Mixed verb tenses 6
✓ 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. I __________________________ my new job next week.
Correct answer: B or C — Both am starting (arrangement) and start (schedule) are correct.
2. There __________________________ to be a problem with your application.
Correct answer: seems — State verb: seem doesn't use the continuous form.
3. I __________________________ 10,000 shares last week.
Correct answer: bought — Single completed past action at a specific time: simple past.
4. I __________________________ a lot of money if I hadn't listened to your advice.
Correct answer: would have made — Third conditional: would have + past participle.
5. __________________________ that issue, Bob started to look for other problem areas.
Correct answer: Having resolved — Perfect participial clause: Having resolved = after resolving.
6. That issue is yet __________________________.
Correct answer: to be resolved — Fixed expression: yet to be resolved = still unresolved.
7. _________________ that issue?
Correct answer: Has he resolved — Present perfect question: Has he resolved...?
8. Maybe you should __________________________ a different approach.
Correct answer: try — Should + base verb for suggestion.
9. Hiring Thomas has __________________________ a positive impact on the growth of our law firm.
Correct answer: had — Have + past participle: has had a positive impact.
10. I'm not sure that __________________________ the CEO will solve our problems.
Correct answer: replacing — Gerund as subject: replacing the CEO.
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