ARTICLES

I – Fill in with A/AN/THE/0 (= if no article is necessary).

Cheaters

Union College had ____(1) very good football team, and its best player was _____(2)
student who always had trouble in _____(3) school. Then one year _____(4) dean of _____(5)
college said that _____(6) player would have to leave _____(7) school because he had cheated
on _____(8) exam. _____(9) football coach immediately went to try to persuade him to let
_____(10) student stay in school. _____(11) dean showed him two answer sheets. “This one is
Susan’s paper. She’s one of _____(12) best students in _____(13) class,” he said. “And this one
is your football player’s. They’re exactly _____(14) same. He sat at _____(15) next desk and
just copied from her.”
“But maybe she copied from him,” _____(16) coach replied. “You can’t prove it was
_____(17) other way.”
“Look at this,” _____(18) dean answered back. “Susan didn’t know _____(19) answer to
this question, so she wrote, “I don’t know.” And your player wrote, “Neither do I”. Why did he
write _____(20) answer like that if he hadn’t been cheating from her?”

ANSWER KEY
III –
1a 6 the 11 The 16 the
2a 7 0 school 12 the 17 the
3 0 school 8 an 13 the 18 the
4 the 9 The 14 the 19 the
5 the 10 the 15 the 20 an

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 QUANTIFIERS
0% 1 item 2 items 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Count Neither A / An Both Few* A few Several
Nouns of Each* A pair of (negat.)
Every* A couple of
Non-count Little* A little
Nouns (negat.)
Both None of Some Plenty of Half
No

60% to 80% 90% 100%

Count Many Every*
Nouns A large number of
Non-count A large amount of
Nouns A great deal of
Much (negative)*
Both A lot of / Lots of Most All

Quantifiers are words that express a certain quantity. The exact number may vary from
context to context, but the idea of an amount/percentage is always the same.
For example, from 100 apples in a basket,
None and neither represent 0
A, an, every and each represent 1 apple in the group
Both, a pair of and a couple of represent two apples
Few may represent two or three apples to be divided by eight people (negative idea)
A few, a little and some may represent about 30 apples
Several and plenty of may represent about 40 apples
Half represents 50 apples
Many, a large number, a lot of and lots of may represent 60 to 85 apples
Most may represent 80 to 99 apples
All represents 100 apples.
The horizontal lines represent quantity, from nothing (0%) to all the items in a group
(100%). The vertical lines show synonyms—all items in one vertical position have the same idea
even though they are used with different nouns. The first line shows quantifiers that are used
only with count nouns—nouns that can be counted, i. e., made singular and plural. The second
line shows quantifiers that are used with non-count nouns—nouns that can NOT be counted, i.
e., have no plural form. Finally, the last line shows quantifiers that can be used with both count
nouns and non-count nouns. See the following examples.
Quantifiers used with count nouns
I can see neither car. (= Car in the singular form.)
I can see neither of the cars.
I can see none of the cars.
I can see a car. (= Car in the singular form.)
I can see an ugly car. (= Car in the singular form.)
I can see each car. (= Car in the singular form.)*1
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 I can see every car. (= Car in the singular form.)*1
I can see both cars.
I can see a pair of cars.
I can see a couple of cars.*2
I can see few cars. (Not enough—negative idea)*3
I can see a few cars. (Sufficient cars—positive idea)
I can see several cars.
I can see many cars.
I can see a large number of cars.
*1 – Even though each and every mean one, they also refer to the complete group (every
one in the group, but all of them, one at a time).
*2 – Nowadays a couple of can also mean some, just like a few.
*3 – Few only represents negative ideas. If I have two pencils, but I need four, then I
have few pencils (= I need more pencils than I have). However, if I have two pencils, but I need
only one pencil, then I have plenty of pencils.
Quantifiers used with Non-count Nouns
I can see little food.*4
I can see a little food.
I can see a large amount of food.
I can see a great deal of food.
I can NOT see much food.*5
*4 – Little only represents negative ideas. If I have food for two people, but I need food
for four people, then I have little food (= I need more food than I have). However, if I have food
for two people, but I need food for only one person, then I have plenty of food.
*5 – Much should only be used in negative sentences (unless it is in a compound
formation such as ‘very much’, ‘so much’, ‘how much’, ‘much more’, etc.).
Quantifiers used with count AND non-count nouns
I can see no car / no food.*6
I can see some cars / some food.
I can see plenty of cars / plenty of food.*7
I can see half of the cars / half of the food.
I can see a lot of cars / a lot of food.
I can see lots of cars / lots of food.
I can see most of the cars / most of the food.
I can see all of the cars / all of the food.
*6 – No can be used with singular and plural nouns. (I see no car / no cars.)
*7 – Plenty of means more than enough.
Supply with an appropriate quantifier:
1 – I need ___ pen. Do you have one I could borrow?
2 – Where are ___ the students? They should be here so that no one misses the test.
3 – There are ___ countries in the world.
4 – Oh, no! I have only R$10.00! I can’t go with you. I have ______ money with me.
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5 – Mom, do you have some money I could borrow? All I need is ______ reais for lunch.
6 – Sorry, darling. I have ____ money with me. Ask your dad.
7 – I’ll buy _______ jeans, ___ anorak, and ______ jackets because I don’t have any jacket.
8 – At Easter, I eat ____ the chocolate I can. I love chocolate.
9 – Me too. I’ll eat ____ Easter egg my money can buy.
10 – I have a Vectra and my sister has a Zafira. ____ cars are from Chevrolet.
11 – ____ people I know drink Coke.
12 – ____ my close friends smoke. They hate cigarettes and say that smoking is a silly act.
13 – John and Kate practice karate, but ______ John nor Kate will ever fight on the street.
14 – Unfortunately, ____ the water in the rivers in São Paulo is polluted.
15 – I don’t have ____ patience with children, do you?
16 – Well, to be honest, I have ____ patience with children at all. I can’t stand children near me.
17 – Not me. I have ____ patience with children. That’s why I work in a daycare center.
18 – In this group of 42 students, ____ of them are men—that’s 21 boys.
19 – Ms. Jenkins has had ____ friends in her life. She’s a very lonely person.
20 – ____ of the planet is under water.
21 – I can see ______ reasons everybody should learn one or two foreign languages well.
22 – Our coordinator spends ____ of his time dealing with company issues—that’s 20 hours.
23 – If you make ______ more effort in your studies, you’ll master English more quickly.

