Tenses play a crucial role in the English language. It denotes the time of action performed whether in the past, ongoing in the present, or going to happen in the future. There are three
types of tenses:
1. Present tense
2. Past tense
3. Future tense
Model Questions
Directions (Qs. 1 - 7): Fill in the blanks with correct answers.
1. Everyone ........ about the performance of the Indian cricket team in the ongoing Twentytwenty world cup.
a) talk b) is talking c) was talking d) has talked e) talking
Explanation: The word ‘ongoing’ shows that the sentence is in present continuous tense. So, ‘is talking’ is the correct usage here.
Ans: b
2. Has the Ola cab not come yet? It ........ already fifteen minutes late. I hope it ........ here soon.
a) was, will b) was, will be
c) is, will be d) has been, will be
e) None of these
Explanation: The word ‘has not come’ shows that the first sentence is in simple present tense and the words ‘hope’ and ‘soon’ shows that the second sentence is in simple future tense.
Ans: c
3. The newspaper boy ........ to our housing colony every morning to disburse the newspapers.
a) has come b) is coming c) come d) comes e) came
Explanation: In this sentence, the word ‘every morning’ describes the daily routine of the newspaper boy. Hence, simple present should be used. As the subject is third person singular noun, ‘comes’ is the correct usage here.
Ans: d
4. The trust ........ a eat-and-play fair next week to ........ money for the welfare-fund.
a) will hold, raise b) will be holding, raised
c) is holding, rise d) holds, raise
e) is holding, raise
Explanation: For the future plans which are expected to be executed in near future, we use present continuous tense. So, ‘is holding’ suits in the first blank. The word ‘raise’ means to increase the amount, level, or strength of someone/ something, and the word ‘rise’ means to move from a lower position to a higher one/ come or go up. So, (e) is the correct option.
Ans: e
5. I ........ shopping last weekend. There was a huge crowd in the shopping mall. Most of the people ........ their Diwali’s shopping.
a) went, were doing
b) had gone, were doing
c) gone, were doing c) were going, done
e) was going, were doing
Explanation: The first sentence is in simple past tense. So, ‘went’ is the correct usage in the first blank. In the second sentence, a past continuous action has been described. So, past continuous tense must be used in the second blank.
Ans: a
6. The delivery boy ........ the pizza already.
a) will be delivering b) has delivered
c) will have deliver d) has been delivered
e) deliver
Explanation: The word ‘already’ shows that the action has just completed. So, perfect tense should be used here.
Ans: b
7. It ........ since last night, and it ........ as if it may rain for the rest of the day.
a) is raining, looking b) rained, looked
c) has been raining, looks
d) has been raining, has been looking
e) rains, has been looking.
Explanation: For the first blank, the action (raining) has started in the past and is currently in action, so present perfect continuous tense should be used here. So, the answer should be either (c) or (d). The second action has not started in the past, hence (d) got eliminated and (c) is the required answer. Ans: c
Directions (Qs. 8 - 18): Find out the error in each of the following sentences. If there is no error in the sentence, select (e) as your answer. Neglect punctuation mistakes (if any).
8. Naresh came (a)/ to the park (b)/ much earlier than (c)/ we expected (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: To denote the past of the past event, past perfect tense should be used here. So, ‘we had expected’ should be used in place of ‘we expected’.
Ans: d
9. I have going through (a)/ several hurdles in my (b)/ life but this one was (c)/ slightly difficult (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: The sentence is in present perfect tense because the sentence concluded that some actions have been finished recently by the noun. So, as per the structure of present perfect tense form, have + V3 (gone) should be used in place of ‘going’.
Ans: a
10. Whenever my (a)/ uncle comes to our house, (b)/ he is bringing a lot of (c)/ sweets for us (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: We always express habitual actions in a simple present tense form. So, ‘brings’ should be used in place of ‘is bringing’.
Ans: c
11. Suresh is behaving as (a)/ if he never (b)/ tells a lie in (c)/ his entire life (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: ‘as if’ clause always takes ‘past tense’. Here, ‘told’ should be used in place of ‘tells’.
