English Grammar: Tenses Exercise

The verbs in the following sentences are given in italics. Test yourself and see whether you know their tenses.

1. I have promised to give him a book.

2. The Prime Minister will be arriving at Guwahati next week.

3. Rina was sewing when her mother came in.

4. The lion is called the king of the forest.

5. The hunter killed the deer.

6. He is being helped by his friends.

7. I have been writing a book on the life of Mahatma Gandhi.

8. He had left before I met him.

9. The train will have started by the time you reach the station.

10. We shall be returning home before evening.

 

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form (simple or present continuous) of the verb given at the end of each:

1. An honest person always _______ the truth. (tell).

2. Ram cannot come out to play now as he _______ his home work. (do).

3. I _______ with my brother for a few weeks. (stay).

4. The Indians _______ in India. (live).

5. The child _______ because it cannot find its mother. (cry).

6. We _______ to our village for a month every year. (go).

7. Rajen _______ to the office on his bicycle every morning. (go).

8. It is very cold early his morning but sun _______ now. (shine).

9. I _______ an aeroplane in the sky. (see).

10. I _______ the noise that the boys are making in the next room. (hear).

Answer:

1. An honest person always tells the truth.

2. Ram cannot come out to play now as he is doing his homework.

3. I am staying with my brother for a few weeks.

4. The Indians live in India.

5. The child is crying because it cannot find its mother.

6. We go to our village for a month every year.

7. Rajen goes to the office on his bicycle every morning.

8. It is very cold early this morning but the sun is shining now.

9. I see an aeroplane in the sky.

10. I hear the noise that the boys are making in the next room.

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form ( present perfect or present perfect continuous) of the verb given at the end of each:

1. It _______ everyday this week. (rain).

2. We _______ in this house since 2010. (live).

3. No one _______ from him the past six months. (hear).

4. We _______ all our money, so we will have to walk home. (spend).

5. I cannot play in the match as I _______ my foot. (injure).

6. He _______ here for the last four years. (work).

Answer:

1. It has rained every day this week.

2. We have been living in this house since 2010.

3. No one has heard from him the past six months.

4. We have spent all our money, so we will have to walk home.

5. I cannot play in the match as I have injured my foot.

6. He has been working here for the last four years.

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form (simple or past continuous) of the verb given at the end of each:

1. He _______ the room and _______ down in the chair. (cross, sit).

2. When the doctor arrived he realised that the old man _______. (die).

3. My grandmother was eighty years old when she _______. (die).

4. While the boy _______ the street a bus _______ him down. (cross, knock).

5. A little girl _______ a purse full of money on the road. (find).

6. When we _______ he _______in the garden. (arrive, work).

7. He _______ a lot of money for the ordinary picture. (pay).

8. A shot was fired at the train as it _______ the tunnel. (enter).

9. When he _______ the room we _______ the matter. (enter, discuss).

10. Two men _______ at the table on our left. (sit).

11. We _______ someone opening the door. (hear).

12. I _______ him as he _______ the bus. (see, get off).

13. While I _______ it _______ still _______. (come, rain).

14. Chamberlain always _______ an umbrella. (carry).

Answer:

1. He crossed the room and sat down in the chair.

2. When the doctor arrived he realised that the old man died.

3. My grandmother was eighty years old when she died.

4. While the boy was crossing the street, a bus knocked him down.

5. A little girl found a purse full of money on the road.

6. When we arrived he was working in the garden.

7. He paid a lot of money for the ordinary picture.

8. A shot was fired at the train as it was entering the tunnel.

9. When he entered the room we were discussing the matter.

10. Two men sat at the table on our left.

11. We heard someone opening the door.

12. I saw him as he was getting offthe bus.

13. While I was coming it was still raining.

14. Chamberlain always carried an umbrella.

Fill in the blanks in the following sentences with the correct form ( Past perfect or Past perfect continuous) of the verb given at the end of each:

1. I _______ him before he _______ me. (see, see).

2. When He _______ the money, he _______ it away. (count, put).

3. As soon as you _______, I _______ to see you again. (go, want).

4. He said he _______ her already. (see).

5. When Jaiswal _______ to Assam in 1936, he _______ already to speak Assamese well. (come, learn).

Answer:

1. I had seen him before he saw me.

2. When he had counted the money, he put it away.

3. As soon as you had gone, I wanted to see you again.

4. He said he had seen her already.

5. When Jaiswal came to Assam in 1936, he had already learned to speak Assamese well.

Translate into English

1. তেওঁ কালি আবেলি আহি পালেহি ।

2. তোমাৰ ভাল টোপনি হৈছিলনে ?

3. অনুগ্ৰহ কৰি মোক পানী এগিলাচ দিবানে ?

