MIXED TENSES

1 Choose the best answer a), b), c) or d).

1. Andrew had finished lunch by the time they arrived
a) finished c) had finished b) was finished d) has finished
2. I have a terrible headache. I ’ll take another aspirin.
a) take c) am taking b) ’ll take d) will be taking
3. A cold wind has been blowing for the last week.
a) has been blowing c) blows b) is blowing d) blew
4. We’ll meet in September when she comes back.
a) will come c) came b) will have come d) comes
5. Maria was reading a comic when the teacher asked her to come to the blackboard.
a) was reading c) read b) has been reading d) has read
6. You won’t need the jacket. It gets warmer.
a) gets c) ’s got b) ’s getting d) ’d got
7. Bryan hadn't arrived when the meeting started.
a) hasn’t arrived c) hasn’t been arriving b) hadn’t arrived d) wasn’t arriving
8. To be honest, I doubt she will be able to handle this properly.
a) doubt c) am doubting b) have doubted d) will doubt
9. They will have been dating for 5 years at the end of this year.
a) will date c) will be dating b) will have been dating d) are going to date
10. I am not surprised they’ve broken up. She never knew if she could trust him and was afraid he would leave her.
a) will leave c) would leave b) is going to leave d) will have left
11. Call the police. Our apartment has been broken into.
a) was broken c) is broken b) has been broken d) will be broken
12. She can’t go hiking with us. She will be working on her new book all day tomorrow.
a) will be working c) is working b) will work d) will have worked
13. By the time you finish my dress it will have become old-fashioned.
a) will become c) is becoming b) will be becoming d) will have become
14. They had been shouting for some time when their mother told them to be silent.
a) had shouted c) had been shouting b) have shouted d) have been shouting
15. The letter won’t have been delivered by the end of the week.
a) is not going to be delivered c) is not delivered b) won’t be delivered d) won’t have been delivered

2 Complete the sentences using the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Some verbs are negative.
1. I started (start) looking for a new flat 2 weeks ago, but I still haven’t found (find) anything suitable. I have been
living (live) with my parents these days.2 We saw (see) Mike yesterday, but Ann didn’t want (want) to meet him
so we crossed (cross) the street. 3 In a few minutes’ time, when the clock strikes (strike) 5, I will have been
waiting (wait) here half an hour. 4 Mrs Blake hasn’t arranged (arrange) the flowers yet, but she will do (do) it
before she goes (go) home. 5 You must be hungry. Let me just put this away and I will make (make) you some
sandwiches. 6 Let’s meet at the station. The train leaves (leave) at 7 p.m. 7. You have eaten (eat) the whole pie!
You will be (be) sick. 8 She won’t be able to come in the afternoon. She is seeing (see) her lawyer at 4 o’clock. 9
Don’t expect us to come at 6 o’clock. We will still be playing (still, play) tennis. 10 They had been dating (date)
for 5 years before he finally proposed (propose) to her. 11 What were you doing (you, do) the whole evening
while we were looking for (look for) you? 12 When we went (go) to see him last night, he was playing (play)
computer games; he had been playing (play) since lunchtime. 13 By the end of last year they had finished
(finished) three large projects, and by next year they will have finished (finish) two more. I have been (be) with
them since last month, but I believe (believe) they are working (work) on presentations at present. 14 Look at that
little boy in the corner. He has been waiting (wait) for three hours now and no one has come (come) to take him
home. 15 Look at this mess! You are always leaving (always, leave) your clothes all over the room!
3 Put the verbs in brackets into the appropriate tense. Passive will be needed sometimes.
Einstein’s Chauffeur
This 0 is (be) a true anecdote about Albert Einstein, and his theory of relativity.
After having propounded his famous theory, Albert Einstein 1 toured (tour) the various Universities in the United
States, delivering lectures wherever he 2 went (go). He 3 was always accompanied always (accompany) by his
faithful chauffeur, Harry, who 4 listened (listen to) each of these lectures while he 5 was sitting (sit) in the back row!
One fine day, after Einstein 6 had finished (finish) a lecture and 7 had come out (come out) of the auditorium into
his vehicle, Harry 8 addressed (address) him and 9 said (say), “Professor Einstein, 10 heard (hear) your lecture on
Relativity so many times, that if I 11 were ever given (give) the opportunity, I 12 would be (be) able to deliver it to
perfection myself!”
“Very well,” 13 replied (reply) Einstein, “I 14 will go (go) to Dartmouth next week, and I 15 willl meet (meet) some
young scientists there. They 16 don’t know (know) me. You 17 will deliver (deliver) the lecture as Einstein, and I 18
will take (take) your place as Harry!”
And so it 19 went (go) to be... Harry 20 was delivering (deliver) the lecture to perfection, without a word out of
place, while Einstein 21was relaxing (relax) in the back row playing “chauffeur”. He 22 enjoyed (enjoy) a snooze for
a change.
After Harry 23 had given (give) the lecture, while he 24 was descending (descend) from the podium, however, one of
the research assistants 25 intercepted (intercept) him, and 26 began (begin) to ask him a question on the theory of
relativity.... one that 27 involved (involve) a lot of complex calculations and equations. Harry 28 replied (reply) to the
assistant “The answer to this question 29 is (be) very simple! In fact, it’s so simple that I 30 will let (let) my chauffeur
answer it!”

