III Grammar skills

1. Choose the correct form:

1. Full-time students... all their time for learning.

a) spends b) spend.

2. They... all their time for writing course-papers these days.

a) spend b) are spending.

3. I... school two years ago.

a) finished b) was finishing.

4. She... her final session successfully.

a) did b) has done.

5. We... our entrance exams at that time last year.

a) did b) were doing.

6. We... our exams a month ago.

a) did b) had done.

7. Extra-mural students (1)... before full-time students (2)... their exams.

(1) a) arrive b) had arrived;

(2) a) had passed b) passed.

8. How long.... it take to prepare for exams?

a) is b) will

9. We... our conference reports at this time on Sunday.

a) will be preparing b) will prepare.

10. I hope I... my course by next July.

a) will complete b) will have completed.

2. Complete the sentences with proper verb forms using the verbs in brackets:

A) with Present Simple or Present Continuous.

1. About 100,000 school-leavers... (become) university students every year.

2. The number of institutions of higher education... (increase) very fast.

3. What... this word... (mean)?

4. I... (prepare) for my home-reading at the moment.

5. Be careful! The lecturer... (dictate) something important.

6. Now I... (understand) the rule.

B) with Past Simple or Past Continuous.

1. We... (go) down in the lift when suddenly it... (stop).

2. When the bell... (ring), all students... (stand up) and... (rush) to the door.

3. I... (work) in the reading hall when suddenly you... (phone).

4. My pen... (break) down when I... (write) my composition.

5. ‘What... you... (do) in the evening?’ – ‘I... (stay) at home and... (watch) television.

6. While Sam... (work) on the computer, Tina... (revise) for exams.

C) with Past Simple or Present Perfect.

1. They... just (graduate) from the university.

2. I... (graduate) from my institute eight years ago.

3. I... (fail) my first exam but now it’s Ok.

4. She... (fail) her exam.

5. ‘... you ever... (be) to any foreign university?’ – ‘Yes, I... (be). I... (be) there in 2004.

6. (It’s 10 o’clock in the morning.) ‘... you... (see) our Dean this morning?’ – ‘Yes, I... (see) him when I... (arrive) to university, but he... (go) out soon afterwards.