Grammar Exercises Time Tenses

I. Complete the following sentences.

1. The robber was running when …

2. I have no idea where I … my driving license.

3. What … when the alarm went off?

4. We … when we heard a cry for help.

5. She was watching TV when … .

6. First, police officers … . Then, they … .

7. While I was driving to work, I … .

8. It was a beautiful day. The sun … and people … . Then the bomb went off.

9. Thieves broke into the house while the family … .

10. He set fire to the building, then … with money.

11. We ate, paid the bill and … .

12. We didn’t hear the burglar because we … .

13. Josie met Clyde while they … .

14. The old man hurt his back while he … .

II. Change the verbs to the Past Simple or the Past Continuous. Then retell the stories.

The Unlucky Burglar

One evening Alf __________ (watch) the television and __________ (eat) his supper when the door suddenly _____ (open) and a burglar __________ (come) in. He ____ (wear) a mask and _______ (carry) a sack. Before doing anything else he _____ (tie) Alf to the chair. Then he _______ (go) upstairs to look for money. Although he ________ (not find) any money he _______ (find) a lot of jewelry, which he ______ (put) into his sack. In his rush to get downstairs he ______ (not see) the dog which ________ (lie) at the bottom of the stairs and he ______ (fall) over it, losing his glasses. While the burglar ______ (look) for them, Alf ______ (try) to free himself. Finally Alf _______ (manage) to escape and he ________ (phone) the police. As soon as the burglar ______ (find) his glasses he ______ (run) out of the house. However, unfortunately for him, the police ______ (wait) for him at the end of the garden.

Young boy, 5, Discovered 300 km from Home

Police who ______ (look) for a lost five-year-old boy eventually ______ (find) him the next day. After getting separated from his family in a market, from Pekanbaru in Malaysia, _________ (go) to a station, got onto a train, and was discovered in Padang, 300 kilometers away. “He _________ (be) very calm,” said the boy’s mother. “It was us, his family, who __________ (worry) all night.”

Traffic Jams Make Angelenos Feel at Home

A recent study said that Los Angeles has the worst traffic in the United States. Last year Angelenos __________ (spend) an average of 136 hours a year stuck in traffic. Only last week a man was arrested whole he _______ (brush) his teeth in the car, and drivers are regularly seen applying make-up and shaving. Police _________ (say) that yesterday they ________ (stop) a man who __________ (drive) while playing on his laptop computer.

III. Look through the “News In Brief” column and fill in the gaps with the most appropriate form of the Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous. Give the main idea of the texts:

… The Government … (to consider about) the relaxation of penalties for hundreds of thousands of drivers caught speeding on camera. The camera-led upsurge in speeding convictions … (to raise) concern that motorists with unblemished accident could be banned for infringing the speed limit four times in 36 months. More and more people … (to receive) $60 fines. Cameras … (to endorse) 4.500 offenders, only those speeding with the highest fatality risk …

… Detectives … (to try) to answer many questions about the man named as Nick Duffer since they discovered his rented flat in Leeds unattended. Nothing previously … (to draw) police attention to him but now they need to know not only where he is but also precisely why … he (to come) to Britain from the United States. At this time the officers … also (to examine) possible links between him and other alleged people ...

… Iran … (to reject) American “earthquake diplomacy” turning down Washington’s offer of a high-level humanitarian mission to the devastated city of Bam. Iranian leaders … (to denounce) America as a “warmongering oppressor” and they … (to dismiss) US aid offers as a diplomatic ploy…

IV. Complete the following sentences using the Past Perfect.

Example: The burglar broke into a Hong Kong factory and found nothing worth stealing there. They said that the burglar had broken into a Hong Kong factory and had found nothing worth stealing there.

