Grammar: Basic Tense Quiz Questions!
(75).jpg "Grammar: Basic Tense Quiz Questions! - Quiz")
The correct use of tense is an important skill, as it helps with communication. There are thirteen verb tenses in English. Some examples include simple present, simple past, simple future, perfect present tense, simple continuous perfect, simple present tense, and past simple positive. During this quiz, you will be invited to fill in the blank with the words that correspond with the proper tense. If you want to learn about verb tenses, take this quiz. You’ve got this.
- 1.
Look! Andy __________ in the garden.
- A.
Am working
- B.
Are working
- C.
Is working
Correct Answer
C. Is workingExplanation
The correct form is "is working." In this sentence, "Andy" is a singular subject, so the verb must agree in number. "Is" is the correct verb form for a singular third-person subject (he/she/it), and "working" is the present participle, which is used to describe an ongoing action in the present continuous tense. The other options are incorrect because they do not match the subject-verb agreement.Rate this question:
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- 2.
I __________ TV at the moment.
- A.
Am watching
- B.
Are watching
- C.
Is watching
Correct Answer
A. Am watchingExplanation
The correct answer is "am watching" because the sentence is in the present continuous tense, which is used to describe actions happening at the current moment. The pronoun "I" is followed by the present tense form of the verb "watch," which is "am watching." This indicates that the speaker is currently engaged in the activity of watching TV.Rate this question:
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- 3.
We _________ a book.
- A.
Am reading
- B.
Is reading
- C.
Are reading
Correct Answer
C. Are readingExplanation
The correct answer is "are reading" because the subject "we" is plural, indicating that more than one person is involved in the action of reading. In English, when the subject is plural, we use the plural form of the verb, which in this case is "are."Rate this question:
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- 4.
She _________ the piano.
- A.
Is playing
- B.
Are playing
- C.
Am playing
Correct Answer
A. Is playingExplanation
The correct answer is "is playing" because the subject "she" is singular and requires the singular form of the verb "to play."Rate this question:
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- 5.
Listen! Sue and John ____________.
- A.
Am singing
- B.
Is singing
- C.
Are singing
Correct Answer
C. Are singingExplanation
The correct answer is "are singing" because the subject of the sentence, Sue and John, is plural. In English, when the subject is plural, we use the plural form of the verb, which is "are" in this case. Therefore, the correct sentence is "Sue and John are singing."Rate this question:
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- 6.
My sister (to clean) _________ the bathroom
Correct Answer
is cleaningExplanation
The correct answer is "is cleaning" because the sentence is in the present continuous tense, indicating an action that is happening at the moment of speaking. The verb "clean" is being used in the present continuous form "is cleaning" to show that the sister is currently engaged in the activity of cleaning the bathroom.Rate this question:
- 7.
I (to wait) ____________ in the car now.
Correct Answer
am waitingExplanation
The correct answer is "am waiting" because the sentence is in the present continuous tense, which is used to describe an action happening at the moment of speaking. In this case, the speaker is currently waiting in the car.Rate this question:
- 8.
Mrs. Miller (to listen) _____________ to CDs.
Correct Answer
is listeningExplanation
The correct answer is "is listening". This is because the sentence is in the present continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that are happening at the moment of speaking. In this case, it indicates that Mrs. Miller is currently engaged in the activity of listening to CDs.Rate this question:
- 9.
We (to speak) ___________ English at the moment.
Correct Answer
are speakingExplanation
The correct answer is "are speaking" because the sentence is referring to the present moment and the continuous tense is used to indicate an action that is happening right now.Rate this question:
- 10.
The members of the jury _____ in the next room casting their votes.
- A.
Is
- B.
Are
- C.
Was
Correct Answer
B. AreExplanation
The correct answer is "are" because "members" is a plural noun, and when referring to multiple people, the verb should be plural as well. Therefore, "are" is the correct form of the verb to agree with the subject "members."Rate this question:
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- 11.
Which of these people ______ you met?
- A.
Have
- B.
Had
- C.
