Fill in the blanks with an appropriate tense form.
Answers
1. She asked me what I ………………………………………. in her room.
When the main verb is in the past tense, use a past tense in the subordinate clause as well.
2. If he doesn’t apologize, he ……………………………………. back.
A passive verb is required here. Will not be taken back is the passive form of will not take.
3. You had better not …………………………….. him.
Had better is followed by a bare infinitive.
4. She …………………………………. her first child.
The present continuous is used to express ideas like these.
5. I …………………………………… anything from them for a long time.
The present perfect is more common with the time expressions for and since.
6. Excuse the mess. The walls ……………………………………..
Walls cannot paint themselves. Somebody is painting them. That means the walls are being painted.
7. He ……………………………… money for the blind.
If this is something that he does on a regular basis, the simple present will be used here.
8. She …………………………………. at an old age home.
If this is a permanent situation, the simple present will be used here.
9. If he had been more careful, the accident ……………………………………
In the third conditional, use a past perfect tense in the if-clause and would have + past participle in the main clause.
10. I will wait until he …………………………………
When the main verb is in the future tense, we use a simple present tense in the subordinate clause to refer to the future.
11. Suddenly I remembered that I ………………………………… the door.
12. I asked them if they ………………………………. my cat.
- She asked me what I was doing in her room.
- If he doesn’t apologize, he will not be taken back.
- You had better not anger him.
- She is expecting her first child.
- I haven’t heard anything from them for a long time.
- Excuse the mess. The walls are being painted.
- He is collecting money for the blind.
- She volunteers at an old age home.
- If he had been more careful, the accident would not have occurred.
- I will wait until he arrives.
- Suddenly I remembered that I hadn’t locked the door.
- I asked them if they had seen my cat.
