Grammar exercises

Grammar exercises

Grammar - Introduction

 

To be able to read, listen, speak and write better, you will need to know your grammar! In this theme you are going to repeat or learn more about:

  • present simple and past simple
  • present simple and present continuous
  • past simple and present perfect
  • passive sentences
  • conditionals

For each grammar item, there is an explanation and there are exercises.
Try to do as many exercises as possible!

Good luck!

Grammar - Simple past

Have a look at the following:

KB: Grammar: Present simple
KB: Grammar: Past simple (regular verbs)
KB: Grammar: Past simple (irregular verbs)

Now you are ready to do the following exercises (again).

Present/Past tenses

Present Simple

Toets:Simple present

Toets:Simple past

Toets:Simple past

Toets:Simple past

Grammar - Present continuous

Have a look at Kennisbank Present continuous.

KB: Present continuous


Now you are ready to do the following exercises.

If you like to practice extra:

Toets:Present continuous

Toets:Present continuous

Toets:Present continuous

Toets:Present continuous

Grammar - Past continuous

Toets:Past continuous

Toets:Past continuous

Grammar - Past simple

Past simple en present perfect
Do you remember them? The past simple and present perfect?
Have a look at the Kennisbank past simple and 'kennisbank present perfect' to revise them.

KB: Present perfect

KB: Simple past

 

Now try the following exercises.


If you like to practise extra:

Toets:Past simple

Toets:Present Perfect

Grammar

Simple Past, Present Perfect and Past Perfect
When talking about verb tenses, it is important to keep apart Form and Use.
The use of the verb tenses sometimes diverges from Dutch.

In this section, three verb tenses are treated:

KB: Simple past

KB: Past perfect

KB: Present perfect

 

For those who want to know more, you can follow the link to the Kennisbank Present Perfect Extra.
It is pretty advanced stuff. On the other hand, it is English, isn't it?
When in doubt, consult your teacher.

KB: Present perfect - extra

Study the words of the Irregular Verb list.

hele werkwoord -

whole verb

verleden tijd -

past simple

voltooid deelwoord -

past article

Nederlands

to be

was, were

been

zijn

to beat

beat

beaten

slaan

to become

became

become

worden

to begin

began

begun

beginnen

to bend

bent

bent

buigen

to bet

bet

bet

wedden

to bind

bound

bound

binden

to bite

bit

bitten

bijten

to blow

blew

blown

blazen

to break

broke

broken

breken

to bring

brought

brought

brengen

to build

built

built

bouwen

to burn

burnt

burnt

branden

to burst

burst

burst

barsten

to buy

bought

bought

kopen

to catch

caught

caught

vangen

to choose

chose

chosen

kiezen

to come

came

come

komen

to cost

cost

cost

kosten

to creep

crept

crept

kruipen

to cut

cut

cut

snijden

to deal

dealt

dealt

omgaan, handelen

to dig

dug

dug

graven

to do

did

done

doen

to draw

drew

drawn

tekenen

to dream

dreamt

dreamt

dromen

to drink

drank

drunk

drinken

to drive

drove

driven

rijden

to eat

ate

eaten

eten

to fall

fell

fallen

vallen

to feed

fed

fed

voeren

to feel

felt

felt

voelen

to fight

fought

fought

vechten

to find

found

found

vinden

to flee

fled

fled

vluchten

to fly

flew

flown

vliegen

to forbid

forbade

forbidden

verbieden

to forget

forgot

forgotten

vergeten

to get

got

got

halen, krijgen

to give

gave

given

geven

to go

went

gone

gaan

to grow

grew

grown

groeien

to hang

hung

hung

(op)hangen

to have

had

had

hebben

to hear

heard

heard

horen

to hide

hid

hidden

verstoppen

to hit

hit

hit

raken

to hold

held

held

houden

to hurt

hurt

hurt

pijn doen

to keep

kept

kept

houden, bewaren

to know

knew

known

weten

to lay

laid

laid

leggen

to lead

led

led

leiden

to leave

left

left

verlaten

to lend

lent

lent

uitlenen

to let

let

let

laten

to lie

lay

lain

liggen

to lose

lost

lost

verliezen

to make

made

made

maken

to mean

meant

meant

betekenen

to meet

met  

met

ontmoeten

to pay

paid

paid

betalen

to put

put

put

(neer) zetten/leggen

to read

read

read

lezen

to ride

rode

ridden

rijden

to ring

rang

rung

bellen

to rise

rose

risen

opstaan

to run

ran

run

rennen

to say

said

said

zeggen

to see

saw

seen

zien

to seek

sought

sought

zoeken

to sell

sold

sold

verkopen

to send

sent

sent

zenden, sturen

to set

set

set

zetten

to shake

shook

shaken

schudden

to shine

shone

shone

schijnen

to shoot

shot

shot

schieten

to show

showed

shown

laten zien

to shut

shut

shut

sluiten

to sing

sang

sung

zingen

to sink

sank

sunk

zinken

to sit

sat

sat

zitten

to sleep

slept

slept

slapen

to smell

smelt

smelt

ruiken

to speak

spoke

spoken

spreken

to spend

spent

spent

uitgeven

to spoil

spoilt

spoilt

bederven

to spread

spread

spread

(ver)speiden

to stand

stood

stood

staan

to steal

stole

stolen

stelen

to stink

stank

stunk

stinken

to strike

struck

struck

opvallen, slaan

to swear

swore

sworn

vloeken

to sweep

swept

swept

vegen

to swim

swam

swum

zwemmen

to take

took

taken

nemen

to teach

taught

taught

lesgeven

to tear

tore

torn

scheuren

to tell

told

told

vertellen

to think

thought

thought

denken

to throw

threw

thrown

gooien

to understand

understood

understood

begrijpen

to wake

woke

woken

wakker worden

to wear

wore

worn

dragen (kleding)