Answer key:
1-a; 2-all; 3-many/a lot of/lots of/a large number of; 4-little; 5-a few/some; 6-no; 7-a pair of/some, an, a couple
of/some/a few; 8-all; 9- every/each; 10-both; 11-most; 12-none of; 13-neither; 14- a large amount of/a great deal
of/a lot of /lots of; 15-much (a large amount of/a great deal of/a lot of /lots of); 16-no; 17-plenty of (a great deal of/a
lot of /lots of); 18-half; 19-few; 20-most; 21-several/plenty of (many/some/a few/a large number/a lot of/lots of/a
couple of); 22-half; 23-a little/some.

VERB AGREEMENT

EXCLUSIVELY PLURAL

(A great) many
A couple of
A few
Few
Many
Only a few
Quite a few
Several
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EXCLUSIVELY SINGULAR WORD (= UNCOUNTABLE, actually)

A great deal of
A little
Just a little
Little
Much
Quite a little

SPECIAL CASES
1. Pair
A pair of trousers is / trousers are

2. Entity (as a whole) X Individuals

A number of students have (individuals)*
The number of students has (an entity)*
Two thirds of the population of Egypt is/are*
Sixty-six percent of the population of Egypt is/are*

3. Arithmetical operations take singular verb: is/equals.

4. Noncount + sing // Count + plural

A lot of
All
Half
Hardly any
Lots of
Most
Plenty of
Scarcely any
Some
5. Each (of) / Every (one of) / None of (+ count nouns)
Each/every + singular
None of / Each of / Every one of + plural noun + sing (formal) / plural (colloquial) verb

Each of the books weighs/weigh 300 grams.

None of the books weighs/weigh 300 grams.

6. Fractions, Percentage, Either…or/neither…nor

They all agree with the last noun in current English.

Two thirds of the toxic waste was eliminated.

Sixty-six percent of the toxic waste was eliminated.
Two thirds of the rats were eliminated.
Sixty-six percent of the rats were eliminated.

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 Either the teacher or the students correct the homework.
Either the students or the teacher corrects the homework.
Neither the teacher nor the students correct the homework.
Neither the students nor the teacher corrects the homework.

COLLOCATIONS FOR COUNTING NOUNS

1 - An article of 14 - A head of
2 - A bar of 15 - A herd of
3 - A bit of 16 - An item of
4 - A blade of 17 - A loaf of
5 - A bolt of 18 - A matter of
6 - A branch of 19 - A piece of
7 - A bunch of 20 - A roll of
8 - A clap of 21 - A serving of
9 - A crowd of 22 - A slice of
10 - A current of 23 - A speck of
11 - A flake of 24 - A stick of
12 - A flash of 25 - A strand of
13 - A game of 26 - A wedge of

Match the words below and the quantifiers above. You may place the words in more than one
quantifier.

(a) plot cattle clothing French fries lightning pie tennis

advice chemistry dust furniture luck pizza thunder
bread chocolate electricity gum news snow wheat
cabbage choice flowers jewelry people soap
KEY: 1 - furniture/clothing/jewelry; 2 - soap/chocolate; 3 – luck; 4 – wheat; 5 - lightning/thunder; 6 – chemistry; 7 –
flowers; 8 – thunder; 9 – people; 10 – electricity; 11 – snow; 12 – lightning; 13 – tennis; 14 – cabbage; 15 – cattle;
16 - jewelry/news; 17 – bread; 18 – choice; 19 - advice/news; 20 – bread; 21 - French fries; 22 – pizza; 23 – dust; 24
– gum; 25 – (a) plot; 26 – pie.

