Advanced grammar tests - English exam centre 2015

English Tenses / Test-3

01. I ... my book in the launderette while my washing ... .

A) have read / dries

B) read / was drying

C) was reading / has dried

D) have read / is drying

E) am reading / has dried

02. Up to now, the predicted Millennium computer bug ... very few problems, although many scientists last year ... a catastrophe.

A) has been causing / have predicted

B) is causing / predict

C) causes / were predicting

D) caused / have been predicting

E) has caused / predicted

03. I only ... the company on Monday for a copy of their magazine and I ... it already.

A) was asking / am receiving

B) have been asking / was receiving

C) ask / receive

D) asked / have received

E) have asked / have been receiving

04. More and more of my colleagues ... these days because the owners of the company have changed a lot of procedures. These changes won’t affect me though, because I ... my job here only recently.

A) have left / was starting

B) leave / am starting

C) were leaving / started

D) left / start

E) are leaving / have started

05. She ... onto the train because the station guard ... his whistle.

A) has hurried / blows

B) hurries / has been blowing

C) hurried / was blowing

D) was hurrying / has blown

E) is hurrying / blows

06. Peggy’s family ... pedigree dogs for three generations and they regularly ... their dogs in shows.

A) have been breeding / enter

B) are breeding / are entering

C) were breeding / are entering

D) breed / have entered

E) bred / were entering

07. Mrs. White ... her daughter’s wedding dress herself since November and ... it, except for the trimmings.

A) made / finished

B) was making / was finishing

C) has been making / has finished

D) is making / finished

E) makes / is finishing

08. Because we have a young baby, we ... the opportunity to go to the cinema any more, but now and again, we ... a video to play at home.

