Fill in the blanks with an appropriate verb form.
1. The government …………………….. a consumer protection agency last month.
To simply state that something happened sometime ago, we use the simple past.
2. The university ……………………… to establish an institute for Asian studies.
3. The institution of slavery ………………………… once widespread.
Use the simple past for finished past events.
4. She ………………………… that she heard someone in the house.
When one verb is in the past tense, the other verbs too will most probably be in the past tense.
5. The auditor …………………………. the books every month.
The simple present is used to talk about routines, habits, facts etc.
6. A fair and kind employer …………………………. loyalty.
Use the simple present to talk about facts and general truths.
7. Everyone ……………………………. as an individual.
8. When we got talking I found out that we …………………………. at school together twenty-five years before.
Before is often used with a past perfect to count back from a past moment.
9. My mom has a strange accent. She almost ………………………… foreign.
10. I will call you before I …………………….
When the main verb is in the future tense, we use a present tense in the subordinate clause to refer to future.
11. He ……………………….. school when he was twelve.
12. You ……………………………. me you were not coming.
Could have + past participle is used to criticize people for not doing things in the past.
Answers
1. The government instituted a consumer protection agency last month.
2. The university plans to establish an institute for Asian studies.
3. The institution of slavery was once widespread.
4. She insisted that she heard someone in the house.
5. The auditor inspects the books every month.
6. A fair and kind employer inspires loyalty.
7. Everyone should be recognized as an individual.
8. When we got talking I found out that we had been at school together twenty-five years before.
9. My mom has a strange accent. She almost sounds foreign.
10. I will call you before I come.
11. He left school when he was twelve.
12. You could have told me you were not coming.
