Everything on this site was made by AI and has not been reviewed by a person. How it is made
DashboardExercises
About Verb Tenses
Choosing the right tense is about time and meaning: is the action finished, still going on, or connected to now? These exercises give you a verb in brackets and ask for the form the sentence needs.
What it tests
Each exercise has eight sentences with a gap and a verb in brackets. You type the correct form — present, past or future; simple, continuous or perfect; active or passive — using the time words and the context to decide.
How it appears on the exam paper
Tenses are tested throughout an upper-intermediate exam: in the open cloze (the auxiliaries), the key word transformations and every piece of writing. Accuracy with tenses is one of the clearest signs of a learner's level.
Exam-style tips
- Find the time words first: since, for, already, by the time, while, yesterday, this time tomorrow.
- Ask whether the action is finished, in progress, or connected to now.
- Remember the passive when the subject does not do the action: 'The bridge was built in 1890'.
- Check the subject: he, she and it need -s in the present simple and 'has' in the present perfect.
A ready-to-print Verb tenses — free worksheet with the answer key and explanations at the back. Download the PDF worksheet.
Frequently asked questions
How many tenses are there in English?
Twelve combinations of present, past and future with simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous — plus forms such as going to and the passive.
Can I write short forms such as 'd or 's?
Yes — each answer lists its short forms too, so 'had started' and ''d started' are both marked right.
What is the hardest choice?
Usually the past simple against the present perfect, and the simple against the continuous; the time words in the sentence decide.
Independent study material for English learners. Not supported by, endorsed by, or in any way associated with any examination or examination board. See the Terms of Service.