Read the whole sentence first before choosing the tense.
Don’t look only at the verb — the context gives the answer.
Underline the time expression before writing the verb.
Words like already, yet, while, by the time, tomorrow at this time, last week are the key.
Watch the difference between simple and continuous forms.
Ask yourself: Is the action finished, repeated, or in progress?
Use continuous tenses for actions in progress at a specific moment.
(At 8 p.m., while I was studying. This time tomorrow they will be doing …)
Use simple tenses for routines, facts, and completed actions.
Don’t use continuous forms if the action is habitual or finished.
Present Perfect is not Past Simple. Have/has + past participle is different from past simple.
Check if the time is finished (yesterday, last year) or unfinished (today, this week, already, yet).
Past Simple and Past Continuous often work together.
One action was in progress, and another interrupted it.
Past Perfect = the earlier past.
If two actions happened in the past, use Past Perfect for the one that happened first: When the children arrived, he had already prepared lunch.
Check the order of past events carefully.
Ask yourself: What happened first? What happened later?
Remember: after “if”, we do not normally use “will” or "would"
(If I see her, I will tell her. NOT *If I will see her…If I were you, I wouldn't study only the last day.)
Modal verbs need the base form.
After can, could, will, would, must, use the infinitive without to.
Don’t forget negative forms.
Check carefully if the sentence needs don’t / doesn’t / didn’t / won’t / haven’t…
Questions need the correct word order.
Be careful with: auxiliary + subject + verb
(Did you go? / Has she finished?)
Some verbs are irregular in the past and past participle.
Study them carefully: go–went–gone, see–saw–seen, take–took–taken…
Be careful with past participles.
Present Perfect and Past Perfect need the 3rd form of the verb, not Past Simple.
“Since” and “for” are not the same. They usually go with present perfect, like "already", "just", "yet". Since = starting point For = period of time
One word can change the tense completely. Don’t ignore markers like still, just, ever, never, when, while, by.
“Ago” = Past Simple. Never use Present Perfect with ago.
“By” often signals a perfect tense. Especially with by the time, by tomorrow, by next week.
“While” usually introduces a continuous action.“When” often introduces a shorter action that interrupts another one.
Present Simple can talk about the future (timetables, schedules). The train leaves at 8.30.
Present Continuous can also express future arrangements. I’m meeting Laura tomorrow.
State verbs are not usually used in continuous forms. Be careful with verbs like know, like, love, want, understand, believe.
Future forms depend on meaning. Don’t choose randomly:
will → spontaneous decision / prediction
going to → plan / intention / evidence
Present Continuous → fixed arrangement
Future Continuous → action in progress in the future
Leave 2 minutes at the end to check everything.
Most mistakes are small: missing auxiliaries, spelling, endings, and irregular forms.
Complete the sentences with the correct verb tense. Then click on the buttons to check your answers.
By the time the teacher arrived, the students __________________ (already / complete) the first exercise and __________________ (start) the second one.
had already completed / had started
Don’t call me at 8 p.m. tonight. I __________________ (have) dinner with my grandparents, so I __________________ (not / be) available.
will be having / won’t be
Sarah __________________ (already / book) the tickets. By tomorrow afternoon, she __________________ (plan) the whole trip.
has already booked / will have planned
The child usually __________________ (play) in the garden after school, but today he __________________ (do) his homework because he has a test tomorrow.
plays / is doing
While I __________________ (walk) through the park yesterday, I __________________ (see) a man who __________________ (paint) a beautiful picture near the lake.
was walking / saw / was painting
— I __________________ (never / try) sushi before.
— Really? What __________________ (you / think) of it?
— It was delicious, but I __________________ (not / eat) the seaweed yet.
has never tried or had never tried / do you think or did you think / haven’t eaten
Be careful! You __________________ (drop) those glasses if you carry them all at once.
are going to drop
When we __________________ (open) the shop this morning, we __________________ (notice) that someone __________________ (take) several items during the night, so we __________________ (contact) the manager immediately.
opened / noticed / had taken / contacted
This time next month, we __________________ (sit) on a beach in Greece while everyone here __________________ (work).
will be sitting / is working
Yesterday afternoon, I __________________ (talk) to an important customer when my phone suddenly __________________ (stop) working. If that __________________ (not / happen), I __________________ (arrange) the meeting right away.
was talking / stopped / hadn’t happened / would have arranged
Conditional sentences help us talk about facts, possibilities, imaginary situations, regrets, and consequences.
Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb in brackets, then check your answers below.
1. If it ________ (rain) tomorrow, we will stay at home.
2. If I ________ (have) more free time, I would learn Japanese.
3. If she ________ (study) harder last year, she would have passed the exam.
4. If you heat water to 100°C, it ________ (boil).
5. If they ________ (leave) earlier, they wouldn’t have missed the train.
6. If I were you, I ________ (not / tell) him the secret.
7. If he ________ (call) me tonight, I’ll let you know.
8. I wish I ________ (be) taller.
9. If only we ________ (book) the tickets earlier!
10. If she had listened to your advice, she ________ (not / make) that mistake.
11. If I ________ (know) about the meeting, I would have attended it.
12. Provided that everyone ________ (agree), we can move forward with the proposal.
13. If he ________ (not / interrupt) me so often, I might have explained the issue more clearly.
14. Unless the company ________ (reduce) costs soon, it will struggle to remain competitive.
15. Had they ________ (inform) us earlier, we could have taken appropriate action.
16. If she ________ (be) more diplomatic, she wouldn’t be having so many conflicts at work.
17. I wish you ________ (stop) complaining about everything.
18. If only I ________ (not / spend) so much money last month.
19. If the government ________ (invest) more in education, the country would benefit in the long term.
20. Had he been paying attention, he ________ (understand) why the results were so unexpected.
WhatsApp messages in English are short, friendly, and direct.
A clear structure helps you write better in your B1 exam.
Hi, Mary,
I’m having a small party at my house this Friday because it’s my birthday.
It will start at 8 pm, and some friends are coming. I’m booking a table at our favourite pizza restaurant, so we can have dinner together. After that, you could stay at my place for a pyjama party!
Can you come? Let me know soon because I need to plan everything.
