Fill in the blanks with a simple past, present perfect or past perfect tense form.
1She asked if I ............... her cat.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "had seen" because the seeing happened before the past action "asked". The past simple "saw" is also acceptable in reported speech. "Have seen" does not fit after the past reporting verb "asked".
2Suddenly I realized that I ............... him before.
Wrong!
Use "had seen" for an experience before the past moment of realizing.
3I ............... there before.
Wrong!
Use "have been" to talk about life experience up to now.
4I called him, and he ............... at once.
Wrong!
Use "came" for the next completed action in a past sequence.
5I finished my job and ............... home.
Wrong!
Use "went" for the next completed action in a past sequence.
6I ...............; I am not hungry.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "just ate" and "have just eaten" can explain the present result "I am not hungry".
7When they offered me lunch, I ..............., so I was not hungry.
Wrong!
Use "had just eaten" because the eating happened before the past offer of lunch.
8I was hungry and quickly ............... my meal.
Wrong!
Use "ate" for the completed action in this past narrative.
9Yesterday, you ............... a whole loaf.
Wrong!
Use "ate" with the finished time expression "yesterday".
10He ............... his mistake and promptly apologized.
Wrong!
Use "realized" for a completed past action followed by another completed past action.
11He ..............., so we will not take any further action against him.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Use "has apologized" because the past action has a present result now; the past simple "apologized" is also acceptable, especially in American English. "Had apologized" does not fit because there is no earlier past moment.
12He ..............., so they took him back.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
Both "apologized" and "had apologized" are possible before the later past action "took him back".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- She asked if I saw / had seen her cat.
- Suddenly I realized that I had seen him before.
- I have been there before.
- I called him, and he came at once.
- I finished my job and went home.
- I just ate / have just eaten; I am not hungry.
- When they offered me lunch, I had just eaten, so I was not hungry.
- I was hungry and quickly ate my meal.
- Yesterday, you ate a whole loaf.
- He realized his mistake and promptly apologized.
- He apologized / has apologized, so we will not take any further action against him.
- He apologized / had apologized, so they took him back.