The English Tenses
Exercise Book
––––––––
Phil Williams
Table of Contents
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Tense Forms
Forming the Past
1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous
Forming the Present
1. Present Simple
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Forming the Future
1. Future Simple
2. Future Continuous
3. Future Perfect
4. Future Perfect Continuous
Forming Mixed Tenses
1. Mixed Simple Tenses
2. Mixed Continuous Tenses
3. Mixed Perfect Tenses
4. Mixed Perfect Continuous Tenses
Tenses in Use
1. The Past in Use
2. The Present in Use
3. The Future in Use
4. Mixed Tenses in Use
Infinitives and Participles
, 1. Identifying Bare Infinitives
2. Participles
3. Mixed Verb Types
A Note from the Author
Also by Phil Williams
Answers
Full Exercise List
Copyright
Introduction
Welcome to The English Tenses Exercise Book – a collection of 161 exercises designed to drill the 12 key tenses of English: the past , present
and future in their simple , continuous , perfect and perfect continuous forms. This book can be used for general, independent practice, though the
exercises roughly match the guidelines laid out in The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide .
This book is designed to make you fully comfortable with forming and using the tenses, both on their own and in conjunction with other tenses.
Many other excellent grammar guides and exercise books exist, but it is rare that they offer more than one or two exercises on a particular topic.
This book does the opposite: the topic is narrow, but the quantity of exercises and number of examples is vast. Some examples repeat similar
ideas or themes – this is to reinforce lessons, demonstrate different usage and (in some cases) provide extra continuity or engagement.
As a writer and teacher for over fifteen years, I have devised these exercises and examples with the aim of presenting English in natural use,
considering various styles and subjects. You will find everyday sentences and more unusual examples; short stories and non-fiction passages;
academic English and business English; and more. Regardless of your level, my hope is that the examples will help familiarise you with the tenses
across a broad range of usage. The vocabulary I have chosen is generally at an intermediate level, occasionally using more basic or advanced
language, and the majority of verbs come from lists of those most commonly used. The prose exercises particularly aim to present more varied and
fluent use of English, and for wider exposure, some examples have been included to demonstrate how a particular tense could be used. Please do
complete the book with an accompanying dictionary if necessary and feel free to get in touch if anything is unclear.
And if you find some examples lean towards life in an English seaside town, that reflects my own setting, and the setting for my website, English
Lessons Brighton .
How to Use This Book
The exercises in this book primarily concern verb forms, asking you to choose and correctly form the appropriate tense for each sentence.
Sentences are either presented in isolated lists or in prose format. Instructions are given for each exercise as to the tense or tenses being tested,
usually indicated in bold .
These exercises usually provide a space for you to fill in the correct tense. The information in brackets lets you know which verb to use and
whether any additional words are necessary, such as a subject or adverbs. The spaces are standard sizes depending on the exercise and do not
specifically indicate how long the answer should be.
The book is organised into two main sections, Tense Forms and Tenses in Use . These are divided into groups covering the past , present and
future tenses, and each also contains mixed tense exercises. Within each grouping, you will find more basic list exercises and more complex prose
exercises for comparative use. You may complete the exercises in any order you choose, but be aware that the book becomes more complex as it
builds to more comparative use at the end of each section, particularly with the mixed tenses exercises. To present more natural use, there are
occasional passive or modal examples to demonstrate wider contexts of the tenses. An additional section, Infinitives and Participles , is included at
the back to specifically drill understanding of the verb forms that help complete the more complicated tenses.
You can complete these exercises mentally, but I recommend writing your answers on a piece of paper or in a notebook so that you can check
them against the answers. The links at the bottom of each exercise will take you directly to the answers for that exercise, where you will also find
links to go back to the exercise. A full list of exercises can be found at the back, if you wish to quickly find a particular topic.
The answers usually demonstrate complete correct sentences. Corrected sentences are shown in italics , occasional highlighted form changes are
shown in bold and additional information is given in (brackets).
I hope you will enjoy these exercises and find them educational – now let’s get started!
,Tense Forms
The following section drills forming the tenses, to get you used to quickly identifying and using different verb forms in the past , present and future .
Each section includes exercises for the simple , continuous , perfect and perfect continuous , covering affirmative and negative statements,
questions with and without question words, negative questions and mixed tenses.
The focus here is always on the required tense form. This means that the example sentences in this section are not necessarily the only way to
express these points, but are used for illustrative purposes. This is particularly true of the perfect and perfect continuous forms, which can be
relatively rare in practice, and usually require specific contexts to make complete sense. The mixed tenses passages are designed to include as
many instances of these forms as possible, though in everyday use such passages may be expressed in simpler ways.
Forming the Past
1. Past Simple
1.1 Past Simple Statements
Form complete sentences in the past simple (affirmative or negative), without contractions, using the information provided.
For example:
● Q: I / to know / not / where he lived
● A: I did not know where he lived.
