Tense review (1)

is flying / were separated / had changed

1. Different verb forms.

Read the article about two sisters, and then classify the sentences below.

sisterI've found you at last - together again after 50 years

Two sisters are to meet after spending 50 years apart. Ruth Cable of Bristol said today it will be an emotional reunion with her sister Gloria, who now lives in Australia.

Gloria is flying in next month after searching for her family since 1981. Big sister Ruth had also been searching - for more than 30 years.

The family reunion will also include two surviving brothers, David and Philip.

The sisters were separated after their parents' marriage broke down. Ruth's father, Harold, was left to look after five young children. But he couldn't cope with baby Gloria and she was adopted.

Gloria's search began after she emigrated in 1974. She started looking when her adopted father gave her details about her family. For the first time she learnt about Ruth and her brothers.

But her search nearly ended very fast. She soon found out that her brother Mervyn had died and was so devastated that she nearly gave up her search. She also returned to Bristol six times over the years always looking for her family.

Then Gloria asked friend and former police officer Ted Jones to help. Ted found Ruth, whose name had changed from her maiden name of Young.

Gloria phoned Ruth. "Talking to Ruth and my brothers it felt like I'd known them for years." Gloria is planning a month-long trip to Britain to get to know Ruth and her brothers.

"There will be lots of hugs and tears," said Ruth. "Gloria and I have already discovered we have so much in common."

Choose the correct verb form for the verbs in bold.

2. Different verb forms.

Now match the verb forms to the explanations. Some of the verb forms need to be used more than once. Which of the verb forms is used to describe each of the following?

For more information about verb tenses see the Grammar Reference.

3. Correct or incorrect?

Spot the errors. Which sentences are grammatically incorrect?

4. Sentence correction.

Read the incorrect sentences again and write the correct sentences.

5. Text completion.

Read the news story below about another family that was separated. Then complete the story with the correct tense of the verbs in brackets.