ENGLISH GRAMMAR EXERCISES

i)Past Simple or Present Perf Simple?

1. How many times (you/try)……………………….. to pass your driving test?

2. When (you/go) ………………………to Rome?
3. You look different. ……………………….(you/have) a haircut?
4. I (not/see)…………………... David at all this week. I don't even know where he is.
5. (you/speak) …………………….to John yet?
6. My sister (be) ……………………..to New York three times and she's going again
next month.
7. The US President (visit) …………………………our country three times in the last
two years.

ii)Past Simple or Past Continuous?

1. I used my time well while I (wait)………………………. for my plane - I wrote some

emails.
2. I (not/work)…………………………. when my boss walked in my office.
3. When I (wait)………………………… for the taxi, I saw two car crashes.
4. Tom (have)……………………….long hair and a beard when he was at university.
5. I listened to the cassette you gave me while I (drive)………………………….. to
work.
6. What (you/do)……………………… this time last year?
7. I (not/call)……………………….. you at 9 o'clock as arranged because I was having a
meeting.
8. I noticed that he (not/listen)…………………………. as I was explaining the problem
to him.

iii)Past Simple or Present Perf Simple?

While I was away on holiday, my sister (fall)……………………...ill and I had to come

home.

1. By the time we reached Frankfurt I (already/be)………………………… very tired of

driving.
2. There was a terrible atmosphere in the room. But once I (bring)……………………….
the matter out into the open, everyone seemed much more relaxed.
3. She (be)…………………………….. a teacher before she became a journalist.
4. I gave my friend directions to my house, but later realised that I (forgot)
…………………………… to give her the exact address.
5. I got to work this morning and was angry when I saw that no one (arrive)
………………………….. yet.
 6. He awoke thinking he was in a prison and that he'd been arrested for robbery. He then
realised that it (all/be)…………………………. just a bad dream.

iii) Change the tense in the following. Use the tense given in brackets

1. Do you like the film? (change to past simple)

……………………….the film?
2. My father loves seafood. (change to past simple)
My father……………..……….seafood.
3. He speaks four languages. (change to past simple)
He………………………...four languages.
4. My sister doesn't have a job. (change to past simple)
My sister…………………….a job.
5. He reads a lot of books in his spare time. (change to past simple)
He……………………………a lot of books in his spare time.
6. I saw a great film. (change to present perfect simple)
I…………………………a great film.
7. Elizabeth isn't at home. (change to past simple)
Elizabeth………………………..at home.
8. He liked his job. (change to present simple)
He……………………….his job.
9. He liked the job. (change to future simple)
He……………………..the job.
10. Are they here? (change to future simple)
……………………….here?

iv)Complete with Present Perf. Simple.

1) Karen……………………..me an e-mail. (to send)

2) Dave and Pat……………………….the museum. (to visit)
3) I………………………..at the pet shop. (to be)
4) They…………………already……………………their rucksacks. (to pack)
5) Marcus……………………………an accident. (to have)
6) We………………………….the shopping for our grandmother. (to do)
7) I……………..just…………………..my bike. (to clean)
8) Emily………………………her room. (to paint)
9) Lisa and Colin………………………….to a concert. (to go)
10) My friends…………………………..smoking. (to give up)
v) Put in the adjective in bold from the first sentence into the second sentence in its correct
form (comparative or superlative).

1) This is a nice cat. It's much……………………………..than my friend's cat.

2) Here is Emily. She's six years old. Her brother is nine, so he is…………………………….
3) This is a difficult exercise. But the exercise with an asterisk (*) is the……………………
exercise on the worksheet.
4) He has an interesting hobby, but my sister has the……………………..hobby in the world.
5) In the last holidays I read a good book, but father gave me an even……………………..one
last weekend.
6) School is boring, but homework is……………………….than school.
7) Skateboarding is a dangerous hobby. Bungee jumping is…………………………than
skateboarding.
8) This magazine is cheap, but that one is……………………..
9) We live in a small house, but my grandparents' house is even…………………than ours.
10) Yesterday John told me a funny joke. This joke was the……………………….joke I've
ever heard.

vi)Complex exercise.

A) Form a sentence using the following words.

1) in Berlin / can / his uncle / he / visit

………………………………………………………………….
2) she / writes / a letter / often
…………………………………………………………………
3) play / they / handball / in the evening / always
…………………………………………………………………

B) Rewrite the sentence using the word/words in brackets.

1) They are flying. (to Rome / on Tuesday)

………………………………………………………………..
2) Rita speaks English. (fluently)
……………………………………………………………….
3) The cat is playing. (in the garden)
……………………………………………………………...

C) Define the underlined parts.

1) Who was in the cinema?

place
question word
verb
2) Do you like cornflakes?
auxiliary
object
subject
verb

3) I can't go to the party. D) Which sentence is correct?

auxiliary
1) Which is correct?
place
Both sentences are correct.
subject
She always arrives late in the morning.
verb
She arrives always late in the morning.

2) Which is correct?
Both sentences are correct.
Last Wednesday we saw a film.
We saw last Wednesday a film.
3) Which is correct?
Both sentences are correct.
He's going to buy a present to give to
his sister.
He's going to buy his sister a present.

E) Form a question using the following words.

1) when / get up / you / in the morning

…………………………………………………………
2) like / they / apple juice
…………………………………………………………
3) where / has / bought / John / his book
……………………………………………………….