SOME MEASURING PHRASES

GAS a crumb of cake/bread
a puff of smoke a hunk of bread/meal
a wisp of smoke a lump of coal/earth/clay
LIQUID a pinch of salt
a dash of lemon juice/oil a rasher of bacon
a drop of water/oil/wine a scrap of paper/cloth
a squeeze of lemon juice/oil a segment of orange
a squirt of lemon juice/oil a shred of paper/cloth
SOLID a slab of stone/cake
a block of stone/wood a sliver of glass
a chip of wood a splinter of glass
a chunk of stone/wood/bread/meal a square of chocolate
a clod of earth a wad of cotton
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Relative Clauses—Defining and non-defining
WHERE for places:
Jane wants to visit the city where her boyfriend has a farm. (Necessary complement)
Jane wants to visit Cancun, where the beaches are incredible. (Optional complement => comma)
WHEN for time:
Phil will arrive at the moment when nobody is waiting for him. (Necessary complement)
Phil will arrive at three o’clock, when everyone is out. (Optional complement => comma)
WHOSE for possession:
Can you tell me whose car you are driving? Your mother’s or your father’s?
Bob doesn’t know whose dog is in his yard. He hopes it is his neighbor’s dog again.
WHICH for animals, plants, objects, etc (except people):
Dennis has a dog which barks all the time. (Necessary complement)
Sally’s car, which is very old, still works well. (Optional complement => comma)
Ralph loves the wine which he produces. (WHICH + subject => eliminate which):
Ralph loves the wine he produces. (= Colloquial language)
WHO for people:
Paul likes the singer who performed last night. (Necessary complement)
Mike, who works for Cel Lep, teaches English and French. (Optional complement => comma)
Look! That is the girl who I want to meet. (WHO + subject => eliminate who):
Look! That is the girl I want to meet. (= Colloquial language)
WHOM for people (object position in the sentence!!)
Paul likes the singer whom he heard last night. (Necessary complement)
Mike, whom Rose looks up to, teaches English and French. (Optional complement => comma)
Look! That is the girl whom I want to meet. (WHOM + subject => eliminate who):
Look! That is the girl I want to meet. (= Colloquial language)
This is the director with whom I speak every day. (After preposition, only WHOM)
REGISTER:
Marc advises a student whom Jeff and Bill admire. (= Very formal language)
Marc advises a student who Jeff and Bill admire. (= More relaxed language)
Marc advises a student that Jeff and Bill admire. (= Informal language)
Marc advises a student Jeff and Bill admire. (= Colloquial language)

THAT can substitute WHICH, WHO and WHOM only when they form a necessary
complement without a preposition (But please try to avoid using THAT as a relative clause
connector):
The dog which is barking is mine. (= The dog that is barking is mine.)
The dog which I play with is mine. (= The dog that I play with is mine.)
The dog with which I play is mine. (Preposition use => NO that)
The dog, which is a mammal, is a great companion. (Comma use => NO that)
The girl who is talking is beautiful. (= The girl that is talking is beautiful.)
The girl whom I talk to is beautiful. (= The girl that I talk to is beautiful.)
The girl to whom I talk is beautiful. (Preposition use => NO that)
The girl, who is female, is beautiful. (Comma use => NO that)

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I - Combine the sentences using WHO, WHOM, WHOSE, WHICH, WHERE, or WHEN and
make the necessary changes:
1 – A severe drought occurred last year. It ruined the corn crop.
2 – Florida attracts many tourists. It is the Sunshine State.
3 – The city was destroyed in an earthquake. I was born and grew up there.
4 – Summer is a time of the year. The weather is hottest then.
5 – I have sat next to a person. His name is Albert.
6 – The architect is brilliant. Maggie works with him.
7 – Mary tutors students. They need extra help in Geometry.
8 – Albert Einstein wrote the Theory of Relativity. He wasn’t a good student.
9 – Sally plays the piano very well. I talked to her yesterday.
10 – Jackie has blond hair. Her boyfriend prefers brunettes.
11 – The knife was very sharp. I cut the meat with the knife.
12 – I love January. I go on vacation in January.
13 – If I think the information is important to me, I always remember it.
14 – Marcello works with a man. This man offered him a job.
15 – I have never been to a beach. People walk naked there.
16 – Rita Lee is a famous singer. She lives in São Paulo.
17 – A monitor is a student. He or she helps other students understand English.

KEY: 1. The severe drought which occurred last year ruined… 2. Florida, which is the Sunshine State, attracts… 3.
The city where I was born and grew up was… 4. Summer is the time of the year when the… 5. I’ve sat next to a
person whose name… 6. The architect with whom Maggie works is… OR The architect whom Maggie works with
is… OR The architect who Maggie works with… OR The architect Maggie works with… OR The architect who
works with Maggie is… 7. Mary tutors students who need… 8. A.E., who wasn’t a good student, wrote… OR A.E.,
who wrote the T. of R., wasn’t… 9. Sally, to whom I talked yesterday, plays… OR Sally, whom I talked to
yesterday, plays… OR Sally, who I talked to yesterday, plays… 10. Jackie, whose boyfriend prefers brunettes, has…
11. The knife with which I cut the meat was… OR The knife which I cut the meat with was… OR The knife I cut
the meat with was… OR I cut the meat with the knife which was… 12. I love January, when I go on vacation. 13. I
always remember information which I think is… Or I always remember information I think is… 14. Marcello works
with the man who offered him a job. 15. I have never been to a beach where people walk naked. 16. Rita Lee, who
is a famous singer, lives… OR R.L., who lives in S.P., is a… 17. A monitor is a student who helps…
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 Present Perfect (JEANY in S.F.)

Choose between the Simple Past or the Present Perfect to fill in the blanks.

