This grammar exercise tests your ability to use tenses correctly. Complete the following sentences with an appropriate tense form.
1. This time tomorrow, I ............................... on the beach.
To say that an activity will be in progress at a particular time in the future, we use the future continuous tense.
2. She said that she ....................... help me.
When the verb in the main clause is in the past tense, we use a past tense in the subordinate clause as well.
3. Phone me when you ............................ time.
In many subordinate clauses we use the present tenses to refer to the future.
4. I will follow you wherever you ...........................
When the verb in the main clause is in the future tense, we use a present tense in the subordinate clause to refer to future.
5. You ........................... an accident if you go on driving like that.
In conditional sentences, when the verb in the if-clause is in the simple present tense, we use will + infinitive in the main clause.
6. When you phoned, I ................................. in the garage.
We use the past continuous to talk about a past event that was going on a particular time in the past.
7. I .............................. all my childhood in South India.
The simple past is the normal tense for talking about the past. We use it when we don't have a special reason to use another tense.
8. The phone ......................... while I was having a bath.
We use the simple past to refer to shorter actions that happen in the middle of a longer action.
9. I tried a little of the soup to see how it ..........................
Some verbs are not normally used in the continuous form. Taste is one of them.
10. When we were children we ............................. our own toys.
We use the simple past to talk about habitual past actions.
11. I can't dance because I ........................... my leg.
The present tense is used to say that a finished action is connected with the present in some way.
12. I .......................... the bell six times but no one opened the door.
We use the simple past to talk about repeated past actions.
Answers
1. This time tomorrow, I will be lying on the beach.
2. She said that she would help me.
3. Phone me when you have time.
4. I will follow you wherever you go.
5. You will have an accident if you go on driving like that.
6. When you phoned, I was working in the garage.
7. I spent all my childhood in South India.
8. The phone rang while I was having a bath.
9. I tried a little of the soup to see how it tasted.
10. When we were children we made our own toys.
11. I can’t dance because I have broken my leg.
12. I rang the bell six times but no one opened the door.
