

1. I got here an hour ago. I'm still waiting. (for)
   • I have been waiting for an hour.
2. She was no longer studying when I arrived. (before)
   • Before I arrived, she had been studying.
3. This will be her first time abroad. (never)
   • She has never been abroad.

Complete the Mini-Dialogues

1. A: I have not finished studying yet.
   • B: Me neither, and I have been studying all day.
2. A: How was the lecture you went to last night?
   • B: It was disappointing. I had been hearing...
3. A: How long had you been dating...
   • B: For about two years. Everything was great...
4. A: I think I'm ready for the biology exam. I have been revising for the...
   • B: Well, I had planned to do...

Mixed Tense Application

(Exercise: Fill in the blanks with the correct verb tense.)

1. Log on to the school website! They have just published the results.
2. I was hungry, because I had not had breakfast.
3. Before he moved to Rome, Joe had been studying Italian.
4. I'm leaving. This is the most boring party I have ever been to.
5. I miss my sister. She has lived abroad for five years.
6. I had been walking all morning.

Sentence Rewriting and Context

1. It took me two hours of playing the game before I scored my first point.
   • I scored my first point two hours ago.
2. Ms. Everett started teaching here last year.
   • For the last year, Ms. Everett has been teaching here.
3. First we studied, and then we ordered pizza.
   • After we had studied, we ordered pizza.

Simple Tense and Continuous Practice

1. Last night, I watched a film.
2. What time did the party start last night?
3. He was running the race.
4. Come to our house for Sunday lunch.
5. When I first started working here...
6. Are you going shopping later?
7. The committee is meeting tomorrow morning.