SEQUENCE OF TENSES

I. Complete these sentences, using the future simple or the present simple of the verbs
in brackets.
1. I _____ (phone) you when I _____ (get) home from work.
2. I want to see Margaret before she _____ (go) out.
3. We're going on holiday tomorrow. I _____ (tell) you all about it when we _____
(come) back.
4. Brian looks very different now. When you _____ (see) him again, you _____ (not/
recognize) him.
5. We must do something soon before it _____ (be) too late.
6. I don't want to go out without you. I _____ (wait) until you _____ (be) ready.
7. Sue has applied for the job but she isn't very well qualified for I _____ (be)
surprised if she _____ (get) it.
8. I'd like to play tennis tomorrow if the weather _____ (be) nice.
9. I’m going out now. If anybody _____ (phone) me while I _____ (be) out, can you
take a message?
10. It's raining hard. We _____ (get) wet if we _____ (go) out. As soon as it _____
(stop) raining, we _____ (leave).
II. Complete the sentences with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets.
1. While Dad _____ (watch) TV last night, Mum _____ (read) the newspaper.
2. They'll have stopped serving meals by the time we _____ (get) to the restaurant.
3. When I _____ (finish) all this work, I'll go for a walk.
4. She got a job after she _____ (graduate).
5. I had a cup of tea before I _____ (leave) for work.
6. I _____ (be) late to work three times since my watch _____ (break).
7. Mohammad _____ (never/ hear) about Halloween before he came to the U.S.
8. As Pauline _____ (get) out of bed, she fell over
9. The village _____ (have) no electricity until a new generator is installed.
 10. By the time I _____ (leave) the room, I had turned off the lights.
11. The first time I _____ (go) to New York, I saw a ballet.
12. Have a good time when you _____ (go) to Paris next week.
13. While I _____ (make) Sandy's birthday card, I cut my finger.
14. David _____ (not/ be) able to work since he _____ (break) his leg.
15. By the time he comes, we _____ (already/ leave).
16. 16. When Sandra found the letter, someone _____ (already/ open) it.
17. Whenever I _____ (see) her, I say hello.
18. I will never speak to him again as long as I _____ (live).
19. As soon as we _____ (see) the tornado, we ran to the basement of the town hall.
20. We're going to tidy after everyone _____ (go).
21. Trevor tried to fix the shelves while Laura _____ (be) out shopping.
22. By the time we got to the party, most of the other guests _____ (go).
23. You have to wait until the light _____ (change) to green.
24. As soon as the other passengers get on the bus, we _____ (leave).
25. After the old man _____ (seem) unwell for some time, he died.
VI. Choose the correct answer.
1. As soon as Martina saw the fire, she _____ the fire department.
A. was telephoning C. telephoned
B. had telephoned D. has telephoned
2. Before Jennifer won the lottery, she _____ any kind of contest.
A. hasn't entered C. doesn’t enter
B. wasn't entering D. hadn’t entered
3. Every time Prakash sees a movie made in India, he _____ homesick.
A. Will have felt C. feels
B. Felt D. is feeling
4. Since I left Venezuela six years ago, I _____ to visit friends and family several
times.
A. return C. will have returned
 B. am returning D. have returned
5. While he was washing his new car, Mr. Brown _____ a small dent in the rear
fender.
A. has discovered C. was discovering
B. is discovering D. discovered
6. Yesterday while I was attending a sales meeting, Matthew _____ on the
company's annual report.
A. was working C. had been working
B. has worked D. works
7. After the horse threw her to the ground for the third time, Jennifer picked
herself up and said, "I _____ on another as long as I live."
A. never ride C. have never ridden
B. will never ride D. do not ride
8. Ever since Maurice arrived, he _____ quietly in the corner. Is something wrong?
A. Sat C. has been sitting
B. had been string D. will have sit
9. After Nancy _____ for twenty minutes, she began to feel tired.
A. jogging C. had been jogging
B. has been jogging D. has jogged
10. Peter, _____ since you got home from football practice?
A. have you eaten C. will you eat
B. are you eating D. do you eat
11. By the time the young birds _____ the nest for food, they will have learned
how to fly.
A. will leave C. will have left
B. are leaving D. leave
12. The last time I _____ in Athens, the weather was hot and humid.
A. had been C. was
B. am D. will have been
13. After Jessica _____ her degree, she intends to work in her father's company.
A. will finish C. will have finished
B. finishes D. is finishing
14. By the time I go to bed tonight, I _____ my work for the day.
A. will finish C. have finished
B. will have finished D. finish
15. When my parents _____ for a visit tomorrow, they will see our new baby for
the first time
A. Will arrive C. will have arrived
B. Will arrive D. arrive
16. Susan looked down to discover a snake at her feet. When she saw it, she _____.
A. was screaming C. screamed
B. had screamed D. screams
17. By the time Alfonso finally graduated from high school, he _____ seven
different schools because his parents moved frequently
A. attended C. was attending
B. had attended D. had been attending
18. Until you learn to relax more, you _____ your ability to speak English.
A. haven't improved C. aren't improving
B. don't improve D. won't improve
19. I borrowed four books on gardening the last time I _____ to the library.
A. go C. went
B. had gone D. have gone
20. 20. Before I started the car, all of the passengers _____ their seat belts.
A. will buckle C. had buckled
B. buckle D. have buckled
21. It seems that whenever I travel abroad, I ___ to take something I need.
A. forgot C. am forgetting
B. forget D. had forgotten
22. When I see the doctor this afternoon, I ___ him to look at my throat.
A. will have asked C. asked
B. will ask D. ask
23. After ancient Greek athletes won a race in the Olympics, they ___ a simple
crown of olive leaves.
A. were receiving C. had received
B. received D. have received
24. After the race ____, the celebration began.
A. had been won C. is won
B. will be won D. has been won
25. I'll return Bob's pen to him the next time I ___ him.
A. Will have seen C. will see
B. See D. have seen
26. I ___ all of the questions correctly since I began this grammar exercise on verb
tenses.
A. am answering C. answered
B. answer D. have answered
27. A small stone struck the windshield while we ___down the gravel road.
A. Drive C. were driving
B. Had driven D. had been driving
28. When you ___ in London again, you must come and see us.
A. Will be C. will being
B. Are D. have been
29. As soon as Laura ___ the house, it started to rain.
A. Had been leaving C. had left
B. Was leaving D. left
30. Andy ___ out of the restaurant when he ___ Jenny.
A. Came/saw C. is coming/saw
B. Came/was seeing D. was coming/had seen