EXERCISES - TENSES

1.Write the following sentences in the 3rd person singular.

1. They fly their kite every Sunday afternoon.
Jim
2. We stay at home in the evenings.
She
3. Her children cry a lot.
Her child
4. They play basketball in their backyard.
He ..
5. We always try to do our homework as quickly as we can.
Sally
6. They often fry fish for dinner.
Mother .
7. The children study English at school.
The boy
2. Write the verb in the right form
1. Children ................................ (ask) a lot of questions.
2. She .................................. (go) to college on her bike.
3. A lot of birds .............................. (fly) south in the winter.
4. She ..................................... (study) very hard at the weekends.
5. My father .............................. (watch) television most evenings.
6. He ................................... (understand) Arabic.
7. He ........................................ (fight) with his brother.
8. Big dogs............................ (like) a lot of exercise.
9. Hes very naughty he ............................ (push) other children.
10.Lessons ................................. (start) at 8.35 every morning.
3. Underline the correct form.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

They are singing/sing an English song now.

Are they writing/Do they write letters to their friends every week?
Look! That dog is eating/eats your sandwich!
He is trying/tries to make a bird-house now.
My parents arent working/dont work late on Fridays.
Why are you coming/do you come late to school so often?

4. Write the verbs in the correct tense. Choose between Present Simple and
Present Continuous.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

The dog__________________ (bark) at the cat now.

The dog often __________________ (run) after the cat.
The baby__________________ (cry) a lot every day.
John and Sarah __________________ (try) to build a model village now.
Birds __________________ (fly) to the warm countries in autumn.
Now Jean__________________ (draw) a picture for her art class.
We always __________________(say) Goodbye to our teacher when the class is over.
Close that window! The wind __________________ (blow) strongly.

5. Put the verbs into the correct form (present perfect simple).

1. I (not / work)_________________________ today.

2. We (buy)____________________________ a new lamp.
3. We (not / plan)____________________________ our holiday yet.
4. Where __________________________(be / you) ?
5. He (write)_____________________________ five letters.
6. She (not / see)___________________________ him for a long time.
7. (be / you)_____________________________ at school?
8. School (not / start)___________________________ yet.
9. (speak / he)________________________ to his boss?
10.No, he (have / not)___________________________ the time yet.
9. Put the verbs in brackets in the Past tense simple or continuous:

George and Harry 1................ (play) tennis yesterday when it started to rain.
George went home, but Harry 2 .................. (decide) to go out in the car. He was driving along
the street when he 3...............(see) Margaret. While Margaret 4..................... (look) at a shop
window Harry called her name.
Margaret 5.............. (get) into the car and they talked for a long time. They
6.......................... (still talk) when a policeman arrived and showed Harry the No Parking sign.
Just as the policeman 7............... (write) down the number of Harrys car he 8 ....
(hear)a scream.
He looked up and 9.............. (see) and old lady who 10.............. (cross) the road. A big dog
11................(look) at her fiercely.

10. Choose between will or going to

1. A: Why are you holding a piece of paper?
B: I (write) a letter to my friends back home in Texas.
2. A: I'm about to fall asleep. I need to wake up!
B: I (get). you a cup of coffee. That will wake you up.
3. A: I can't hear the television!
B: I (turn). it up so you can hear it.
4. We are so excited about our trip next month to France. We (visit)
Paris, Nice and Grenoble.
5. Sarah (come) to the party. Oliver (be).. there as well.
11. Fill in the chart.
Infinitive

Participle

Past participle

Meaning

to drink
caught
drew
a hrni
flew
to lose
dug
a plti
sold
to teach