English Tenses Practice Tests – Exercise 1 to 15

The below tenses quiz tests your knowledge of a mix of tenses related to the past, present, and future. All exercises tests a student’s understanding of verb tenses.

Exercise – 1

1. Although the police ______ every precaution, the robber managed to escape.

(A) take
(B) takes
(C) has taken
(D) had taken

2. The boys ______ television every night unless they have homework.

(A) watch
(B) watches
(C) watched
(D) watching

3. Maria ______ an appointment to see the doctor. It is at 10.00 am. tomorrow.

(A) make
(B) makes
(C) made
(D) has made

4. They ______ when they are ready.

(A) come
(B) came
(C) will come
(D) have come

5. Judy ______ watching horror films although she has nightmares afterwards.

(A) like
(B) likes
(C) liked
(D) will like

6. It ______ every afternoon for the past week. The weather forecast predicts rain for next week too.

(A) is raining
(B) was raining
(C) has been raining
(D) had been raining

7. I ______ the door before I realized that the keys were inside the house.

(A) lock
(B) locked
(C) has locked
(D) had locked

8. When Sally ______ her first pay, she bought presents for her parents.

(A) receive
(B) received
(C) has received
(D) had received

9. It’s lovely to wake up in the morning and ______ birds singing.

(A) hear
(B) hears
(C) heard
(D) hearing

10. Aaron ______ $80.00 for that bag.

(A) pay
(B) paid
(C) pays
(D) paying

11. When I went back to my hometown three years ago, I found that a lot of changes ______.

(A) are taken place
(B) were taken place
(C) have taken place
(D) had taken place

12. Look ! A hamster ______ by a cat.

(A) is chased
(B) is being chased
(C) was being chased
(D) has been chased

13. I’m sorry the house is not available any longer. It ______ to a timber tycoon.

(A) is sold
(B) was being sold
(C) has been sold
(D) will be sold

14. Ai Ling ______ to Manhattan is 1997.

(A) is transferred
(B) was transferred
(C) has been transferred
(D) should be transferred

15. Passengers ______ to smoke in the train.

(A) are not allowed
(B) was not allowed
(C) had not allowed
(D) will not allow

16. Firemen who battled the fire reported that is ______ under control after forty minutes.

(A) is brought
(B) was brought
(C) can be brought
(D) has been brought

17. The students ______ to leave the building immediately.

(A) ordered
(B) will order
(C) have ordered
(D) have been ordered

18. In future, famous singers ______ to perform at charity concerts.

(A) are invited
(B) were invited
(C) has been invited
(D) will be invited

19. The roof may have been leaking for the past few weeks but you do not have to worry about it any longer. It ______ now.

(A) was repaired
(B) is repairing
(C) has repaired
(D) is being repaired

20. The price ______, but I doubt whether it will remain so.

(A) went down
(B) will go down
(C) has gone down
(D) was going down

21. Hey, look where you are going ! Oh, I’m terribly sorry, ______.

(A) I’m not noticing
(B) I wasn’t noticing
(C) I haven’t noticed
(D) I don’t notice

22. Nancy is not coming tonight. But she ______ !

(A) promises
(B) promised
(C) will promise
(D) had promised

23. Shirley ______ a book about China last year but I don’t know whether she has finished it.

(A) has written
(B) wrote
(C) had written
(D) was writing

24. Hi, Tracy, you look tired. I am tired. I ______ the living room all day.

(A) painted
(B) had painted
(C) have been painting
(D) have painted

25. My mother ______ meat from the butcher once a week.

(A) is buying
(B) has bought
(C) buys
(D) will have bought

26. The groom, together with his parents, ______ the guests.

(A) is greeting
(B) have greeted
(C) are greeting
(D) were greeting

27. None of the new equipment ______ yet.

(A) has arrived
(B) have arrived
(C) were arriving
(D) are arriving

28. ______ she ______ a lot of friends at the party ?

