Class 11 English Grammar 2026–27: Tenses, Clauses and Practice Questions

CBSE English Core · Grammar Rules · Gap-Filling · Sentence Reordering · Transformation · Solved Exercises

Prepare for Class XI English Core grammar with clear explanations and practice. This guide focuses on tenses, clauses, gap-filling, sentence reordering and sentence transformation—the grammar task types specified in the CBSE English Core syllabus for 2026–27.

This is a study resource, not an official CBSE publication. The exercises are original practice questions, not claimed previous-year questions.

Contents

• CBSE syllabus requirements
• Tenses: rules and examples
• Clauses: types and examples
• Gap-filling practice
• Sentence reordering
• Sentence transformation
• Mixed practice test
• Interactive quiz
• Quick revision and FAQs

1. What does the CBSE Class XI syllabus specify?

For 2026–27, the official CBSE English Core syllabus allocates 7 marks to Grammar within the 23-mark Grammar and Creative Writing Skills section. It specifies gap-filling based on tenses and clauses, along with sentence reordering and transformation. The paper design says that seven grammar questions are to be attempted out of eight.

These details refer to the CBSE English Core Class XI 2026–27 syllabus available when this guide was prepared. Follow any later official updates or school instructions.

2. Tenses: rules, uses and examples

Tense helps show when an action or state takes place. Choose a verb form that fits the meaning of the whole sentence, including time expressions and the relationship between events.

Tense/form	Common use	Example
Simple present	Habits, facts, regular actions	Riya reads every evening.
Present continuous	Action in progress now or around now	Riya is reading at the moment.
Present perfect	Past action connected with the present	Riya has completed her assignment.
Present perfect continuous	Activity continuing over a period up to now	Riya has been reading for an hour.
Simple past	Completed past event	We visited the museum yesterday.
Past continuous	Action in progress at a past time	We were walking when it began to rain.
Past perfect	Earlier event before another past event	The train had left before we arrived.
Simple future	Prediction, decision or future event	I will call you tomorrow.
Future continuous	Action expected to be in progress at a future time	At noon, I will be travelling.

Rules students often need

Subject–verb agreement: A singular third-person subject normally takes an -s/-es form in the simple present. She works hard.

Finished past time: Use the simple past with a finished past-time expression. They arrived yesterday.

Earlier past event: The past perfect can show that one event happened before another past event. The show had begun before we entered the hall.

Since and for: Since identifies a starting point; for gives a duration: since Monday, for three days.

Future-time clauses: After when, after, before or until, the simple present is often used for a future meaning. When the bell rings, we will leave.

3. Clauses: types and examples

A clause is a group of words containing a subject and a verb. A sentence may contain one clause or several clauses joined by subordination or coordination.

Type	Function	Example
Main/independent clause	Can stand as a complete sentence	The students cheered when the team won.
Adverb clause	Gives information such as time, reason, condition or concession	We stayed indoors because it was raining.
Adjective/relative clause	Describes a noun or pronoun	The student who won the prize thanked her teacher.
Noun clause	Functions like a noun	I believe that she is honest.
Conditional clause	States a condition	If you practise regularly, you will improve.

How to identify a clause

1. Find the verb or verb group.
2. Identify the subject connected to that verb.
3. Check whether the clause can stand independently or depends on another clause.
4. For a subordinate clause, ask what work it does: noun function, description of a noun, or information such as time, reason or condition.

Common error: Do not classify every clause beginning with that in the same way. In “I know that he is right,” the clause is a noun clause. In “The book that you lent me is useful,” it is a relative/adjective clause describing book.

4. Gap-filling practice: tenses and clauses

Try each item before opening the answer and explanation.

1. My brother usually ______ (walk) to college, but today he ______ (take) the bus.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: walks; is taking. “Usually” indicates a habit; “today” describes a temporary action happening around the present.

2. By the time we reached the cinema, the film ______ (begin).

Show answer and explanation

Answer: had begun. The film began before the later past event of our reaching the cinema.

3. She ______ (study) at this school since 2023.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: has studied / has been studying. Both can be grammatical; the continuous form emphasises the ongoing activity.

4. If you ______ (revise) regularly, you will remember the rules more easily.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: revise. In this first conditional pattern, the if-clause normally uses the simple present.

5. I will wait here until the teacher ______ (arrive).

Show answer and explanation

Answer: arrives. In this future-time clause after “until”, the simple present is normally used.

