They..... to start the exam when the fire alarm went off.

• wait

• waited

• are waiting

• were waiting

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'were waiting'. This is because the sentence is in the past continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that was in progress at a certain moment in the past. The phrase 'when the fire alarm went off' indicates that the action of starting the exam was interrupted, so 'were waiting' is the appropriate choice.

She recognised the guests because they .... in the hotel before.

• are staying

• were staying

• had stayed

• have stayed

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'had stayed'. This is because the action of the guests staying in the hotel happened before she recognized them, which is a completed action in the past. Therefore, we use the past perfect tense 'had stayed' to indicate this sequence of past events.

Michael struggles with..... the names of people he's just met.

• remembering

• remembered

• to remember

• remember

The company ..... jeans since the 1920s, and they're still as popular as ever.

• is making

• was making

• has been making

• had been making

Answer explanation

The correct option is 'has been making'. The sentence refers to a continuous activity that started in the past (the 1920s) and continues to the present time. In English, this is expressed using the present perfect continuous tense (has/have been doing). The other options ('is making', 'was making', 'had been making') do not correctly express this ongoing time frame.

I ..... Bjorn for ages. We met at a conference about 15 years ago.

• know

• have known

• am knowing

• have been knowing

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'have known'. The present perfect tense 'have known' is used because the action started in the past and continues up to the present. The phrase 'for ages' indicates an unspecified time period from the past until now, which is a common use case for the present perfect tense. Other options do not correctly express this meaning.

There's a cafe on the corner of the street ... he goes for a coffee every morning.

• where

• when

• who

• which

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'where'. In the context of the question, the cafe is being described as a location. We're talking about a place, so 'where' is the appropriate choice. 'When', 'who', and 'which' do not logically fit in the given sentence.

Mr. Smith, .... is my father-in-law, is my new boss.

• that

• who

• whom

• that or who

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'who'. In the given question, the pronoun is referring to a specific person, Mr. Smith. Therefore, we use 'who' instead of 'that', 'whom' or 'that or who'. 'Who' is used to refer to the subject of a sentence, while 'whom' is used to refer to the object. In this case, Mr. Smith is the subject.

They won't let you into the fetival .... you've got a ticket.

• although

• if

• in case

• unless

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'unless'. In this context, 'unless' is used to express the condition under which you won't be let into the festival. The phrase 'They won't let you into the festival unless you've got a ticket' means that the only way you can enter the festival is if you have a ticket.

I don't think we ................... book a table. It's Tuesday and there aren't usually many people eating out.

• must

• should

• have to

• must

Answer explanation

The correct answer is 'have to'. This option is most suitable for the given question because it implies a sense of necessity. In this context, the speaker doesn't feel it's necessary to book a table because it's Tuesday and not many people usually eat out on this day. The other options 'must' and 'should' would imply a stronger obligation or suggestion, which doesn't fit the context.

What ........... have for breakfast? Cereal or toast?

• you would rather

• would you rather

• you would prefer

• would you prefer