English Tenses Quiz

Tenses tell us when something happens. The quiz covers present, past and future forms in their simple, continuous and perfect versions, with questions that test choosing the correct form in context.

What this quiz covers

Study tip: Write one sentence in each tense about your own day; personal examples are easier to remember than rules.

Questions, answers and explanations

1. Which sentence is in the Present Simple Tense?

  1. She is eating lunch.
  2. She eats lunch every day.
  3. She ate lunch yesterday.
  4. She will eat lunch tomorrow.

Answer: She eats lunch every day.

Present Simple is used for habits and daily routines.

2. Which sentence is in the Present Continuous Tense?

  1. He plays football.
  2. He is playing football.
  3. He played football.
  4. He will play football.

Answer: He is playing football.

Present Continuous uses is/am/are + verb + ing.

3. Which sentence is in the Past Simple Tense?

  1. She writes a letter.
  2. She is writing a letter.
  3. She wrote a letter.
  4. She will write a letter.

Answer: She wrote a letter.

Past Simple describes a completed action in the past.

4. Which sentence is in the Future Simple Tense?

  1. I go to school.
  2. I went to school.
  3. I will go to school.
  4. I am going to school.

Answer: I will go to school.

Future Simple uses 'will + base verb'.

5. Choose the correct Present Perfect sentence.

  1. She has finished her homework.
  2. She finish her homework.
  3. She finishing her homework.
  4. She finished tomorrow.

Answer: She has finished her homework.

Present Perfect uses has/have + past participle.

6. Which sentence is in the Past Continuous Tense?

  1. They were watching TV.
  2. They watch TV.
  3. They have watched TV.
  4. They will watch TV.

Answer: They were watching TV.

Past Continuous uses was/were + verb + ing.

7. Which sentence is in the Future Continuous Tense?

  1. I will be studying tomorrow.
  2. I study tomorrow.
  3. I studied yesterday.
  4. I have studied.

Answer: I will be studying tomorrow.

Future Continuous uses will be + verb + ing.

8. Which sentence is in the Past Perfect Tense?

  1. She had finished the work before I arrived.
  2. She has finished the work.
  3. She is finishing the work.
  4. She will finish the work.

Answer: She had finished the work before I arrived.

Past Perfect uses had + past participle.

9. Which sentence is in the Future Perfect Tense?

  1. They will have completed the project by Friday.
  2. They completed the project.
  3. They are completing the project.
  4. They have completed the project.

Answer: They will have completed the project by Friday.

Future Perfect uses will have + past participle.

10. Present Perfect Continuous Tense uses which helping verbs?

  1. Has/Have been
  2. Had been
  3. Will have been
  4. Was/Were

Answer: Has/Have been

Present Perfect Continuous uses has/have been + verb + ing.

11. Which sentence is in the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

  1. She has been studying for two hours.
  2. She studied for two hours.
  3. She studies every day.
  4. She will study tomorrow.

Answer: She has been studying for two hours.

Present Perfect Continuous uses has/have been + verb + ing.

12. Which sentence is in the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

  1. He had been working before the meeting started.
  2. He has been working.
  3. He will be working.
  4. He works every day.

Answer: He had been working before the meeting started.

Past Perfect Continuous uses had been + verb + ing.

13. Which sentence is in the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

  1. By next year, she will have been teaching for ten years.
  2. She has been teaching.
  3. She is teaching now.
  4. She taught last year.

Answer: By next year, she will have been teaching for ten years.

Future Perfect Continuous uses will have been + verb + ing.

14. Which tense is used for daily habits?

  1. Present Simple
  2. Past Continuous
  3. Future Perfect
  4. Past Perfect

Answer: Present Simple

Present Simple is used for routines and habitual actions.

15. Which tense is commonly used for actions happening right now?

  1. Present Continuous
  2. Past Simple
  3. Future Simple
  4. Past Perfect

Answer: Present Continuous

Present Continuous describes actions happening at the moment of speaking.

16. Which tense is used to describe an action completed before another past action?

  1. Past Simple
  2. Past Continuous
  3. Past Perfect
  4. Present Perfect

Answer: Past Perfect

Past Perfect is used for an action completed before another action in the past.

17. Which sentence is in the Future Simple Tense?

  1. She is cooking dinner.
  2. She cooked dinner.
  3. She will cook dinner.
  4. She has cooked dinner.

Answer: She will cook dinner.

Future Simple uses 'will + base verb'.

18. Choose the correct Present Continuous sentence.

  1. They are playing cricket.
  2. They played cricket.
  3. They play cricket yesterday.
  4. They have play cricket.

Answer: They are playing cricket.

Present Continuous uses is/am/are + verb + ing.

19. Which tense is used for planned future actions?

  1. Present Continuous
  2. Past Perfect
  3. Future Perfect
  4. Past Continuous

Answer: Present Continuous

Present Continuous can be used for fixed future arrangements.

20. Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. I has finished my work.
  2. I have finished my work.
  3. I have finish my work.
  4. I finishing my work.

Answer: I have finished my work.

Present Perfect uses have/has + past participle.

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