Unit 1 Tenses

1
Developing Skills Grammar Usage (Set B)
Unit 1 Tenses
1.1 Simple present and present continuous
1.2 Present perfect and simple past
1.3 Present perfect and present perfect continuous
1.4 Simple past and past continuous
1.5 Simple past, past perfect and past perfect
continuous
1.6 The future
Exercise 1
Section A
Section B
Part A
Part D
Part A
Part E
Part B
Part B
Part F
Part C
Part C
2
1.1 Simple present and present continuous
P.1
3
P.1
4
P.1
5
P.1
6
Note (a) We form negatives and questions in
this way A Do you like comics?
B Yes, but I dont like comics
that are childish. A What are
you reading? A novel? B No, Im
not reading a novel. Im reading a comic
book.
P.1
7

• (b) We do not normally use the following
  verbs in continuous tenses
• Verbs of thought (believe, understand, know,
  mean, forget, recognise, realise, etc.)
• I believe she is innocent.
• Verbs of feeling (like, dislike, love, hate,
  prefer, want, etc.)
• She likes coffee.

P.1
8

• Verbs of perception (see, hear, smell,
• taste, feel, etc.)
• I hear a crash. Can you hear it, too?
• Other verbs (have, own, belong to, owe, need,
  seem, look, sound, weigh, cost, contain, include,
  suggest, agree, insist, refuse, etc.)
• However, some of the verbs listed above more
  than one meaning. We can use these verbs in the
  continuous tense when they describe actions.

P.2
9
Compare You look tried. (look
seem) Why are you looking at me like
that? (look see) Mr Chan has ( owns) a
car. Miss Wong isnt in her
office. She is having lunch. ( is
eating)
P.2
10
1.2 Present perfect and simple past
P.2
11
P.2
12
P.2
13
P.2
14
P.3
15
Note We form negatives and questions in this
way A Have you told Alice about the
hiking trip? B No, I havent
called her yet. I didnt have time
yesterday evening. Did you notice
whether she is working tonight, or
off- duty?
P.3
16
1.3 Present perfect and present perfect continuous
When we talk about something that started in the
past, and has been in progress up to the present,
we can use either the present perfect (I have
done) or the present perfect continuous (I have
been doing) without a significant difference in
meaning. We have lived/have been living here
since 1998/for many years.
P.3
17
P.3
18
P.3
19
P.3
20
Note We form negatives and questions in this
way A Im sorry Im late. Have you
been waiting long? B No, I
havent been waiting long. In fact, Ive
just arrived.
P.3
21
1.4 Simple past and past continuous
We use the past continuous (I was doing) for
something which was in progress at a past
time. A I called you last night at about ten,
but nobody answered the phone.
B
Sorry, I didnt hear the phone ring. I was
taking a shower. We often use the past
continuous and simple past together in the same
sentence They were playing computer games when
I arrived. He fell while he was trying to get
the kite from the tree.
P.3-4
22
1.5 Simple past, past perfect and past perfect
continuous
We use the past perfect (I had done) when we want
to emphasise that something was completed before
a past time or before another past action. I
went to the party but I didnt see Miriam. She
had left before I arrived. Compare She
isnt here. She left ten minutes ago.
P.4
23
We use the past perfect continuous (I had been
doing) to talk about something which started
sometime before a past time and continued until
or after it. He had been collecting stamps for
years when we become friends. Compare He
had collected more than 200 foreign and
local stamps by the time we became friends.
P.4
24
1.6 The future
P.4
25
P.4
26
P.4
27
P.4
28
P.4
29
P.4
30
P.5
31
P.5
32
P.5
33
P.5
34
P.5
35
P.5
36

I live
I am staying
My uncle is
P.5
37

has he been
He was admitted
Is he getting
he will be discharged
P.5-6
38

That is
have you heard
she is getting
I had
Her parents have bought
They will move
P.6
39

