VERB TENSES
Choose the word or the phrase (A, B, C, or D) that best completes the sentence.
1. While mom was watching TV, I _______ my homework.
A. am doing
B. was doing
C. had done
D. has done
2. His father _______ twenty short stories so far.
A. has written
B. writes
C. wrote
D. write
3. I _______ to the market with my mother yesterday.
A. go
B. went
C. have gone
D. was going
4. We _______ what to do with the money yet.
A. not decide
B. haven’t decided C. didn’t decide
D. hadn’t decided
5. I have never played badminton before. This is the first time I _______ to play.
A. try
B. tried
C. have tried
D. am trying
6. We _______ to the beach every day when we were on holiday.
A. went
B. go
C. were going
D. used to going

7. Henry________ into the restaurant when the writer was having dinner.
A. was going
B. went
C. has gone
D. did go
8. I couldn't cut the grass because the machine_______ down a few days before.
A. broken
B. has broken
C. had broken
D. breaks
9. I looked for my bag after I _______ lunch.
A. had
B. had had
C. have has
D. have had
10. Leon never _______about it, but he was once a world champion skier.
A. talks
B. was talking
C. is talking.
D. talk
11. When I last saw him, he _______ in London.
A. has lived
B. is living
C. was living
D. has been living
12. Look at those black clouds in the sky. I think it _______.
A. is going to rain
B. going to rain
C. will rain
D. is raining

13. Nam has lived with his grandparents since he _______ a little boy.
A. is
B. was
C. has been
D. had been
14. I can’t come to your party because I _______ my cousin that week.
A. visit
B. visited
C. will visit
D. am visiting
15. By this time next summer, you________your studies.
A. will complete
B. are completing
C. will have completed
D. completes
16. Let’s take our travel chess set in case we _______ bored on the train.
A. get
B. are getting
C. got
D. have got
17. Her father ______ when she was a small girl.
A. dies
B. died
C. has died
D. had died
18. We________touch since we_________school three years ago.
A. lost/ have left
B. have lost/ leave
C. have lost/ left
D. were losing/ had left

19. When we came to the stadium, the match ________.
A. already began
B. have already begun C. had already begun
D. already begins
20. The boys broke a window while they _______ football.
A. played
B. were playing
C. had played
D. are playing


21. Don’t worry! I’ll give her this message as soon as she _______.
A. has returned
B. will return
C. returned
D. returns
22. For several years his ambition _______ to be a pilot.
A. is
B. has been
C. was
D. had been
23. When Peter arrives, I_______him to your new house.
A. take
B. will take
C. was taking
D. had taken
24. While I _______ along the road, I saw a friend of mine.
A. cycled
B. have cycled
C. had cycled

D. was cycling
25. Her husband ________before going to work.
A. has always a quick breakfast
B. has a quick breakfast always
C. always has a quick breakfast
D. a quick breakfast always has
26. By this time next year, my father_______here for 25 years.
A. are going to work B. will be working C. will have been working D. will work
27. I hope you’ll remember to call me when you _______ in Paris.
A. are arriving
B. will be arriving
C. will arrive
D. arrive
28. How long ago _______ to learn French?
A. have you started B. were you starting C. would you start
D. did you start
29. “You’ll recognize Jenny when you see her. She _______a red hat.”
A. will wear
B. will be wearing
C. wears
D. is wearing
30. Jane ______ law for four years now at Harvard.
A. has been studying B. is studying
C. studies
D. studied
31. You _______ me for money. Ask somebody else.
A. have always asked B. are always asked C. are always asking D. always ask
32. Students _______ for the national examinations at this time next month.
A. will have sat
B. sit

C. will sit
D. will be sitting
33. Titanic is the best film I’ve ever seen. I _______ it seven times.
A. had watched
B. am watching
C. watched
D. have watched
34. There _______ a lot of changes in our town over the last five years.
A. are
B. had been
C. were
D. have been
35. You _______ the windows open at night. Close them right away.
A. have always left B. always leave
C. always left
D. are always leaving
36. “Could you turn off the stove? The potatoes______ for at least thirty minutes.”
A. boiled
B. were boiling
C. are boiling
D. have been boiling
37. _______ that crossword for over an hour and you still haven't finished it!
A. You’ve done
B. You've been doing
C. You'd done
D. You'd been do
38. When they let us go in, we _______ outside the exam room for over half an hour.
A. have stood
B. have been standing C. had been standing D. are standing
39. I _______ the washing-up for a Few minutes when Clare came home, so she offered to

finish it.
A. had only done
B. had only been doing C. was only doing D. have only been doing
40. Mum _______ her cup of tea for several minutes before she realised it had salt in it!
A. had drunk
B. had been drinking C. was drinking
D. have been drinking
41. We had just got out of the car when it _______ to set fire.
A. was beginning
B. began
C. had begun
D. has begun


