Mixed verb tenses 5

✓ 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. Do you think you __________________________ finish this report by the end of the day?

could/will could/have will/have

Correct answer: could/will — Both could (ability) and will (future) are correct here.

2. Yes, the report ____________________ by the end of the day.

will be finished I will finish I have finished

Correct answer: will be finished — Future passive: will be finished.

3. I __________________________ it as we speak.

finish would finish am finishing

Correct answer: am finishing — Present continuous for an action in progress right now.

4. I will have finished __________________________ the presentation by the time you get back from lunch.

to prepare preparing A or B

Correct answer: preparing — Future perfect: will have finished + gerund (preparing).

5. I __________________________ for many different jobs.

have been applying have applied A or B

Correct answer: A or B — Both present perfect simple and continuous are correct for ongoing activity.

6. I ____________________ talked about this later.

would rather we would we rather rather

Correct answer: would rather we — Fixed expression: would rather we talked/discuss.

7. If I had known about the layoffs, I _________________ you.

would have told will have told will tell

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

8. We are currently __________________________ several acquisitions.

considered have been considering considering

Correct answer: considering — Currently + present continuous for an ongoing action.

9. These acquisitions ____________________ us as the industry leader if they go ahead.

would be established would establish would have established

Correct answer: would establish — Conditional result: would + base verb.

10. These acquisitions ____________________ us as the industry leader, but they did not go ahead.

would establish would have established would be established

Correct answer: would have established — Conditional result for a hypothetical past outcome: would have + past participle.

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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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