1. _____________ you ______________ that play? (see)

2. When ________ you ______________ it? (see)
3. I ____________ to the USA two times. (be)
4. This year I ____________ there once. (be)
5. Last year I ____________ there in November. (be)
6. My brother ____________ in Europe for a long time. (study)
7. He ___________ his studies there in 1980. (begin)
8. __________ you ________ all your money already? (spend)
9. Yes, I ___________ it all yesterday. (spend)
10. ____________ the maid already __________ coffee? (make)
11. Yes, she _____________ coffee in the morning. (make)
12. For how long _______ you ________ there? (work)
13. I _______________ there for 13 years. (work)
14. __________ you _____________ any of Jorge Amado’s books? (read)
15. Yes. Only this year I ___________ six of his books. (read)
16. This week he _____________ ten reports so far. (write)
17. John ____________ to the USA twice last year. (go)
18. I ________ never __________ Canada. (visit)
19. _____________ you ever __________ pisco? (drink)
20. Yes, I ___________ it years ago and it almost _________ me. (drink, kill)
21. John is sick. He __________ in hospital for two weeks. (be)
22. _________ you __________ breakfast yet? (have)
23. Yes, I __________ breakfast before I left home. (have)
24. __________ you ___________ your hair long when you were at school? (wear)
25. Yes, my mother _____________ on it. (insist)
26. But when I ___________ school, I had my hair cut short and I __________ it this way
ever since. (leave, wear)
27. For how long _________ you __________ in your previous job? (work)
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 28. Jean is the French teacher. He __________ just __________ from France. (come)
29. How many cups of coffee _________ you __________ today? (drink)
30. I don’t know. But I’m sure I _____________ at least 10 cups in the morning. (drink)

KEY: 1. Have you seen = no time information. 2. did you see = “when” + simple past. 3. have been = “two times” –
frequency. 4. have been = “this year” – present time information. 5. was = “last year” – past time information. 6. has
studied = “for” – JEANYSF. 7. began = “1980” past time information. 8. Have you spent = no time information. 9.
spent = “yesterday” – past time information. 10. Has the maid already made = already - JEANYSF. 11. made = past
time (it is NOT morning in the story). 12. have you worked = no specific time info. 13. have worked = for -
JEANYSF. 14. Have you read = no time info. 15. have read = present time info + quantity (six). 16. has written =
“so far”. 17. went = past time info. 18. have never visited = “never”. 19. Have you ever drunk = “ever”. 20. drank,
killed = past time info. = “ago” + simple past. 21. has been = “for”. 22. Have you had = “yet”. 23. had = past time
info. 24. Did you wear = past time info. 25. insisted = past time info (continued from 24). 26. left = past time info.
Have worn = “ever since”. 27. did you work = past time info = “previous”. 28. has just come – “just”. 29. have you
drunk – present time info. 30. drank – past time information.

Present Perfect X Present Perfect Continuous.

Fill in the blanks with the Simple Past, Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous:
1. _________ she already _____________ lesson 15? (study)
2. No, she ____________________ it yet. (not study)
3. I ___________________ this sort of work ever since I __________ the army. (do, join)
4. For how long ____________ you ____________ your wife? (know)
5. He _______________________ for two weeks. He is trying to give it up. (not smoke)
6. And he ___________________ for two weeks. He feels a lot healthier now. (exercise)
7. Chopin ___________________ beautiful music. (compose)
8. Chico Buarque _____________________ many beautiful songs. (compose)
9. He ____________________ a new song for Marieta Severo for two days. (compose)
10. When _______ you _________ how to drive? (learn)
11. I ____________________________ since I was 18. (drive)
12. So you ___________________ how to drive for over ten years!… (know)
13. My sister ______________________ in Europe for three months now. (live)
14. ___________ the maid _________________ coffee? I can smell it. (make)
15. Tom ______________ out. (go)
16. He ________________ out ten minutes ago. (go)
17. I __________________ your brother since his last birthday. (not see)
18. She doesn’t like black. She _________ never _________ a black dress. (wear)

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 19. ____________ they already _______________ ? (leave)
20. For how long __________ you __________________ here now? (work)
21. I ____________________________ here for 13 years now. (work)
22. When ________ you last __________ Bill? (see)
23. I don’t know… He _________________________ for two weeks, I guess. (travel)
24. How many kilometers _________ Fred ____________ today? (drive)
25. Who knows? He ____________________________ since 2.00 pm. (drive)
26. My eyes are tired. I guess I ____________________________ for too long. (read)
27. ______ you ever ____________ when you were a teen? (smoke)
28. It’s been a long time I ____________ you. What ______ you _________? (not see, do)
29. You’re a fantastic cook! We _______ just ________ a delicious meal! (eat)
30. You’re all wet! _________ you ____________________ in the rain? (walk)

KEY: 1. Has she already studied = “already”. 2. hasn’t studied = “yet”. 3. have been doing, joined. 4. have you known =
no time info. (stative verb) 5. hasn’t smoked = present time info. 6. has been exercising. 7. composed = past time
info (he’s dead). 8. has composed = present time info (he’s alive). 9. has been composing. 10. did you learn =
“when” + simple past. 11. have been driving. 12. have known = + “for”. 13. has been living. 14. Has the maid been
making. 15. has gone = no time info. 16. went = past time info = “ago”. 17. haven’t seen = “since”. 18. has never
worn = “never”. 19. Have they already left? = “already”. 20. have you been working. 21. have been working. 22. did
you last see = “when”. 23. has been traveling. 24. has he driven = present time info. 25. has been driving. 26. have
been reading. 27. Did you ever smoke = “when” (past time info). 28. haven’t seen, have you been doing. 29. have
just eaten = “just”. 30. Have you been walking.

Past Perfect.

