English Grammar in Use: Tenses (check yourself !)

Hello , dear learners!

I have revised the Grammar section and decided to give you a chance to control how well you   know the tenses of English verbs which we have learned.
As usual, I use a short extract from

Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers

In this exercise you have to find verbs and name the verb tenses .

“Ha!” said  Mr Banks. “Admiral’s telescope says  East Wind. I thought  as much. There is frost in my bones. I shall wear two overcoats.” And he kissed his wife absentmindedly on one side of her nose and waved to the children and went away to the City.

... Mrs Banks went into the drawing room and sat there all day long writing letters to the papers and begging them to send some Nannies to her at once as she was waiting; and upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael watched at the window . They were glad Katie Nanna had gone, for they had never liked her.




Now, how many verb forms have you found? Can you easily recognize them? I hope so, but let's check your answers!

“Ha!” said ( Past Simple) Mr Banks. “Admiral’s telescope says ( Pr. S.)  East Wind. I thought (Past S.) as much. There is (Pr.S.) frost in my bones. I shall wear (Fut.S) two overcoats.” And he kissed (Past. S.) his wife absentmindedly on one side of her nose and waved (PastS.) to the children and went (Past S.) away to the City.

... Mrs Banks went (Past.S) into the drawing room and sat ( Past S.) there all day long writing letters to the papers and begging them to send (Inf.) some Nannies  to her at once as she was waiting (Past Cont.); and upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael watched (Past S) at the window . They were 
 ( Past S.) glad Katie Nanna had gone (Past Perf), for they had never liked (Past Perf) her. 

If you have done everything right, you are ready to learn a new English tense.
So, hope to see you at the next grammar lesson.

But now I'd like to point to some common phrases from this extract:

 I thought  as much. - (spoken) used for saying that you are not surprised that something is true

 There is frost in my bones. - (spoken) an unpleasant feeling you have in your bones  due to the weather changing

absentmindedly - having or showing a forgetful or inattentive disposition.