Grammar exercises The tense box system helps to guarantee the right use of tenses in a text

Example e-mail: The Lada Z-van How many explicit time indications? How many implicit time indications? How many different tenses used? How many tense boxes? Dear John Five years ago, while our competitors still assessed (to assess) all investment options, we launched(to launch) the Z-model of the Lada van on the European market. It was (to be) really a difficult project involving many departments in our Russian company. A lot of money was invested(to be invested) too. One year before the actual launch we already had begun(to begin) to build a special factory in Poland to produce this van. We have hired(to hire) new Polish workers and have outsourced(to outsource) several tasks to smaller Polish companies. Labour costs (to be) not so high in Poland and most labourers well (to be trained). The launch itself ..(to be) a big success. We ..(to be present) on most trade fairs in Europe and . (to launch) a big advertising campaign too. Recently we have decided(to decide) to start the preliminary work for yet another van model. We have started (to start) building a second factory in the Czech Republic. For that purpose we have contacted(to contact) the Czech government, who have been(to be) very helpful. Nowadays around 10 % of all companies in Europe are using(to use) our van. Most companies ..(to be) happy with the size, the load capacity and the power of the engine. The Z-van ..(to be considered )reliable since very few vans ..(to break) down. In the near future we ..(to try) to raise our sales figures and to outsell our main competitors by launching new campaigns and attracting more commercial customers. One couldnt imagine it all . (to start) just five years ago. Regards Peter

Exercise: Explain the tense use + give the tense name (repetition exercise) 1 Yesterday my boss (to find) a mistake in the inventory. Found (simple past) 2 Since yesterday our company (to become) a public limited company. It (to issue) shares on the market. Has become (present perfect) has issued (present perfect) 3 One week ago, Petrofina (to make) an important purchase on the trade fair in Hamburg. Made (simple past) 4 He just (to consign) the goods. Consigns (simple past) 5 A merger between Petrofina and Total (to be) in the offing for the last 3 months. Have been (present perfect) 6 Yesterday I (to tell) him that I (waited) a long time before he (to arrive) Told (simple past) had waited (present perfect) arrived (simple past) 7 This week he (to sell) his new car. Has sold (present perfect) 8 I ( not to find) this book a week ago. Didnt find 9 It is the second time that he (to win) the game. Won (simple past) 10 He confirms that he never (to lend) him any money. Lent (simple past) 11 He (to arrive) home lately. Has arrived (present perfect) 12 For the last three weeks he (to swim) every day in the lake. Has swum (present perfect) 13 Since Monday he (to drink) a lot of beer. Has been drinking (present perfect continuous) 14 My mother (to find) my lost trouser under my bed. Have found 15 I ( not to know) this fact yesterday Didnt know 16 The team already (to find) the body. Has already found 17 Since he (to teach) me how to do this, I (to do) it on my own. Taught- have done 18 He (to drink) a lot, since his wife (to die) in an accident. Has drunk - died 19 Since I (to fall) from this rock, I (to feel) bad. Fell have felt 20 He (to meet) my father before he (to meet) my mother last year. Has met - met 21 Three years ago he (to tell) that he (to work) for IBM for 5 years. Told had worked 22 The girl (to be upset) because she (to lose) her mother in the supermarket. She lost 23 The girl (to play) outside) while her mother (to shop). Played was shopping

Since I started at hub, I have met a lot of friends Since 20th September 2009, I have made a lot of friends Since 20th September 2009, I started at hub Translate Dutch Hij werkt goed, voorzichtig en zelfstandig. Er wordt opgemerkt (to highlight) dat Er wordt gezegd dat . Is hij al aangekomen? Ja hij is juist aangekomen. Gisteren betaalde hij me niet. Hij heeft weinig energie en hij heeft hoofdpijn en koorts. Hij is ongelofelijk rancuneus. De prijzen zijn gestegen. Onze afdeling stuurt de brieven zelf. Er hangen weinig jassen (coats) in de garderobe. Aan het kruispunt zijn er twee autos beschadigd. Ik hou van milieuvriendelijk oplossingen. Onlangs heb ik deze gegevens ingegeven (to input) en ben ik met deze taak begonnen. Ik heb vandaag reeds 200euro uitgegeven, een brief geschreven en 4 uur op het gras gelegen. Ik heb het boek op tafel gelegd. Gisteren legde ik het boek op deze tafel. In zijn kamer is er een chaos! Ik heb hem afgeraden om in dit project te investeren. Hij is dokter en weet niets over investeringen. Ik heb enkele vrienden: n is moslim en n is christen. English He works well, carefully and independently It was highlighted It is said that Hint 3 hows There There Tense Tense Prorelsick+exc 3 how Aux iliary verb + I of IT3 Radio FM P1 and There 3 how Tense

Tense

Tense Tense Prorelsick+Exc Prorelsick+exc

Radio FM

Ik ben geslagen.

Auxiliary verbs