6. The woman ______ lives next door is a doctor.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: who. It introduces a clause describing “the woman”.

7. I know ______ he has submitted the form.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: that. The clause functions as the object of “know”. In informal English, “that” can sometimes be omitted.

8. We cancelled the picnic ______ it was raining heavily.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: because / since. The subordinate clause gives the reason.

9. While the children ______ (play), their mother prepared lunch.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: were playing. The past continuous shows an activity in progress during another past action.

10. The book ______ you recommended was very helpful.

Show answer and explanation

Answer: that / which / no relative pronoun. The relative clause describes “book”; an object relative pronoun can be omitted.

5. Sentence reordering

Arrange the groups of words into grammatical sentences. Look for the subject, verb, modifiers and clause structure.

1. every morning / before school / exercises / Meera

Show answer

Answer: Meera exercises every morning before school.

2. because / the match / was postponed / it was raining

Show answer

Answer: The match was postponed because it was raining.

3. the student / who won the debate / is / my cousin

Show answer

Answer: The student who won the debate is my cousin.

4. had finished / before / the guests arrived / we / dinner

Show answer

Answer: We had finished dinner before the guests arrived.

5. if / you practise / you will improve / regularly

Show answer

Answer: If you practise regularly, you will improve.

6. Sentence transformation

Transformation changes sentence structure while preserving the essential meaning.

1. Combine using “although”: It was raining. The players continued the match.

Show answer

Answer: Although it was raining, the players continued the match.

2. Combine using a relative clause: I met a girl. She speaks five languages.

Show answer

Answer: I met a girl who speaks five languages.

3. Rewrite using “because”: The road was flooded, so the bus was delayed.

Show answer

Answer: The bus was delayed because the road was flooded.

4. Join using “after”: The bell rang. The students left the classroom.

Show answer

Answer: After the bell rang, the students left the classroom.

5. Rewrite as a conditional sentence: Work hard, or you may not succeed.

Show answer

Answer: If you do not work hard, you may not succeed.

6. Combine using “who”: The doctor treated my father. The doctor was very kind.

Show answer

Answer: The doctor who treated my father was very kind.

7. Mixed practice test

Attempt all questions, then reveal the answer key.

1. Neither of the players ______ ready when the coach arrived. (was/were)
2. By next June, she ______ (complete) her course. Choose a form for completion before that future time.
3. Identify the relative clause: “The house that stands on the hill belongs to my aunt.”
4. Complete: “I will inform you as soon as I ______ (receive) the results.”
5. Combine using “because”: “He missed the bus. He woke up late.”
6. Identify the noun clause: “What she decided surprised everyone.”
7. Reorder: “when the lights went out / we were studying / suddenly”.
8. Complete: “If I ______ (know) about the meeting, I would have attended it.”

Reveal answer key with explanations

1. was. “Neither” is normally treated as singular in formal examination English.
2. will have completed. The future perfect presents completion before a specified future time.
3. “that stands on the hill”. It describes “house”.
4. receive. A future-time clause after “as soon as” normally uses the simple present.
5. He missed the bus because he woke up late. The subordinate clause gives the reason.
6. “What she decided”. This noun clause functions as the subject of “surprised”.
7. We were studying when the lights suddenly went out. Past continuous shows the activity in progress; simple past shows the interrupting event.
8. had known. Third conditional: If + past perfect, would have + past participle.

8. Interactive quiz: tenses and clauses

Select one option per question and submit to see the score and question-by-question feedback. Green indicates a correct response; red indicates an incorrect response with the correct answer.

1. Neha ______ for the bus for twenty minutes.

Awaits✓Bhas been waiting✓Chad waited yesterday✓Dis wait✓

2. The train ______ before we reached the station.

Ahas left✓Bleaves✓Chad left✓Dwill leave✓

3. In “The girl who won the race is my friend,” which words form the relative clause?

Awho won the race✓BThe girl✓Cis my friend✓DThe girl is✓

4. In “We believed that the team would win,” the clause beginning with “that” is a:

Arelative clause✓Badverb clause of time✓Cmain clause✓Dnoun clause✓

5. If it ______ tomorrow, the match will be postponed.

Awill rain✓Brains✓Crained yesterday✓Dis rain✓

6. In “The students will leave when the bell rings,” the clause “when the bell rings” is:

Aan adverb clause of time✓Ba noun clause✓Ca relative clause✓Dan independent clause✓

7. By the time the guests arrived, we ______ dinner.

Afinish✓Bhave finished✓Chad finished✓Dwill finish✓

8. “______ it was late, they continued working.”

