Tenses 1 + Answers

Complete the following passage with the correct form of the verb given. (15 marks)

 

Sally is 15 years old and 1) _____ (be) cheerful, but now she 2) _____ (shut) herself away and 3) _____ (have) negative thoughts about abandoning her life. It 4) _____ (be) like this ever since she 5) _____ (be) 12. She 6) _____ (suffer) from depression and seeking help from Dr. Tiffany Lee Mei-yan, a clinical psychologist working at the Whole Person Development Institute. The institute, a private organisation, 7) _____ (help) to improve people’s lives.

 

Lee says, “After talking to her, I 8) _____ (find) she had been bullied by her classmates for quite some time. They 9) _____ (criticise) her with harsh comments, not only verbally, but also on Facebook. She became depressed over time.

 

Depression is a common problem that is linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain due to a lack of serotonin which 10) _____ (contribute) to a person’s feeling of well-being. Serotonin, which is known as a ‘happiness hormone’, is actually a neurotransmitter in the nervous system, rather than a hormone. Although some people 11) _____ (born) with a serotonin deficiency are more prone to depression, Lee says the condition is triggered by something else – stress.

 

It is important for adults to recognise the signs of depression among teenagers at an early stage before things get worse. ‘If someone 12) _____ (be) unhappy for two weeks, 13) _____ (have) negative thoughts such as feeling worthless, and lost interest in normal activities, then he or she is depressed and should seek help.

 

But few students know how to cope with stress, Dr. Vinci Ng, a school counsellor at KCCIS, says, “In recent years, I 14) _____ (see) an increasing number of teens using online games to try to cope with stress. But this turns into internet addiction and leads to conflicts with their families, and so 15) _____ (lead) to more stress.”

 

Tenses (15 marks)

1. was	6. is suffering / has been	11. born
2. shuts	7. helps	12. has been
3. has	8. found	13. (has) had
4. has been	9. would criticise / criticised / had  criticised (have criticised : wrong)	14. have seen
5. was	10. contributes	15. leads (will lead / leading : wrong)