Tenses past and present

Simple or progressive? Choose the correct form from the brackets to complete the sen-tences.

1 Pat is in Scotland at the moment. She (stays/is staying) with her cousin for a week.
2 Tim (is cooking/cooks) dinner for his girlfriend right now.
3 I (have worked/have been working) hard on my essay. It's finished now.
4 When I called at Don's, he (assembled/was assembling) his new computer.
5 Emma's eyes were red when I called. She (had chopped/had been chopping)
onions for lunch.
6 Liz (always gives/is always giving) parties. I don't think she does much for school.
7 Dave can't hear you at the moment. He (is listening/listens) to his walkman.
8 Last night we (were going/went) to see Speed 4 at the ABC. It was really exciting.
9 I (cycle/am cycling) to school this week because the weather's so nice.
10 Sam (has kicked/has been kicking) a ball through the neighbours' window, I'm afraid.
11 Judy always (is going/goes) to her ballet class on Thursdays.
12 I couldn't speak to Janice because she (washed/was washing) her hair.

Complete the sentences with the past, present perfect or past perfect in the simple or
progressive form. Sometimes a passive verb may be necessary.

13 What time (your train - arrive)... this morning? - At 8. 05 exactly.
14 Phone the police. I think my car (steal)... It's not where I left it.
15 Sarah felt ill because she (eat)... four hamburgers and two ice creams.
16 It's time you made an appointment for a check-up at the dentist's. You (not - be)... there for ages.
17 Do you know where my old boots are? -I (look for)... them in the cellar.
18 How long (you - clean)... your room? - For well over an hour. And I haven't finished yet.
19 I couldn't pay for the cinema tickets because I realized I (forget)... my money.
20 How long (you - know)... your best friend?
21 I was hot and tired when I met Jan. I (run)... down by the river.
22 The police found Laura's stolen moped, but unfortunately it (damage)... by the thief.
23 The unemployment figures (rise)... only slightly this year so far.
24 When Andy and Paul (drive)... up to Glasgow, their car broke down.

Spot the mistakes. There is one mistake in each sentence or sentence group.

25 We have this house for three years. We got it cheap.
26 Pat is a radiologist. She works at Victoria Hospital for about five years.
27 Last year we have gone on holiday to Corsica.
28 While I was watching TV, the doorbell was ringing. It was Polly.
29 I haven't been to the cinema since about three months.
30 You'll have to drive Paul home, I'm afraid. Don't let him drive. He has drunk.
31 Dad won't be long. He just takes the dog for a walk.
32 I am going to karate classes every Wednesday. Why don't you join too?
33 Tom works at Cole's garage for a few weeks. I don't think he likes it.
34 In the film Vanilla Sky Tom Cruise is playing a rich playboy with lots of girlfriends.
35 Can you lend me ten pounds until tomorrow? - No, I can't. You always borrow money.
36 Janet looked very miserable yesterday. I could see that she had cried.
37 We haven't seen Jonathan since ages.
38 In Bridget Jones's Diary Helen Fielding is humorously describing the daily life of a single girl over thirty.