ABecause✓BUnless✓CSo that✓DAlthough✓

9. If I ______ about the event, I would have attended it.

Aknow✓Bhad known✓Chave known✓Dwill know✓

10. In “The novel which I borrowed yesterday is exciting,” the clause “which I borrowed yesterday” is:

Aa noun clause✓Ban adverb clause of reason✓Ca relative/adjective clause✓Dthe main clause✓

9. Quick revision checklist

Before the examination, make sure you can:

• select verb forms using time markers and sentence meaning;
• distinguish a completed past action from an earlier past action;
• use present forms with future meaning in common time and conditional clauses;
• identify noun, relative/adjective and adverb clauses;
• complete sentences with suitable tenses or conjunctions;
• reorder sentence parts logically;
• transform sentences without changing their essential meaning.

10. Frequently asked questions

How many marks are allocated to grammar in CBSE Class XI English Core 2026–27?

The CBSE syllabus allocates 7 marks to Grammar within the 23-mark Grammar and Creative Writing Skills section.

Which grammar topics are explicitly listed for Class XI English Core 2026–27?

The syllabus specifies gap-filling based on tenses and clauses, as well as sentence reordering and transformation.

Are these questions official CBSE previous-year questions?

No. The questions in this guide are original practice questions written for revision and are not represented as official CBSE previous-year questions.

What is a good way to practise tenses and clauses?

Read the complete sentence, identify the time relationship or clause function, select the form that fits the meaning, and explain why alternatives do not fit. Then practise mixed questions under timed conditions.

Study reminder: Learn the rule, practise it in context, and review the reason for each correction.

Syllabus reference: Central Board of Secondary Education, English Core, Class XI (2026–27), on the official CBSE Academic website.

CBSE Class 10 English Grammar 2026–27: Rules, Practice Questions and Answers

CBSE Class 10 English · 2026–27 Preparation

Prepare grammar systematically—not by memorising tricks alone. This guide revises the core grammar areas listed for CBSE Class 10 English Language and Literature: tenses, modals, subject–verb concord, reported speech and determiners. It also provides practice in gap filling, editing and omission, with explanations to help you understand your mistakes.

Grammar can become a scoring area when you understand the rules and practise applying them in context. The aim is not to promise a particular mark, but to build accuracy, confidence and speed for the examination.

For the 2026–27 session, always check the official CBSE Academic website and the syllabus or sample question paper applicable to your batch. Question formats and mark allocations can change.

Important: This is a study guide, not an official CBSE publication. It explains common grammar rules and offers original practice questions. Follow the instructions and word limits in your own question paper.

Contents

• What to prepare
• Tenses
• Modals
• Subject–verb agreement
• Reported speech
• Determiners
• Editing and omission
• Practice questions
• Interactive grammar quiz
• Revision checklist

1. What should you prepare?

CBSE Class 10 English grammar practice commonly focuses on applying rules through contextual tasks rather than simply defining grammatical terms. The topics listed in the syllabus include:

• Tenses
• Modals
• Subject–verb concord
• Reported speech: statements, questions, commands and requests
• Determiners

Practise applying these rules in gap-filling, editing and omission exercises. Check the current official syllabus and sample paper for the precise pattern and marks for your examination year.

2. Tenses: choosing the correct verb form

Tense shows the time of an action, while aspect helps show whether an action is complete, continuing or connected with another time. In questions, use the meaning of the whole sentence—not a time word alone—to choose the form.

Form	Typical use	Example
Simple Present	Habits, facts, routines	Water boils at 100°C under standard atmospheric pressure.
Present Continuous	An action happening now or around now	She is preparing for her examination.
Present Perfect	A past action connected with the present	She has lived here since 2015.
Present Perfect Continuous	An activity continuing over a period up to now	They have been waiting for an hour.
Simple Past	A completed past event	We visited the museum yesterday.
Past Continuous	An action in progress at a past time	I was reading when the phone rang.
Past Perfect	An earlier past action when sequence needs emphasis	The train had left before we reached the station.
Simple Future	A prediction, decision or future event	I will call you tomorrow.