Do you have
she promised
she settles
I will have to
P.6
40
B Complete these sentences with the correct
tense of the verbs in brackets. The first one
has been done for you.
P.6
41
have been waiting
has come
comes
has stopped
P.6
42
was going
had been ringing
lost
was
will let
have made
P.6
43
opens
will admit
is
were working
collapsed
P.7
44
got
found
was
will keep
will return/will have returned
will be playing
contains
P.7
45
C Read the first sentence. Then form a negative
sentence with the given words. The first one has
been done for you.
P.7
46
does not eat meat
P.7
47
is not doing anything
does not like films
P.7
48
had not yet packed
their suitcases
did not refund the money
P.7
49
had not finished reading the book
dont know the way
P.7-8
50
did not listen carefully/was not listening
carefully
didnt listen to me
P.8
51
wasnt wearing jeans
wont be back
P.8
52
will not
leave for the airport
did not have enough money
P.8
53
D You want some information. Ask your friend a
question. Use the given words. The first one has
been done for you.
P.8
54
Is he still working
P.8
55
3. she/like   Im thinking of sending your
sister some flowers. _____________
roses? 4. you/study   You speak Putonghua well.
How long _________________ it?
Does she like
have you studied
P.8
56
5. she/collect   It never occurred to me shes a
stamp collector. How many stamps __________
__________ so far? 6. you/spend   Well have a
three-day holiday this month. Where
__________________ your holiday?

has she collected
will you spend
P.8
57
7. your brother/manage   The fan is working
again. How __________ ________________ to repair
it? 8. it/cost   Your dress is beautiful. How
much ___________ ?  
did your brother
manage
did it cost
P.9
58
9. call/you   He has two brothers. Which one
_________ ________ last night? 10. accompany/you
  I hear that youre going to Italy. Who
____________________ ?
called you
will accompany you
P.9
59
11. you/see   I didnt know Cindy was at the
lecture. Who else ______________________
there? 12. she/go   Ms Lai isnt at her desk.
Where __________ ________________?
did you see
did she go/has she gone
P.9
60
13. happen/to/him   Tom had a black eye. What
_____________ ________? 14. you/wait   I saw you
at the entrance to the new mall.
_________________ for someone?
happened to him
Were you waiting
P.9
61
15. he/be   Did you say Fred was looking for a
job? How long _____________unemployed when you
met him?  
had he been
P.9
62
E Complete Lindas letter to Andrew using the
correct form of the given verbs. The first one
has been done for you.
P.9
63
have
visited
has been broken
P.9
64
have tried
have not come up
have finally broken up
has gone back
P.9-10
65
started
took
met
had had

decided to go
sympathise with
will
get over
P.10
66

will move
is getting
think
has been suffering
P.10
67
will be
have decided to

have not decided
P.10
68
F The following is one of the stories that
Garys grandfather told him. Complete the story
using the appropriate form of the verbs in the
box. The first one has been done for you.
P.10
69
closed
was raining
P.10
70
had worked
made
walked
P.11
71
stopped
live
panted
P.11
72
was lying/ lay
seemed
do, feel
opened
P.11
73
grabbed
appreciate
have
P.11
74
gave
will come
looked
P.11
75
wanted
had left
saw
P.11
76
died
found
P.11
77
P.12
78
Column B
I
D
L
B
J
P.12
79
Column B
A
G
H
C
N
M
P.12
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B Complete these sentences with the appropriate
form of the verb to be the words or phrases
from the box. The first one has been done for
you.
P.12
81
will be happy/delighted
P.12
82
were at college
had been to Ocean Park
P.12
83
will be busy
was alone
P.12-13
84
have been friends
will be delighted/happy
P.13
85
will have been in this school
will be in the library
P.13
86
C Read the news report. Then fill in each blank
in Janets diary with ONE word which best
completes the meaning. The first one has been
done for you.
P.13
87
P.13
88
suffering
care
catch
P.13
89
doing
gone
feeling
be
be
P.13
90
filled/ jammed/ crowded
treatment
once
read/seen
P.13
91
were
doing
running
take
going
P.13-14
92
woke
stopped
longer
saw/ met/ greeted
P.14
93
Back to Column A
Column B
A it wasnt raining that morning.
I is taking us to Lei Yu Mun for seafood this
evening.  
B hasnt finished his homework.
J wasnt interested in photography.
C I met Jessica.
K had happened to you?
D have just had lunch.
L was performing there.
E it had been dry for months.
M he gave it up last year.
F is taking a nap.
N have been looking for you all morning.  
G is troubling you?
H havent you left for school?
P.12
94
Back to Column A
Column B
A it wasnt raining that morning.
I is taking us to Lei Yu Mun for seafood this
evening.  
B hasnt finished his homework.
J wasnt interested in photography.
C I met Jessica.
K had happened to you?
D have just had lunch.
L was performing there.
E it had been dry for months.
M he gave it up last year.
F is taking a nap.
N have been looking for you all morning.  
G is troubling you?
H havent you left for school?
P.12