A
Tom usually _______ (walk) to school, but today he _______ (take) the bus.
walks / is taking
Present Simple + Present Continuous
Why?
“Usually” → regular habit.
“Today” + action happening around now → temporary situation.
I _______ (finish) my homework yesterday.
finished
Tense: Past Simple
Why?
“Yesterday” is a finished time in the past.
Look! The dog _______ (run) after the cat.
is running
Tense: Present Continuous
Why?
“Look!” shows that the action is happening now.
She _______ never _______ (visit) London.
has never visited
Tense: Present Perfect
Why?
We are talking about experience up to the present. No finished past time is given.
I think our teacher _______ (give) us a test tomorrow.
will give
Tense: Future Simple
Why?
“I think” introduces a prediction.
At 7 o'clock yesterday evening, we _______ (have) dinner.
were having
Tense: Past Continuous
Why?
The action was in progress at a specific moment in the past.
My sister _______ (study) English for three years.
has been studying
Tense: Present Perfect Continuous
Why?
The activity started in the past and continues to the present. “For three years” emphasizes duration.
When I arrived at the station, the train _______ already _______ (leave).
had already left
Tense: Past Perfect
Why?
The train left before I arrived.
Be careful! You _______ (fall)!
are going to fall
Tense: Be Going To
Why?
There is evidence in the present that something is about to happen.
This time next week, I _______ (lie) on the beach.
will be lying
Tense: Future Continuous
Why?
The action will be in progress at a particular time in the future.
We _______ (not see) Jack since Monday.
haven't seen
Tense: Present Perfect
Why?
“Since Monday” connects a past starting point with the present.
While I _______ (walk) home, I _______ (see) an old friend.
was walking / saw
Tenses: Past Continuous + Past Simple
Why?
The longer background action → was walking.
The shorter event → saw.
They _______ (play) football for two hours when it started to rain.
had been playing
Tense: Past Perfect Continuous
Why?
The activity continued for two hours before another past event.
I _______ just _______ (eat), so I'm not hungry.
have just eaten
Tense: Present Perfect
Why?
“Just” indicates a very recent completed action with a result now.
Sarah _______ (buy) a new laptop last week.
bought
Tense: Past Simple
Why?
“Last week” is a finished time in the past.
By the time you arrive, I _______ (finish) my homework.
will have finished
Tense: Future Perfect
Why?
The homework will be completed before a specific future moment.
17
Why are your clothes dirty?
“I _______ (work) in the garden.”
have been working
Tense: Present Perfect Continuous
Why?
The activity happened recently and has a visible result now.
When we got to the restaurant, our friends _______ (wait) for us.
were waiting
Tense: Past Continuous
Why?
The waiting was already in progress when we arrived.
He _______ (live) in Almaty since 2018.
has lived
Tense: Present Perfect
Why?
“Since 2018” shows something that started in the past and continues to the present.
Note: has been living is also possible in many contexts, but has lived is the expected answer here.
At 10 p.m. tonight, I _______ (do) my English homework.
will be doing
Tense: Future Continuous
Why?
The action will be happening at a particular time in the future.
She was tired because she _______ (work) all day.
had been working
Tense: Past Perfect Continuous
Why?
The activity continued for a period before a past result — she was tired.
I _______ (never / eat) sushi before I went to Japan.
had never eaten
Tense: Past Perfect
Why?
Not eating sushi happened before another past event — going to Japan.
“There's no milk.”
“Don't worry. I _______ (buy) some.”
will buy
Tense: Future Simple
Why?
The decision is made at the moment of speaking.
Look at those clouds! It _______ (rain).
is going to rain
Tense: Be Going To
Why?
There is present evidence — the clouds — for the prediction.
Complete the story: When Anna arrived home yesterday, her brother _______ (play) a computer game. He _______ (play) for three hours because he _______ (not have) any homework. By 10 p.m., he _______ (finish) the game.
was playing / had been playing / didn't have / had finished
Tenses: 1was playing → Past Continuous 2 had been playing → Past Perfect Continuous 3 didn't have → Past Simple 4 had finished → Past Perfect
Explanation: When Anna arrived → a specific past moment. At that moment:
her brother was playing
The activity had continued for three hours before that past moment:
he had been playing for three hours.
The reason was a completed past fact:
he didn't have any homework.
And by 10 p.m., the game was already completed:
he had finished the game.