60 Gap Filling Practice Questions Tenses and Clauses | CBSE Class XI Grammar English Core

Tenses play a crucial role in mastering the English language, as they form the foundation of effective communication. Whether you're speaking or writing, understanding and using the correct tense ensures clarity and precision. In day-to-day life, tenses help us express when actions happen—whether in the past, present, or future. This understanding is especially important for students, as tenses are a key component of exams, where they demonstrate both grammar skills and the ability to structure sentences correctly. This post aims to provide practice exercises to help you master tenses, ensuring you can use them confidently in both everyday conversations and academic settings.

---

Gap-Filling Questions: Tenses and Clauses

Present Simple (Indefinite)

1. She __________ to school every day. (go)
2. The bus __________ at 8:00 AM. (leave)
3. They __________ pizza for dinner on Sundays. (eat)
4. The sun __________ in the east. (rise)
5. He __________ his homework after school. (do)

Present Continuous

6. Right now, I __________ a book. (read)
7. They __________ a movie at the cinema tonight. (watch)
8. She __________ her keys at the moment. (look for)
9. We __________ dinner at 7 PM. (have)
10. I __________ to my friend about the homework. (talk)

Present Perfect

11. I __________ my wallet. (lose)
12. They __________ in this city for five years. (live)
13. She __________ her project yet. (not finish)
14. We __________ to that restaurant before. (not go)
15. How long __________ you __________ this book? (read)

Present Perfect Continuous

16. I __________ for an hour. (study)
17. She __________ all day. (work)
18. We __________ to fix the car since morning. (try)
19. They __________ at this school for three years. (study)
20. He __________ for over an hour. (wait)

Past Simple

21. I __________ my phone yesterday. (lose)
22. They __________ to the park last weekend. (go)
23. She __________ a cake for the party yesterday. (bake)
24. We __________ a great time at the concert. (have)
25. The teacher __________ the students yesterday. (help)

Past Continuous

26. At 9 PM last night, I __________ TV. (watch)
27. While they __________, it started to rain. (play football)
28. She __________ when I called her. (sleep)
29. The kids __________ outside when their parents arrived. (play)
30. What __________ you __________ when I called you? (do)

Past Perfect

31. By the time we arrived, they __________ dinner. (finish)
32. She __________ a lot of books before she became a teacher. (read)
33. They __________ their homework by the time I arrived. (finish)
34. I __________ the book before I saw the movie. (read)
35. We __________ that movie already. (watch)

Past Perfect Continuous

36. They __________ for hours when I arrived. (wait)
37. I __________ for the bus when it started raining. (wait)
38. He __________ for two years before he got a job. (study)
39. She __________ all afternoon. (work)
40. We __________ for a long time before we decided to leave. (talk)

Future Simple

41. I __________ a new phone next month. (buy)
42. They __________ to the beach tomorrow. (go)
43. We __________ the test next week. (take)
44. She __________ a doctor when she grows up. (become)
45. I __________ you after the meeting. (call)

Future Continuous

46. This time tomorrow, I __________ on the beach. (relax)
47. They __________ at 8 PM tomorrow. (eat)
48. He __________ at the concert when you arrive. (sing)
49. We __________ dinner at 7:00 PM tomorrow. (have)
50. I __________ to you when you come. (talk)

Future Perfect

51. By the end of the year, I __________ this book. (finish)
52. They __________ the project by the time the boss arrives. (complete)
53. We __________ the test by next Monday. (finish)
54. I __________ my homework before the class starts. (complete)
55. She __________ the work by 5 PM tomorrow. (finish)

Future Perfect Continuous

56. By next year, I __________ here for 10 years. (work)
57. By the time you arrive, we __________ for two hours. (wait)
58. They __________ for a month by the time they move. (study)
59. She __________ for 5 years before she retires. (teach)
60. We __________ all afternoon before we go to the party. (work)

---

Answer Key

Present Simple (Indefinite)

1. goes
2. leaves
3. eat
4. rises
5. does

Present Continuous
6. am reading
7. are watching
8. is looking for
9. are having
10. am talking

Present Perfect
11. have lost
12. have lived
13. hasn’t finished
14. haven’t gone
15. have you read

Present Perfect Continuous
16. have been studying
17. has been working
18. have been trying
19. have been studying
20. has been waiting