42. I _______ coins since I was ten years old.
A. collected
B. am collecting
C. have been collecting
D. had collected
43. That was the first time I ________ such a beautiful girl.
A. had ever seen
B. ever saw
C. have ever seen
D. ever see
44. What have you been doing? I _______ for you for two hours.
A. waited
B. am waiting
C. have been waiting D. had waited
45. He will take the dog out for a walk as soon as he _______ dinner.
A. finish

B. finishes
C. will finish
D. finishing
46. _______ to rain before you woke up this morning?
A. Has it begun
B. Would it begin
C. Had it begun
D. Did it begin
47. What a great joy it was to receive the news he _______ for such a long time!
A. had been waiting
B. waited
C. has been waiting
D. was waiting
48. I’ll come and see you before I _______ for the States.
A. leave
B. will leave
C. have left
D. shall leave
49. We’ll go to the theme park when you_______ your meal.
A. have finished
B. will finish
C. will have finished
D. are finishing
50. Whenever he had an important decision to make, he ______ a cigar to calm his nerves.
A. would light
B. would be lighting C. would have lit
D. had lit
51. Her family________ to America before 1975.
A. went
B. have gone

C. had gone
D. would go
52. When I arrived at the party, Martha________ home already.
A. had gone
B. has gone
C. went
D. was going
53. Almost everyone _______ for home by the time we arrived.
A. had left
B. has left
C. left
D. would leave
54. Hurry up, or they
serving meals by the time we get to the restaurant.
A. stopped
B. will have stopped C. are stopping
D. would stop
55. Melanie _______ her hand. It’s bleeding heavily.
A. has cut
B. is cutting
C. cut
D. cuts
56. The Browns have bought a lot of food and drink. They _______ a party tonight.
A. will have
B. have
C. are having
D. going to have
57. Due to ever more spreading poaching, there _______ a dramatic decline in the number
of elephants over the last decade.
A. was

B. is
C. has been
D. had been
58. Can you keep calm for a moment? You _______ noise in class!
A. are always made B. always make
C. have always made D. are always making
59. My brother _______ his driving test when he was 18.
A. has passed
B. passes
C. was passing
D. passed
60. He fell down when he _______ towards the church.
A. run
B. runs
C. was running
D. had run
61. At this time next week, all of the students_______ for their examinations.
A. will be sat
B. have been sitting C. have sat
D. will be sitting
62. I
with my aunt when I am on holiday in Ho Chi Minh City next month.


A. will have been staying B. will have stayed
C. stay
D. will be staying
63. The boat was sailing north when a terrible storm ______.
A. had broken
B. broke

C. would break
D. was breaking
64. We________ this course before the final examination.
A. are going to finish
B. have finished
C. will finish
D. will have finished
65. As soon as you _______ all your homework, you will be allowed to go out.
A. are doing
B. had done
C. did
D. have done
66. Don’t worry! By the time you arrive tomorrow, we _______ the work
A. have finished
B. would finish
C. will finish
D. will have finished
67. I ______ this letter around for days without looking at it.
A. am carrying
B. will be carrying C. carry
D. have been carrying
68. She is very absent-minded: she ______ her cellphone three times!
A. has lost
B. loses
C. was losing
D. had lost
69. I _______ work last week, but I changed my mind.
A. have started
B. was going to start C. had started
D. would start

70. Mrs. Black’s son ______ in hospital ever since he fell off his bicycle last week.
A. was
B. is
C. was being
D. has been
71. The price of houses ______ dramatically in recent years.
A. has risen
B. was raising
C. rose
D. raises
72. My favourite team _______ 15 games so far this season, and will probably win the
championship.
A. are winning
B. won
C. have won
D. will win
73. It is blowing so hard. We _______ such a terrible storm.
A. have never known
B. have never been knowing
C. never know
D. had never known
74. When the old school friends met, a lot of happy memories _______ back.
A. had brought
B. were brought
C. brought
D. had been brought
75. Our industrial output _______ from $2 million in 2002 to $4 million this year.
A. rises
B. has risen
C. was rising

D. rose