4 Some of the following sentences are correct and some have mistakes in them. Tick the correct ones and
correct the ones with mistakes.
1. My brother and his fiancée will get married on Saturday. They have invited more than 300 guests. ✔
_____________________________________________________________________
2. It’s three minutes to 8. We are going to be late.✔
_____________________________________________________________________
3. They have left home at 7 o’clock and arrived to school at 8.30.
They left home at 7 o’clock and arrived at school at 8.30.
4. He has been eating three sandwiches and he is still hungry.
He had been eating three sandwiches and he is still hungry.
5. I have to sit down. I have run for more than an hour.
I have to sit down. I have been running for more than an hour.
6. I found that ring while I was playing in the sand with my nephew. ✔
_____________________________________________________________________
7. When I checked your homework I noticed that you had problems with spelling.
_____________________________________________________________________
8. I am really angry. She is always borrowing my clothes without asking me anything!
_____________________________________________________________________
9. A stitch in time is saving nine.
_____________________________________________________________________
10. She enrolled at university last year. Which subjects did she chose?
_____________________________________________________________________
11. Why you lent her my earrings? I was going to wear them tonight.
_____________________________________________________________________

5 Rewrite these sentences so that the meaning is the same, using the word in bold type. Do not change the word.
1. The bridge is 20 years old. ago
The bridge ___________________________.
2. One of the actors passed out during the rehearsal for the play. while
One of the actors passed out ____________________________________ for the play.
3. In your opinion, who is going to pass the exam? you
Who ________________________________________ the exam?
4. This isn’t the first time I have watched this movie. already
I ______________________________________________ this movie.
5. I’d rather not go out with you tonight. feel
I _____________________________________ with you tonight.
6. We are disappointed because they forgot everything we had taught them. remember
We are disappointed because they _________________________ we had taught them.
7. Their lunch will be over by 1 o’clock. finished
They ________________________________________________ by one o’clock.
8. When we returned to the meeting room the Japanese guests were not there anymore. time
The Japanese guests ___________________________ we returned to the meeting room.
9. I hope he will bring the CD player downstairs. leave
I hope he _______________________________________.
10. She obeyed her parents only after they threatened they would cut off her allowance. until
She __________________________ they threatened they would cut off her allowance.
11. She started smoking 20 years ago and she hasn’t given up yet. for
She ___________________________________________ .
12. The play will take less than a month to put on stage. have
They _________________________________________ in less than a month.
13. When we came out of the restaurant it was raining. started
It ______________________________________ when we came out of the restaurant.
14. It has been a month since she dusted the shelves. ago
She __________________________________________________________.
15. Whose are these books? to
Who _________________________________________?