(A) Does, makes
(B) Did, make
(C) Did, made
(D) Do, make

29. Nobody ______ the telephone an hour ago.

(A) is using
(B) were using
(C) was using
(D) has used

30. If I ______ some money I would not have to borrow now.

(A) am saving
(B) have saved
(C) saved
(D) had saved

31. A river ______ downstream.

(A) flows
(B) will flow
(C) is flowing
(D) was flowing

32. She ______ a maid by next year.

(A) employs
(B) employed
(C) has employed
(D) will have employed

33. He ______ never ______ since he nearly ______ .

(A) has … swum, drowned
(B) had … swum, was drowning
(C) was … swimming, drowned
(D) did … swum, had drowned

34. We ______ jungle-trekking.

(A) are disliking
(B) have disliked
(C) dislike
(D) were disliking

35. The members ______ for a new committee in the coming meeting.

(A) were voting
(B) are voting
(C) had voted
(D) have noted

36. They ______ ready for his moment for weeks.

(A) get
(B) get getting
(C) will get
(D) have been getting

37. ______ Pam and Bobby ______ the rules ?

(A) Were, knowing
(B) Does, knows
(C) Are, knowing
(D) Do, know

38. Shareen ______ her driving test on the first attempt.

(A) is passing
(B) passed
(C) was passing
(D) has been passing

39. The old lady ______ for a long time before she ______ away.

(A) had been suffering, passed
(B) was suffering, had passed
(C) is suffering, passed
(D) has suffered, was passing

40. I ______ an appointment with the dentist soon.

(A) make
(B) made
(C) will make
(D) have made

41. The people next door ______ a lot of noise until past midnight.

(A) was making
(B) has made
(C) are making
(D) were making

42. A journalist ______ to interview you later today.

(A) came
(B) will be coming
(C) had come
(D) has been coming

43. The clerk ______ the money from the bank by one o-clock.

(A) is withdrawing
(B) had been withdrawing
(C) has withdrawn
(D) will have withdrawn

44. Charles ______ his father in the shop until school ______ .

(A) was helping, will start
(B) helped, was starting
(C) is helping, starts
(D) has helped, is starting

45. Don’t worry ______ late tonight.

(A) if I am
(B) when I am
(C) when I’ll be
(D) if I’ll be

46. We’re good friends. We ______ each other for a long time.

(A) know
(B) have known
(C) have been knowing
(D) knew

47. John ______ tennis once or twice a week.

(A) is playing usually
(B) is usually playing
(C) usually plays
(D) plays usually

48. The man sitting next to me on the plane was nervous because he ______ before.

(A) hasn’t flown
(B) didn’t fly
(C) hadn’t flown
(D) wasn’t flying

49. It’s two years ______ Joe.

(A) that I don’t see
(B) that I haven’t seen
(C) since I didn’t see
(D) since I saw

50. ______ a car when they were living in London ?

(A) Had they
(B) Did they have
(C) Were they having
(D) Have they had

Answers:

Exercise – 2

Use the correct past tense (active or passive) of the verbs in the brackets to give the sentence the right sequence.

John’s father ( paint ) the gate when we ( go ) to their house. Only half the gate ( paint ).
I ( turn ) round when I ( feel ) someone tap me on the shoulder. It ( be ) my friend who said that he ( follow ) me for some distance.
It ( not rain ) for more than a week; but yesterday I ( notice ) some rain clouds in the sky, and sure enough it ( rain ) last night.
Mr. Hill ( drive ) to work when he ( realize ) that he ( not bring ) his office keys with him.
The boy ( not eat ) for almost three days; but when she ( give ) him some food, he ( refuse ) to take it.
The sun ( shine ) brightly and there ( be ) not a cloud in the sky. We ( choose ) a fine day for the picnic.
The inspector ( hold ) him by the collar and ( demand ) to know where he ( hide ) the things he ( steal ).
They ( argue ) about the matter when their father ( come ) in. Luckily, he could settle the matter for them.
The wind ( blow ) quite strongly; it ( be ) evident that a storm ( approach ), so we ( decide ) to stay indoors.
Although the telephone ( ring ), no one ( bother ) to answer it. It ( continue ) ringing for some time, then ( stop ).

