Comprehensive English Grammar Practice

English Grammar Exercises

Put the verbs in the correct TENSE:

  • I bought… I am building.
  • Where have you been…I haven’t seen.
  • She told me…she had been in London and she had just returned.
  • I usually enjoy…I am not having.
  • AB: Because I am going to watch.
  • A: What were you doing? B: We arrived…the film had already started.
  • Tom lost his… hasn’t found.
  • I played… I haven’t played.
  • AB: I will lend you some.
  • AB: But my father is going to teach me.
  • A: Were you watching..I phoned. B: I think that I was studying.
  • What time does the film begin?
  • I have bought… I am learning.
  • I don’t understand… didn’t have tickets.
  • He lived in Oxford…he went to live in London.
  • Where is Tom? I haven’t seen… I saw him this…he told me he would come later.
  • How elegant! I see that you are wearing your best clothes.
  • When my aunt goes… she always wears.
  • She thanked me… I had done for her.
  • They said they had been playing cards…
  • Ann, we are going to go to town? Will you come with us? No thanks, I will stay at home.
  • Why are you peeling the orange? Because I am going to eat it.
  • The house was very quiet… they had gone to sleep…they were sleeping.
  • While we were watching our favourite… something was burning in the kitchen.

Rewrite the following using a Modal Auxiliary:

  • They can’t win the football match.
  • They must have discovered we were lying.
  • They might know we were going to come.
  • He needn’t do it again.
  • They will watch soap operas.
  • The children must study until they are sixteen.
  • You might not know the consequence of their action.
  • The skiers should wear sunglasses.
  • She will have to make the exercises.
  • We must read that book if we want to pass.
  • He must know what happened.
  • They needn’t bring their car.
  • She should write more slowly.
  • You couldn’t read the book in such a little time.
  • They had to wear a skirt.
  • May I go to the beach?
  • They will be able to sail alone.

Put the verbs in these CONDITIONAL SENTENCES:

  • If he wasn’t so lazy, he would get a better job.
  • They would have caught… if they had been called…
  • I don’t have any… I will tell you what we can do.
  • We didn’t… We wouldn’t have cooked for him… if we had known he was on.
  • I hate living… I would be the happiest man… if I had a garden.
  • Your exams… you will fail the subject… if you don’t study harder.
  • Today… If it were hotter, I would go to the beach.
  • Eat your soup. If you don’t hurry up, it will get cold.
  • There are mice… If you had a cat, the mice would disappear immediately.
  • The style… If the blue was a bit lighter, it would look better.
  • Mm!.. If I could cook… I would open a restaurant.
  • My wife… If I hadn’t been… and if she hadn’t been the doctor, we wouldn’t have met, we wouldn’t have been born.
  • Unless house plants are watered regularly, they die quite quickly.
  • What noisy neighbours… If mine were as bad as yours, I would go crazy.
  • You’re late again! If you are late again tomorrow, your pay will stop.

Join the following sentences by means of a relative clause:

  • His girlfriend, whom he trusted a lot, was really an enemy spy.
  • This month I have visited a lot of houses which were very expensive.
  • He wanted to return home immediately, which didn’t suit me well.
  • The bus in which 45 persons died yesterday evening had an accident on the A-7.
  • I went to give food to the horse on which I ride.
  • My friend Peter, whose brother is at University, lives in a house in the suburbs.
  • They will plant a tree in the garden in which there are a lot of flowers.
  • The shop owner called a policeman who we had seen a few minutes before.
  • We went to the cinema where I had met her for the first time to see a film.
  • We are looking for a house in the suburbs whose rooms must be quite big.
  • They had already visited Rome, where we were going to Florence.
  • My mother, who I haven’t seen her for a long time, lives alone.
  • Many people don’t like cats, which are very dangerous.
  • I didn’t see the new waiter where my father also used to work.

Passive Voice:

  • The tickets have been being sold.
  • The robbers are said not to have killed.
  • Who has that plate been broken by?
  • Was the letter brought by her?
  • Has that film been seen by them?
  • We are known to have sold her our car.
  • The lesson should have been learned by her.
  • We have been ordered to clean our teeth.
  • How long has he been wanted?
  • That chair must be cleaned by someone.
  • I was asked to go on.
  • It was thought that our son had broken the glass.
  • Children are sent to study harder years ago.
  • Was money wanted for clothes?
  • She must never be told.
  • Must this parcel be delivered?
  • My car was ordered to stop by the policeman.

Put the verbs in the TO-INFINITIVE, BARE INFINITIVE, TO+ING OR ING:

  • I used to ride a lot… I haven’t done it since coming to this city.
  • Did you remember to lock the door?
  • It’s no use trying to interrupt him… We will have to wait till he stops talking.
  • Do you feel the house move? You must feel it as I do.
  • I am looking… to see him… is it worth waiting any longer?
  • Would you mind showing me how to switch on the dishwasher?
  • His doctor advised him to give up smoking.
  • They decided to make me give them a solution… I was used to facing difficult situations.
  • I tried to convince him to let me go out, but he said… stay at home.
  • It’s no use asking children to keep quiet. They are making a lot of noise while playing.
  • I want to go to Oxford… I’d rather go by train… I am used to traveling by coach.
  • Did you… to find my house? No, I could see your mother come and I followed her.
  • I’m delighted to hear that you are coming… to seeing you. Please, remember to bring…
  • What about having a picnic together? I like spending the day out.
  • This book tells you how to win at games without having to cheat. I enjoy sitting by the fire… and hearing the wind blowing.
  • I asked him to explain… him going out.
  • My sister never… to turn off the lights when leaving home.
  • I remember leaving home… I forgot to make my bed.