Verbal Periphrasis – Free Exercise

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Exercises

Choose the correct word to complete each verbal periphrasis.

  1. Ayer tuve un mal día y no estaba celebrar nada.Yesterday I had a bad day and I didn’t feel like celebrating anything.
  2. Después de preguntarle mil veces, mi hermano acabó contar la verdad.After asking him a thousand times my brother finally told me the truth.
  3. El perro comenzó ladrar cuando sonó el timbre.The dog started to bark when the bell rang.
  4. Tenéis llamar a la profesora para cancelar la clase.You have to call the teacher to cancel the class.
  5. Las clases vienen costar unos 18 euros la hora.The classes came to 18 euros an hour.
  6. Estás a punto conseguir tu sueño.You are about to achieve your dream.
  7. Mañana nos pondremos pintar la casa.Tomorrow we are going to get to painting the house.
  8. El mes pasado nos dio ir a clases de baile.Last month we felt like going to dance classes.
  9. He escribir un texto para mañana.I have to write a text for tomorrow.
  10. No vuelvan llegar tarde a clase o se quedarán fuera.Don’t be late for class again or you will have to wait outside.

Choose the correct verbal periphrasis. You can only use each periphrasis once.

  1. Nosotros antes de las 3 de la tarde.We will start eating before three in the afternoon.
  2. No a mamá en este tono.Don’t speak to your mother in this tone again.
  3. Creo que hoy más temprano.I think that today I should go to bed earlier.
  4. Si lo todo y con seguridad, entonces aprobarás el examen.If you have learned everything with confidence, you will pass the exam.
  5. Mi hermana en aquella empresa.My sister has stopped working in that company.
  6. Este acontecimiento en nuestra memoria para siempre.This event will be saved in our memories forever.
  7. ¿Por qué del cine?Why did you leave the cinema crying?
  8. La profesora de un posible examen desde hacía semanas.The teacher had been warning us about a possible exam for weeks.
  9. Mis padres se perdieron por la ciudad, así que un taxi.My parents got lost in the city, so they ended up taking a taxi.
  10. ¿Por qué otra película?Why did you want to see a different film?

Conjuga la perífrasis en el tiempo verbal correspondiente.

  1. Ayer (ir a ir/yo)   a casa de Jorge, pero no me dio tiempo.1st person singular of the imperfect, signal word → ayerYesterday I was going to go to Jorge’s house, but I didn’t have time.
  2. Lucía (echarse a reír)   con este vídeo cuando lo vea mañana.3rd person singular of the future tense, signal word → mañanaLucia will laugh at this video when she sees it tomorrow.
  3. Antes de acostarnos, mi madre nos (soler contar)   un cuento.3rd person singular of the present tense: the speaker is still a child|3rd person of the imperfect tense: the speaker is talking about the pastBefore we go to bed my mother usually tells us stories.
    Before we went to bed my mother used to tell us stories.
  4. Cuando termine la fiesta, (hay que recoger)   todo.future simple form of haber, signal word → cuando: the party is not over yetWhen the party is over you will have to tidy everything up.
  5. ¿Por qué no (poder comprar/vosotros)   ayer los regalos?2nd person plural of the past perfect tense, signal word → ayer to talk about the recent past|2nd person plural of the preterite tense, signal word → ayerWhy couldn’t you buy the presents yesterday?
  6. Los perros no (parar de ladrar)   cuando están en el jardín.3rd person plural of the present tenseThe dogs don’t stop barking when they are in the garden.
  7. (deber ordenar/tú)   tu cuarto si quieres salir con tus amigos.2nd person singular of the present tense|2nd person singular of the conditional, signal word → si, introduces a conditional sentenceYou have to clean your room if you want to go out with your friends.
  8. Mi hermano (andar limpiar)   su cuarto cuando llegaron sus amigos.3rd person singular of the past perfect tense → both actions took place in the past and the main action (cleaning) was in process when the second action (the arrival) occurred.My sister was cleaning her room when her friends arrived.
  9. El año pasado me (dar por estudiar)   chino.1st person singular of the preterite, signal word → el año pasadoLast year I felt like studying Chinese.
  10. Si él fuese más trabajador, (llegar a ser)   el jefe de la empresa.3rd person singular of the conditional, signal word → si fuese: introduces a conditional sentence.If he was more hardworking he would become head of the company.