Verb Tense Exercise
6

Since computers
were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change)
has changed a great deal. The first computers (be) were simple machines
designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) didn't have much memory and they
(be, not) were not very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive
and customers often (pay) paid thousands of dollars for machines which actually
(do) did very little. Most computers (be) were separate, individual machines
used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.

Times (change) have
changed. Computers (become) have become powerful machines with very practical
applications. Programmers (create) have created a large selection of useful
programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We
are still playing video games, but today's games (become) have become faster,
more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) have also
got on the Internet and (begin) have begun communicating with other computer
users around the world. We (start) have started to create international
communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past
(evolve) have evolved into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.

The horse couldn't
sing

Fred asked me if I
had seen the opera last night. I answered that I had gone to the opera last night but I hadn't
seen all of it but just half. He asked me why I had seen just half of it because he
thought that I hadn't enjoyed myself at the opera. I told him that I had fun and the
opera was terrific but in the second act one of the two alive horses had jumped off
the stage and all the audience were afraid. Fred listened my tale and he said to me
me: "Perhaps the horse couldn't sing!"