2Fill in the correct form of the verb in brackets.
One tense per sentence.
a)She … (live) here since 2015.has lived
b)I … (watch) TV when you called.was watching
c)We … (go) to Spain last summer.went
d)He usually … (get) up at six.gets
e)Look, it … (snow)!is snowing
3Circle the correct form.
for + present perfect; earlier past action → past perfect; no will after when.
a)I (have known / know) her for ten years.have known
b)When I arrived, the film (had started / started) already.had started
c)I'll call you when I (arrive / will arrive).arrive
4Write one sentence in each tense about your day.
This morning I … / Today I have … / Tonight I will …
a)simple pastOwn answers.
b)present perfect
c)will-future
1Name the tense.
Simple / progressive; present / past / future; perfect forms with have.
a)She has been working here since May.
b)By 2030 the bridge will have been finished.
c)They had left before we arrived.
d)I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.
e)He was reading when the phone rang.
f)Water freezes at zero degrees.
2Fill in the correct tense.
Two actions in the past — the earlier one in the past perfect. Duration up to now — present perfect (progressive). Visible future — going to. Ongoing at a future point — future progressive.
a)When I … (arrive) at the station, the train … (already / leave).
b)She … (study) English for six years now and still … (make) the same mistakes.
c)Look at the sky — it … (rain) any minute.
d)This time next week we … (lie) on the beach.
e)I … (never / see) such a bad film before I … (watch) this one.
f)He … (work) in the garden all morning, that's why he is so tired.
3Correct the mistakes and explain in a few words.
Typical German interference: seit → for/since with present perfect; no will after when/if; state verbs without -ing.
a)I know him since ten years.
b)When she was young, she has lived in Rome.
c)I will call you when I will arrive.
d)He is knowing the answer.
e)We have gone to the cinema yesterday.
4Write a paragraph (eight sentences) about a place you know well: how it used to be, how it has changed, how it is now and how it will be in ten years.
used to, past perfect, present perfect, present simple, present progressive, will / going to, future perfect
a)Use at least six different tenses and mark them.
1Name the tense.
Simple / progressive; present / past / future; perfect forms with have.
a)She has been working here since May.present perfect progressive
b)By 2030 the bridge will have been finished.future perfect (passive)
c)They had left before we arrived.past perfect
d)I am seeing the doctor tomorrow.present progressive (future arrangement)
e)He was reading when the phone rang.past progressive
f)Water freezes at zero degrees.simple present
2Fill in the correct tense.
Two actions in the past — the earlier one in the past perfect. Duration up to now — present perfect (progressive). Visible future — going to. Ongoing at a future point — future progressive.
a)When I … (arrive) at the station, the train … (already / leave).arrived, had already left
b)She … (study) English for six years now and still … (make) the same mistakes.has been studying, makes
c)Look at the sky — it … (rain) any minute.is going to rain
d)This time next week we … (lie) on the beach.will be lying
e)I … (never / see) such a bad film before I … (watch) this one.had never seen, watched
f)He … (work) in the garden all morning, that's why he is so tired.has been working
3Correct the mistakes and explain in a few words.
Typical German interference: seit → for/since with present perfect; no will after when/if; state verbs without -ing.
a)I know him since ten years.I have known him for ten years. — duration up to now, for + period
b)When she was young, she has lived in Rome.When she was young, she lived in Rome. — finished period
c)I will call you when I will arrive.I will call you when I arrive. — no will in a time clause
d)He is knowing the answer.He knows the answer. — know is a state verb
e)We have gone to the cinema yesterday.We went to the cinema yesterday. — finished time
4Write a paragraph (eight sentences) about a place you know well: how it used to be, how it has changed, how it is now and how it will be in ten years.
used to, past perfect, present perfect, present simple, present progressive, will / going to, future perfect
a)Use at least six different tenses and mark them.Own text. Check: at least six different tenses used correctly and marked.
1Correct the mistakes and name the rule that was broken.