The Past Perfect Tense is one of the easiest tenses in English because it has one only and simple
function: to show which action happened first (in the past). To use the Past Perfect, it is
necessary to see either two actions in the past or, at least, two different time references in the
past. Examples:

At 8:00 Jane woke up and went to the kitchen. When she got there, the breakfast table was all
prepared. So: When Jane woke up, her mother had already prepared breakfast. (First action:
Jane’s mother prepared breakfast; second action: Jane woke up.)
We needed to talk to Sally yesterday, but it was impossible because we arrived at the office at
5.30, but she left at 5.00. So: Sally had left by the time we arrived. (First action: she left;
second action: we arrived.)

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The connectors used with Past Perfect are: By the time, when, as, before and after. However, as
before and after express sequence, the Past Perfect is optional when they are used (= pleonasm).
Example:
Bob had eaten before Kane saw him. OR Bob ate before Kane saw him.

I. Use the Simple Past and Past Perfect. Are both possible in the same blank?
1. He (be) ___________ a newspaper reporter before he (become) __________ a
businessman.
2. I (feel) _______________ a little better after I (take) ____________________ the
medicine.
3. I was late. The teacher (give) __________ a quiz when I (enter) ___________ the
classroom.
4. The anthropologist (leave) ________ the village when she (collect) _________ enough
data.
5. It was raining hard, but by the time class (be) __________ over, the rain (stop)
__________.
6. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs (roam) _____________ the earth, but they (become)
________________ extinct by the time humankind first (appear) _________________.
7. Class (begin) __________________ by the time I (arrive) _______________ there, so I
quietly (take) _________________ a seat in the back.
8. I (see / never) ________ any of Picasso’s paintings before I (visit) ________ the art
museum.
9. I almost missed my plane. All of the other passengers (board) ____________________ by
the time I (get) _________________ there.
10. Yesterday at a restaurant, I (see) _______________ Pam Donnely, an old friend of mine. I
(see / not) _____________________ her in years. At first I (recognize / not)
_____________ her because she (lose) _____________________ at least fifty pounds.

KEY:
1. had been (was) / became; 2. felt / had taken (took); 3. had given / entered; 4. left / had collected; 5. was /
had stopped; 6. roamed / had become / appeared; 7. had begun / arrived / took; 8. Had never seen (never
saw) / visited; 9. had boarded / got; 10. saw / hadn’t seen / didn’t recognize / had lost.
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 PAST PERFECT

HAD + VERBed³
 It shows the first of two actions in the past.
 The emphasis is in the action itself.
EG:
By the time she arrived home, her husband had cooked dinner.
(First, he cooked dinner and, later, she arrived.)

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

HAD BEEN + VERBing
 It shows the first of two actions in the past. (= Past Perfect)
 The emphasis is in the TIME DURATION of the action. (≠ Past Perfect)
EG:
By the time she arrived home, her husband had been cooking dinner for two hours.
(First, he cooked dinner for two hours and, later, she arrived.)

Complete with either the Past Perfect or the Past Perfect Continuous.
1. When Mary got married, she ___________ (date) her fiancé for five years.
2. By the time George got to work, his boss _____________ (call) him three times.
3. Peter ___________ (learn) Chinese when he decided to start an Italian course.
4. Peter ___________ (speak) Chinese fluently when he started his Italian course.
5. Carl ____________ (grow) flowers for two weeks when his dog destroyed his garden.
6. Cynthia came back home early because she ___________ (feel) ill at the office.
7. By the time the lights went out, Belle _______________ (take) a shower for 20 minutes.

KEY: 1. had been dating; 2. had called; 3. had learned; 4. had been speaking; 5. had been growing; 6. had felt; 7.
had been taking.

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Future Perfect.

13
 FORM: WILL HAVE verbED³

USE: To show the first action to happen in the future. It always needs a second action or second
time reference in the future. The second action in the future is always in the Simple Present
Tense.
Ex.: You will have finished your TCC by the time you graduate.
(FIRST ACTION = you will finish your TCC; SECOND ACTION = you will graduate)

I. Join the two actions with the future perfect tense. Use ‘by the time’:

1. Sandra will travel in July. She will buy the plane tickets in June.
By the time Sandra travels, she will have bought the tickets.
2. Paul will take a shower at 6.00 pm. He will meet his friends at 8.00 pm.

3. Patty will go to the movies on Friday. She will go to a disco on Saturday.

4. George will work for 30 hours. Then he will receive his money.

5. Claire will read Harry Potter in July. She will finish her tests in June.

6. Silvia is going to drive to Santos at 3.00 pm. Her boyfriend is going to leave work at 6.00 pm.

7. Carl’s mother will cook dinner before Carl arrives home tonight.

8. Phil’s house will be painted after he changes its floor tiles.

9. Mickey is going to eat pasta for lunch and have ice cream for dessert.

10. Leslie is going to drive to the mall and then go to work.

ANSWER KEY:
2. By the time Paul meets his friends, he will have taken a shower. 3. By the time Patty goes to a disco, she will
have gone to the movies. 4. By the time George receives his money, he will have worked for 30 hours. 5. By the
time Claire reads H.P., she will have finished her tests. 6. By the time Silvia’s boyfriend leaves work, she will have
driven to Santos. 7. By the time Carl arrives home tonight, his mother will have cooked dinner. 8. By the time Phil’s
house is painted, its floor tiles will have been changed. 9. By the time Mickey has ice cream, he will have eaten past
(for lunch). 10. By the time Leslie goes to work, she will have driven to the mall.