Rules to remember

• Use since for a starting point: since Monday, since 2020.
• Use for for a duration: for two hours, for six years.
• Use the simple past with a finished past-time expression such as yesterday or last year.
• Use the past perfect when it is important to show that one past event happened before another.
• Do not use a continuous form for every action that lasts a long time; choose the form that fits the intended meaning.

Example: By the time we reached the station, the train had left.
The train’s departure occurred before our arrival.

3. Modals: ability, permission, possibility and obligation

Modals are helping verbs that express meanings such as ability, permission, possibility, advice, obligation and necessity. A modal is normally followed by the base form of the main verb.

Modal	Common meaning	Example
can	Ability or informal permission	Riya can solve this problem.
could	Past ability, polite request or possibility	Could you help me, please?
may	Permission or possibility	You may leave now.
might	Possibility, often less certain	It might rain this evening.
must	Strong obligation or logical conclusion	All candidates must carry their admit cards.
should	Advice or expectation	You should revise your answers.
have to	Necessity or obligation	We have to submit the form today.

Common error: Do not add -s to the main verb after a modal.

Incorrect: She can speaks English.
Correct: She can speak English.

Choose a modal based on context. For example, must often communicates stronger necessity than should, which commonly gives advice.

4. Subject–verb agreement (subject–verb concord)

The verb must agree with its subject in number and person. Do not let a noun placed between the subject and verb distract you.

• Singular subject: The list of names is on the desk.
• Plural subject: The students are ready.
• Each/every: Each of the players has a uniform.
• Either/or and neither/nor: When subjects differ in number, the verb generally agrees with the nearer subject in standard school-grammar exercises.
• Uncountable nouns: Information is useful; furniture is expensive.
• Collective nouns: A collective noun may take a singular verb when the group is treated as one unit; usage can vary by context and variety of English.

Example: Neither the students nor the teacher is ready.
The nearer subject, “teacher”, is singular.

Compare: Neither the teacher nor the students are ready.

5. Reported speech

Reported speech tells someone what another person said without necessarily repeating the exact words. Check the sentence type, pronouns, tense, time/place expressions and word order.

Statements

Direct: He said, “I am happy.”
Reported: He said that he was happy.

Questions

Direct: She said to me, “Where do you live?”
Reported: She asked me where I lived.

In reported questions, use statement word order. Do not retain question inversion after the reporting phrase.

Commands and requests

Direct: The teacher said to the students, “Open your books.”
Reported: The teacher instructed the students to open their books.

Direct: He said to me, “Please help me.”
Reported: He requested me to help him.

Useful reminders

• Pronouns change according to who is speaking and who is being addressed.
• When the reporting verb is in the past, a tense backshift is often used: am → was, will → would.
• Backshift is not automatic in every context. Universal truths and statements that remain true may retain the present tense.
• Words such as today, tomorrow and here may change depending on the reporting context.
• Use asked for questions and a suitable verb such as ordered, requested or advised for commands and requests.

6. Determiners

Determiners come before nouns and help identify or quantify them. Common types include articles, demonstratives, possessives, quantifiers and distributives.

Determiner	Use	Example
a / an	One non-specific countable singular noun	an umbrella; a university
the	A specific or identifiable noun	The book on the table is mine.
some / any	Quantity; use depends on sentence type and meaning	We need some water. Do you have any questions?
much / many	Much with uncountable nouns; many with countable plurals	much time; many books
few / a few	Few suggests almost none; a few means some	A few students stayed behind.
little / a little	Little suggests almost none; a little means some	We have a little time left.
each / every	Individual members of a group	Each child received a certificate.
this / that / these / those	Point to particular people or things	These books are new.

Articles depend on sound, not just spelling: write an hour because the h is silent, but a university because it begins with a “yoo” sound.

7. Editing and omission

Editing tasks ask you to identify and correct an error. Omission tasks ask you to supply a missing word. Read the whole sentence before deciding: the error may involve tense, agreement, an article, a preposition or another grammatical feature.

A practical editing method

1. Read the sentence once for meaning.
2. Check the subject and verb.
3. Check tense and time expressions.
4. Check articles, determiners and prepositions.
5. Read the corrected sentence again to make sure it is grammatical and logical.

Editing example

Incorrect: Each of the players have a kit.

Correct: Each of the players has a kit.

Reason: “Each” is singular in this construction, so it takes “has”.

Omission example

Sentence: She is good mathematics.

