Grammar Practice Section Complete the sentences using the correct
tense of the verbs in brackets.
IA: What
(you/do) when the phone
(ring)?
B: 1
(water)
the plants in the garden. That's why I
(not/hear) it
2 A: 1
(come) by your house at
8 o'clock but you
(not/be) there.
B: Oh, I'm sorry. I
(walk) the dog at that time.
3 A:
(you/manage) to fix the car on your own?
B: No.1
(try)
all morning, but in the end I
(take) it to the garage.
4 A: Stella
(travel)
to Barcelona twice this year already.
B: Lucky her!
(never/be) there, but I
(hear) it is a beautiful city.
5 A: Why was he tired?
B: Well, he
(work) in the garden for hours.
6 A:
(you/ever/try) scuba diving?
B: Yes, actually!
(take) lessons since last summer.

1. What (you/do) when the phone (ring)?

Answer:
IA: What were you doing when the phone rang?
B: I was watering the plants in the garden. That's why I didn't hear it.

Explanation: This question is asking about the past actions. To indicate this, we need to use the past continuous tense to describe what the person was doing when the phone rang.

2. A: Why (you/come) by your house at 8 o'clock but you (not/be) there?
B: Oh, I'm sorry. I (walk) the dog at that time.

Answer:
A: Why were you coming by my house at 8 o'clock but you weren't there?
B: Oh, I'm sorry. I was walking the dog at that time.

Explanation: This question is also asking about past actions. The first person is asking why the second person was supposed to come to their house but wasn't there. The second person explains that they were walking the dog at that time.

3. A: (you/manage) to fix the car on your own?
B: No, I had been trying all morning, but in the end, I took it to the garage.

Answer:
A: Did you manage to fix the car on your own?
B: No, I had been trying all morning, but in the end, I took it to the garage.

Explanation: This question is asking if the person was successful in fixing the car by themselves. The person responds that they had been trying all morning but couldn't fix it, so they eventually had to take it to the garage.

4. A: Stella (travel) to Barcelona twice this year already.
B: Lucky her! I have never been there, but I have heard it is a beautiful city.

Answer:
A: Stella has traveled to Barcelona twice this year already.
B: Lucky her! I have never been there, but I have heard it is a beautiful city.

Explanation: This sentence is talking about Stella's past actions of traveling to Barcelona. We use the present perfect tense to indicate that the action happened at an unspecified time in the past. The second person responds that they have never been to Barcelona, but they have heard it is a beautiful city.

5. A: Why was he tired?
B: Well, he was working in the garden for hours.

Answer:
A: Why was he tired?
B: Well, he was working in the garden for hours.

Explanation: This question is asking for the reason why he was tired. The person responds that he was tired because he was working in the garden for hours. Both actions are in the past, so the past continuous tense is used.

6. A: Have you ever tried scuba diving?
B: Yes, actually! I have been taking lessons since last summer.

Answer:
A: Have you ever tried scuba diving?
B: Yes, actually! I have been taking lessons since last summer.

Explanation: This question is asking if the person has ever tried scuba diving in the past. The person responds that they have been taking lessons since last summer. The present perfect continuous tense is used to indicate that the action started in the past and is still ongoing in the present.