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MIXED VERB TENSES

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USED TO + verb
 Past habit – it does not happen in the present anymore.
EG:
Jane used to run five miles every day. Now she runs only two.

Past Perfect (HAD + verbED³)

 To show the first action (between two actions in the past*).
EG:
Bobby had eaten all the cake by the time his brother arrived. So there was no cake for his
brother.

Past Perfect Progressive (HAD + BEEN + verbING)

 To show the duration (or a sense of progress) of the first action (between two actions in
the past*).
EG:
Bobby had been eating the cake by the time his brother arrived. Then, both of them finished the
cake up.

Past Progressive (WAS/WERE + verbING)

 Temporary activity in the past.
EG:
Sue was watching TV when Carl called her.

Simple Past (DID + verb / Affirmative: verbED)

 Past action with specific time information.
EG:
Maggie won an Oscar some years ago.

Present Perfect (HAVE/HAS + verbED³)

 Past action with NO specific time information.
EG:
Sean has driven thirty miles today.

Present Perfect Progressive (HAVE/HAS + BEEN + verbING)

 Present action (started in the past) with emphasis on time duration.
EG:
Thomas has been working for BASF for 13 years. => He still works there.

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Past tense overview: Simple Past, Past Continuous, Past

Perfect, Past Perfect Continuous.
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I – Complete these sentences with the Simple Past or Past Progressive Tense:
1 – Mark _________ (learn) Math yesterday.
2 – John _________ (drink) beer at the party last Friday.
3 – Phil __________ (study) French when he was five.
4 – Craig and Coyle _______ (be) home at five o’clock last Tuesday.
5 – _________ Peter _______ (have) dinner two hours ago?
6 – _________ Jessie _______ (go) to school in 1972?
7 – _________ Fred ________ (be) at the park in the morning?
8 – _________ Bonnie ________ (work) last January?
9 – Helen __________ (not swim) this morning.
10 – Ann __________ (not fly) to Rio last night.
11 – James and George _________ (not be) home when I called.
12 – My cat _________ (not kill) your bird yesterday afternoon.
II – Complete these sentences with the Past Progressive Tense:
1 – Mark _________ (learn) Math when the bell rang.
2 – John and Robert _________ (drink) beer when they saw a beautiful blonde.
3 – Phil __________ (study) French when he was kissed by his love.
4 – Craig and Coyle _______ (run) home when I found them.
5 – _________ Peter _______ (have) dinner when we arrived?
6 – _________ Jessie and Lou _______ (go) to school when they met you?
7 – _________ Bonnie ________ (work) when her boss called her?
8 – _________ Fred and Jason ________ (fight) when the film ended?
9 – Helen __________ (not swim) at 8.00 o´clock this morning.
10 – Ann __________ (not fly) to Rio when the plane crashed.
11 – My cat _________ (not kill) your bird when your son screamed.
12 – James and George _________ (not ride) horses when it started to rain.
III – Complete the sentences with either Simple Past or Past Progressive:
1 – Jane _____________ (do) her homework when Paul __________ (call) her.
2 – While Bob _____________ (drive) home, Sally ____________ (cook) dinner.
3 – When Bob _____________ (drive) home, Sally ____________ (cook) dinner.
4 – Did you talk to Ken? No, he __________ (sleep).
5 – The dogs _________ (bark), when I ______________ (enter). [when => before]
6 – The dogs _________ (bark), when I ______________ (enter). [when => together]
7 – The dogs _________ (bark), when I ______________ (enter). [when => after]
8 – Bill _____________ (buy) a book while his sister __________ (eat). [together]
9 – Bill _____________ (buy) a book while his sister __________ (eat). [not together]
10 – As Polly and Sue ____________ (walk), I _________ (decide) to follow them.
KEY: I – 1. learned; 2 – drank; 3 – studied; 4 – were; 5 – Did P. have; 6 – Did J. go; 7 – Was F. at the; 8 – Did B. work; 9 – didn’t swim; 10 –
didn’t fly; 11 – weren’t; 12 – didn’t kill. II – 1. was learning; 2 – were drinking; 3 – was studying; 4 – were running; 5 – Was P. having; 6 – Were
J. and L going; 7 – Was B. working; 8 – Were F. and J. fighting; 9 – wasn’t swimming; 10 – wasn’t flying; 11 – wasn’t killing; 12 – weren’t
riding. III – 1. was doing / called; 2. was driving / was cooking; 3. drove / was cooking; 4. was sleeping; 5 – were barking / entered; 6 – barked /
entered; 7 – barked / was entering; 8 – was buying / was eating; 9 – bought / was eating (or was buying / ate); 10 – were walking / decided.

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I. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verb tense.

