A Trekking Journal
November 12, 1997
Today (be)
the second day of my trek around Mount Annapurna. I am exhausted and my legs (shake)
; I just hope I am able to complete the trek. My feet (kill, really)
me and my toes (bleed)
, but I (want, still)
to continue.
Nepal is a fascinating country, but I have a great deal to learn. Everything (be)
so different, and I (try)
to adapt to the new way of life here. I (learn)
a little bit of the language to make communication easier; unfortunately, I (learn, not)
foreign languages quickly. Although I (understand, not)
much yet, I believe that I (improve, gradually)
.
I (travel, currently)
with Liam, a student from Leeds University in England. He (be)
a nice guy, but impatient. He (walk, always)
ahead of me and (complain)
that I am too slow. I (do)
my best to keep up with him, but he is younger and stronger than I am. Maybe, I am just feeling sorry for myself because I am getting old.
Right now, Liam (sit)
with the owner of the inn. They (discuss)
the differences between life in England and life in Nepal. I (know, not)
the real name of the owner, but everybody (call, just)
him Tam. Tam (speak)
English very well and he (try)
to teach Liam some words in Nepali. Every time Tam (say)
a new word, Liam (try)
to repeat it. Unfortunately, Liam (seem, also)
to have difficulty learning foreign languages. I just hope we don't get lost and have to ask for directions.
Verb Tense Exercise 3
Simple Past / Past Continuous
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses
1. A: What (you, do) when the accident occurred?
B: I (try) to change a light bulb that had burnt out.
2. After I (find) the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately) to the police and (turn) it in.
3. The doctor (say) that Tom (be) too sick to go to work and that he (need) to stay at home for a couple of days.
4. Sebastian (arrive) at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not) there. She (study, at the library) for her final examination in French.
5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also) television. That's all she ever does!
6. A: I (call) you last night after dinner, but you (be, not) there. Where were you?
B: I (work) out at the fitness center.
7. When I (walk) into the busy office, the secretary (talk) on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily) at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly) methods to improve customer service.
8. I (watch) a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends.
9. Sharon (be) in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not) .
10. It's strange that you (call) because I (think, just) about you.
11. The Titanic (cross) the Atlantic when it (strike) an iceberg.
12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily) and (try) to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt) for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead) their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue) over the price of a leather belt. I (walk) over to a man who (sell) fruit and (buy) a banana.
13. The firemen (rescue) the old woman who (be) trapped on the third floor of the burning building.
14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always) her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually) me to do them for her.
15. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) there when the Berlin Wall came down.
Verb Tense Exercise 4
Simple Past / Past Continuous
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers.
Last night, while I was doing my homework, Angela (call) . She said she (call) me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I asked her if she (wait) for class, but she said that the professor was at the front of the hall lecturing while she (talk) to me. I couldn't believe she (make) a phone call during the lecture. I asked what was going on.
She said her biology professor was so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually) in class. Some of the students (talk) about their plans for the weekend and the student next to her (draw) a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell) me she was not satisfied with the class, I (mention) that my biology professor was quite good and (suggest) that she switch to my class.
While we were talking, I (hear) her professor yell, "Miss, are you making a phone call?" Suddenly, the line went dead. I (hang) up the phone and went to the kitchen to make dinner. As I (cut) vegetables for a salad, the phone rang once again. It (be) Angela, but this time she wasn't sitting in class.
Verb Tense Exercise 5
Simple Past / Present Perfect
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses
1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"
B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie.
2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.
3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.
4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.
5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid.
6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start) working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers.
7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off into the forest and (be) bitten by a snake.
8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired!
9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never) the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.
10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never) the ocean.
11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.
12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see) you. You (grow) at least a foot!
13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago.
14. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try) to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever) . The climb is extremely difficult and many people (die) trying to reach the summit.
15. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several times. The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend) two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly) over the Nazca Lines.
Verb Tense Exercise 6
Simple Past / Present Perfect
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses
Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be) separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.
Times (change) . Computers (become) powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.
Verb Tense Exercise 7
Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous
Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses
