Fill in the blanks with an appropriate tense form.
1. I …………………………. my mother every night before going to bed.
To talk about a habit or routine, use the simple present tense.
2. We …………………………… terrible weather these days.
To talk about an ongoing action or situation, use the present continuous tense.
3. I ……………………………… off my debts.
To talk about a completely finished event, use the present perfect when there is no past time reference.
4. I ………………………….. to invite him to my party.
5. I ………………………….. a word with my boss in the morning.
This is a finished event. Hence, use the simple past tense here.
6. She asked me what my problem ……………………………..
When the main verb is in the past tense, use a past tense in the subordinate clause as well.
7. He said that he ……………………………… before sunset.
Would is the past form of will. When the main verb is in the past tense, use a past tense in the subordinate clause as well.
8. I …………………………….. to hear the news.
The news delighted me. That means I was delighted.
9. The children ……………………………. us with their enthralling performance.
10. Ever since she left college, she ………………………………… for a job.
Use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action or situation that started in the past and has continued up to the present.
11. If you …………………………… a little money every month, you wouldn’t have faced this problem now.
In the third conditional, use a past perfect tense in the if-clause and would have + past participle in the main clause.
12. If he …………………………… carefully, he wouldn’t crash the car.
In the second conditional, use a simple past in the if-clause and would + infinitive in the main clause.
Answers
- I call my mother every night before going to bed.
- We are having terrible weather.
- I have paid off my debts.
- I forgot to invite him to my party.
- I had a word with my boss in the morning.
- She asked me what my problem was.
- He said that he would return before sunset.
- I was delighted to hear the news.
- The children delighted us with their enthralling performance.
- Ever since she left college, she has been looking for a job.
- If you had saved a little money every month, you wouldn’t have faced this problem now.
- If he drove carefully, he wouldn’t crash the car.
