Tenses Exercises

One of the most important topics in English grammar is tenses. It indicates the time of an action and shows whether it occurs in the present, past, or future. Since the correct use of tenses is essential for forming meaningful and grammatically correct sentences, regular practice becomes necessary for mastery. Through practicing tenses exercises, you can strengthen your understanding of different tense forms, identify common errors, and develop confidence in using English effectively in both spoken and written communication.

Table of Contents

• Tenses Exercises with Answers
• Exercise 1: Identify the Type of Tense
• Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Tense Form
• Exercise 3: Change the Tense as Directed
• Exercise 4: Choose the Correct Option

Tenses Exercises with Answers

Practising grammar regularly is one of the most effective ways to understand and remember tenses. Tenses help in identifying the time of an action and play an important role in sentence construction. The following exercises are designed to test the understanding of different types of tenses and their correct usage. Each exercise is followed by answers for self-evaluation.

Exercise 1: Identify the Type of Tense

Read the sentences given below and identify the tense used in each sentence.

1. She writes neatly in her notebook.
2. The children were playing in the garden.
3. He has completed his project on time.
4. They will visit their grandparents tomorrow.
5. My father works in a bank.
6. The teacher explained the lesson yesterday.
7. I am learning French these days.
8. The train had left before we reached the station.
9. She has been reading for two hours.
10. We watched a movie last night.
11. He will be attending the meeting next week.
12. The baby is sleeping peacefully.
13. They have known each other since childhood.
14. The farmer had been working in the field all day.
15. She will have completed the course by June.

Answers

1. Simple Present Tense
2. Past Continuous Tense
3. Present Perfect Tense
4. Simple Future Tense
5. Simple Present Tense
6. Simple Past Tense
7. Present Continuous Tense
8. Past Perfect Tense
9. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
10. Simple Past Tense
11. Future Continuous Tense
12. Present Continuous Tense
13. Present Perfect Tense
14. Past Perfect Continuous Tense
15. Future Perfect Tense

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Tense Form

Fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verb given in brackets.

1. She _____ (read) a book right now.
2. They _____ (finish) their homework already.
3. We _____ (go) to the park every evening.
4. He _____ (wait) for the bus since morning.
5. The dog _____ (bark) loudly last night.
6. I _____ (study) for the exam tomorrow.
7. She _____ (cook) dinner when the guests arrived.
8. The boys _____ (play) cricket in the field.
9. He _____ (complete) the task before the deadline.
10. They _____ (live) in this city for ten years.
11. She _____ (sing) beautifully at the concert yesterday.
12. We _____ (watch) television at that time.
13. The train _____ (arrive) in five minutes.
14. He _____ (repair) the bicycle all morning.
15. I _____ (submit) the form by next week.

Answers

1. is reading
2. have finished
3. go
4. has been waiting
5. barked
6. will study
7. was cooking
8. are playing
9. completed
10. have lived
11. sang
12. were watching
13. will arrive
14. has been repairing
15. will submit

Exercise 3: Change the Tense as Directed

Rewrite the sentences by changing the tense as instructed.

1. She writes a letter. (Past Continuous Tense)
2. He played football yesterday. (Present Perfect Tense)
3. They are watching a match. (Simple Past Tense)
4. I have completed the work. (Past Perfect Tense)
5. The baby cries loudly. (Future Continuous Tense)
6. We visited the museum last week. (Present Perfect Tense)
7. She is learning music. (Simple Present Tense)
8. He had finished his lunch. (Past Perfect Continuous Tense)
9. The students study hard. (Future Perfect Tense)
10. I was reading a novel. (Simple Present Tense)
11. They will attend the function. (Past Continuous Tense)
12. She has written a poem. (Simple Past Tense)
13. The teacher explains the topic. (Future Continuous Tense)
14. He had been working here for years. (Simple Past Tense)
15. We are planning a trip. (Future Perfect Tense)

Answers

1. She was writing a letter.
2. He has played football.
3. They watched a match.
4. I had completed the work.
5. The baby will be crying loudly.
6. We have visited the museum.
7. She learns music.
8. He had been finishing his lunch.
9. The students will have studied hard.
10. I read a novel.
11. They were attending the function.
12. She wrote a poem.
13. The teacher will be explaining the topic.
14. He worked here for years.
15. We will have planned a trip.

Exercise 4: Choose the Correct Option

Choose the correct tense form to complete each sentence.

1. She _____ to school every day.
   a) goes
   b) went
   c) is going
2. They _____ dinner when I called them.
   a) have
   b) were having
   c) will have
3. He _____ the letter already.
   a) writes
   b) has written
   c) will write
4. We _____ a test tomorrow.
   a) give
   b) gave
   c) will give
5. The sun _____ in the east.
   a) rises
   b) rose
   c) is rising
6. She _____ for the exam all night.
   a) studied
   b) has studied
   c) had been studying
7. I _____ this movie before.
   a) saw
   b) have seen
   c) see
8. The children _____ in the park now.
   a) played
   b) are playing
   c) have played
9. He _____ the job last year.
   a) gets
   b) got
   c) has got
10. They _____ in Delhi since 2010.
    a) live
    b) lived
    c) have lived
11. She _____ a song when the lights went out.
    a) sang
    b) was singing
    c) has sung
12. We _____ the project by next month.
    a) complete
    b) will complete
    c) will have completed
13. The baby _____ asleep already.
    a) falls
    b) has fallen
    c) fell
14. He _____ the door before leaving.
    a) locks
    b) locked
    c) had locked
15. I _____ my homework now.
    a) do
    b) did
    c) am doing

Answers

1. a) goes
2. b) were having
3. b) has written
4. c) will give
5. a) rises
6. c) had been studying
7. b) have seen
8. b) are playing
9. b) got
10. c) have lived
11. b) was singing
12. c) will have completed
13. b) has fallen
14. c) had locked
15. c) am doing