Mixed verb tenses 1
✓ Useful for TOEIC
✓ Useful for Cambridge BEC
💡 Top tips
Present perfect vs simple past in professional contexts
Use the present perfect for actions with a connection to the present: 'We have launched three products this year.' Use simple past for completed actions at a specific time: 'We launched the product in March.' The distinction matters in reports and emails.
Using the passive voice professionally
The passive voice is common in formal business writing when the doer of an action is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted: 'The report was submitted on time.' 'Errors were found in the data.' Avoid overusing it in spoken communication.
Expressing the future: 'will', 'going to', and present continuous
'Will' is used for decisions made at the moment of speaking and firm commitments: 'I'll send that right away.' 'Going to' refers to plans already decided: 'We're going to launch in Q4.' The present continuous is used for fixed arrangements: 'I'm meeting the client on Thursday.'
Present perfect vs simple past in professional contexts
Use the present perfect for actions with a connection to the present: 'We have launched three products this year.' Use simple past for completed actions at a specific time: 'We launched the product in March.' The distinction matters in reports and emails.
Using the passive voice professionally
The passive voice is common in formal business writing when the doer of an action is unknown, unimportant, or deliberately omitted: 'The report was submitted on time.' 'Errors were found in the data.' Avoid overusing it in spoken communication.
Expressing the future: 'will', 'going to', and present continuous
'Will' is used for decisions made at the moment of speaking and firm commitments: 'I'll send that right away.' 'Going to' refers to plans already decided: 'We're going to launch in Q4.' The present continuous is used for fixed arrangements: 'I'm meeting the client on Thursday.'
READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!
These exercises will help you to practice choosing the right verb tense in a Business English context. Choose the best response to complete each of the sentences below.
1. If he doesn't come in the next 10 minutes, we __________________________ without him.
Correct answer: will start — First conditional: if + present simple → will + base verb.
2. He __________________________ a manager when he was 25.
Correct answer: became — Single completed past event: simple past.
3. __________________________ the details of the proposed merger.
Correct answer: Let's discuss — Let's + base verb — no infinitive marker needed.
4. Our distributor called while I __________________________ to Jim. (I'm no longer talking to Jim)
Correct answer: was talking — Interrupted past action: was + -ing for the background action.
5. I thought about your proposal, and I think we __________________________ it.
Correct answer: will accept — Definite future decision: will + base verb.
6. How long _________________ in sales?
Correct answer: B or C — Have worked and have been working are both correct for duration.
7. I have _________________ your proposal, and I'm quite impressed.
Correct answer: reviewed — Present perfect: action recently completed, relevant to now.
8. The mayor failed __________________________ the striking workers to return to contract talks.
Correct answer: to persuade — Fail to do something — to + infinitive follows fail.
9. The union __________________________ on Tuesday to resume contract talks.
Correct answer: agreed — Completed past agreement: simple past.
10. Negotiations __________________________ to continue into the weekend.
Correct answer: are expected — Passive expectation: are expected to + base verb.
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