1. She bought the pistol with the intention of committing suicide. The defence said that ………….. .

2. The agents obeyed orders. France acknowledged that ………. .

3. Tom planned the robbery. Tom explained how ………… .

4. The thief used a special key. The inspector suspected that …………. .

5. The police didn’t disclose any sightings. They said …………. .

6. Coke deposited more than 2,000 in his bank account a few weeks before. The police also found that ……….. .

7. I didn’t hear a word. I exclaimed ………... .

8. Tom didn’t commit the crime. Tom confessed ………… .

9. He sold secrets for money. It appeared ………… .

10. The foreman presented the verdict. Mr. Hamby told me that …………

V. Use the proper form:

1. A man (was, had been, had being) unconscious for a few minutes when an ambulance arrived.

2. He quickly forgot everything he / learnt, had learnt, had been learning, was learning) in a law faculty.

3. I’ll call for an ambulance. She (gets, is getting, has been getting, got) weaker and weaker since she had breakfast.

4. The amount of crime (increased, was increasing, had been increasing, had increased) for the last ten years and we couldn’t stop this process.

5. Alice promised to come, but she’s absent. Something (has been happening, has happened) to her.

6. Tom said that Jerry (was, had been, had being) his best friend since their early childhood.

7. We (sat, had sat, had been sitting, were sitting) in the room for half an hour when police arrived.

8. The police found out that Bob Slant (lives, lived, had been living) for a year in London’s suburbs.

9. The policeman asked why he (didn’t lock, hadn’t locked, hasn’t locked, hadn’t been locking) the car door.

10. Where was Dad? I (waited, had been waiting, was waiting) for him since 6 p. m. We had to go to the Bar.

VI. Open the brackets and use the verbs into Future Continuous or Future Perfect or Future Perfect Continuous:

E.g: By the end of the trial the foreman (inform) the bailiff about the verdict.

By the end of the trial the foreman will have informed the bailiff about the verdict.

1. Don’t disturb me between 7 and 9. I’ll have an exam next Monday. So I (study) Civil Law.

2. Phone me after 9 o’clock. We (finish) the test on Criminal Law.

3. A: Can we meet tomorrow morning? B: Not in the morning. I (listen) to the case of the murder in Magistrates’ Court.

4. A: You (be) free at 4 p.m.? B: Yes, the trial (finish) by the time.

5. I think the felony (escape) by the time the police arrives.

6. At 8 o’clock our group (have) an English lesson.

7. My mother has worked as a counsel for the prosecution for 19 years. Next year she (work) as a prosecutor for 20 years.

8. Do you think you still (do) the same job of the investigator in 5 year’s time?

9. He (work) at the Bar for 12 months next May.

10. A: You (use) your car in the evening? Can I take it? B: No, I’m afraid, somebody stole it.

11. How long she (sleep) when we come?

12. Before discussing of the verdict the jurors (choose) a chairman.

13. It’s awful to think I (work) at this time next week.

14. Before the jury deliberation the judge (give) the instruction to the jurors during several minutes.

15. By the next month the police (look) for the criminals committed the burglary for 10 days.

VII. Open the brackets and use all possible Future and Present Forms and translate the sentences:

E.g. If the jurors (find) her guilty she (spend) 5 years imprisonment.

If the jurors find her guilty she’ll spend 5 years imprisonment.

1. The court (decide) this case all day long tomorrow.

2. If a person (plead) his or her guilty the jury (bring) in a verdict of guilty.

3. In a year I (work) at the Bar for 10 years.

4. After the presentation of evidence the judge (summarize) everything up soon.

5. Unless he (come) from the Notary Office we (have) dinner.

6. The judge (interfere) if he (think) any of the questions are unfair.

7. If you (become) a citizen of the USA you (have) a chance to be a juror and (decide) the facts in the court.

8. The judge (tell) you about the case and (introduce) the lawyers and people involved in the case after he (choose) you a member of a “jury panel”.

9. It’s hard to say if she (find) out the lost. She is so inattentive.

10. When you (be) a student of Law you (study) Civil and Criminal Laws, Criminalistics and other subjects.

11. By the end of the term of imprisonment he (spend) 8 years in jail.

12. They (become) barristers as soon as they (receive) their legal education at Universities or Colleges of Law.

13. Before the judge (give) instructions to the jurors the counsels for the prosecution and defence (present) their evidence.

