Tenses

Rules

1. Simple present: habits and facts (He walks daily. Water boils at 100 °C).
2. Present continuous: action happening now (She is reading).
3. Present perfect: past action with present result; no exact past time (I have finished).
4. Simple past with a definite past time: yesterday, last year, in 2020.
5. Past perfect: the earlier of two past actions (The train had left before I reached).
6. 'Since' + point of time; 'for' + period of time, usually with perfect tenses.

Examples

• I have lived here since 2019.
• She was cooking when the guests arrived.
• The film had started before we reached.

Practice MCQs

1. Water ___ at 100 °C.

   1. boil
   2. boils
   3. is boiling
   4. boiled
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) boils. A universal fact takes simple present.

2. Look! The children ___ in the rain.

   1. play
   2. plays
   3. are playing
   4. played
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) are playing. 'Look!' shows action happening now.

3. I ___ him yesterday.

   1. have met
   2. met
   3. had met
   4. meet
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) met. 'Yesterday' is a definite past time, so simple past.

4. She ___ in this office since 2018.

   1. works
   2. is working
   3. has been working
   4. worked
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) has been working. 'Since' + continuing action takes present perfect continuous.

5. The patient ___ before the doctor arrived.

   1. died
   2. had died
   3. has died
   4. was dying
   Show answer

   Answer: (b) had died. The earlier of two past actions takes past perfect.

6. By next March, I ___ my degree.

   1. complete
   2. will complete
   3. will have completed
   4. completed
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) will have completed. 'By' + future time takes future perfect.

7. Choose the correct sentence.

   1. I am knowing him for years.
   2. I know him for years.
   3. I have known him for years.
   4. I knew him for years now.
   Show answer

   Answer: (c) I have known him for years.. 'Know' is not used in continuous form; 'for years' needs present perfect.