TENSES (Exercise - 1)
📚 TENSES
🎯 50 MCQs with Answers & Explanations
📝 Instructions: Choose the correct option. Check the answer and explanation given below each question.
🌟 50 TENSE MCQs
1. She usually ______ to school by bus.
✅ Answer: ⓑ goes
💡 Explanation: “Usually” shows a regular habit, so we use the Simple Present Tense.
2. Look! The children ______ in the garden.
✅ Answer: ⓒ are playing
💡 Explanation: “Look!” indicates an action happening now. Therefore, we use the Present Continuous Tense.
3. I ______ this book three times.
✅ Answer: ⓒ have read
💡 Explanation: The action has happened several times up to the present. We use the Present Perfect Tense.
4. He ______ for two hours, and he is still working.
✅ Answer: ⓒ has been working
💡 Explanation: The action started in the past and is still continuing. Hence, Present Perfect Continuous.
5. When I reached the station, the train ______.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had left
💡 Explanation: The train left before I reached the station. The earlier past action takes the Past Perfect Tense.
6. They ______ football when it started raining.
✅ Answer: ⓑ were playing
💡 Explanation: The football match was in progress when another action occurred. Use Past Continuous.
7. She ______ her homework before her mother came home.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had finished
💡 Explanation: Completing the homework happened before another past action. Use Past Perfect.
8. We ______ to Delhi next week.
✅ Answer: ⓒ are going
💡 Explanation: Present Continuous can express a fixed future arrangement.
9. By this time next year, he ______ his degree.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will have completed
💡 Explanation: “By this time next year” indicates completion before a future point. Use Future Perfect.
10. I ______ him yesterday.
✅ Answer: ⓒ met
💡 Explanation: “Yesterday” refers to a definite past time, so we use Simple Past.
11. My father ______ in this office since 2010.
✅ Answer: ⓒ has been working
💡 Explanation: “Since 2010” shows an action continuing from the past to the present.
12. Water ______ at 100°C.
✅ Answer: ⓐ boils
💡 Explanation: Scientific and universal facts take the Simple Present Tense.
13. While I ______ a letter, someone knocked at the door.
✅ Answer: ⓑ was writing
💡 Explanation: “While” introduces an action that was in progress. Hence, Past Continuous.
14. He ______ the movie before I recommended it.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had seen
💡 Explanation: He saw the movie before another past action. Use Past Perfect.
15. Listen! Someone ______ at the door.
✅ Answer: ⓒ is knocking
💡 Explanation: “Listen!” indicates an action happening at the moment of speaking.
16. I ______ my work just now.
✅ Answer: ⓒ have finished
💡 Explanation: “Just” commonly indicates a recently completed action connected with the present.
17. She ______ for the examination since morning.
✅ Answer: ⓒ has been studying
💡 Explanation: “Since morning” shows duration from the past until now. Use Present Perfect Continuous.
18. When we arrived, they ______ dinner.
✅ Answer: ⓒ were having
💡 Explanation: Dinner was in progress when we arrived. Use Past Continuous.
19. By 8 p.m. yesterday, we ______ the project.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had completed
💡 Explanation: The project was completed before a specified time in the past. Use Past Perfect.
20. He ______ tomorrow at 6 a.m.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will leave
💡 Explanation: “Tomorrow” indicates a future action. Simple Future is appropriate.
21. If you work hard, you ______ the examination.
✅ Answer: ⓑ will pass
💡 Explanation: First Conditional: If + Simple Present → will + base verb.
22. If I ______ enough money, I would buy a car.
✅ Answer: ⓑ had
💡 Explanation: Second Conditional: If + Simple Past → would + base verb.
23. She ______ in London when she was a child.
✅ Answer: ⓒ lived
💡 Explanation: It describes a completed situation in the past. Use Simple Past.
24. We ______ for the bus for thirty minutes before it arrived.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had been waiting
💡 Explanation: The waiting continued for a period before another past event. Use Past Perfect Continuous.
25. The teacher ______ the lesson before the bell rang.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had completed
💡 Explanation: The lesson was completed before the bell rang. Use Past Perfect.
26. I ______ dinner when my friend called me.
✅ Answer: ⓑ was having
💡 Explanation: Having dinner was in progress when the friend called. Use Past Continuous.
27. He ______ his keys, so he cannot open the door.
✅ Answer: ⓒ has lost
💡 Explanation: The past action has a present result. Use Present Perfect.
