Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one. Some sentences have two correct answers. Choose both.
1By the time the panel finally asked for evidence, we ............... the same point for nearly twenty minutes, so I switched tactics.
Wrong!
Use "had been making" for an action that continued up to a later past moment.
2I ............... the report twice already this morning, so if you still cannot find the typo, it is probably in the data table.
Wrong!
Use "have read" for a completed action with a present result, especially with "already" and a repeated count.
3Since the merger, the support team ............... over 40,000 tickets, but response times have improved.
Wrong!
Use "has handled" for a completed total over a period that continues to the present.
4When I walked into the lab, the interns ............... the prototype, and the smell of solder was everywhere.
Wrong!
Use "were testing" for an action in progress when another past action happened.
5I cannot believe we are still debating this. We ............... the same argument since Monday.
Wrong!
Use "have been having" for a repeated activity continuing from the past to now.
6After the keynote ended, people ............... in the lobby for ages, trading contacts and comparing notes.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "lingered" (a past activity seen as a whole) and "were lingering" (an activity in progress) fit; "had been lingering" needs a later past reference point.
7I ............... to call you all week, but every time I picked up the phone, another meeting started.
Wrong!
Use "had been meaning" for an intention that continued before another past situation interrupted it.
8By the time we launched the update, we ............... the onboarding flow to remove three unnecessary steps.
Wrong!
Use "had simplified" for an action completed before a later past point.
9Over the last decade, the company ............... from a local supplier into a global brand.
Wrong!
Use "has grown" for a completed change over a period that reaches the present.
10At first I thought she was improvising, but she ............... that story for weeks, judging by the details.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "had been rehearsing" and "had rehearsed" fit preparation that went on for weeks before a later past realisation; the continuous form stresses the ongoing effort.
11I ............... this client since 2019, so I can usually predict what they will push back on.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "have been working with" and "have worked with" can describe a continuing relationship since 2019.
12The more I ............... the footage, the more I notice tiny continuity errors in the background.
Wrong!
Use the present simple "watch" in the pattern "The more I ..., the more I ..." to describe a general tendency.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- By the time the panel finally asked for evidence, we had been making the same point for nearly twenty minutes, so I switched tactics.
- I have read the report twice already this morning, so if you still cannot find the typo, it is probably in the data table.
- Since the merger, the support team has handled over 40,000 tickets, but response times have improved.
- When I walked into the lab, the interns were testing the prototype, and the smell of solder was everywhere.
- I cannot believe we are still debating this. We have been having the same argument since Monday.
- After the keynote ended, people lingered / were lingering in the lobby for ages, trading contacts and comparing notes.
- I had been meaning to call you all week, but every time I picked up the phone, another meeting started.
- By the time we launched the update, we had simplified the onboarding flow to remove three unnecessary steps.
- Over the last decade, the company has grown from a local supplier into a global brand.
- At first I thought she was improvising, but she had rehearsed / had been rehearsing that story for weeks, judging by the details.
- I have been working with / have worked with this client since 2019, so I can usually predict what they will push back on.
- The more I watch the footage, the more I notice tiny continuity errors in the background.