14. After you (graduate) from the University you (work) as a legal expert

15. He (not/catch) the train unless he (leave) immediately.

TEST YOURSELF

Check your knowledge and decide which answer a, b, c or d best fits each blank:

1. Our leaders … to prevent a major cut in numbers of conscripts trying

to make the forces fully professional.

a) has fought b) have been fighting c) have been fought d) has being fought

2. Tensions … since the election campaign began.

a) have been rising b) has risen c) have been risen d) has been rising

3. They … extra security measures to avoid the wave of letter bombs delivery.

a) has taken b) have been taken c) has been taking d) have been taking

4. China and the European Union … their first joint satellite, a symbol of growing closeness.

a) has launched b) have launched c) has been launching d) have been launched

5. The judge … the lawyers and the people involved in the case.

a) have been introducing b) has been introduced c) has introducing d) has introduced

6. A witness for the defence ... testimony against the alleged woman.

a) has given b) have been giving c) has giving d) have been given

7. The jurors 1) … the evidence for three hours already and 2) … yet.

1. a) has discussed b) have discussed c) have been discussing d) discussed

2. a) hasn’t decided b) have’t decided c) haven’t been deciding d) have decided

8. People … reluctant to make formal complaints to the police and now we try to overcome the consequences.

a) have been b) has been c) have being d) has being

9. The detectives 1) … in ambush for an hour but nobody 2) … .

1. a) has lied b) have been lying c) has been lying d) have laid

2. a) have been coming b) has been coming c) have come d) has come

10. Bob tried to find a job after he (serve) a five-year sentence.

a. served b. had served

11. We asked Peter to come with us but he refused. He (already/promise) to play rugby with his fellow students.

a. already promised b. had already promised

12. He 1) … there some time when that dreadful accident 2) … .

1) a. had worked b. had been working

2) a. happened b. had happened

13. When we came home, we found that someone 1) … into the garage and 2) … the car.

1) a. broken b. had broken

2) a. stole b. had stolen

14. When they opened the safe, they found that someone … the documents.

a. had already taken b. already took

15. The poor woman complained she … trouble with her eldest son for a long time.

a. had been having b. had had

16. The young girl who … at me ever since I had come into the room, suddenly rose and left.

a. looked b. had been looking

17. He told us they 1) … in this district since they 2) … Paris.

1) a. had been living b. had lived

2) a. had been leaving b. had left

18. I 1) … for permission to go abroad for three weeks already, but I 2) … the visa yet.

1) a. have been waiting b. waited

2) a. don’t receive b. haven’t receive.

19. I went out into the garden to fetch my bike, but 1) … that someone 2) … it.

1) a. found b. had found

2) a. stole b. had stolen

20. When George met Diane for the first time, he 1) … that he 2) … her somewhere before.

1) a. knew b. was knowing

2) a. had met b. met

21. Jack is in hospital; a robber wounded him while Jack was following the criminals. – Oh, I didn’t know. I … him tomorrow.

a. visit b. am going to visit c. will visit

22. We’re late. The trial … by the time we get to the court-room.

a. will already start b. is going to start c. will already have started

23. How can we recognize the person? He … a uniform of policemen.

a. will be wearing b. is going to wear c. will wear

24. I suppose somebody … the murdered soon.

a. is going to identify b. will identify c. will be identifying

25. I’ve decided to try and enter the Law Faculty. – Have you? What profession … get?

a. are you going to b. will you c. you are going to

26. From 9 till about 10 the counsel for defence … his evidence to the jurors.

a. will present b. will be presenting c. will have been presenting

27. By the end of the session examination I … to pass Labour Law twice.

a. will try b. will be trying c. will have tried

28. In 3 years the graduators from our University … legal specialists.

a. will have become b. will become c. will be becoming

29. Before the police … the doctors … the suffered.

a. arrives, will have helped b. will arrive, has helped c. will arrive, will have helped

30. When … anything tomorrow evening, Helen?- Yes, I … Criminology all day long.

a. will you do, will study b. are you doing, will be studying c. will you be doing, will be studying

UNIT 4