B2.5 Review Verb Tenses

Some years ago I .... Timbuktu in Mali.

• visited

• visit

• have visited

• have been visiting

Some years ago I Q1 Timbuktu in Mali. Generally, people ... of Timbuktu as a dessert town somewhere at the end of the world.

• are thinking

• think

• thought

• were thinking

But once upon a time, Timbuktu ... a thriving city and key trading post, a place in Africa with along and rich history.

• was

• was being

• has been

• is

But my attention was drawn to a very old man who ... in a corner.

• sat

• had sat

• was sat

• was sitting

But my attention was drawn to a very old man who Q4 in a corner. For a while, people ... around him, so I joined them. He was a griot, or traditional storyteller.

• had gathered

• had been gathered

• gathers

• had been gathering

Griots ... about kings and magicians, wars and journeys for generations.

• were sung

• have been singing

• have been sung

• sang

Griots Q6 about kings and magicians, wars and journeys for generations. This is how Malians ... about their history.

• learned

• learn

• have learned

• had learned

This is how Malians Q7 about their history. He poured me a glass of tea and then I ... to him tell the story of King Mansa and the golden age of Timbuktu, a story he Q9 countless times before.

• listened

• was listened

• was listening

• listen

He poured me a glass of tea and then I Q8 to him tell the story of King Mansa and the golden age of Timbuktu, a story he ... countless times before. At the end, the griot quoted old Mali saying: 'To succeed you need three things - a brazier, time and friends.'

• have been told

• have told

• told

• had told

Time and friends are what you need to share stories. It's advice that ... with me in future years.

• stays

• will stay

• will be staying

• stay