Linguaskill English Usage Practice — All Questions

By the time the client arrived, we ___ the presentation. Which choice is correct?

• a.finish
• b.have finished
• c.had finished✓
• d.were finishing

The past perfect 'had finished' shows that one past action was completed before another past event ('the client arrived'). This sequencing is exactly what the past perfect signals.

The report ___ by the finance team before it is sent to the board. Which choice is correct?

• a.is reviewed✓
• b.reviews
• c.is reviewing
• d.has reviewing

The report receives the action, so a passive form is needed: 'is reviewed'. The active 'reviews' would wrongly suggest the report performs the review itself.

If the supplier had delivered on time, we ___ the deadline. Which choice is correct?

• a.would meet
• b.will meet
• c.met
• d.would have met✓

This is a third conditional about an unreal past situation. The pattern is 'if + past perfect, would have + past participle', so 'would have met' is correct.

We look forward to ___ from you regarding the proposal. Which choice is correct?

• a.hear
• b.hearing✓
• c.have heard
• d.heard

'Look forward to' ends with the preposition 'to', which is followed by the -ing form. 'Hearing' is therefore correct, not the base verb 'hear'.

The manager asked the team ___ the figures before lunch. Which choice is correct?

• a.to check✓
• b.checking
• c.check
• d.checked

After 'ask someone', English uses the 'to' infinitive: 'asked the team to check'. The other forms do not fit this reporting pattern.