Answers:

painted, went, painted
turned, felt, was, followed
did not rain, noticed, rained
drove, realized, did not bring
did not eat, gave, refused
shone, was, chose
held, demanded, hid, stole
argued, came
blew, was, approached, decided
rang, bothered, continued, stopped

Exercise – 3

Correct the mistakes in these sentences. Use the simple present or past tense form of the verbs

The pilgrims are arrived at the airport last night.
Every year my father has driven to New Jersey to visit my grandparents.
My brother had choose not to study medicine at the university.
They were hearing you the first time you called them.
Nowadays tuition centers are playing an important role in education.
I am worry when I seeing my father smoke so heavily.
All my friends admiring my brother because he is tall and good-looking.
My aunt is kind but she is talking too much and too often.
I was breaking my leg when I played rugby last week.
This rule is applied only to foreign workers in China.

Answers:

The pilgrims arrived at the airport last night.
Every year my father drives to New Jersey to visit my grandparents.
My brother chose not to study medicine at the university.
They heard you the first time you called them.
Nowadays tuition centers play an important role in education.
I worry when I see my father smoke so heavily.
All my friends admire my brother because he is tall and good-looking.
My aunt is kind but she talks too much and too often.
I broke my leg when I played rugby last week.
This rule applies only to foreign workers in China.

Exercise – 4

Correct the mistakes in these sentences wherever necessary

The postman has came already. There are no letters for you.
She dreaming of the day when she can go to China to visit her relatives.
Chandra was mop the house with an old rag.
Jill was standing at the bus-stop when I saw her.
All the books is belonging to me. I love books.
I have saw Jack with that strange woman many times.
The car looks dirty but it was cleaned yesterday.
Since the new market opened, I had done my shopping there.
Salsa was went to Singapore last Monday.
I have just driven 600 kilometers from Saint Peter Street.

Answers:

The postman has come already. There are no letters for you.
She is dreaming of the day when she can go to China to visit her relatives.
Chandra was mopping the house with an old rag.
Jill was standing at the bus-stop when I saw her.
All the books belong to me. I love books.
I have seen Jack with that strange woman many times.
The car looks dirty but it was cleaned yesterday.
Since the new market opened, I have done my shopping there.
Salsa went to Singapore last Monday.
I have just driven 600 kilometers from Saint Peter Street.

Exercise – 5

Choose the correct form (tense) of the verbs in brackets.

I waited for my friend until he ( come ).
He ran as quickly as he ( can ).
You make so much noise that I ( can’t ) work.
He speaks as though he ( be ) very angry.
The soldier advanced as far as he ( dare ).
I do it because I ( choose ) to.
I would not attempt it if you ( ask ) me.
Hannah asked her teacher what she ( can ) do.
We shall rest here until Gerard ( come ).
He stayed at home because he ( be ) tired.
Whenever we meet, we ( talk ) of old times.
Answer the first question before you ( continue ).
As soon as Penny ( hear ) the news she wrote to me.
After the shower ( be ) over, the sun shone again.
My grandmother’s health ( improve ) after she gave up eating meat.

Answers:

I waited for my friend until he came.
He ran as quickly as he could.
You make so much noise that I can’t work.
He speaks as though he is very angry.
The soldier advanced as far as he dared.
I do it because I choose to.
I would not attempt it if you asked me.
Hannah asked her teacher what she could do.
We shall rest here until Gerard comes.
He stayed at home because he was tired.
Whenever we meet, we talk of old times.
Answer the first question before you continue.
As soon as Penny heard the news she wrote to me.
After the shower was over, the sun shone again.
My grandmother’s health improved after she gave up eating meat.

Exercise – 6

Complete the sentences with the correct verbs. Pay attention to the sequence of tenses

They sold the car because it ______ old.
He told them that they ______ wrong.
I asked him what his name ______.
A school is a place where learning ______ place.
Nina has a cow that ______ enormous quantities of milk.
He tells me that I ______ wrong.
I heard that there ______ a disturbance in town last night.
I like him because his manners ______ me feel respected.
We must approach as many customers as we ______.
Could you doubt that there ______ a God ?

Answers:

was
were
was
takes
gives/produces
am
was
make
can
is

Exercise – 7

Choose the continuous or the simple form of the verb in brackets.