to win

won

won

winnen

to write

wrote

written

schrijven

Grammar - Exercises

Grammar exercises
You will now do some exercises.

Select the correct form. Simple Past or Past Perfect?

  1. After Fred [spent/had spent] his holiday in Italy he [wanted/had wanted] to learn Italian.
  2. Jill [phoned/had phoned] Dad at work before she [left/had left] for her trip.
  3. Susan [turned/had turned] on the radio after she [washed/had washed] the dishes.
  4. When she [arrived/had arrived] the match [started already/had already started].
  5. After the man [came/had come] home he fed the cat.
  6. Before he [sang/had sung] a song he [played/had played] the guitar.
  7. She [watched/had watched] a video after the children [went/had gone] to bed.
  8. After Eric [made/had made] breakfast he [phoned/had phoned] his friend.
  9. I [was/had been] very tired because I [studied/had studied] too much.
  10. They [rode/had ridden] their bikes before they [met/had met] their friends.


Select the correct form. Simple Past or Present Perfect?

  1. Mother: I want to prepare dinner. [Did you wash/Have you washed] the dishes yet?
  2. Daughter: [I washed/I have washed] the dishes yesterday, but I [had not/have not had] the time yet to do it today.
  3. Mother: [Did you already do/Have you already done] your homework?
  4. Daughter: No, [I just came/I have just come] home from school.
  5. Mother: [You came/You have come] home from school two hours ago!
  6. Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy [called/has called] when I [arrived/have arrived] and I [just finished/have just finished] the phone call.
  7. Mother: [Didn't you see/Haven't you seen] Lucy at school in the morning?
  8. Daughter: Yes, but we [had not/did not have] time to talk then.


Select the form. Simple Past or Past Perfect?

  1. I can't believe I (get) [had got/got] that apartment.
  2. I (submit) [had submitted/submitted] my application last week, but I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it.
  3. When I (show) [had showed/ showed] up to take a look around, there were at least twenty other people who (arrive) [had arrived/arrived] before me.
  4. Most of them (fill, already) [had already filled/already filled] out their applications and were already leaving.
  5. The landlord said I could still apply, so I did.
  6. I (try) [had tried/tried] to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions.
  7. They (want) [had wanted/wanted] me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I (have) [had had/had] some problems with him in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me.
  8. I (end) [had ended/ended] up listing my father as a reference.
  9. It was total luck that he (decide) [had decided/decided] to give me the apartment.
  10. It turns out that the landlord and my father (go) [had gone/went] to high school together.
  11. He decided that I could have the apartment before he (look) [had looked/looked] at my credit report.
    I really lucked out!

Past simple vs Present Perfect

Toets:Simple Past

Past Simple

Present Perfect

Toets:Simple Past or Present Perfect

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Toets:Simple past, Present Perfect or Past Perfect

Toets:Simple Past, Present Perfect or Past Perfect

Mocktests 5-7

Mock test 5
Do the exercise Simple Past or Present Perfect and fill in the correct form of the verb.

Mock test 6
Do the test Positive Past Perfect. Fill in the gaps.

Mock test 7
Do the test Negative Past Perfect. Fill in the gaps.

Toets:Simple Past or Present Perfect

Toets:Positive Past Perfect

Toets:Negative Past Perfect

Toets:Simple present

All tenses (mixed)

Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

 

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

  • the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
  • the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
  • the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Passive exercises (with the present simple)

Passive exercises (with the past simple)

Passive exercises (with the present perfect)

Conditionals

Conditional Sentences are also known as Conditional Clauses or If Clauses. They are used to express that the action in the main clause (without if) can only take place if a certain condition (in the clause with if) is fulfilled. There are three types of Conditional Sentences.

Conditional Sentence Type 1

→ It is possible and also very likely that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Present, will-Future

Example: If I find her address, I’ll send her an invitation.

 

Conditional Sentence Type 2

→ It is possible but very unlikely, that the condition will be fulfilled.

Form: if + Simple Past, Conditional I (= would + Infinitive)

Example: If I found her address, I would send her an invitation.

 

Conditional Sentence Type 3

→ It is impossible that the condition will be fulfilled because it refers to the past.

Form: if + Past Perfect, Conditional II (= would + have + Past Participle)

Example: If I had found her address, I would have sent her an invitation.

 

 

Conditionals

Zero conditional exercise

first conditional (exercise)

second conditional exercise