English Advanced Grammar Exercises – Review: present simple and continuous; past and perfect tenses: the future; the passive; modals

A. Complete the sentences with the present simple or present continuous form of the verbs in the box.

1   I ………………… what you mean.

2   This party’s great! I ………………… a great time.

3   In order to set the alarm you ………………… this button twice to change to the alarm mode.

4   I lost my phone so I ………………… my dad’s until I can buy a new one for myself.

5   I was wrong to say those things. I ………………… for that.

6   The movie ended the usual way: the police eventually ………………… the criminals and at the end everyone’s happy.

7   A:   School starts again next week. I ………………… to it right now, though I’m sure I’ll feel OK after a day or two.

8   I ………………… of going skiing if I can afford it.

B. Match the pairs.

1   I’ve never played

2   I haven’t been playing

a   computer games recently.

b   computer game like that before.

3   While Amy was at the supermarket

4   By the time Jo reached the supermarket

a   she lost her list of things to buy.

b   she’d lost her list of things to buy.

5   Lee has been running a lot

6   Ryo had been doing a lot of exercise

a   – that’s why he’s so fit.

b   – that’s why he was in good shape.

7   I lived

8   I’ve lived

a   in Canada for about three years when I was a child.

b   in four different countries in the last ten years.

9   I’ve been reading

10   I’ve read

a   the third Ricky Parks book and I should finish it soon.

b   every Ricky Parks book at least twice.

11   It’s been raining a lot

12   It rained non-stop for days

a   so the ground’s very wet.

b   the last time I was in Ireland.

13   I was hoping to get a new phone

14   I’d been looking for a new phone

a   for about a month when I found one I liked.

b   but I can’t really afford one right now.

C. Underline the correct option.

William Davies is an artist who makes incredibly small things. Recently, he (1) has been working / had been working on a sculpture of two polar bears which is about 0.005 millimetres high. ‘I (2) haven’t been finishing / haven’t finished it yet,’ the artist said, ‘but it’s for an exhibition about endangered animals.’

In his 40-year career, Davies (3) made / has made hundreds of tiny sculptures, most of them so small that they can only be seen under a microscope. How does he do it? ‘(4) I was developing / I ’ve been developing my techniques for over 40 years, ever since (5) I’ve been / I was 5 or 6 years old,’ he says. ‘As a child, I (6) was having / had learning difficulties and hardly any friends, so I (7) had spent / used to spend a lot of time on my own. In those days, (8) I was always playing / I’ve always been playing with insects in my mum’s garden.

In particular, I was fascinated by ants and (9) I’d made / I would make things for them like little houses, furniture and bicycles out of all sorts of materials. By the time I left school, my art (10) took over / had taken over my life.’

To create his tiny works of art, Davies (11) was having to / has had to learn to control his body in amazing ways because even the smallest wrong movement can destroy his work. ‘I (12) used to make / was making lots of mistakes when I was younger. Once I (13) painted / was painting a sculpture of a scene from Alice in Wonderland when I accidentally (14) breathed in / was breathing in. The whole piece flew into my mouth and I swallowed it! It seems funny now but I was really upset at the time because (15) I’d been working / I’ve been working on it for two whole weeks.’ Nowadays, Davies sells his work at very high prices so he’s extremely careful how he breathes.

D. Cross out ONE incorrect option.

1   A:   I’m going to Moscow next week.

      B:   Really? How long …….. there?

      a   will you be staying?

      b   are you staying?

      c   will you have stayed?

2   A:   Sorry. Have I come at an inconvenient time?

      B:   Well, actually we were …….. to go out.

      a   bound

      b   just about

      c   going

3   A:   Have you had your job for a long time?

      B:   No, not that long. In January …….. for exactly three years,

      a   I’ll have worked here

      b   I’ll be working here

      c   I’ll have been working here

4   A:   Did the election results surprise you?

      B:   Oh yes. I thought …….. again.

      a   the government were bound to win

      b   it was obvious the government were going to win

      c   the government will be winning

5   A:   Oh dear! Pete doesn’t look very happy.

      B:   No, you’re right. He looks like …….. his temper,

      a   he’s to lose

      b   he’s on the verge of losing

      c   he’s going to lose

6   A:   Do you have any plans for the weekend?

      B:   Well, on Sunday afternoon… on a plane to Malaysia,

      a   I’ll be

      b   I’m sitting

      c   I’m going to be sitting

7   A:   Have you watched series 3 of Happy Families yet?

      B:   No, but I have the programmes on DVD and when I see you next …….. them all.

      a   I’ll have watched

      b   I’ll watch

      c   I’ll have been watching

E. Circle the correct option(s). Sometimes more than one option is possible.

1   I ………………… a very interesting email.

      a   was send

      b   have been sent

      c   have been being sent

2   I don’t remember ………………… to Andrea’s mum.

      a   to be introduced

      b   being introduced

      c   having been introduced

3   Simpson ………………… Footballer of the Year on two different occasions.

      a   was declared as

      b   was voted

      c   was named by

4   The work ………………… last week.

      a   was completed

      b   had completed

      c   should have been completed

5   Is there anything else that needs ………………… around here?

      a   doing

      b   done

      c   to be done

6   Children in that school ………………… two hours homework every evening.

      a   have been made

      b   are made do

      c   were made to do

7   We ………………… a new sofa delivered.

      a   are having

      b   were

      c   had

8   Your bike might ………………… stolen if you leave it there unlocked.

      a   be

      b   get

      c   have

F. Complete each sentence b so that it has a similar meaning to sentence a, using three to five words including the word in brackets.

1   a   He definitely won’t change his mind. (way)

     b   There’s ……………… change his mind.

2   a   Vanessa refused to fill in the form. (filling)

     b   Vanessa said: ‘……………… this form.’

3   a   We probably won’t be able to finish everything today. (unlikely)

     b   It ……………… be able to finish everything today.

4   a   I think it’s a good idea for them to stop now. (had)

     b   I think ……………… stop now.

5   a   Helen thinks we really should go home. (high)

     b   Helen thinks it ……………… home.

6   a   Sophie has the ability to become a really good writer. (capable)

     b   Sophie ……………… really good writer.

7   a   My preference would be to go out today and not tomorrow. (rather)

     b   ……………… today and not tomorrow.

8   a   If you could keep quiet about this I’d be happier. (sooner)

     b   ………………  nothing about this.