A) didn’t have / are buying

B) aren’t having / were buying

C) don’t have / buy

D) weren’t having / bought

E) haven’t had / have been buying

09. The perfume ... like cheap soap and definitely isn’t worth this price.

A) is smelling

B) smells

C) has been smelling

D) was smelling

E) smelt

10. While I ... some money from a cash machine, a man ... it all out of my hand.

A) was withdrawing / snatched

B) withdrew / snatches

C) am withdrawing / has snatched

D) have withdraw / was snatching

E) withdrew / has been snatching

11. They ... to buy a boat for years, and finally they ... enough money.

A) have been hoping / have saved

B) hope / saved

C) were hoping / are saving

D) hoped / have been saving

E) are hoping / save

12. As he ... the party, a strange man ... him.

A) left / has been approaching

B) is leaving / has approached

C) leaves / was approaching

D) has left / approaches

E) was leaving / approached

13. We ... with the sales staff tomorrow because our sales ... recently.

A) were meeting / declined

B) are meeting / have declined

C) meet / decline

D) met / were declining

E) have met / are declining

14. Sally’s husband ... for a new job because his present one ... no opportunities for advancement.

A) was looking / has offered

B) looks / was offering

C) looked / is offering

D) is looking / offers

E) has looked / has been offering

15. I ... you several times last week, but no one ... in.

A) was phoning / has been

B) phoned / was

C) have phoned / has been

D) phone / is being

E) am phoning / is

16. My father ... English at all although he ... it for three years when he was in high school.

A) isn’t speaking / has studied

B) hasn’t been speaking / studies

C) doesn’t speak / studied

D) didn’t speak / has been studying

E) wasn’t speaking / is studying

17. I ... on this report for more than three weeks now, but I ... only half of it yet.

A) work / have been completing

B) am working / complete

C) work / am completing

D) was working / completed

E) have been working / have completed

18. The archaeological evidence ... clearly that people in ancient Crete ... flush toilets 4000 years ago.

A) has shown / use

B) is showing / have used

C) showed / have been using

D) shows / were using

E) was showing / are using

19. Marry says she ... George because he ... her life miserable.

A) has been leaving / makes

B) has left / is making

C) leaves / was making

D) is leaving / has made

E) was leaving / has made

20. My brother ... a new BMW and ever since, he ... about it.

A) was buying / bragged

B) is buying / is bragging

C) has bought / brags

D) buys / has bragged

E) bought / has been bragging

21. He ... great poverty until he ... up writing and got a proper job.

A) has suffered / gives

B) suffered / gave

C) is suffering / has given

D) has suffered / was giving

E) suffers / is giving

22. I ... a lot of weight since I ... drinking beer every night.

A) have lost / stopped

B) lost / am stopping

C) lose / have been stopping

D) was losing / have stopped

E) am losing / stop

23. My son ... very well at university this term because he ... out late at night any more.

A) does / hasn’t stayed

B) did / isn’t staying

C) has done / wasn’t staying

D) was doing / hasn’t been staying

E) is doing / doesn’t stay

24. Last year he almost ... because he ... his social life a little too much.

A) fails / has enjoyed

B) was failing / has been enjoying

C) failed / was enjoying

D) has been failing / enjoyed

E) has failed / enjoys

25. Our company’s sales ... since the new management ... over.

A) have been improving / took

B) improve / has taken

C) improved / has been taking

D) are improving / was taking

E) were improving / is taking

26. The guards ... when the enemy ... .

A) are sleeping / has been attacking

B) have slept / was attacking

C) slept / has attacked

D) were sleeping / attacked

E) sleep / is attacking

27. The negotiators ... to bring the two sides together for months, but so far they ... .

A) try / are failing

B) are trying / failed

C) tried / fail

D) have tried / were failing

E) have been trying / have failed

28. The electricity ... off last night just as the film on TV ... interesting.

A) has gone / got

B) was going / has got

C) is going / has been getting

D) goes / is getting

E) went / was getting

29. More than a million people ... the new superstore since it ... last month.

A) are visiting / has been opening

B) have visited / opened

C) were visiting / opens

D) have been visiting / is opening

E) visited / has opened

30. Water ... from liquid to gas when it ... a temperature of 100˚ C.

A) has changed / reached

B) changed / was reaching

C) changes / reaches

D) has been changing / is reaching

E) is changing / reached

31. The phrase “post modernism” ... about fifty years ago, but most people still ... what it means.

A) was appearing / haven’t known

B) has appeared / don’t know

C) appeared / don’t know

D) appears / didn’t know

E) has been appearing / haven’t known

32. People who ... items like bottles and cans ... the world’s resources.

A) aren’t recycling / wasted

B) didn’t recycle / waste

C) haven’t been recycling / were wasting

D) don’t recycle / are wasting

E) haven’t recycled / wasted

33. The president ... too hard lately, and as a result, he ... terrible.

A) has been working / looks

B) has worked / looked

C) worked / is looking

D) works / has looked

E) is working / was looking

34. I ... to play the lottery about two years ago, but I ... anything yet.

A) was starting / didn’t win

B) started / haven’t won

C) start / haven’t been winning

D) have started / don’t win

E) am starting / wasn’t winning

35. I ... in Istanbul for so long that I ... the time before the Bosphorus Bridges.

A) am living / remembered

B) lived / am remembering

C) was living / have remembered

D) live / was remembering

E) have lived / remember

36. Two years ago, she ... English at all, but she ... hard since then.

A) hasn’t spoken / is studied

B) wasn’t speaking / studies

C) isn’t speaking / studied

D) didn’t speak / has been studying

E) doesn’t speak / was studying

37. My brother ... three years in jail when he was younger, but now he ... to give up his life of crime.

A) spent / has decided

B) spends / is deciding

C) has spent / has been deciding

D) was spending / decides

E) has been spending / decided

38. I ... my boss privately tomorrow and I ... quite nervous about it.

A) have seen / am feeling

B) see / was feeling

C) am seeing / feel

D) saw / felt

E) was seeing / have felt

39. The first time I ... horse riding, I was very nervous and ... the reins very tightly.

A) was going / am holding

B) have gone / hold

C) am going / have held

D) go / was holding

E) went / held

40. Life ... immensely since Thomas Edison ... the first light bulb in 1879.

A) is changing / was inventing

B) has changed / invented

C) has been changing / has invented

D) changed / has been inventing

E) was changing / invent

41. Normally, people ... quickly from the flu, but so far this year many people ... as a result of it.

A) are recovering / had died

B) had recovered / are going to die

C) have been recovering / die

D) recover / have died

E) were recovering / will die

42. You ... for three months by the time you leave for your holiday, so you ... quite a lot of weight.

A) have been dieting / will be losing

B) will have been dieting / will have lost

c) had dieted / lost

D) were dieting / had lost

E) are going to diet / have lost

43. Carreta turtles ... their eggs on the beach at night and ... the reflection from the sea to find their way back to the water.

A) lay / use

B) were laying / have used

C) are going to lay / used

D) laid / are using

E) will lay / had used

44. By the mid 1970s, “Marks and Spenser” ... one of the top department stores and they ... more underwear than any other British company at the time.

A) had become / were selling

B) is going to become / had sold

C) has become / are selling

D) became / will be selling

E) was becoming / will have sold

45. I ... the potatoes while you ... the leeks for the soup.

A) peeled / will be chopping

B) will have peeled / have chopped

C) was peeling / had chopped

D) peel / will have chopped

E) will peel / chop

46. For the past 24 hours, a tropical storm ... the houses of villages in Mozambique, but it is hard to know as yet how much damage it ... by the time it has stopped.

A) was going to batter / causes

B) battered / will have been causing

C) has been battering / will have caused

D) had been battering / has caused

E) is battering / has been causing

47. By 1840, the US Army ... most Eastern Indian tribes west of the Mississippi.

A) will have pushed

B) have pushed

C) had pushed

D) pushed

E) are pushing

48. For most of the time throughout the picnic, the boys ... football while the girls ... flowers.

A) will play / have been picking

B) are playing / have been picking

C) have played / are picking

D) were playing / were picking

E) had been playing / have picked

49. Over recent years, glue sniffing, which ... negative effects on both the body and the mind, ... a major problem among teenagers.

A) has had / is becoming

B) has / has become

C) is going to have / had become

D) will have / will have become

E) is having / was becoming

50. Chinese merchants ... trade in Tibet since 1950, when China ... the country.

A) dominate / was invading

B) were dominating / has invaded

C) will have dominated / had invaded

D) had dominated / will be invading

E) have dominated / invaded