Question

Open the brackets using the correct tense of the verbs:

1. Ask hundreds of people what they ......... (to plan) to do on a certain day in August next year, or the year after, and there ......... (to be) only one reply.
2. This is my new car! What .......... (you/to think) of it?
3. Peter could't understand what had been decided because too many people ........... (to talk) at once.
4. Quite a few books ............ (to miss) from the class library.
5. When I ............. (to get) to the cinema, Jack ............ (to wait) for me.
6. Sarah ............. (to watch) her favourite TV show every evening.
7. By the time you get back Harry .............. (to live).
8. What ............. (you/to give) Ann for her birthday? Havey you decided yet?

Answer 1

1.) Ask hundreds of people what they are going to plan to do on a certain day in August next year, or the year after, and there is going to be only one reply.
2.) This is my new car! What do you think of it?
3.) Peter couldn't understand what had been decided because too many people seem to talk at once.
4.) Quite a few books are missing from the class library.
5.) When I rush to get to the cinema, Jack plans to wait for me.
7.) By the time you get back, Harry plans to live.
8.) What are you planning to give Ann for her birthday? Have you decided yet?

Answer 2

Answer: These are the correct answers:

1. are planning / will be

2. do you

3. were talking

4. are missing

5. got / was waiting

6. watches

7. will live

8. are you going to

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that in this exercise you have been asked to use ONLY the verbs in brackets. You are not supposed to add other verbs, but to conjugate the ones that they have provided for you. I have used the present continuous (or progressive) in those sentences (3, 4, 5) that refer to actions or conditions that are happening in the present and/or may continue in the future—for instance, that "books are missing" from the library. In other examples I have used the simple present (2, 6), since the sentences refer to repeated actions—Sarah "watches" her show every evening. And I have used the simple future (will) and again the present continuous (specifically the form "be going to") to predict a future event (7, 1) and to talk about future plans and intentions (8)—for instance, that the speaker predicts that Harry "will live" when the other person gets back.