English Tenses Quiz

This car_________________ (make) a very strange noise. __________(you/think) it is all right? Oh, that noise _________________(not/ matter). It always______________ (make) a noise like that.

Answer explanation

The correct forms are: "makes" for the first blank (present simple), "do you think" for the second (present simple question), "doesn't matter" for the third (present simple negative), and "makes" again for the last (present simple).

Yesterday, when I _______________(look) for my passport, I__________ (find) this old photograph.

Answer explanation

The correct forms are 'was looking' and 'found'. The past continuous 'was looking' indicates an ongoing action when the past simple 'found' occurred.

How long ____________ (you/know) your new assistant? I_____________ (know) him for two years.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'How long have you known your new assistant?' because it uses the present perfect tense to indicate an action that started in the past and continues to the present. The response 'I have known him for two years' confirms this.

Do you often eat in restaurants? No, I___________________(not/eat) in restaurants for ages.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'haven't eaten'. The phrase 'for ages' indicates a long time has passed since the last action, so we use the present perfect tense to express that.

Tom_____________ (come) home at 10 o'clock last night.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'came' because the sentence refers to a completed action in the past. The past tense of 'come' is 'came', so the complete sentence is 'Tom came home at 10 o'clock last night.'

I___________ (not see) Jane today. Is she at home? Yes, she ____________(iron) since breakfast. She ______________(not/iron) my blue shirt yet?

Answer explanation

The correct forms are: "I did not see" (past simple) and "she has been ironing" (present perfect continuous). The last part should be "has not ironed" (present perfect) to indicate the action is incomplete.

Yesterday's party was a big success. When I _______________(get) home everybody ___________(dance).

Answer explanation

The correct forms are 'got' and 'were dancing'. The past tense 'got' indicates when the action happened, and 'were dancing' shows that the action was ongoing when the speaker arrived.

Why are you so dirty? I ___________________(work) in the garden all morning.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'have been working' to indicate an ongoing action. The sentence should read: 'I have been working in the garden all morning.' This explains why the person is dirty due to continuous gardening.

I________________________(go) to see a play yesterday evening.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'I went to see a play yesterday evening.' The verb 'go' should be in the past tense 'went' to match the time reference 'yesterday evening.'

Cats _______________________________(wash) themselves.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'wash' because it is the base form of the verb used with the plural subject 'cats'. The sentence describes a habitual action performed by cats.