Missing word: at

Correct sentence: She is good at mathematics.

8. Practice questions

Attempt the questions before opening the answer key. These are original practice items, not questions reproduced from a CBSE paper.

A. Gap filling

1. My brother ______ (study) in this school since 2022.
2. You ______ wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler. (must / might)
3. Neither of the answers ______ correct. (is / are)
4. The teacher asked me where I ______. (live / lived)
5. There are ______ apples left, so we can make a pie. (a few / little)
6. By the time we arrived, the film ______ (begin).
7. She ______ speak three languages when she was ten. (could / must)
8. He said that he ______ tired. (is / was)

B. Editing

Each sentence contains one grammatical error. Identify the incorrect word and write the correction.

1. Each of the girls have submitted her project.
2. He has been waiting since two hours.
3. She can sings very well.
4. The teacher asked me why was I late.
5. There is many reasons to practise daily.

C. Omission

Supply the missing word in each sentence.

1. She is interested science.
2. We reached the station time.
3. He is honest man.
4. They have lived here 2020.
5. The children are waiting the bus.

Open the answer key with explanations

A. Gap filling

1. has been studying — the activity began in the past and continues now. “Has studied” may also be possible depending on intended meaning.
2. must — expresses a strong rule or obligation.
3. is — “neither” is singular in this construction.
4. lived — standard backshift after a past reporting verb.
5. a few — used with countable plural nouns such as “apples”.
6. had begun — the film began before the later past event of our arrival.
7. could — expresses past ability.
8. was — a typical tense backshift in reported speech.

B. Editing

1. have → has
2. since → for
3. sings → sing
4. was I → I was
5. is → are

C. Omission

1. interested in science
2. station on time
3. an honest man
4. here since 2020
5. waiting for the bus

9. Interactive grammar quiz

Choose one answer for each question, then select Check my score. You can reset the quiz and try again. The quiz runs within this post and does not send your answers anywhere.

1. Ayesha ______ at this school since 2021.

worked has been working is work

2. You should ______ your notes before the test.

revised revises revise

3. Each of the students ______ a library card.

has have are having

4. He asked me where I ______.

do live lived did I live

5. We waited for ______ hour.

a the an

6. They have been absent ______ three days.

for since from

7. When he was younger, he ______ run very fast.

may could must

8. Meera is good ______ mathematics.

in on at

9. The train ______ before we reached the station.

had left has leave is leaving

10. “Please sit down,” she said to me. She ______ me to sit down.

told that requested asked that

10. Final revision checklist

• I can choose verb forms using the meaning and time sequence of a sentence.
• I know the difference between since and for.
• I can choose modals according to meaning and use the base verb after a modal.
• I can identify the true subject and make the verb agree with it.
• I can report statements, questions, commands and requests with correct word order.
• I can select determiners according to whether a noun is countable, uncountable, singular or plural.
• I can identify a grammatical error and correct it without changing the intended meaning.
• I have checked the official syllabus and sample paper for my examination session.

Key takeaway: Do not depend on shortcuts alone. Read the complete sentence, identify its meaning, apply the relevant rule and check that your answer is grammatically correct. Regular practice with explanations is more useful than memorising answers without understanding them.

Keep practising, review every mistake and use the official CBSE syllabus for your session as the final authority on examination requirements.

English Tenses: Rules, Examples and Practice Questions with Answers

English Grammar · Rules, Examples and Practice

English Tenses: Rules, Examples and Practice Questions with Answers

Tenses help us show when an action or situation happens and whether it is regular, in progress, completed or continuing over a period of time. This guide explains the 12 tense forms commonly taught in school grammar, gives examples and provides practice questions with answers.

How to use this guide: Review the tense forms first, compare the examples, attempt the questions without looking at the answers, and then read the explanations for any mistakes.

In this guide

• What is tense?
• Quick reference chart
• The 12 tense forms
• Common points to remember
• Exercise 1: Identify the tense
• Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks
• Exercise 3: Correct the errors
• Answer key and explanations

1. What is tense?

In school grammar, tense is commonly taught through three time references—present, past and future—and four aspects: simple, continuous, perfect and perfect continuous. Their combinations are often presented as 12 tense forms.

• Simple: habits, facts, completed events or predictions.
• Continuous: an action in progress at a particular time.
• Perfect: an action viewed as completed before or by a reference point, or with a connection to that point.
• Perfect continuous: an activity viewed over a period up to a reference point.

