Verb: Tense – Miscellaneous Practice questions

This practice set on tenses includes questions on correct forms of verbs, error correction, and transformation of sentences. Use it after learning the tense rules, then check your responses with the answer key at the end.

Section A: Fill in the Blanks – Correct Form of Verbs

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb given in brackets. Pay attention to tense, time expressions, and context.

1. Ria usually ________ (go) to school by bus, but today she ________ (walk) because the bus ________ (be) late.
2. We ________ (live) in this city since 2012.
3. Listen! The baby ________ (cry). Please go and see what ________ (happen).
4. By the time we reached the station, the train ________ (leave).
5. He ________ (finish) his homework before he ________ (go) out to play.
6. They ________ (play) cricket when it suddenly ________ (start) raining.
7. My father ________ (work) in this company for twenty years before he ________ (retire).
8. Look at the sky! It ________ (seem) that it ________ (rain).
9. I ________ (not see) him since we ________ (leave) school.
10. At this time tomorrow, we ________ (travel) to Darjeeling by train.
11. When I was a child, I ________ (play) in this park every evening.
12. He ________ (already / complete) the project when the teacher ________ (ask) for it.
13. She usually ________ (have) coffee, but today she ________ (drink) tea.
14. The bell ________ (ring) five minutes ago.
15. By next July, I ________ (study) English for three years.
16. We ________ (wait) here for an hour. How much longer ________ (we / have) to wait?
17. As soon as he ________ (reach) home, he ________ (call) me.
18. She ________ (not decide) yet what she ________ (want) to do in future.
19. If you ________ (study) hard, you ________ (get) good marks.
20. When I ________ (enter) the room, everyone ________ (laugh).

Section B: Error Correction – Tense

Directions: Each sentence below contains an error in tense. Rewrite the sentence correctly.

1. He is going to school yesterday.
2. I have seen him last week.
3. When I reached the station, the train leaves.
4. She is knowing the answer, but she did not say anything.
5. We are living here for ten years.
6. Rohan was usually coming late to school.
7. I am hearing a strange noise a few minutes ago.
8. The teacher has given us homework yesterday.
9. By the time he will arrive, we had finished our work.
10. He told me that he will come the next day.

Section C: Transformation of Sentences – Change the Tense

Directions: Rewrite the following sentences as indicated, without changing their meaning.

1. He writes a letter. (Change to Present Continuous)
2. They are playing football now. (Change to Simple Present to show habit)
3. She has finished her lunch. (Change to Simple Past)
4. He went to Mumbai last year. (Change to Present Perfect)
5. Rita was reading when I called her. (Change to Simple Past, using while)
6. They have been working here since 2019. (Change to Present Perfect, same meaning)
7. By 2028, she will have completed her Ph.D. (Change to Future Continuous, same time reference)
8. I meet him every Sunday. (Change to Present Perfect Continuous to show duration – since last year)
9. It rained heavily last night. (Change to Past Continuous, same time reference)
10. The train will arrive at 6 p.m. (Rewrite using Present Continuous)

Section D: Sequence of Tenses – Reported Speech

Directions: Change the following sentences from direct to indirect speech, following correct sequence of tenses.

1. He said, “I am tired now.”
2. She said, “I have finished my homework.”
3. They said, “We will visit the museum tomorrow.”
4. Rina said, “I saw him yesterday.”
5. The teacher said, “Honesty is the best policy.”
6. He said, “I have been waiting for you for an hour.”
7. They said, “We are going to the market.”
8. He said, “I will call you later.”
9. She said, “I was reading when you called.”
10. He said, “The earth moves round the sun.”

Answer Key

Section A: Fill in the Blanks

1. goes, is walking, is
   (“usually” → goes, “today” + “because bus is late” → present continuous)
2. have been living / have lived
   (since 2012 → present perfect or present perfect continuous)
3. is crying, is happening
4. had left
5. had finished, went
6. were playing, started
7. had worked, retired
8. seems, is going to rain / will rain
9. have not seen, left
10. will be travelling
11. played
12. had already completed, asked
13. has, is drinking
14. rang
15. will have been studying
16. have been waiting, do we have
17. reached, called
18. has not decided, wants
19. study, will get
20. entered, were laughing

Section B: Error Correction

1. He went to school yesterday.
2. I saw him last week.
3. When I reached the station, the train had left.
4. She knew the answer, but she did not say anything.
   (or: She knows the answer, but she is not saying anything – if present)
5. We have been living here for ten years.
6. Rohan usually came late to school.
   (habit in past → simple past)
7. I heard a strange noise a few minutes ago.
8. The teacher gave us homework yesterday.
9. By the time he arrives, we will have finished our work.
10. He told me that he would come the next day.

Section C: Transformation of Sentences

1. He is writing a letter.
2. They play football now.
   (Better: They play football every day / They usually play football.)
3. She finished her lunch.
4. He has gone to Mumbai.
   (if focusing on present result; note that “last year” normally calls for simple past: He went to Mumbai last year.)
5. While I called her, Rita was reading.
   (more natural: While Rita was reading, I called her.)
6. They have worked here since 2019.
7. In 2028, she will be working on her Ph.D. / She will be completing her Ph.D. by then.
   (parallel future continuous)
8. I have been meeting him every Sunday since last year.
9. It was raining heavily last night.
10. The train is arriving at 6 p.m.

Section D: Sequence of Tenses – Reported Speech

1. He said that he was tired then.
2. She said that she had finished her homework.
3. They said that they would visit the museum the next day.
4. Rina said that she had seen him the previous day.
5. The teacher said that honesty is the best policy.
   (universal truth → tense often unchanged)
6. He said that he had been waiting for me for an hour.
7. They said that they were going to the market.
8. He said that he would call me later.
9. She said that she had been reading when I called.
10. He said that the earth moves round the sun.
    (universal truth → present simple)