---

EXERCISE: Miscellaneous tenses

1.They ---- drank were drinking had drunk have drunk so much that they didn’t know what they were doing any longer.

2. The old lady complained to the police that two young tourists ---- had stolen have stolen are stolen stole her bag and fled.

3. She noticed he ---- had bought bought has bought was bought a new pen in order to sign the contracts. What a show off !

4. If I ---- was were had been would be you, I should stop buying so many CDs , you don’t want it to become a real craze, do you ?

5. What is he going to do when he ---- leaves will be leaving is going to leave will leave for the States, stay with a family or live on his own ?

6. They ---- were sent have sent had sent must send away from school because they had damaged the computer room.

7. They were shocked when they ---- have seen saw were seen would see the couple kissing on the escalator without the least shame.

8. I called the shop where I ---- bought was bought would buy had bought the outdated groceries and told them they had to refund me and take their goods back.

9. Unless your father ---- will come and pick comes and picks came and picked would come and pick you up, no one will be able to take you back home, I’m afraid.

10. In retaliation, because she ---- spilled was spilling would spill had spilled some coffee on his lap, he drew a large black moustache on her face while she was asleep.

11. As I ---- am seeing saw have seen can see , there’s nothing more I can do to convince you to change your mind.

12. He refused to come on board as it brought back memories of his mother who ---- was dead died was dying had died by drowning a few years ago.

13. I thought we should go to the coast for the day, but he ---- did agree were not agree did not agree agreed not .

14. Lots of shops ---- are being raided were raided being raided have raided in broad daylight nowadays, it’s a real shame !

15. If you ---- give had given would give gave me a lot of money now, I would spend it on buying more books for our library.

16. All the squatters happened to be youngsters who ---- was dropped had dropped were dropping are dropped out from school after a few months.

17. He insisted that sleeping with the boss could be included in the contract and she ---- feels has felt felt had felt embarrassed.

18. I watch « Melrose Place » on TF1 every day because I don’t know what else to do when I ---- eat ate have eaten am eating dinner on my own.

19. My main concern is how I ---- shall be will be would be am going to able to put up with being so isolated in a foreign country, not being able to speak the language.

20. It is well established that the heartbeat of an infant ---- increases has increased would increase increased during the stress of being born.

21. The former Serbian paramilitary leader ---- killed was killing had been killing was killed by a professional hit squad after trying to exchange information for immunity for his war crimes.

22. He did not know whether he ---- will sleep would be sleeping would have slept was sleeping at his aunt’s or his girlfriend’s and whether his mother would find out or not.

23. The Greenwich Dome might become a theme park when the Millennium exhibition ---- will end will be ending ended ends .

24. A charity promoting the rights of Russian servicemen has assessed that over 3000 troops ---- are killed have been killed are killing were being killed in Chechnia.

25. This year’s US presidential election ---- is being fought will fight is going to fight is fighting on the web with half the nation visiting the various candidates’ competitive websites.

26. Clay is a difficult surface for people used to lawn tennis and can really ---- slowed slowing slow slows down matches.

27. A lot of people ---- are going is going gone go to see Monet just because of all the hype, just to say they have been there and done that. The same goes for numerous profitmaking exhibits and shows.

28. I ---- tried try have tried had tried to reach her many times lately, but I always get her answering machine.

29. A few years ago the café-philo ---- was is has been is being relaunched after the days of Sartre and de Beauvoir and now there’s one in Brussels. Food for thought for thoughtoholics !

30. Why ---- leave you you are leaving left you did you leave your country ? Because I object to compulsory military service.

31. Punctuality is recommended since you ---- has not been will not be shall not have been was not allowed to go in once the film has begun.

32. It is a typically Irish pub where one ---- watched watches is watching do watch live soccer games and other sports events on their satellite television, while eating a Gaelic steak and sipping good ale.

33. To tell you the truth, « the substance of the charge is false » the lawyer insisted, and besides, « white people ---- would not have treated would not treat would not treated would not have been treated the same way » she argued.

34. How long ---- did you know do you know are you knowing have you known she was cheating on her husband ? Five years.

35. The dioxin crisis in Belgium ---- has prompted prompts had prompted prompt experts to question whether alleged bio products are safe for consumers or not.

36. Could you figure out how awful life would be if motorcars, aeroplanes and plastic toothbrushes and the like ---- disappeared would disappear were disappearing disappears from the face of the earth at a stroke ?

37. If my condition had not been diagnosed months ago, I ---- would lose had lost would have been losing would have lost an eye for ever.

38. Since Gary Gilmore’s execution, which took place in the Utah state prison in 1977 and was carried out by a five man firing squad, there ---- are have been have had had had more than 600 executions as the result of the death penalty in US.

39. We ---- were leaving are leaving would leave are about to leave early tomorrow because we have to catch the first train to Paris to be in time for the wedding.

40. In Uganda, 1.1million children under 15 ---- are orphaned has been orphaned were orphaned have been orphaned by Aids.

---

Retour au menu Gramlink

---

Analyse : Jean Schumacher   Réalisation informatique : Boris Maroutaeff Dernière mise à jour : 13/09/2001