I rushed into the train just as it ( leave ) the station.
She says she ( feel ) very cold. She ( want ) you to switch off the fan.
I ( watch ) the news when my uncle arrived.
Tom ( see ) the film in town on Saturday.
She ( sing ) all her favorite songs at the party.
Kate ( has ) two children. They ( visit ) Australia right now.
Don’t take that book, please. Judy ( read ) it.
My brothers ( learn ) German after school.
I once ( work ) in a Greek restaurant in New York.
The accident happened when they ( come ) down Mount Everest.

Answers:

I rushed into the train just as it was leaving the station.
She says she is feeling very cold. She wants you to switch off the fan.
I was watching the news when my uncle arrived.
Tom saw the film in town on Saturday.
She sang all her favorite songs at the party.
Kate has two children. They are visiting Australia right now.
Don’t take that book, please. Judy is reading it.
My brothers are learning German after school.
I once worked in a Greek restaurant in New York.
The accident happened when they came/were coming down Mount Everest.

Exercise – 8

Complete the sentences with a verb from the box. Use the simple present or past tense. Sometimes a negative form is necessary.

use forget dislike has live happen go happen see forget flood move speak

The earth ______ round the sun.
My friends ______ the Prime Minister yesterday.
Nobody in my class ______ Japanese but I ______ to learn soon.
Your train ______ in an hour so please hurry up.
I ______ to lock the back door last night but fortunately nothing ______.
We ______ spicy food so we never eat Thai food.
Tony ______ in Manhattan now but he ______ home to Brooklyn at least twice a year.
At this time of the year, Charles always ______.
Poor Mina ______ an accident last month.
I ______ chopsticks all the time.

Answers:

moves
saw
speaks, intend
leaves
forgot, happened
dislike
lives, goes
floods
had
use

Exercise – 9

Choose the simple past, present perfect or past perfect forms for the verbs in brackets.

My sister ( live ) in New Orland for many years but she may move to Arkansas soon.
Peter ( get ) up at half past six this morning.
I ( not see ) the exhibition yet.
We ( travel ) to Bangkok by bus two weeks ago.
Joan ( not eat ) any toast. It is still on the table.
Cherry ( cook ) fish curry for us and she is expecting us for dinner at eight.
You ( not post ) the letter yet. I saw it on the dining table.
Proudly Sonja showed me the dress she ( buy ) the day before.
After we ( look ) around the art gallery, we went for lunch.
Susan ( walk ) across the park and then she went home.

Answers:

My sister has lived in New Orland for many years but she may move to Arkansas soon.
Peter got up at half past six this morning.
I have not seen the exhibition yet.
We traveled to Bangkok by bus two weeks ago.
Joan has not eaten any toast. It is still on the table.
Cherry is cooking fish curry for us and she is expecting us for dinner at eight.
You have not posted the letter yet. I saw it on the dining table.
Proudly Sonja showed me the dress she had bought the day before.
After we looked around the art gallery, we went for lunch.
Susan walked across the park and then she went home.

Exercise – 10

Put the verb into the correct form.

We can go out now. It __ ( not/rain ) any more.
Ann __ ( wait ) for me when I __ ( arrive ).
I __ ( get ) hungry. Let’s go and have something to eat.
What __ ( you/do ) in your spare time ? Have you got ay hobbies ?
What speed __ ( the car/do ) at the time of the accident ?
Mary usually __ ( phone ) me on Fridays but she __ ( not/phone ) last Friday.
A : When I last saw you, you __ ( think ) of moving to a new flat.
B : That’s right, but in the end I __ ( decide ) to stay where I was.
What’s that noise ? What __ ( happens ) ?
It’s usually dry here at this time of the year. It __ ( not /rain ) much.
Yesterday evening the phone __ ( ring ) three times while we __ (have ) dinner.
Linda was busy when we __ ( go ) to see her yesterday. She __ ( study ) for an exam. We __ ( not/want ) to disturb her, so we __ ( not/stay ) very long.
When I first __ ( tell ) Tom the news, he __ ( not/believe ) me. He __ (think ) that I __ ( joke ).

