Write the verbs between brackets in the correct tense: 1 When I (look) * at them, they (play)
2 * you (ever/ meet) a famous actor"
3 They (sell) * their old car two years ago.
4 Tom's sister (go) * to school on Sundays.
5 They not (have to) * work a lot last year
6 He (have) * some problems for years
7 I (meet) * her before she (hecome) * Miss Universe.
8 Yesterday I (watch) * TV for hours.
9 You said you (help) * a lot of people in the war
10. I (not/ come) * to work if I (have) * a cold yesterday
11. I thought it (will) * be funny
12. He said he (visit) Mary the following day.
13. Tom said he (live). in England since 1975.
14. If I had a lot of money, (not/have to) work.
15 (not miss) my train if I had left earlier
16 If you (tell) me the truth, I would help you
17. Tom will help you if you (ask). him
18. We were very tired, because we (play) tennis all morning
19. He said he (want) since 4:00 AM
20 (you / ever / visit) Madame Linda"
21 If they (arrive) on time, they'll call us
22 While I (watch) TV, my brother came
23 I wish we (not/miss) the bus yesterday
24. Jane would help you if you (ask) her
25. I (buy) this house two months ago.
26. Tom should (open) the door when he saw me
27. I can't buy this dress now. I wish I (have) more money
28 If you (listen) to him, you would have learnt a lot
29 Mary said they (go) to Italy next summer
30. Thanks God' I (to finish, just) the tenses exercise
Explanation: In this sentence, we have two actions happening in the past. "I looked" is in the simple past tense because it is a completed action, while "they were playing" is in the past continuous tense because it indicates that the action was ongoing at a specific time in the past.
2. Have you ever met a famous actor?
Explanation: This sentence is in the present perfect tense. "Have you ever met" is used to talk about an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. The word "ever" indicates that the action has happened at some point in the person's life.
3. They sold their old car two years ago.
Explanation: This sentence is in the simple past tense. "They sold" indicates a completed action in the past, and "two years ago" specifies when the action took place.
4. Tom's sister goes to school on Sundays.
Explanation: This sentence is in the present simple tense. "Tom's sister goes" indicates a habitual or regular action that happens in the present.
5. They did not have to work a lot last year.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "They did not have to work" indicates a negative action in the past. The word "last year" specifies the time when the action took place.
6. He has had some problems for years.
Explanation: This sentence is in the present perfect tense. "He has had" indicates an action that started in the past and continues up to the present moment. The word "for years" indicates the duration of the action.
7. I met her before she became Miss Universe.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past simple and past simple tenses. "I met" is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past. "She became" is in the past simple tense, indicating that this action happened after the first action.
8. Yesterday I watched TV for hours.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "Yesterday" indicates a specific time in the past, and "I watched" indicates a completed action.
9. You said you helped a lot of people in the war.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "You said" indicates a reported speech, and "you helped" indicates a completed action in the past.
10. I did not come to work if I had a cold yesterday.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past simple and past perfect tenses. "I did not come" is in the past simple tense, indicating a negative action in the past. "If I had" is in the past perfect tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the past.
11. I thought it would be funny.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "I thought" indicates a completed action in the past, and "it would be" indicates a future action from the perspective of the past.
12. He said he would visit Mary the following day.
Explanation: This sentence is in the future in the past tense. "He said" indicates a reported speech, and "he would visit" indicates a future action from the perspective of the past.
13. Tom said he had lived in England since 1975.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past perfect tense. "Tom said" indicates a reported speech, and "he had lived" indicates a completed action in the past before another action.
14. If I had a lot of money, I would not have to work.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past perfect and conditional tenses. "If I had" is in the past perfect tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the past. "I would not have to work" is in the conditional tense, indicating a hypothetical result.
15. I would not have missed my train if I had left earlier.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past perfect and conditional tenses. "If I had left" is in the past perfect tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the past. "I would not have missed" is in the conditional tense, indicating a hypothetical result.
16. If you told me the truth, I would help you.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past simple and conditional tenses. "If you told" is in the past simple tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the present. "I would help" is in the conditional tense, indicating a hypothetical result.
17. Tom will help you if you ask him.
Explanation: This sentence is in the present simple tense. "Tom will help" indicates a future action that is based on a certain condition, expressed by "if you ask him."
18. We were very tired because we had been playing tennis all morning.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past simple and past perfect continuous tenses. "We were" is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past. "We had been playing" is in the past perfect continuous tense, indicating a continuous action that started before another action in the past.
19. He said he had wanted since 4:00 AM.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past perfect tense. "He said" indicates a reported speech, and "he had wanted" indicates a completed action in the past before another action.
20. Have you ever visited Madame Linda?
Explanation: This sentence is in the present perfect tense. "Have you ever visited" is used to talk about an action that happened at an unspecified time before now. The word "ever" indicates that the action has happened at some point in the person's life.
21. If they arrive on time, they'll call us.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of present simple and future simple tenses. "If they arrive" is in the present simple tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the present. "They'll call us" is in the future simple tense, indicating a hypothetical result.
22. While I was watching TV, my brother came.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past continuous and past simple tenses. "While I was watching" is in the past continuous tense, indicating an ongoing action in the past. "My brother came" is in the past simple tense, indicating another completed action in the past.
23. I wish we had not missed the bus yesterday.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past perfect and past simple tenses. "I wish" indicates a desire for a situation to be different in the past. "We had not missed" is in the past perfect tense, indicating a completed action in the past before another action.
24. Jane would help you if you asked her.
Explanation: This sentence is in the conditional tense. "Jane would help" indicates a hypothetical result based on a certain condition, expressed by "if you asked her."
25. I bought this house two months ago.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "I bought" indicates a completed action in the past, and "two months ago" specifies when the action took place.
26. Tom should have opened the door when he saw me.
Explanation: This sentence is in the past simple tense. "Tom should have opened" indicates that the action should have been done in the past, but it was not.
27. I can't buy this dress now. I wish I had more money.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of present simple and past simple tenses. "I wish I had" is in the past simple tense, indicating a desire for a situation to be different in the present.
28. If you had listened to him, you would have learnt a lot.
Explanation: This sentence is a combination of past perfect and conditional tenses. "If you had listened" is in the past perfect tense, indicating a hypothetical condition in the past. "You would have learnt" is in the conditional tense, indicating a hypothetical result.
29. Mary said they would go to Italy next summer.
Explanation: This sentence is in the future in the past tense. "Mary said" indicates a reported speech, and "they would go" indicates a future action from the perspective of the past.
30. Thank God! I have just finished the tenses exercise.
Explanation: This sentence is in the present perfect tense. "I have just finished" indicates an action that was completed very recently, close to the present moment. The expression "Thank God!" is an exclamation expressing relief or gratitude.