Tenses are essential in English. They help convey time and action. Understanding tenses is crucial for effective communication. This quiz will test your knowledge. It covers various tenses: past, present, and future. Each question challenges your grasp of usage. Prepare to enhance your skills. Let’s get started with tense quizzes.
Tenses Quiz with Answers
This quiz on tenses evaluates your understanding of various tenses associated with past, present, and future. Examine the sentence and choose the appropriate word or phrase to fill the gap.
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Examples and exercises on Tenses quiz for all students
If you had arrived late, I ……………… angry
a) had been
b) will have been
c) would have been
Explain: When we envision an alternate past where someone did not arrive late, we employ the third conditional structure. This involves using “if” followed by the past perfect tense with a modal verb, and then “have” with the past participle.
2. They ………………….. the French course yet.
a) have not started
b) have not start
c) had not started
Explain: We often use just, yet, still, and already with the present perfect because they are related to the present moment. Yet used with the present perfect means at any time up to now.
3. My family ………………….. in America for a year when I was a child.
a) lives
b) was living
c) lived
Explain: The simple past is used to show a completed action in the past. It is often used with a specific time e.g. one year ago, yesterday, when I was a child.
4. Most major cities …………………. significantly over the last 30 years.
a) grew
b) have grown
c) will grow
Explain: We use the present perfect for something that started in the past and continues up until the present day. This is 30 years ago up until now. It’s not a finished event so it’s not past simple and it doesn’t refer to the future.
5. Mick usually ………………….. his dog in the afternoon.
a) is walking
b) walks
c) walk
Explain: We use the simple present to talk about habitual present actions. As it is third person singular (Mick), we must have the ’s’.
6. I’m tired. I ………………….. for 3 hours!
a) had been studying
b) have been studying
c) have studied
Explain: This is an unfinished action so is a perfect tense. It is present (I am tired) so it will be a present tense (so not C). The present perfect continuous can be used to emphasize the length of time that has passed, rather than the present perfect which is more neutral (e.g. I’ve studied for hours).
7. This time next year I ………………….. in London for 5 years.
a) will have been living
b) have been living
c) will be living
Explain: The future perfect continuous tense, also referred to as the future perfect progressive tense, is utilized to demonstrate a specific length of time until a future moment.
8. They will read the report fully before they …………………..
a) Will vote
b) would vote
c) vote
Explain: This activity is related to time. If the main clause contains a modal verb like will, may, can, or shall, the verb in the clause after the preposition (before) is in the present tense.
9. While I was reading, the phone …………………..
a) was ringing
b) rang
c) are ringing
Explain: The simple past is utilized to denote brief actions occurring within a longer action. Since “rung” is the past participle, it cannot be this.
10. Robin ______ been to Canada.
a) Is
b) are
c) has
Explain: This sentence uses the present perfect tense, which indicates an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past and has relevance to the present. In this case, “has been” suggests that Robin has had the experience of going to Canada at some point before now, but we don’t know exactly when. This tense is formed using “has” (for third-person singular subjects) plus the past participle of the verb “to be,” which is “been.
11. Abraham was looking for us while we _____________ off the plane.
a) were getting
b) was getting
c) did get
Explain: This sentence uses the past continuous tense (“were getting”) to describe ongoing actions in the past. “Were getting off the plane” indicates that Jane was looking for them while they were disembarking from the plane, suggesting simultaneous actions.
12. I will not have _________ by noon.
a) finish
b) finished
c) have finished
Explain: This sentence uses the future perfect tense (“will have finished”). The future perfect tense is used to describe an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future. In this case, “will not have finished” indicates that the speaker anticipates not completing the task before noon.
The structure consists of “will” + “have” + the past participle of the verb, which in this case is “finished.” This tense helps convey the idea of a deadline in the future
13. He has ____________ all night.
a) been asleep
b) slept
c) been sleeping
Explain: This sentence uses the present perfect continuous tense (“has been working”). This tense indicates an action that started in the past and is ongoing or has recently stopped, focusing on the duration of the action. “Has been working” suggests he started working some time ago and continued throughout the night.
The structure is “has” + “been” + present participle of the verb (“working”), emphasizing the ongoing nature of the action and its connection to the present.
14. Ibrahim ________ English.
a) teach
b) teachs
c) teaches
Explain: This sentence uses the simple present tense. The simple present is used for regular actions or habits. In this case, “teaches” indicates that Esther regularly teaches English, suggesting it is her job or a routine activity.
- a. teach is the base form of the verb and is not appropriate here because it doesn’t match the subject (Esther).
- b. teaching is the present participle form, which is used in continuous tenses, but is not suitable in this context.
15. ________ will you have been working there by the time you finish?
a) how long
b) when
c) where
Explain: This question is asking about the duration of time in the future. The future perfect continuous tense (“will have been working”) is used to indicate an action that will be ongoing up until a certain point in the future.
In this case, the speaker wants to know the length of time the person will have spent working there by the time they finish.
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FAQ’s on Tenses
What are tenses in English?
Tenses indicate the time of an action or event. They show whether something happened in the past, is happening now, or will happen in the future.
Why are tenses important?
Tenses help clarify when actions occur, making communication clearer. Using the correct tense ensures your message understood correctly.
What is the difference between the simple past and the present perfect tense?
The simple past tense describes a completed action at a specific time (e.g., “I visited Paris last year”). The present perfect tense describes an action that happened at an unspecified time or has relevance to the present (e.g., “I have visited Paris”).
Can you give an example of the future continuous tense?
Sure! An example is: “I will be studying at 8 PM.” This tense indicates that the action of studying will be ongoing at that specific time in the future.
How do I choose the right tense?
To choose the right tense, think about when the action takes place (past, present, future) and whether it’s completed or ongoing. Consider the context of your sentence to help determine the best tense to use.