Grammar note: Linguists do not all analyse English as having 12 grammatical tenses. The 12-form chart is a practical school-learning framework for verb forms and aspect.

2. Quick reference chart

Form	Basic structure	Example
Present Simple	base verb; he/she/it + verb-s/-es	She reads every evening.
Present Continuous	am/is/are + verb-ing	She is reading now.
Present Perfect	has/have + past participle	She has read the book.
Present Perfect Continuous	has/have been + verb-ing	She has been reading for an hour.
Past Simple	past form of the verb	She read it yesterday.
Past Continuous	was/were + verb-ing	She was reading at eight.
Past Perfect	had + past participle	She had read it before class.
Past Perfect Continuous	had been + verb-ing	She had been reading for an hour when I arrived.
Future Simple	will + base verb	She will read it tomorrow.
Future Continuous	will be + verb-ing	She will be reading at eight.
Future Perfect	will have + past participle	She will have read it by Friday.
Future Perfect Continuous	will have been + verb-ing	By June, she will have been teaching for ten years.

3. The 12 tense forms: rules and examples

1. Present Simple

Subject + base verb (s/es with he, she, it)

Use: habits, routines, general truths and states.

Example: The Earth revolves around the Sun.

Negative: She does not play chess.

Question: Does she play chess?

2. Present Continuous

am/is/are + verb-ing

Use: actions in progress now, temporary situations and arranged future plans.

Example: I am preparing for my examination.

Future arrangement: We are meeting the teacher tomorrow.

3. Present Perfect

has/have + past participle

Use: past events connected with the present, experiences and results.

Example: She has just completed her project.

Do not normally use it with a finished past-time expression such as yesterday.

4. Present Perfect Continuous

has/have been + verb-ing

Use: an activity continuing up to now or recently stopped, often with emphasis on duration.

Example: They have been waiting for thirty minutes.

Use for for a duration and since for a starting point.

5. Past Simple

subject + past form

Use: completed events in the past.

Example: We visited the museum last Sunday.

Negative: We did not visit the museum.

After did, use the base verb.

6. Past Continuous

was/were + verb-ing

Use: an action in progress at a past time, often as background to another event.

Example: I was studying when the lights went out.

Also: She was always complaining about the noise. Here, always can express irritation.

7. Past Perfect

had + past participle

Use: an action completed before another past event or time.

Example: The train had left before we reached the station.

The earlier event is in the past perfect; the later event is usually in the past simple.

8. Past Perfect Continuous

had been + verb-ing

Use: duration of an activity up to a past point.

Example: He had been working for two hours when I called.

9. Future Simple

will + base verb

Use: predictions, promises, offers and decisions made at the time of speaking.

Example: I will help you with the assignment.

Other future meanings can be expressed with forms such as be going to and the present continuous.

10. Future Continuous

will be + verb-ing

Use: an action that will be in progress at a future time.

Example: This time tomorrow, we will be travelling to Delhi.

11. Future Perfect

will have + past participle

Use: an action expected to be completed by a future time.

Example: I will have finished the report by Friday.

12. Future Perfect Continuous

will have been + verb-ing

Use: duration of an activity up to a future point.

Example: By next May, she will have been living here for five years.

4. Common points to remember

• Present perfect vs past simple: “I have lost my keys” focuses on the present result. “I lost my keys yesterday” names a finished past time.
• Past perfect: Use it when the order of past events needs to be made clear. It is not required in every sentence that mentions two past events.
• Present continuous for the future: “My sister is leaving school next month” can describe a planned or arranged future event.
• State verbs: Verbs such as know, believe, own and understand are not usually used in continuous forms when they describe states.
• Past participles: Learn irregular forms such as write–wrote–written, go–went–gone and break–broke–broken.
• Since and for: “since 2020” gives a starting point; “for six years” gives a duration.

5. Exercise 1: Identify the tense

Identify the tense or tense form used in each sentence. In passive sentences, identify the tense and voice.

1. He has just finished his project.
2. Has she finished dinner?
3. Ravi is covering his notebook.
4. She was always complaining about the noise.
5. We have been living here for five years.
6. She was doing her homework when I called her.
7. The train had left when we reached the station.
8. My mother went to the market.
9. An accident took place yesterday.
10. My sister is leaving school next month.
11. The glass has been broken.
12. The world will change for the better.
13. They had written three letters before noon.
14. A pen is lying under the sofa.
15. She is coming back from America tomorrow.

6. Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the verb given in brackets. Use the context to decide which form is needed.

1. I love to ______ books. (read)
2. She is ______ a glass of water. (drink)
3. My brother ______ to school by bus every day. (go)
4. She had ______ before we ______ there. (leave, arrive)
5. By tomorrow evening, he will have ______ the letter. (write)
6. They ______ for an hour when the bus finally arrived. (wait)
7. Look! The children ______ in the garden. (play)
8. I ______ this film twice already. (see)
9. At 9 p.m. tonight, we ______ for our test. (study)
10. By December, she ______ at this school for ten years. (teach)

7. Exercise 3: Correct the errors

Each sentence contains a tense or verb-form error. Rewrite it correctly.

1. She do not understand the question.
2. He has finished his homework yesterday.
3. They was playing when it started to rain.
4. Did you went to school yesterday?
5. By next week, I will completed the project.

8. Answer key and explanations

Exercise 1: Identify the tense

1. Present Perfect: has + finished (past participle).
2. Present Perfect, interrogative: has + subject + past participle.
3. Present Continuous: is + covering.
4. Past Continuous: was + complaining. Always adds a sense of repeated behaviour and may express irritation.
5. Present Perfect Continuous: have been + living. The phrase “for five years” gives duration continuing to the present.
6. Past Continuous (“was doing”) with Simple Past (“called”).
7. Past Perfect (“had left”) with Simple Past (“reached”).
8. Simple Past: went.
9. Simple Past: took place; “yesterday” marks a finished past time.
10. Present Continuous with future meaning: is leaving, describing a planned event.
11. Present Perfect Passive: has been + broken (past participle).
12. Future Simple: will + change.
13. Past Perfect: had + written.
14. Present Continuous: is lying.
15. Present Continuous with future meaning: is coming, with “tomorrow” indicating the future arrangement.

Exercise 2: Fill in the blanks

1. read — “love to” is followed by the base form.
2. drinking — present continuous: is + verb-ing.
3. goes — present simple for a routine; “my brother” is third-person singular.
4. left; arrived — past perfect (“had left”) marks the earlier event; simple past (“arrived”) marks the later event. Full sentence: “She had left before we arrived there.”
5. written — future perfect: will have + past participle.
6. had been waiting — past perfect continuous shows duration up to the bus’s arrival.
7. are playing — present continuous for an action happening now.
8. have seen — present perfect for experience up to now; “already” supports this reading.
9. will be studying — future continuous for an action in progress at a future time.
10. will have been teaching — future perfect continuous for duration up to a future point.

Exercise 3: Correct the errors

1. She does not understand the question. Use “does” with she, followed by the base verb.
2. He finished his homework yesterday. Use the simple past with a finished past-time expression such as “yesterday”.
3. They were playing when it started to rain. Use “were” with the plural subject “they”.
4. Did you go to school yesterday? Use the base form “go” after “did”.
5. By next week, I will have completed the project. Use “will have” + past participle for the future perfect.

Quick revision summary

• Simple: routine, fact, completed event or prediction.
• Continuous: action in progress at a reference time.
• Perfect: connects an event to a later reference point.
• Perfect continuous: emphasises duration or ongoing activity up to a reference point.

Always check the meaning and time expression, not just one keyword. A sentence can refer to the future using the present continuous, and the past perfect is used when the relationship between past events calls for it.

More English grammar explanations and practice questions are available at EnglishNotes.in.

Master English Tenses: A 48-Question Quiz with a Free PDF Worksheet

Test mastery of English verb tenses with this interactive quiz. Identify the tense used in each sentence—covering affirmative, negative, interrogative, and interrogative-negative forms—while tracking time, progress, and score. Get immediate feedback with clear reasoning after every attempt, and finish with a named result to share with peers or a teacher.

Tense Master

Question 1 of 500%

10:00

Identify the tense used in each sentence. Options include Present, Past, and Future forms across Simple, Continuous, Perfect, and Perfect Continuous. Read the feedback to see the time clue, auxiliary verb, or verb form that signals the correct tense. Good luck and have fun identifying the correct tense.

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Q1/50

Sentence type: Affirmative

Sentence appears here.

Score: 0

Student • 0/50

Time used: 0:00

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