28. By next month, she ______ here for five years.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will have been working
💡 Explanation: The action will continue for a period up to a future point. Use Future Perfect Continuous.
29. The sun ______ in the east.
✅ Answer: ⓐ rises
💡 Explanation: A universal truth takes the Simple Present Tense.
30. They ______ the match before the rain started.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had won
💡 Explanation: Winning happened before another past action. Use Past Perfect.
31. I ______ my friend since Monday.
✅ Answer: ⓒ haven't seen
💡 Explanation: “Since Monday” connects a past starting point with the present. Use Present Perfect.
32. At this time tomorrow, I ______ for my examination.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will be studying
💡 Explanation: An action in progress at a particular future time takes Future Continuous.
33. She ______ English for five years before she moved to Delhi.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had been studying
💡 Explanation: The activity continued for five years before another past event. Use Past Perfect Continuous.
34. He ______ TV every evening.
✅ Answer: ⓑ watches
💡 Explanation: “Every evening” indicates a regular habit. Use Simple Present.
35. Why ______ you ______ so loudly?
✅ Answer: ⓑ are, speaking
💡 Explanation: The question refers to an action happening now. Use Present Continuous.
36. I ______ him at the party last night.
✅ Answer: ⓒ saw
💡 Explanation: “Last night” refers to a definite past time. Use Simple Past.
37. She ______ her lunch before she went to college.
✅ Answer: ⓑ had eaten
💡 Explanation: Eating lunch happened before going to college. Use Past Perfect.
38. Don't call me at 9 p.m. I ______.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will be sleeping
💡 Explanation: The action will be in progress at a particular future time. Use Future Continuous.
39. The students ______ their project by Friday.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will have completed
💡 Explanation: “By Friday” indicates completion before a future deadline. Use Future Perfect.
40. It ______ heavily since morning.
✅ Answer: ⓒ has been raining
💡 Explanation: The action started in the past and continues up to the present. Use Present Perfect Continuous.
41. When the police arrived, the thief ______ away.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had run
💡 Explanation: The thief ran away before the police arrived. Use Past Perfect.
42. I promise I ______ you tomorrow.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will help
💡 Explanation: A promise about the future normally takes will + base verb.
43. He ______ his room every Sunday.
✅ Answer: ⓐ cleans
💡 Explanation: “Every Sunday” indicates a habitual action. Use Simple Present.
44. We ______ this problem for the last two hours.
✅ Answer: ⓒ have been discussing
💡 Explanation: “For the last two hours” shows an activity continuing up to the present. Use Present Perfect Continuous.
45. She ______ the letter before I arrived.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had posted
💡 Explanation: Posting the letter happened before another past action. Use Past Perfect.
46. By the time you come back, I ______ the work.
✅ Answer: ⓒ will have finished
💡 Explanation: The work will be completed before a future event. Use Future Perfect.
47. They ______ cricket when I saw them yesterday.
✅ Answer: ⓒ were playing
💡 Explanation: The action was in progress when another past action occurred. Use Past Continuous.
48. He ______ never ______ such a beautiful place before.
✅ Answer: ⓑ had, seen
💡 Explanation: “Before” refers to an experience that happened before a past reference point. Use Past Perfect.
49. I ______ for you since 5 o'clock.
✅ Answer: ⓒ have been waiting
💡 Explanation: The action started at 5 o'clock and continues until now. Use Present Perfect Continuous.
50. After the teacher ______ the question, the students began to answer.
✅ Answer: ⓒ had explained
💡 Explanation: The teacher explained the question before the students began answering. Use Past Perfect.
🧠 QUICK TENSE REVISION
⭐ Important Tense Clues
- usually, always, every day → Simple Present
- now, look, listen → Present Continuous
- already, just, ever, never, since, yet → Present Perfect
- for / since + continuing action → Present Perfect Continuous
- yesterday, last year, ago → Simple Past
- while + action in progress → Past Continuous
- before / after + earlier past action → Past Perfect
- for / since + duration before a past event → Past Perfect Continuous
- tomorrow, next week → Simple Future
- at this time tomorrow → Future Continuous
- by tomorrow / by next year → Future Perfect
- for five years by next year → Future Perfect Continuous
🎯 Exam Tip: First identify the time expression and the relationship between the actions. Then choose the correct tense.
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