1. Helen __________ (see) a crocodile on her farm lake last Saturday.

2. Ms. Francis ______________ (wash) her car when she ran out of water. She got really mad.

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3. Ms. Francis ______________ (wash) her car for half hour when she ran out of water. She got
really mad.
4. Teddy Bears ____________ (be) little girls’ favorite toy, but today they prefer Barbie.
5. Rick Martin and Madonna _____________ (sing) professionally for more than 20 years.
6. Chloe ____________ (take) a shower by the time the lights went out. So she went out to
dinner.
7. Chloe ____________ (take) a shower for ten minutes when the lights went out. So she had to
finish her shower in the dark and in cold water. That was why she caught a cold last night.
8. Patrick and Patty __________ (read) three books this month.
9. I _______________ (buy) many things at Mappin.
10. Mr. Taylor __________ (write) books for children since 1980. He’ll never stop.
11. Ms. Taylor __________ (revise) three of her husband’s books last year.
12. Jeffrey and Beth ________ (pick) out some apples when they dropped several on the floor.
13. Jeffrey and Beth ________ (pick) out apples four two hours when they decided to take a
break.
14. Carmen __________ (dance) at five different shows this year.
15. By the time Tony moved to Cairo, he __________ (fly) to Egypt about four times.
16. When Sally met Jack, he ____________ (study) for a test. He told her he ______________
(study) for that test for three weeks.
17. When Paul _________ (arrive) home, his dog ___________________ (play) with his
favorite shoes. He could save one of them, but the other one was completely destroyed.
18. Bob ______________ (eat) pizza all night. I bet he is depressed. Let’s ask him to stop it.
19. Earl ______________ (eat) pizza four times this week. He can’t stand it anymore.
20. Phil ______________ (drink) hot tea for twenty minutes when his boyfriend dropped by. 21.
He offered him some tea, but he said he _____ already _______ (have) some tea at work
so he preferred just water.

KEY: 1. saw; 2. was washing; 3. had been washing; 4. used to be; 5. have been singing; 6. had taken; 7. had been
taking; 8. have read; 9. used to buy; 10. has been writing; 11. revised; 12. were picking; 13. had been picking; 14.
has danced; 15. had flown; 16. was studying/had been studying; 17. arrived/had been playing; 18. has been eating;
19. has eaten; 20. had been drinking/had had.

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Mixed Perfect Verb Tenses Review Exercises

From: STEER, JM & CARLISI, KA. The Advanced Grammar Book. Heinle & Heinle, 1991.

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I – Fill in the blanks with the correct verb tenses.

1. I could tell that Johanna _______________________________________ (play) with her

mother’s cosmetics. She had lipstick and mascara all over her face.

2. We ______________________________________ (get up) at the same time every day

of our married like. Why should we change now?

3. My date had better show up soon. By the time he finally arrives, I ____________
____________________________ (wait) at this restaurant for a long time.

4. It smells delicious in here! ___________________ you _______________________

(bake) bread or anything?

5. We _________________ (get) free cable TV for almost a year when the cable TV
company discovered the error and disconnected it.

6. I ___________________________ (read) the book you lent me, but I’m not finished yet.

7. I ___________________________ (read) the book you lent me. In fact, I stayed up until
3 a.m. last night to finish it!

8. Who __________________________________ (take) money out of my purse? This is

the second time this week that this _______________________________ (happen).

9. The professor _______________________________________ (explain) this math

problem five times and the class still can’t understand it.

10. The professor _______________________________________ (explain) this math

problem for one hour and the class still can’t understand it.

11. I’m really sorry I’m late. ______________ you _________________________ (wait)
long? I got stuck in traffic.

12. Where have you been?!! I _________________________________ (wait) for two hours.
I ________ already ________________ (finish) lunch.

13. The FBI ____________________________ (investigate) many financial brokers recently

for trading violations. I wonder if they ____________________ (arrest) my stockbroker.

14. My sister ________________________ (live) in Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin. But recently
she _____________________________ (live) in Dublin, Ireland.

15. Lately, some big companies _________________________ (test) their employees for
drugs. My roommate said they ___________________ (test) her twice so far this year.
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16. By the time you leave, how long ________________________ (study) English
altogether? Eighteen months. I hope I __________________ (master) it by then.

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 17. By the time I graduate next year, my sister ________________________________
(direct) her own dance company for 10 years.

18. When I finally buy the car of my dreams, my brother ____________________________

(marry) his fiancée.

II – Correct these sentences, if necessary.

1. I am wanting to see this movie for a long time.

2. I have been wanting to see this movie for a long time.

3. The President is considering the economy to be an important issue in this year’s election.

4. The President is considering visiting South America next year.

5. Robert has been meaning to visit his elderly aunt for some time now, but he’s been quite
busy at his new job.

6. You’d better go to your room right now. I am meaning it when I say it!

7. I wonder what that exotic spice in this sauce is. I am tasting turmeric and coriander, but
there is another spice I can’t identify.

8. By the time her husband was awakened by the smoke, she had already been smelling the
fire downstairs and called the fire department.

9. I touched the expensive vase when it suddenly fell to the floor and smashed into many
pieces. I felt very embarrassed when I told my grandmother about it.

10. Lisa, did you forget everything I taught you about setting a table? You put the fork on the
wrong side of the plate!

11. Jim studied in his room when his sister arrived, so he didn’t hear the door open.

12. As the elderly man crossed Main Street last night, he was assaulted and robbed by two
armed boys.

13. My sister and I take the same classes this semester.

14. During the entire party, I wasn’t recognizing the girl in the red dress until she began to
laugh.

15. This year, the university works hard to recruit students from Malaysia.

16. Go call the fire department. I am smelling smoke.

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17. Despite all the arguments, John is still believing the idea that men are better than women.

18. I’m not understanding what you are trying to say right now.
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 19. My baby sister is being a real brat today, so I’m going to the beach.

20. Have you cried? Your face is red and blotchy.

21. These days, American parents are having fewer children than ever before.

22. I’m not agreeing with any of my professor’s theories this semester.

23. Lorenzo told Maria he was thinking they were seeing too much of each other.

24. I crossed Skyline Drive when I suddenly heard the loud screech of tires. I turned around
and there was a huge moving van just a few feet from me. I’m lucky I didn’t get run over.