Answers:

isn’t raining
was waiting … arrived
am getting
do you do
was the car doing
phones … didn’t phone
were thinking … decided
is happening
doesn’t rain
rang … were having
went … was studying … didn’t want … didn’t stay
told … didn’t believe … thought … was joking

Exercise – 11

Put the verb into the most suitable form

Who ______ ( invent ) the bicycle ?
‘Do you still have a headache ?’ ‘No, ______ ( it/go ). I’m all right now.’
I was the last to leave the office. Everybody else ______ ( go ) home.
What ______ ( you/do ) last weekend ? ______ ( you/go ) away ?
I like your car. How long ______ ( you/have ) it ?
We decided not to go out because ______ ( it/rain ) quite hard.
Jill is an experienced teacher. ______ ( she/teach ) for 15 years.
_______ ( I/buy ) a new jacket last week but ______ ( I/not/wear ) it yet.
A few days ago ______ ( I/see ) a man at a party whose face ______ ( be ) very familiar. At first I couldn’t think where ______ ( I/see ) him before. Then suddenly ______ (I/remember ) who ______ ( it/be ).
______ ( you/hear ) of Agatha Christie ? ______ ( she/be ) a writer who ______ ( die ) in 1976. ______ ( she/write ) more than 70 detective novels. ______ ( you/read ) any of them ?
A : What ______ ( this word / mean ) ?
B : I’ve no idea. ______ ( I/never/see ) it before. Look it up in the dictionary.
A : _______ ( you/arrive ) at the theater in time for the play last night ?
B : No, we were late. By the time we got there, ______ ( it/already/begin ).
I went to John’s room and ______ ( knock ) on the door but there ( he/go ) out or ______ ( he/not/want ) to see anyone.
Angela asked me how to use the photocopier. ______ ( she/never/use ) it before, so ______ ( she/not/know ) what to do.
Mary ______ ( go ) for a swim after work yesterday. ______ ( she/need ) some exercise because ______ ( she/sit ) in an office all day in front of a computer.

Answers:

invented
it’s gone
had gone
did you do… Did you go
have you had
it was raining
She has been teaching
I bought … I haven’t worn
I saw … was … I had seen … I remembered … it was
Have you heard … She was … died … She wrote … Have you read
does this word mean … I’ve never seen
Did you arrive … it had already begun
knocked … was … he’d gone/he had gone … he didn’t want
She had never used … she didn’t know
went … She needed … she had been sitting

Exercise – 12

Read these sentences and underline the correct option in brackets.

If he arrives late just one more time I ( will/would ) suspend him.
I am happy he was promoted. He ( has/had ) worked very hard over the past six years.
I ( am having/have ) a high temperature and a sore throat. I feel terrible !
They ( consider/are considering ) her to be one of the best players in Thailand.
He is such a lazy man. His boss ( would/will ) often find him sleeping in the afternoon.
The boss ( considers/is considering ) my application for promotion.
They ( lived/have lived ) for twenty years in the same old house before they moved to Manhattan.
The letters V.I.P. ( stand/are standing ) for Very Important Person.
I’m sorry I haven’t had time to see you recently. I ( write/am writing ) a new book.
If all the countries of the world cooperated a little more, the world (will/would ) be a nicer place to live in.
When they got home they found that their house ( was/had been ) burgled.
They ( are seeming/seem ) like a very nice couple.
Many people in Vietnam ( are owning/own ) their own house these days.
We ( are keeping/keep ) an eye on his house while he is away on holiday. He is due back next week.
I ( am loving/love ) my brothers and sisters very much although we often argue.

Answers:

If he arrives late just one more time I will suspend him.
I am happy he was promoted. He has worked very hard over the past six years.
I have a high temperature and a sore throat. I feel terrible !
They consider her to be one of the best players in Thailand.
He is such a lazy man. His boss will often find him sleeping in the afternoon.
The boss is considering my application for promotion.
They lived for twenty years in the same old house before they moved to Manhattan.
The letters V.I.P. stand for Very Important Person.
I’m sorry I haven’t had time to see you recently. I am writing a new book.
If all the countries of the world cooperated a little more, the world would be a nicer place to live in.
When they got home they found that their house had been burgled.
They seem like a very nice couple.
Many people in Vietnam own their own house these days.
We are keeping an eye on his house while he is away on holiday. He is due back next week.
I love my brothers and sisters very much although we often argue.

