Mixed verb tenses 2

✓ Useful for TOEIC ✓ Useful for Cambridge BEC

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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. __________________________ a strike, the company gave in to the workers' demands.

Hoping to prevent Hoped to prevent Hope to prevent

Correct answer: Hoping to prevent — Participial clause expressing simultaneous purpose: Hoping to prevent.

2. Our employees __________________________ our strongest asset.

are being are to be

Correct answer: are — State verbs like be don't use the continuous form.

3. __________________________ that for another meeting.

Let's to leave Let's be leaving Let's leave

Correct answer: Let's leave — Let's + base verb — no infinitive marker needed.

4. Our office usually __________________________ at 5:00 PM, but today we're staying open until 6:00 PM.

closes is closing closed

Correct answer: closes — Habitual/regular action: simple present.

5. ____________________ business in an unfamiliar market can be challenging.

To do Having done Doing

Correct answer: Doing — Gerund as subject: Doing business = -ing form.

6. Please ask Robert _________________ to the meeting.

to be coming to come come

Correct answer: to come — Ask someone to do = to + infinitive.

7. By the time my boss gets here, I _________________ my report.

will have finished would be finished finish

Correct answer: will have finished — Future perfect: action completed before a future point.

8. From now on, we __________________________ things differently.

will be doing A or C will do

Correct answer: A or C — Will be doing and will do are both correct for future plans.

9. If he had told me about this earlier, I __________________________ someone else.

will have hired would have hired will hire

Correct answer: would have hired — Third conditional: if + past perfect → would have + past participle.

10. I __________________________ those changes last week.

have implemented have been implementing implemented

Correct answer: implemented — Completed action at a specific past time: simple past.

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💡 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.'

▶ Keep practicing — more exercises for you: Articles in business English 1
Articles in business English 2
Articles in business English 3
Articles in business English 4
Articles in business English 5
Articles in business English 6
Business English basics 1
Business English basics 2

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