Ans: c
12. When my (a)/ room-mate comes, (b)/ we discuss (c)/ about the examination (d)/ no error (e).
Explanation: Whenever two future actions are stated in single sentence, the conditional clause (here when) or subordinate clause is expressed in simple present tense and the ‘main clause’ is expressed in simple future tense. In other words, the first action that to be done is expressed in ‘simple present tense’ and the next following action that to be done is expressed in simple future tense. ‘we will discuss’ should be used in place of ‘we discuss’.
Ans: c
13. I wish I (a)/ met Christiano Ronaldo when (b)/ he was (c)/ touring in India (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: In a sentence with an unfulfilled wish, condition or desire of the past, the clauses like I wish/ as If/ If etc. takes past perfect tense. ‘had met’ should be used in place of ‘met’.
Ans: b
14. Dhananjay hopes (a)/ to become an IPS officer (b)/ after he completes (c)/ his graduation (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: Dhananjay would have completed his graduation before becoming an IPS officer. So, present perfect tense would be used here. So, ‘he has completed’ should be used in place of ‘he completes’.
Ans: c
15. The circle inspector had not taken (a)/ any decision until (b)/ he had studied (c)/ the case thoroughly (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: Whenever two past actions are stated in a single sentence, past perfect tense is used to express the former action whereas the latter action is expressed in simple past tense. So, ‘did not take’ should be used in place of ‘had not taken’.
Ans: a
16. I tried to tell Suresh what (a)/ has happened but (b)/ my words were (c)/ not audible (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: To denote the past of the past event, past perfect tense should be used here. So, ‘had happened’ should be used in place of ‘has happened’.
Ans: b
17. The professor taught (a)/ the students since (b)/ Morning, therefore, he (c)/ was exhausted (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: The professor had started teaching in past, continued to teach in past and finished the teaching in the past itself. So, past perfect continuous tense must be used here. So, ‘had been teaching’ should be used in place of ‘taught’.
Ans: a
18. They have been (a)/ studying in (b)/ the library (c)/ for last evening (d)/ No error (e).
Explanation: ‘Since’ is used to denote the ‘point of time’. ‘I have been waiting for you since morning’ is the example sentence. ‘For’ is used to denote the ‘period of time’. ‘I have been waiting for the bus for four hours’ is the example sentence. ‘since’ should be used in place of ‘for’.
Ans: d
Present tense:
The present tense denotes an action that is habitually performed or currently happening or a state that generally exists.
Present tense is again divided into 4 types:
a) Simple present tense (Subject (S) + Verb (V1) + Object (O)): This tense is used to denote general/ universal truths, habitual actions, imperative sentences etc.
Examples: i. The sun rises in the East.
ii. I go to park every day.
b) Present continuous tense (S + is/ am/ are + V1 + ing + O): This tense is used to denote a continuous action in the present tense.
Example: I am playing cricket.
c) Present perfect tense (S + has/ have + V3 + O): This tense is used to express the actions that have been finished recently or just now. Time is not definite here.
Example: He has bought a new car.
d) Present Perfect Continuous Tense (S + has been/ have been + V1 + ing + O + since/ for + time being): This tense is used to denote the action that had begun in the past and is still in progress.
E.g.: I have been waiting for you since morning.
Past tense:
The past tense is used to express an action that has previously happened or a state that is previously existed.
c) Present perfect tense (S + has/ have + V3 + O): This tense is used to express the actions that have been finished recently or just now. Time is not definite here.
Example: He has bought a new car.
d) Present Perfect Continuous Tense (S + has been/ have been + V1 + ing + O + since/ for + time being): This tense is used to denote the action that had begun in the past and is still in progress.
E.g.: I have been waiting for you since morning.
Future tense:
The future tense is used to express an action that has not yet happened but is expected to take place in the future.
Future tense is also divided into four types:
a) Simple future tense (S + will + V1 + O): This tense is used to express an action that isb) Future continuous tense (S + will be + V1 + ing + O): This tense is used to express an action that will be in progression in future.
Example: I will be watching cricket match at this time tomorrow.
c) Future perfect tense (S + will have + V3 + O): It is used to express an action that will certainly be finished at a point of time in future.
E.g.: I will have gone to my home by the weekend.
d) Future perfect continuous tense (S + will have been + V1 + ing + O + since/ for + time being): It is used to express an action that continues up to some point of time in the future.
E.g.: I will have been watching the match for four hours. expected to be finished in near future.
Example: I will go to movie.