Do
Correct Answer
A. HaveExplanation
The correct answer is "have". This is because the question is asking about a past experience of meeting someone, and "have" is the correct auxiliary verb to use in the present perfect tense to indicate a past action with a present relevance.Rate this question:
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- 12.
Does mark know that Cathy ______ him?
- A.
Is liking
- B.
Likes
- C.
Like
Correct Answer
B. LikesExplanation
The correct answer is "likes". This is because the question is asking about Cathy's feelings towards Mark, and the verb "likes" is the correct form to use in this context.Rate this question:
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- 13.
The wind shifted ______ direction.
- A.
It's
- B.
Its
Correct Answer
B. ItsExplanation
The correct answer is "its". In this sentence, "its" is used as a possessive pronoun to show that the wind is changing its own direction. "It's" is a contraction of "it is" and would not make sense in this context.Rate this question:
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- 14.
_______ dog was barking last night?
- A.
Who's
- B.
Whose
Correct Answer
B. WhoseExplanation
The correct answer is "Whose." This is because "Whose" is used to indicate possession or ownership. In this context, the question is asking about the owner of the dog that was barking last night.Rate this question:
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- 15.
Choose the correct sentence:
- A.
That soup tastes strangely.
- B.
That soup tastes strange.
Correct Answer
B. That soup tastes strange.Explanation
The correct answer is "That soup tastes strange." This sentence uses the adjective "strange" to describe the taste of the soup. The word "strange" is used to express an unusual or unfamiliar taste, which fits the context of the sentence.Rate this question:
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- 16.
Choose the correct sentence:
- A.
I feel badly when you leave.
- B.
I feel bad when you leave.
Correct Answer
B. I feel bad when you leave.Explanation
The correct sentence is "I feel bad when you leave." This is because "bad" is an adjective that describes the feeling, whereas "badly" is an adverb that describes how the feeling is experienced. Since the verb "feel" requires an adjective to describe the subject's state of being, "bad" is the appropriate choice in this context.Rate this question:
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- 17.
The fire fighters ________ the alarm and spring into action.
- A.
Hears
- B.
Hear
- C.
Heard
Correct Answer
B. HearExplanation
The correct answer is "hear". In this sentence, the subject "fire fighters" is plural, so the verb needs to agree with it. "Hear" is the correct present tense form of the verb to match the plural subject.Rate this question:
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- 18.
Congressional elections ______ held every two years.
- A.
Was
- B.
Is
- C.
Are
Correct Answer
C. AreExplanation
Congressional elections are held every two years. This is because the U.S. Constitution mandates that members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms. Therefore, elections for the House of Representatives are held every two years to ensure that there is a regular turnover of representatives and that the people have the opportunity to elect new representatives frequently.Rate this question:
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- 19.
I _______ the play that was recently reviewed in the Daily Chronicle.(present perfect)
- A.
Have seen
- B.
Had seen
- C.
Saw
Correct Answer
A. Have seenExplanation
The correct answer is "have seen" because the present perfect tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still relevant in the present. In this case, the speaker is referring to their experience of watching the play, which happened at an unspecified time before the present moment.Rate this question:
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- 20.
Cynthia ________ my friend since the first day she moved to town.(present perfect)
- A.
Had been
- B.
Was
- C.
Has been
- D.
Have been
Correct Answer
C. Has beenExplanation
The correct answer is "has been". This is because the sentence is in the present perfect tense, which indicates an action or state that started in the past and continues into the present. "Has been" is the present perfect form of the verb "to be", and it is used to show that Cynthia has been my friend since the first day she moved to town.Rate this question:
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- 21.
Mark __________ drying the dishes by the time Sam arrived.(past perfect)
- A.
Had finished
- B.
Was finished
- C.
Have finished
Correct Answer
A. Had finishedExplanation
The correct answer is "had finished." This is because the sentence is in the past perfect tense, which is used to show an action that was completed before another past action. In this case, the action of Mark finishing drying the dishes happened before Sam arrived.Rate this question:
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- 22.
I _______ good things about you long before I met you.(past perfect)
- A.