4. বাছখনৰপৰা নামোঁতে তেওঁক মই দেখা পাইছিলোঁ ।

5. সিহতৰ হুলস্থূলে কেঁচুৱাটোক সাৰ পোৱাইছিল ।

6. আমি তেওঁৰ ঘৰত সোমাওঁতে তেওঁ ফুলনিখন চাফা কৰি আছিল ।

7. তেওঁ বাছখনৰপৰা নামোঁতে পিছল খাই ভৰিত দুখ পাইছিল ।

8. তেওঁ মোক লগ পোৱাৰ আগতেই মই ওলাই গলোঁ ।

9. মই যেতিয়া সোমাই আহিলোঁ সি কামতো কৰি অঁতালে ।

10. আমি ষ্টেশ্বন পোৱাৰ পিছত ৰে'লখন এৰিলে ।

Answer:

1. He arrived yesterday evening.

2. Did you sleep well?

3. Could you please give me a glass of water?

4. I saw him when he got off the bus.

5. Their commotion woke up the baby.

6. He was cleaning the garden when we entered his house.

7. He slipped while getting off the bus and hurt his leg.

8. I left before he could meet me.

9. When I came in, he was working.

10. The train left after we reached the station.

Fill in the blanks spaces in the following sentences with ‘will’ or ‘shall’ in order to complete the future tense:

1. We _______ all die one day.

2. The next century _______ begin on the first of January 2100.

3. I am now fifteen, so in one year’s time I _______ be sixteen.

4. We _______ come again next week.

5. I _______ punish you if you do not behave yourself.

6. _______ we see him again?

7. When _______ the members arrive?

8. You _______ have to answer for your negligence.

Answer:

1. We shall all die one day.

2. The next century will begin on the first of January 2100.

3. I am now fifteen, so in one year’s time I will be sixteen.

4. We shall come again next week.

5. I will punish you if you do not behave yourself.

6. Shall we see him again?

7. When will the members arrive?

8. You will have to answer for your negligence.

Rewrite the following sentences using the verbs in brackets in the future continuous tense:

1. I (write) a letter to my mother this time tomorrow.

2. My brother (wait) for me till 4 P.M. next Sunday.

3. I (go) to school tomorrow at ten o’clock.

4. The birds (return) to their nests before sunset.

5. You (walk) to the playground this time next Monday.

Answer:

1. I will be writing a letter to my mother this time tomorrow.

2. My brother will be waiting for me till 4 P.M. next Sunday.

3. I will be going to school tomorrow at ten o’clock.

4. The birds will be returning to their nests before sunset.

5. You will be walking to the playground this time next Monday.

Rewrite the following sentences using the verbs in brackets in the future perfect tense:

1. They (reach) there by 4 O’clock in the afternoon.

2. We (finish) our home works by this time tomorrow.

3. By the end of this week I (read) the story-book.

4. The cricket match (start) before we reach the field.

Answer:

1. They will have reached there by 4 O’clock in the afternoon.

2. We will have finished our homework by this time tomorrow.

3. By the end of this week, I will have read the story-book.

4. The cricket match will have started before we reach the field.

Translate into English

1. আমি তোমাক দহ বজাত লগ ধৰিম ।

2. মই আহিব পাৰোঁনে নোৱাৰোঁ ক'ব নোৱাৰোঁ ।

3. অহা জন্ম-দিনত মোৰ ১৮ বছৰ হ'ব ।

4. আমি পৰীক্ষাৰ খবৰ কেতিয়া পাম ?

5. মই খিৰিকিখন বন্ধ কৰি দিওঁনে ?

6. তুমি নিমন্ত্ৰণ কৰিলে মই নিশ্চয় যাম ।

7. সি গুৱাহাটীলৈ যেতিয়া যাব, ককায়েকৰ লগত থাকিব ।

Answer:

1. I will meet you at ten o'clock.

2. I cannot say whether I can come or not.

3. I will turn 18 on my next birthday.

4. When will we get the exam results?

5. Shall I close the window?

6. If you invite me, I will definitely go.

7. When he goes to Guwahati, he will stay with his elder brother.

Translate into English

1. চৰাইবিলাকে ৰাতিপুৱা গীত গাই থাকিব ।

2. দেউতাই সেই সময়ত বাতৰি কাকত পঢ়ি থাকিব ।

3. শিক্ষকে তেতিয়া শ্ৰেণীত ইংৰাজী ব্যাকৰণ পঢ়াই থাকিব ।

4. অহা শনিবাৰে এই সময়ত আমি খেল পথাৰত ক্ৰিকেট খেলি থাকিম ।

5. চাকিবিলাক গোটেই ৰাতি জ্বলি থাকিব ।

Answer:

1. Birds will be singing songs in the evening.

2. Father will be studying under the lamp at that time.

3. The teacher will be teaching English grammar in that class.

4. On Saturdays, I will be playing cricket on the field at this time.

5. The lamps will be burning throughout the night.

Translate into English

1. আবেলি ৩ বজাৰ আগতেই তেওঁলোকে এইখিনি পাবহি ।

2. বেলি ডুবাৰ আগতেই আমি কামটো শেষ কৰি পেলাম ।

3. কাইলৈ ইমান সময়তে তেওঁলোক কলকাতা পাবগৈ ।

4. মাক উভতি অহাৰ আগতেই সৰু ল'ৰাটো শুই পৰিব ।

5. সেই সময়ত তেওঁলোকে গান্ধীজীৰ জীৱনীখন পঢ়ি অঁতাব ।

Answer:

1. They won't find us here before 3 o'clock.

2. Before dusk, I finished the work.

3. To go to Calcutta on time, they need a car.

4. Before the guests arrive, we'll clean the small room.

5. At that time, they will be reading Gandhi's biography.