Review upper-intermediate verb tenses (CEFR B2.1)

Why do you look so tired? _____ the house?

• Did you clean

• Have you been cleaning

• Do you clean

Answer explanation

➪ We use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue or have just finished, and often have present results.

➪ We use the present perfect simple when the present results come from having finished the action, and we use the present perfect continuous when the present results come from the process of performing the action (which may or may not have finished).

When it was time to go home, we decided to take a taxi because we _____ too many beers.

• were drinking

• had been drinking

• drunk

• had drunk

Answer explanation

➪ We use the past perfect simple in the same way we use the present perfect simple but speaking from the past.

➪ We use the past perfect simple to talk about how much of something or how many things we had done earlier in the past.

If you start repairing the car now, do you think you _____ by the end of the day.

• will be finishing

• are going to finish

• will have finished

• will finish

Answer explanation

➪ We use the future perfect to talk about actions that will be completed before certain time in the future.

➪ It's common to use the future perfect with by + time expression: by tomorrow/the end of next week/2050/etc.  

A: "I'm really thirsty."

B: "I _____ you some water."

• 'm going to give

• 'm going to give

• 'm giving

• 'll give

Answer explanation

➪ We use will with decisions that we take at the moment of speaking (instant decisions).

We _____ for nearly an hour when we realised that we were totally lost.

• walked

• had been walking

• had walked

• were walking

Answer explanation

➪ We use the past perfect continuous with dynamic verbs to talk about longer continuous actions that started earlier in the past than the main events of the story.

He stopped talking because nobody _____.

• listens

• was listening

• had listened

• listened

Answer explanation

➪ We use the past continuous for actions in progress at certain point in the past or longer actions interrupted by shorter actions in past simple.

In five years, 60% of the world's population _____ the internet.

• will be using

• will use

• are going to use

• are using

Answer explanation

➪ We use the future continuous for situations or actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.

After breakfast, I _____ Janet. Do you want to talk with her too?

• call

• will have called

• will call

• I m going to call

Answer explanation

➪ We use be going to to talk about intentions or plans, i.e. decisions that we have taken before speaking.

We ____ tomorrow after breakfast.

TWO correct options

• are leaving

• will leave

• will be leaving

• will have left

Answer explanation

➪ We can use the present continuous or the future continuous to talk about future arrangements.

Since they started, they _____ social media to promote their services.

• use

• have been using

• were using

• used

Answer explanation

➪ We use the present perfect continuous with dynamic verbs for situations that started in the past and still continue.