Have heard
- B.
Had heard
- C.
Heard
Correct Answer
B. Had heardExplanation
The sentence is talking about hearing good things about someone before meeting them. Since the action of hearing occurred before the action of meeting, the past perfect tense "had heard" is used to indicate this sequence of events in the past.Rate this question:
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- 23.
Sandra __________ two years of college by the time you see her this summer.(future perfect)
- A.
Will finish
- B.
Will be finished
- C.
Will have finished
Correct Answer
C. Will have finishedExplanation
By using the future perfect tense "will have finished," the sentence suggests that Sandra will complete two years of college before the specific point in time mentioned, which is when the person sees her this summer. This implies that Sandra is currently in college and will have completed the two-year program by the summer.Rate this question:
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- 24.
I will meet you when classes ______ over.
- A.
Will be
- B.
Are
- C.
Is
Correct Answer
C. IsExplanation
The correct answer is "is" because the sentence is in the present tense and refers to a future event. "Is" is the correct form of the verb "to be" to use with the subject "classes" in this context.Rate this question:
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- 25.
Choose the correct sentence:
- A.
Mark both likes Monica and Sandy.
- B.
Mark likes both Monica and Sandy.
Correct Answer
B. Mark likes both Monica and Sandy.Explanation
The correct sentence is "Mark likes both Monica and Sandy." This sentence correctly uses the word "both" to indicate that Mark has positive feelings towards both Monica and Sandy. The sentence also uses the verb "likes" to show that Mark has a liking or preference for both individuals.Rate this question:
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- 26.
Choose the correct sentence:
- A.
We went not only to the bank but also grocery shopping.
- B.
We went not only to the bank but also to the grocery store.
Correct Answer
B. We went not only to the bank but also to the grocery store.Explanation
The correct sentence is "We went not only to the bank but also to the grocery store." This sentence is grammatically correct because it includes the necessary preposition "to" before "the grocery store." The sentence also uses parallel structure by including "not only" before "to the bank" and "but also" before "to the grocery store."Rate this question:
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- 27.
Choose the correct sentence. (consistency of tense)
- A.
John walked into the study hall and starts complaining about his grade on the spelling test.
- B.
John walked into the study hall and started complaining about his grade on the spelling test.
Correct Answer
B. John walked into the study hall and started complaining about his grade on the spelling test.Explanation
The correct answer is "John walked into the study hall and started complaining about his grade on the spelling test." This is the correct sentence because it maintains consistency of tense. The verb "walked" is in the past tense, and the verb "started" is also in the past tense, indicating that both actions occurred in the past.Rate this question:
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- 28.
You must _______ what I tell you to do.
- A.
Exactly do
- B.
Do exactly
Correct Answer
B. Do exactlyExplanation
The correct answer is "do exactly." This phrase means that the person being addressed should perform the action exactly as it is instructed or stated. It emphasizes the importance of following the instructions precisely without any deviation or interpretation.Rate this question:
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- 29.
You are getting very excited in meeting Mr. Smith, _______?
- A.
Aren't you
- B.
Are you not
- C.
Are you
Correct Answer
A. Aren't youExplanation
The correct answer is "Aren't you". This is because the phrase "aren't you" is a contraction of "are you not" and is used to seek confirmation or agreement from the listener. In this context, the speaker is expressing their excitement about meeting Mr. Smith and is expecting the listener to share the same sentiment.Rate this question:
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- 30.
Which sentence is in the past perfect tense?
- A.
She has finished her homework.
- B.
She will finish her homework.
- C.
She had finished her homework before dinner.
- D.
She finishes her homework every day.
Correct Answer
C. She had finished her homework before dinner.Explanation
The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action in the past. The correct sentence, "She had finished her homework before dinner," shows that the homework was completed before the dinner took place. The use of "had" plus the past participle "finished" indicates the past perfect tense, distinguishing it from the other options, which are in different tenses.Rate this question:
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Mar 17, 2025Quiz Edited by
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Jul 15, 2009Quiz Created by
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