25. Have you drunk whiskey tonight? I am smelling it on your breath.

III – Circle ANY correct answer.

1. I could tell by the hoarseness of his voice that he ______ at the soccer game.
a) was screaming
b) had been screaming
c) had screamed

2. By this time tomorrow, she _______ to Hawaii.

a) is flying
b) will be flying
c) flies

3. At this time in his life, John ______ a better job.

a) seeks
b) is seeking
c) has been seeking

4. Every month the bank _______ me a statement of my transactions.

a) will have been sending
b) sends
c) has been sending

5. I _______ that your advice about writing a letter to the company was very helpful.
a) have been thinking
b) think
c) am thinking

6. By the time the ship arrives, we _____ for two hours.

a) will have been waiting
b) will be waiting
c) are waiting
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7. I ______ to send this package of books, but I just haven’t had time.
a) meant
b) have been meaning

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 c) will be meaning

8. The children _______ to go to the circus for a long time before their grandparents finally
took them.
a) were wanting
b) had wanted
c) had been wanting

9. The Johnsons are so rich that they ______ three houses.

a) own
b) have been owning
c) are owning

10. Based on the evidence the defense has prepared, it _______ that they will win the case.
a) has been seeming
b) is seeming
c) seems

KEY:
I – 1. had been playing; 2. have been getting up; 3. will have been waiting; 4. Have you been
baking; 5. had been getting; 6. have been reading; 7. have read; 8. has been taking/has happened;
9. has explained; 10. has been explaining; 11. Have you been waiting (emotional)/have you
waited long (not emotional); 12. have been waiting / have finished; 13. has been investigating /
have arrested; 14. has lived; has lived (permanent) / has been living (temporary); 15. have been
testing / have tested; 16. will you have been studying (will continue) / will have studied (will
abandon) / will have mastered; 17. will have been directing; 18. will have married.

II – 1. ‘want’ can only be continuous in perfect sentences; 2. ok; 3. considers (synonym to

claim/stative); 4. ok; 5. ok; 6. mean (shows purpose – stative); 7. can taste (sense); 8. smelled
(sense); 9. had touched (before it actually fell); 10. have you forgotten/have put; 11. was
studying; 12. ok; 13. are taking, will take, etc; 14. didn’t/couldn’t recognize; 15. has worked/has
been working; 16. can smell; 17. believes (fact); 18. don’t/can’t understand; 19. ok; 20. have you
been crying; 21. ok; 22. don’t agree/haven’t agreed; 23. thought (stative meaning); 24. was
crossing; 25. can smell.

III – 1. b(emphasis on time), c(emphasis on action); 2. b; 3. a, b, c; 4. b; 5. b; 6. a; 7. b; 8.b, c; 9.

a; 10. c.
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ADVANCED GRAMMAR EXERCISES.

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I – Fill in the blanks with the correct verb tenses of the given verbs (do not use modals):

The Story of my Life

I was born a long, long time ago, when people used to believe ghosts and vampires would
roam the world. I grew up in a dark castle near Count Drakul’s lands. He was a great friend of
my father’s and I __________________(1 - play) with uncle Drakul and his servants almost
every night. I never really wondered why I would never play with him during the day... My life
was really exciting. I used to wake up at 10.00 a. m., have breakfast and play with my pets:
Zuzu, my pet crocodile; my bats; and my snakes. I couldn’t play with my elder brother’s toys at
that time because mom used to say I was too young to play with humans. I
___________________(2 – play) with almost all creatures in my castle when I was finally
allowed to go outside and meet the people in the village. They _______________(3 – be/neg.)
very friendly at first, but I soon made friends with them. They _______________________(4 -
avoid) my family for hundreds of years just because we lived in a castle, but when they met me,
they slowly started to let go of their fears.
Today I miss that a lot. I don’t live there anymore, you see. We have moved to this new
world called America and I _________________________(5 - still try) to adjust. Uncle Drakul
________________(6 – come) to visit us once in a while, but he says the trip to and fro is very
boring. Oddly enough, we get along with the people here very well. They
__________________(7 – come) from all over the globe and they try to make friends with
everybody. I like the night parties best, mainly now that mom lets me play with humans too. She
says that I’m about to start my studies... I’m really eager to that. In fact, I
_____________________(8 – long) to begin my studies for the past two years.
When I ________________(9 – finish) my studies, I’ll be ready to
start my own experiments as a scientist. Many people find it strange to become a scientist at the
age of 17, but my family ___________________(10 - always insist) on an early education
process. At the age of 20, I think I ____________________(11 - already make) great discoveries
about human tissues. Also, I ______________________(12 – possibly date) one of my distant
cousins, because we don’t marry outsiders in my family. By the time I’m 30, I
________________________(13 - probably take) care of two wonderful children, since I’ll very
likely have been married for four or five years. Money will never be a problem because we’re
© ES-08/13

very rich, but if I _________________(14 - ever need) to work to make a living, I

______________(15 - surely find) a job as a physician... or a vet.

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I–
1 would play 6 comes 11 will already have made
2 had played 7 have come 12 will possibly be dating
3 weren’t 8 have been longing 13 will probably have been taking
4 had been avoiding 9 finish 14 ever need
5 am still trying 10 has always insisted 15 will surely find
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