Tense Exercises
Section A: Fill in the Blanks:
Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
1. I usually __________ (go) to school by bus.
2. He ____________ (study) for his O Levels since last year.
3. When I called, she ____________ (sleep).
4. By this time tomorrow, we ___________ (complete) the exam.
5. They _______________ (not arrive) yet.
6. The train ____________ (leave) when we reached the station.
7. She often ___________ (read) novels in her free time.
8. I ____________ (not see) him for two weeks.
9. Look! It ______________ (rain) heavily.
10. If he _____________ (work) harder, he will pass.
Section B: Identify the Error:
Instructions: Find and correct the error in tense usage.
1. He play football every weekend.
2. I was visited my aunt last month.
3. She will be finishes her project by Monday.
4. They are go to school now.
5. I have seen him yesterday.
Section C: Rewrite Sentences as Directed:
1. She sings beautifully. (Change to Past Continuous)
2. They were playing football. (Change to Present Perfect)
3. I eat lunch at 2 PM. (Change to Future Indefinite)
4. He has been working here for 5 years. (Change to Past Perfect)
5. We had completed the task. (Change to Present Perfect Continuous)
Section D: Sentence Transformation:
Instructions: Rewrite the sentence using the tense given in brackets.
1. He watches TV. (Present Continuous)
2. They go to school. (Present Perfect)
3. She writes a letter. (Future Continuous)
4. We play cricket. (Past Perfect)
5. I read books. (Present Perfect Continuous)
Section E: Match the Columns:
Instructions: Match each sentence to the correct tense form.
Sentence Tense
1. She is studying now. a. Present Perfect
2. He had gone out. b. Past Perfect
3. They have arrived. c. Present Continuous
4. I was watching TV. d. Past Continuous
5. She will come tomorrow. e. Future Indefinite
Section F: Make Sentences:
Instructions: Use the following verbs in sentences with the tense mentioned.
Verb Tense
Go Present Perfect Continuous
Finish Future Perfect
Read Past Continuous
Play Present Perfect
Watch Past Perfect Continuous
Section G: Story Completion:
Instructions: Complete the story using correct tenses.
Last Friday, I _______ (wake) up late. I _________ (rush) to get ready, but by the time I _______
(arrive) at school, the gate _________ (close). I ________ (try) to explain, but the teacher ________
(not listen). Later, I __________ (realize) I __________ (leave) my homework at home as well.
Section H: Verb Form Challenge:
Fill in the blanks with the correct tense.
1. I __________ (read) this book three times.
2. When I was young, I ___________ (play) outside every day.
3. At 10 o’clock tomorrow, we ____________ (sit) for the exam.
4. By next week, she ______________ (complete) the report.
5. The baby ________________ (sleep) when the bell rang.
6. I wish I _________________ (know) the answer earlier.
7. She ________________ (learn) English for five years now.
8. They _______________ (not return) from the trip yet
9. As soon as he ______________ (enter), the students stood up.
10. You must wait until I _______________ (finish) my work.
Section I: Correct the Tense Errors:
Each sentence contains a tense mistake. Rewrite correctly.
1. She is gone to the market.
2. I will went to the cinema yesterday.
3. They are lived here for a long time.
4. We was playing chess when he came.
5. I had saw the movie before.
Section J: Tense Conversion Drill:
Change the following sentences into the indicated tenses.
Sentence Change To
He drives a car. Present Perfect
They are cooking lunch. Past Continuous
I wrote a letter. Future Perfect
She is going to school. Past Perfect Continuous
We visit our grandma. Future Continuous
Section K: Fill in the Blanks – Story Style
Use the correct form of the verb in brackets:
Yesterday, while I _________ (walk) to school, I _________ (see) a puppy that ________ (look) lost. I
___________ (pick) it up and ____________ (take) it to a nearby shelter. They __________ (say) they
____________ (look) for the owner since morning. I _____________ (be) happy to help.
Section L: Mixed Tense Fill in the Blanks
1. I _________ (meet) him last year, and we ___________ (be) friends since then.
2. When I ___________ (open) the door, I _____________ (realize) someone _________ (break) in.
3. She ________________ (not do) her homework yet.
4. The children ____________ (play) outside when it started raining.
5. I _______________ (study) all day, so I’m tired now.
Section M: Combine Sentences Using Correct Tenses
Combine the ideas using appropriate tenses and conjunctions.
1. She finished her meal. She went to sleep.
2. He was walking. He saw a snake.
3. They practice daily. They want to win the match.
4. I lost my phone. I was traveling to Sylhet.
5. He is tired. He has been working all day.
Section N: Choose the Correct Tense
Underline the correct verb form:
1. I (am reading / have read / was reading) this book for two hours.
2. They (play / played / are playing) football every Friday.
3. The guests (arrived / arrive / had arrived) before the dinner was ready.
4. She (has lived / lived / lives) here since 2015.
5. By the time we got there, the movie (started / had started / starts).
Section O: Creative Writing with Tense Focus
Write short paragraphs (3–4 lines) using the tenses indicated.
1. Present Perfect Continuous: Describe your study habits.
2. Past Perfect: Narrate a situation where you missed an event.
3. Future Perfect: Talk about what you will have done by the end of this year.
4. Present Continuous: What is happening around you now?
5. Past Continuous: Describe a memory from your last vacation.