Past Simple
21. lost
22. went
23. baked
24. had
25. helped

Past Continuous
26. was watching
27. were playing football
28. was sleeping
29. were playing
30. were you doing

Past Perfect
31. had finished
32. had read
33. had finished
34. had read
35. had watched

Past Perfect Continuous
36. had been waiting
37. had been waiting
38. had been studying
39. had been working
40. had been talking

Future Simple
41. will buy
42. will go
43. will take
44. will become
45. will call

Future Continuous
46. will be relaxing
47. will be eating
48. will be singing
49. will be having
50. will be talking

Future Perfect
51. will have finished
52. will have completed
53. will have finished
54. will have completed
55. will have finished

Future Perfect Continuous
56. will have been working
57. will have been waiting
58. will have been studying
59. will have been teaching
60. will have been working

---

Direct and Indirect Speech All Variations in a nutshell with examples | English Grammar

Direct Speech:

Definition: Direct speech involves quoting the exact words spoken by a person. It is typically enclosed in quotation marks and often introduced by a verb like "said" or "asked." Example: Sarah said, "I am going to the market tomorrow."

Indirect Speech (Reported Speech):

Definition: Indirect speech involves reporting what someone else has said without quoting their exact words. In indirect speech, the reported words are often introduced by a reporting verb and are not enclosed in quotation marks. Example: Sarah said that she was going to the market the next day.

Aspect	Direct Speech Example	Indirect Speech Example
Pronoun Perspective	"I love this book," said Sarah.	Sarah said that she loved that book.
Verb Tense	"I go to the gym every day," he said.	He said that he went to the gym every day.
Reporting Verb	"Please help me with this," she pleaded.	She pleaded with me to help her with that.
Punctuation	"Stop right there!" shouted the officer.	The officer shouted at them to stop right there.
Time Expressions	"I'll meet you at 5 PM," John promised.	John promised that he would meet me at 5 PM.
Demonstratives	"This is my car," she declared.	She declared that that was her car.
Modals	"I can swim," said Tom.	Tom said that he could swim.
Questions	"Are you coming?" she asked.	She asked if I was coming.
Commands	"Close the door," the teacher commanded.	The teacher commanded them to close the door.
Adverbs	"I will come soon," he promised.	He promised that he would come soon.
Imperatives	"Pass me the salt," she said to him.	She told him to pass her the salt.
Adjective/Adverb Changes	"It's a beautiful day," she said happily.	She said that it was a beautiful day and she was happy.

These examples illustrate the changes that occur when transforming sentences from direct to indirect speech across various aspects.

In indirect speech, specific changes are made to the original sentence:

1. Pronouns may change to maintain accuracy (e.g., he/she, I, you, they).

2. Verb tenses may shift back in time.

3. Demonstrative pronouns (this, these, that, those) may change based on context.

4. Time expressions may need adjustment.

It's important to note that not all reporting verbs (say, tell, ask, etc.) are followed by the same changes, and some may not require any changes at all.

Let's explore examples for each of these changes in indirect speech:

Pronouns:

Direct Speech: She said, "I am going to the party."

Indirect Speech: She said that she was going to the party.

Direct Speech: "We will be there soon," they said.

Indirect Speech: They said that they would be there soon.

Verb Tenses:

Direct Speech: He said, "I write poetry."

Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote poetry.

Direct Speech: "I have finished my work," she said.

Indirect Speech: She said that she had finished her work.

Demonstrative Pronouns:

Direct Speech: "This is my pen," he said.

Indirect Speech: He said that that was his pen.

Direct Speech: "These are my friends," she said.

Indirect Speech: She said that those were her friends.

Time Expressions:

Direct Speech: She said, "I will visit tomorrow."

Indirect Speech: She said that she would visit the next day.

Direct Speech: "We saw the movie yesterday," they said.

Indirect Speech: They said that they had seen the movie the day before.

In these examples:

• Pronouns have been adjusted to maintain accuracy (she to she, I to he, we to they).

• Verb tenses have shifted back in time to match the reporting context.

• Demonstrative pronouns have changed based on context (this to that, these to those).

• Time expressions have been adjusted to fit the time frame of the reporting situation.

These changes help maintain clarity and accuracy when reporting someone else's speech indirectly.