1. the postman / to be / late again
2. Felicity / to grow / tomatoes in her garden
3. he / to understand / not / the project
4. we / to fail / to finish in time
5. they / to give / not / us the bag of flour
6. Liam / to ask / not / the question politely
7. the hummingbirds / to build / a nest in our attic
8. the piano / to look / too old to use
9. she / to say / we / to be / wrong
10. I / to pick / not / the right flowers
11. our cake / to taste / not / right
12. we / to drive / all the way to Scotland
13. you / to bring / not / the green umbrella
14. they / to arrest / the wrong man
15. the lady of the manor / to write / not / a convincing memoir
1.1 Answers
1.2 Past Simple Questions 1
Convert the following past simple statements into past simple yes or no questions (they do not require question words). First person statements
should become second person questions. Remember that past simple questions require the auxiliary to do or to be .
For example:
• Q: We went to Bali on our honeymoon.
• A: Did you go to Bali on your honeymoon?
, 1. Our dogs were very messy.
2. The chef cooked something spectacular.
3. I read all three of my textbooks this weekend.
4. She asked him to go on a date.
5. You knew about the rotten fruit!
6. The priests demanded that the film be banned.
7. I bought a new bicycle.
8. He hoovered the house because of the dust.
9. The children played on the swings.
10. She was very disappointed with the presentation.
11. We misjudged the time it would take to get to the party.
12. I lost my keys again.
13. The story got a lot more interesting after the main character died.
14. They sent a replacement cabinet after ours broke.
15. The council banned parking on my road.
16. She ran a marathon last spring.
17. It was the hottest day of the year.
18. Ulric visited the doctor for the first time.
19. My computer stopped working.
20. They prepared for the storm months in advance.
1.2 Answers
1.3 Past Simple Questions 2
Convert the following past simple statements into past simple questions , using the question words provided. First person statements should
become second person questions. Remember that past simple questions require the auxiliary to do or to be .
For example:
• Q: He purchased two bottles of wine. (what)
• A: What did he purchase?
1. I helped the old man in the market. (where)
2. Julian sang a beautiful ballad. (what)
3. We searched for the doctor in the jungle. (where)
4. She was very angry because of the train delays. (why)
5. After the competition, everyone went for ice cream. (when)
6. They stole the gold necklaces, but not the silver ones. (which)
7. I gave the homeless man £20. (how much)
8. The critic hated the director’s latest film. (what)
Exercise Book
––––––––
Phil Williams
Table of Contents
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Tense Forms
Forming the Past
1. Past Simple
2. Past Continuous
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Continuous
Forming the Present
1. Present Simple
2. Present Continuous
3. Present Perfect
4. Present Perfect Continuous
Forming the Future
1. Future Simple
2. Future Continuous
3. Future Perfect
4. Future Perfect Continuous
Forming Mixed Tenses
1. Mixed Simple Tenses
2. Mixed Continuous Tenses
3. Mixed Perfect Tenses
4. Mixed Perfect Continuous Tenses
Tenses in Use
1. The Past in Use
2. The Present in Use
3. The Future in Use
4. Mixed Tenses in Use
Infinitives and Participles
, 1. Identifying Bare Infinitives
2. Participles
3. Mixed Verb Types
A Note from the Author
Also by Phil Williams
Answers
Full Exercise List
Copyright
Introduction
Welcome to The English Tenses Exercise Book – a collection of 161 exercises designed to drill the 12 key tenses of English: the past , present
and future in their simple , continuous , perfect and perfect continuous forms. This book can be used for general, independent practice, though the
exercises roughly match the guidelines laid out in The English Tenses Practical Grammar Guide .
This book is designed to make you fully comfortable with forming and using the tenses, both on their own and in conjunction with other tenses.
Many other excellent grammar guides and exercise books exist, but it is rare that they offer more than one or two exercises on a particular topic.
This book does the opposite: the topic is narrow, but the quantity of exercises and number of examples is vast. Some examples repeat similar
ideas or themes – this is to reinforce lessons, demonstrate different usage and (in some cases) provide extra continuity or engagement.
As a writer and teacher for over fifteen years, I have devised these exercises and examples with the aim of presenting English in natural use,
considering various styles and subjects. You will find everyday sentences and more unusual examples; short stories and non-fiction passages;
academic English and business English; and more. Regardless of your level, my hope is that the examples will help familiarise you with the tenses
across a broad range of usage. The vocabulary I have chosen is generally at an intermediate level, occasionally using more basic or advanced
language, and the majority of verbs come from lists of those most commonly used. The prose exercises particularly aim to present more varied and
fluent use of English, and for wider exposure, some examples have been included to demonstrate how a particular tense could be used. Please do
complete the book with an accompanying dictionary if necessary and feel free to get in touch if anything is unclear.
And if you find some examples lean towards life in an English seaside town, that reflects my own setting, and the setting for my website, English
Lessons Brighton .
