Present, Past and Future Tenses

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

A2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice, Multiple choice, Fill in the blank (text), Fill in the blank (dropdown), Sentence reordering

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Complete with the present simple: Mia usually ... breakfast at seven.

   1. have
   2. has
   3. is having
   4. having
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   has

   Use the present simple for a routine. With Mia (she), have changes to has.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Listen! The children ... in the garden.

   1. sing
   2. sings
   3. are singing
   4. is singing
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   are singing

   Listen shows that the action is happening now. The plural subject the children takes are singing.

3. Question 3 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO grammatically correct questions about routines or actions happening now.

   1. Do you walk to school every day?
   2. Does your brother walks to school?
   3. Are they studying at the moment?
   4. Is she play tennis now?
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Do you walk to school every day?; Are they studying at the moment?

   Use do + subject + base verb for present-simple questions, and be + subject + verb-ing for present-continuous questions. After does, use walk; after is, use playing.

4. Question 4 · Fill in the blank (text)

   Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

   Complete with the present simple negative of 'eat': Ben ___ meat. He is a vegetarian.

   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   doesn't eat / does not eat

   With Ben (he), use does not or doesn't followed by the base verb eat.

5. Question 5 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Please wait. I ___ my shoes right now.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. put on
   2. am putting on
   3. puts on
   4. putting on
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   am putting on

   Right now describes an action in progress. With I, the present continuous is am putting on.

6. Question 6 · Multiple choice

   Choose all the correct answers.

   Choose TWO grammatically correct sentences about habits.

   1. My sister go swimming every Friday.
   2. Our neighbours don't work on Sundays.
   3. Our neighbours doesn't work on Sundays.
   4. My sister goes swimming every Friday.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Our neighbours don't work on Sundays.; My sister goes swimming every Friday.

   A third-person singular subject takes goes. With the plural subject our neighbours, use don't + the base verb work.

7. Question 7 · Sentence reordering

   Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.

   Put the words in order to make a question. Start with 'Why'.

   Sentence parts

   • Why
   • are
   • laughing?
   • you
   Check answers and explanations

   Correct order

   Why are you laughing?

   The present-continuous question order is question word + be + subject + verb-ing: Why are you laughing?

8. Question 8 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Last Saturday, we ... the museum.

   1. visit
   2. visits
   3. visited
   4. are visiting
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   visited

   Last Saturday is a finished time in the past. The past simple of visit is visited.

9. Question 9 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   At eight o'clock last night, I ... dinner when the lights suddenly went out.

   1. cook
   2. was cooking
   3. am cooking
   4. were cooking
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   was cooking

   Use the past continuous for an action in progress when a shorter past event interrupted it. With I, use was cooking.

10. Question 10 · Multiple choice

    Choose all the correct answers.

    Choose TWO grammatically correct negative sentences about the past.

    1. I didn't watch television yesterday.
    2. She didn't went to work yesterday.
    3. We wasn't late for the lesson.
    4. They weren't at home last night.
    Check answers and explanations

    Answer

    I didn't watch television yesterday.; They weren't at home last night.

    After didn't, use the base verb, such as watch or go. The negative past form of be with they is weren't; with we it is also weren't.

11. Question 11 · Fill in the blank (text)

    Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

    Complete with the past simple of 'buy': Nora ___ a new backpack yesterday.

    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    bought

    Buy is irregular. Its past simple form is bought.

12. Question 12 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

    Choose the correct option for each blank.

    Yesterday, we ___ any buses, so we walked home.

    Choices for blank 1

    1. don't see
    2. didn't saw
    3. didn't see
    4. not saw
    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    didn't see

    Use didn't + the base verb see for a negative past-simple sentence.

13. Question 13 · Fill in the blank (text)

    Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

    Complete with the past continuous of 'wait': At six yesterday evening, we ___ for the bus.

    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    were waiting

    The past continuous describes an action in progress at a particular past time. With we, use were waiting.

14. Question 14 · Sentence reordering

    Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.

    Put the words in order to make a question. Start with 'Where'.

    Sentence parts

    • Where
    • did
    • go
    • yesterday?
    • you
    Check answers and explanations

    Correct order

    Where did you go yesterday?

    The past-simple question order is question word + did + subject + base verb: Where did you go yesterday?

15. Question 15 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    Look at those dark clouds! It ... soon.

    1. is going to rain
    2. rain
    3. rains
    4. raining
    Check answers and explanations

    Answer

    is going to rain

    Use be going to for a prediction based on evidence you can see now, such as dark clouds.

16. Question 16 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

    Choose the correct option for each blank.

    A: The phone is ringing. B: I ___ it.

    Choices for blank 1

    1. will answer
    2. answering
    3. answers
    4. will to answer
    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    will answer

    Use will + the base verb for a decision made as you speak: I will answer it.

17. Question 17 · Multiple choice

    Choose all the correct answers.

    Choose TWO grammatically correct sentences about future plans.

    1. They are going visit their cousins on Sunday.
    2. I'm going to learn to drive next month.
    3. We going to have a picnic tomorrow.
    4. She is going to take the train tomorrow.
    Check answers and explanations

    Answer

    I'm going to learn to drive next month.; She is going to take the train tomorrow.

    The form for a plan is subject + am/is/are + going to + base verb. The other sentences are missing to or are.

18. Question 18 · Fill in the blank (text)

    Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

    Complete with the correct form of 'be': We ___ going to stay with our grandparents this weekend.

    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    are

    With we, the correct form of be is are: We are going to stay.

19. Question 19 · Single choice

    Choose one answer.

    I promise I ... your book tomorrow.

    1. am return
    2. will return
    3. returning
    4. returned
    Check answers and explanations

    Answer

    will return

    Use will + the base verb for a promise about the future: I will return your book.

20. Question 20 · Fill in the blank (text)

    Complete each blank with the missing word or phrase.

    Complete with the negative form of 'will': Don't worry. I ___ forget your birthday.

    Check answers and explanations

    Blank 1

    won't / will not

    The negative of will is will not, usually contracted to won't. The base verb forget follows it.

21. Question 21 · Sentence reordering

    Arrange these parts into the correct sentence.

    Put the words in order to make a question. Start with 'What'.

    Sentence parts

    • What
    • are
    • do
    • going to
    • tomorrow?
    • you
    Check answers and explanations

    Correct order

    What are you going to do tomorrow?

    For a going-to question, put be before the subject: What are you going to do tomorrow?

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.