Exercise – 13

Read these sentences and underline the correct option in brackets.

Sam and Peter ( are coming/come ) to watch TV at our house this evening.
If you drive all the way without stopping you ( will/would ) feel really tired.
The moon ( is going/goes ) around the Earth.
They ( are going/go ) to aerobics class twice a week.
Indians ( eat/are eating ) a lot of curry and spicy dishes.
Your perfume ( smells/is smelling ) rather nice. What is it ?
If they knew how much work you did, they ( will/would ) feel obliged to give you rise.
She ( sold/has sold ) her old car to a student last week.
They ( have/ are having ) a Volvo and van too.
He promised that he ( will/would ) return the money to me by next week.
Michael ( is/is being ) very selfish about this. I think it’s time he started thinking of others a little !
The two girls arrived after the concert ( has/had ) started.
Hussein ( went/has been ) jogging three times already this week.
We ( have/are having ) a lot of fun with the new video games at the moment.
The law ( applies/is applying ) to all who live in this country.

Answers:

Sam and Peter are coming to watch TV at our house this evening.
If you drive all the way without stopping you will feel really tired.
The moon goes around the Earth.
They go to aerobics class twice a week.
Indians eat a lot of curry and spicy dishes.
Your perfume smells rather nice. What is it ?
If they knew how much work you did, they would feel obliged to give you rise.
She sold her old car to a student last week.
They have a Volvo and van too.
He promised that he would return the money to me by next week.
Michael is being very selfish about this. I think it’s time he started thinking of others a little !
The two girls arrived after the concert had started.
Hussein has been jogging three times already this week.
We are having a lot of fun with the new video games at the moment.
The law applies to all who live in this country.

Exercise – 14

Underline the correct tense in the brackets .

He ( is being / is ) deliberately difficult about selling you the house.
He ( isn’t understanding / doesn’t understand ) what you mean. Explain it to him again ?
I ( am feeling / feel ) that part of what she claims is true.
I ( am feeling / feel ) a pain in my knee every time I try to run.
Mr. Lee and his wife ( are having / have ) a small business in Queensland.
They ( are finding / find ) lots of new friends in News Jersey.
They ( are weighing / weigh ) the fish at this very moment.
The tea they serve at that stall ( is tasting / tastes ) delicious.
The quality of his work ( is comparing / compares ) with the best in his field.
I ( am finding / find ) him rather a difficult person to get on with.
She ( is weighing / weighs ) almost as much as her mother and she’s only eight !
They are a very nice couple and they ( are having / have ) six lovely kids.
He ( is appearing / appears ) very tired at the moment.

Answers:

He is being deliberately difficult about selling you the house.
He doesn’t understand what you mean. Explain it to him again ?
I feel that part of what she claims is true.
I feel a pain in my knee every time I try to run.
Mr. Lee and his wife have a small business in Queensland.
They are finding lots of new friends in News Jersey.
They are weighing the fish at this very moment.
The tea they serve at that stall tastes delicious.
The quality of his work compares with the best in his field.
I find him rather a difficult person to get on with.
She weighs almost as much as her mother and she’s only eight !
They are a very nice couple and they have six lovely kids.
He appears very tired at the moment.

Exercise – 15

The actor ( is appearing / appears ) in a new stage comedy at the moment.
You should think more of others ! You ( are being / are ) very selfish about this.
This rule ( is applying / applies ) to all newcomers.
Don’t stop the children from playing. They ( are having / have ) a lot of fun.
The new national car ( is costing / costs ) only a little more than the old model.
Ahmad ( is applying / applies ) for a new job in the private sector.
My mother ( is having / has ) the flu so I must stay at home to look after her.
The Prime Minister ( is holding / holds ) a press conference this evening.
The letters ASAP ( are standing / stand ) for AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
The container ( is holding / holds ) up to 2500 cubic meters of goods.
He ( is looking / looks ) a great deal like his father.
He ( is standing / stands ) for the post of party leader.
The boy ( is measuring / measures ) over six feet.