Fill in the blanks with a suitable tense form.
1He ............... all his childhood in a quaint village in China.
Wrong!
Use "spent" because his childhood is a finished time in the past.
2I ............... all day yesterday.
Wrong!
Use "was reading" for an action in progress during the finished time "yesterday."
3Mozart died while he ............... the Requiem.
Wrong!
Use "was composing" for the longer background action when Mozart died.
4I ............... the cleaning. What shall I do now?
Wrong!
Use "have done" for a completed action with a present result.
5I ............... in India for ten years when I was a child.
Wrong!
Use "lived" because "when I was a child" refers to a finished past time.
6I can't play tomorrow because I ............... my leg.
Wrong!
Use "have broken" because the injury has a present result.
7My puppy ...............
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "died" or "has died" because both can report the puppy's death in this context.
8I ............... a lot in Asia and Africa so far.
Wrong!
Use "have traveled" for life experience up to now; "so far" shows the period continues to the present.
9Once upon a time there ............... a beautiful princess.
Wrong!
Use "lived" in a traditional story opening set in the past.
10He ............... hard for years now.
Wrong!
Use "has worked" because "for years now" shows a period continuing to the present.
11............... Romeo and Juliet on TV last night?
Wrong!
Use "Did you see" with the finished past time "last night."
12My late grandfather ............... a lot for me.
Wrong!
Use "did" because "late grandfather" means he is no longer alive.
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- He spent all his childhood in a quaint village in China.
- I was reading all day yesterday.
- Mozart died while he was composing the Requiem.
- I have done the cleaning. What shall I do now?
- I lived in India for ten years when I was a child.
- I can’t play tomorrow because I have broken my leg.
- My puppy died / has died.
- I have traveled a lot in Asia and Africa so far.
- Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess.
- He has worked hard for years now.
- Did you see Romeo and Juliet on TV last night?
- My late grandfather did a lot for me.

