Fill in the blanks with an appropriate verb form.
1I ............... some land in the countryside, so now I want to build a small house there.
Wrong!
"Have bought" links the completed purchase to the present situation ("so now I want").
2We ............... for a drive in the afternoon; we arranged it with the Smiths last week.
Wrong!
"Are going" is used for a planned future arrangement, here one made last week.
3He ............... at least three newspapers every day.
Wrong!
"Reads" is used for a regular daily habit.
4She ............... English so that she can find a better job.
Wrong!
"Is learning" describes an action in progress around now.
5I was late because the car ............... while I was driving to work.
Wrong!
"Broke down" is the completed past event that explains why I was late.
6Bill Gates was only 14 years old when he ............... his first computer program.
Wrong!
"Wrote" is used for a completed action at a specific time in the past.
7Gates ............... Microsoft when he was only 20 years old.
Wrong!
"Founded" means started or established a company.
8A car accident ............... her disabled for life.
Wrong!
"Left" describes the completed past result caused by the accident.
9He was sentenced to 28 years in prison because he ............... his ex-girlfriend.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Had murdered" shows that the murder happened before the prison sentence; the simple past "murdered" is also correct because "because" already makes the order of events clear. "Has murdered" cannot be used with a past-time main clause.
10I ............... a lot of movies when I was at university.
Wrong!
"Used to watch" describes a past habit that is no longer true.
11Only after her death ............... able to appreciate her.
Wrong!
"Was I" is the correct inversion after "Only after her death".
12Although they threatened her with dire consequences, she ...............
Wrong!
"Did not give up" completes the contrast with a finished past situation.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- I have bought some land in the countryside, so now I want to build a small house there.
- We are going for a drive in the afternoon; we arranged it with the Smiths last week.
- He reads at least three newspapers every day.
- She is learning English so that she can find a better job.
- I was late because the car broke down while I was driving to work.
- Bill Gates was only 14 years old when he wrote his first computer program.
- Gates founded Microsoft when he was only 20 years old.
- A car accident left her disabled for life.
- He was sentenced to 28 years in prison because he murdered / had murdered his ex-girlfriend.
- I used to watch a lot of movies when I was at university.
- Only after her death was I able to appreciate her.
- Although they threatened her with dire consequences, she did not give up.