How to Use This Book
The exercises in this book primarily concern verb forms, asking you to choose and correctly form the appropriate tense for each sentence.
Sentences are either presented in isolated lists or in prose format. Instructions are given for each exercise as to the tense or tenses being tested,
usually indicated in bold .
These exercises usually provide a space for you to fill in the correct tense. The information in brackets lets you know which verb to use and
whether any additional words are necessary, such as a subject or adverbs. The spaces are standard sizes depending on the exercise and do not
specifically indicate how long the answer should be.
The book is organised into two main sections, Tense Forms and Tenses in Use . These are divided into groups covering the past , present and
future tenses, and each also contains mixed tense exercises. Within each grouping, you will find more basic list exercises and more complex prose
exercises for comparative use. You may complete the exercises in any order you choose, but be aware that the book becomes more complex as it
builds to more comparative use at the end of each section, particularly with the mixed tenses exercises. To present more natural use, there are
occasional passive or modal examples to demonstrate wider contexts of the tenses. An additional section, Infinitives and Participles , is included at
the back to specifically drill understanding of the verb forms that help complete the more complicated tenses.
You can complete these exercises mentally, but I recommend writing your answers on a piece of paper or in a notebook so that you can check
them against the answers. The links at the bottom of each exercise will take you directly to the answers for that exercise, where you will also find
links to go back to the exercise. A full list of exercises can be found at the back, if you wish to quickly find a particular topic.
The answers usually demonstrate complete correct sentences. Corrected sentences are shown in italics , occasional highlighted form changes are
shown in bold and additional information is given in (brackets).
I hope you will enjoy these exercises and find them educational – now let’s get started!
,Tense Forms
The following section drills forming the tenses, to get you used to quickly identifying and using different verb forms in the past , present and future .
Each section includes exercises for the simple , continuous , perfect and perfect continuous , covering affirmative and negative statements,
questions with and without question words, negative questions and mixed tenses.
The focus here is always on the required tense form. This means that the example sentences in this section are not necessarily the only way to
express these points, but are used for illustrative purposes. This is particularly true of the perfect and perfect continuous forms, which can be
relatively rare in practice, and usually require specific contexts to make complete sense. The mixed tenses passages are designed to include as
many instances of these forms as possible, though in everyday use such passages may be expressed in simpler ways.
Forming the Past
1. Past Simple
1.1 Past Simple Statements
Form complete sentences in the past simple (affirmative or negative), without contractions, using the information provided.
For example:
● Q: I / to know / not / where he lived
● A: I did not know where he lived.
1. the postman / to be / late again
2. Felicity / to grow / tomatoes in her garden
3. he / to understand / not / the project
4. we / to fail / to finish in time
5. they / to give / not / us the bag of flour
6. Liam / to ask / not / the question politely
7. the hummingbirds / to build / a nest in our attic
8. the piano / to look / too old to use
9. she / to say / we / to be / wrong
10. I / to pick / not / the right flowers
11. our cake / to taste / not / right
12. we / to drive / all the way to Scotland
13. you / to bring / not / the green umbrella
14. they / to arrest / the wrong man
15. the lady of the manor / to write / not / a convincing memoir
1.1 Answers
1.2 Past Simple Questions 1
Convert the following past simple statements into past simple yes or no questions (they do not require question words). First person statements
should become second person questions. Remember that past simple questions require the auxiliary to do or to be .
For example:
• Q: We went to Bali on our honeymoon.
• A: Did you go to Bali on your honeymoon?
, 1. Our dogs were very messy.
2. The chef cooked something spectacular.
3. I read all three of my textbooks this weekend.
4. She asked him to go on a date.
5. You knew about the rotten fruit!
6. The priests demanded that the film be banned.
7. I bought a new bicycle.
8. He hoovered the house because of the dust.
9. The children played on the swings.
10. She was very disappointed with the presentation.
11. We misjudged the time it would take to get to the party.
12. I lost my keys again.
13. The story got a lot more interesting after the main character died.
14. They sent a replacement cabinet after ours broke.
15. The council banned parking on my road.
16. She ran a marathon last spring.
17. It was the hottest day of the year.
18. Ulric visited the doctor for the first time.
19. My computer stopped working.
20. They prepared for the storm months in advance.
1.2 Answers
1.3 Past Simple Questions 2
Convert the following past simple statements into past simple questions , using the question words provided. First person statements should
become second person questions. Remember that past simple questions require the auxiliary to do or to be .
For example:
• Q: He purchased two bottles of wine. (what)
• A: What did he purchase?
1. I helped the old man in the market. (where)
2. Julian sang a beautiful ballad. (what)
3. We searched for the doctor in the jungle. (where)
4. She was very angry because of the train delays. (why)
5. After the competition, everyone went for ice cream. (when)
6. They stole the gold necklaces, but not the silver ones. (which)
7. I gave the homeless man £20. (how much)
8. The critic hated the director’s latest film. (what)
