Fill in the blanks.
1She should be here soon. She ............... the office at 6.30.
Wrong!
Use "left" with the definite past time "at 6. 30".
2............... your uncle while you were in Japan?
Wrong!
Use "Did you meet" because "while you were in Japan" refers to a finished past time.
3He quit because the pressure to perform ............... too much for him.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Became" and "had become" are both possible because the pressure changed at or before the time he quit.
4The last time I ............... from him was a month ago.
Wrong!
Use "heard" after "the last time" to refer to a completed past event.
5He ............... waiting outside for a long time.
Select 2 answers.
Wrong!
"Has been" and "was" are both possible, depending on whether the waiting continues now or belonged to a past situation.
6The boy ............... missing since Monday.
Wrong!
Use "has been" with "since Monday" for a situation that started in the past and continues now.
7I ............... that she had some problems.
Wrong!
Use "didn't know" to talk about a lack of knowledge at a finished past time.
8If you ..............., you can leave now.
Wrong!
Use "have finished" because the result is important now.
9There ............... several reasons for the accident.
Wrong!
Use "were" because the accident is treated as a completed past event.
10It was my birthday yesterday, and my mother ............... me a laptop.
Wrong!
Use "gave" because "yesterday" is a definite past time.
11I ............... a lot when I was younger.
Wrong!
Use "played" because "when I was younger" refers to a finished past period.
12His parents ............... him to a boarding school when he was twelve.
Wrong!
Use "sent" because "when he was twelve" is a definite past time.
Done.
Score: 0/12
Answers
- She should be here soon. She left the office at 6.30.
- Did you meet your uncle while you were in Japan?
- He quit because the pressure to perform became / had become too much for him.
- The last time I heard from him was a month ago.
- He has been / was waiting outside for a long time.
- The boy has been missing since Monday.
- I didn’t know that she had some problems.
- If you have finished, you can leave now.
- There were several reasons for the accident.
- It was my birthday yesterday, and my mother gave me a laptop.
- I played a lot when I was younger.
- His parents sent him to a boarding school when he was twelve.