Duration up to now; sequence in the past; future perfect; „first time" + present perfect; backshift; single completed events in the simple past.
a)I am living here since I was born.
b)After she has finished school, she went to Canada.
c)By the time you read this, I will leave.
d)This is the first time I visit London.
e)While I cooked, the phone was ringing three times.
2Choose the tense and explain the difference in meaning between the two possible versions.
Both forms exist — the choice changes what the speaker means. Explain both.
a)I (have read / read) the book you gave me.
b)She (has been working / has worked) on the project.
c)When we got there, the concert (started / had started).
d)I (will see / am seeing) the dentist on Friday.
3Edit the paragraph: six tense errors.
Read for time relations: what happened before what, what is habit, what is a single event.
a)„Last year I was going to a language school in Brighton for three weeks. I have never been abroad before, so I was very nervous. My host family was living in a small house near the sea. Every morning I have taken the bus to school. On the last day, when I had packed my bag, I realised that I lost my passport. Luckily my host mother has found it under the bed."
4Write a text (120 to 150 words) about a decision you made and its consequences up to now and in the future.
The tenses must follow from the meaning, not be inserted for their own sake.
a)Use and mark: past perfect, simple past, present perfect, present progressive, will or going to, future perfect.
1Correct the mistakes and name the rule that was broken.
Duration up to now; sequence in the past; future perfect; „first time" + present perfect; backshift; single completed events in the simple past.
a)I am living here since I was born.I have lived / have been living here since I was born. — duration up to now needs the present perfect.
b)After she has finished school, she went to Canada.After she had finished school, she went to Canada. — earlier past action: past perfect.
c)By the time you read this, I will leave.By the time you read this, I will have left. — completed before a future point: future perfect.
d)This is the first time I visit London.This is the first time I have visited London. — „first time" + present perfect.
e)While I cooked, the phone was ringing three times.While I was cooking, the phone rang three times. — background action progressive, single events simple.
2Choose the tense and explain the difference in meaning between the two possible versions.
Both forms exist — the choice changes what the speaker means. Explain both.
a)I (have read / read) the book you gave me.have read — finished, result now (I can talk about it); read — a finished event in the past, e.g. last week.
b)She (has been working / has worked) on the project.has been working — still ongoing, emphasis on activity; has worked — possibly finished, emphasis on result or amount.
c)When we got there, the concert (started / had started).started — it began at the moment we arrived; had started — it had already begun before we arrived (we missed the start).
d)I (will see / am seeing) the dentist on Friday.will see — a decision or prediction; am seeing — a fixed appointment already arranged.
3Edit the paragraph: six tense errors.
Read for time relations: what happened before what, what is habit, what is a single event.
a)„Last year I was going to a language school in Brighton for three weeks. I have never been abroad before, so I was very nervous. My host family was living in a small house near the sea. Every morning I have taken the bus to school. On the last day, when I had packed my bag, I realised that I lost my passport. Luckily my host mother has found it under the bed."went (not was going — a completed three-week stay), had never been (before a past point), lived (a fact, not temporary — was living is possible but weak), took (habit in the past), had lost (before I realised), found (single completed action).
4Write a text (120 to 150 words) about a decision you made and its consequences up to now and in the future.
The tenses must follow from the meaning, not be inserted for their own sake.
a)Use and mark: past perfect, simple past, present perfect, present progressive, will or going to, future perfect.Own text. Check: six tenses used and marked, each justified by the time relation.
The system
Three times (past, present, future), each simple or progressive, each with a perfect form. Simple = fact or habit; progressive = ongoing or temporary; perfect = looking back from a point in time.
Frequent errors
seit → for/since with the present perfect, not the present. Two past actions → the earlier one in the past perfect. No will after when, if, as soon as, until. State verbs (know, like, believe, own) have no -ing form.
I have known him for ten years.I'll call you when I arrive.
Choosing means meaning
Often two tenses are grammatically possible and mean different things: I have read the book (result now) vs. I read the book (finished event). Decide what you want to say first.