About this quiz
24 questions covering every section of the note on the twelve English tenses, their structures, uses, time-marker words, common mistakes and worked examples.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 24 multiple-choice questions (Subject: English · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 24 questions with answers and explanations
What is the past participle (V3) of the verb "write"?
- A) wrote
- B) written ✔
- C) writing
- D) writes
Why: The forms of write are write (V1), wrote (V2), written (V3) and writing (V-ing).
How many tense forms does English have when present, past and future are each divided into four aspects?
- A) Twelve ✔
- B) Nine
- C) Six
- D) Sixteen
Why: Three times multiplied by four aspects (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous) gives twelve forms.
Which structure belongs to the present perfect continuous tense?
- A) Sub + had been + V-ing
- B) Sub + am/is/are + V-ing
- C) Sub + has/have + V3
- D) Sub + has/have been + V-ing ✔
Why: The present perfect continuous uses has or have, then been, then the V-ing form.
"Sita will have read the news by 8 o'clock." Which tense is this?
- A) Future continuous
- B) Future simple
- C) Future perfect ✔
- D) Future perfect continuous
Why: Will have + V3 is the structure of the future perfect.
Choose the correct negative sentence in the present simple.
- A) Ram does not smoke. ✔
- B) Ram do not smokes.
- C) Ram does not smokes.
- D) Ram not smoke.
Why: In the negative of the present simple, does is followed by the base form V1.
Which sentence uses the present simple for a general truth?
- A) Water is boiling in the kettle now.
- B) The water has boiled.
- C) Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. ✔
- D) The water was boiling when I came.
Why: A scientific fact that is always true is expressed in the present simple.
Which group of words is the usual clue for the present continuous tense?
- A) yesterday, ago, last week
- B) now, at the moment, look, listen ✔
- C) by tomorrow, by next year
- D) always, usually, every day
Why: Words such as now, at the moment, look and listen show an action happening at the time of speaking.
"Hari has lost his bag, so he cannot open the shop." Why is the present perfect used here?
- A) The action is a daily habit.
- B) The action will happen in the future.
- C) The action was going on at a past moment.
- D) The past action has a result connected to the present. ✔
Why: The present perfect links a completed past action to the present situation.
Fill in the blank: "Gita has been working in this office ___ five years."
- A) for ✔
- B) since
- C) from
- D) by
Why: For is used with a length of time such as five years.
Which of these takes "since" rather than "for"?
- A) three days
- B) Monday ✔
- C) ten years
- D) two hours
Why: Since is used with a point of time such as Monday; the other options are lengths of time.
Which clue words most clearly call for the past simple tense?
- A) just, already, yet
- B) now, currently
- C) by the time, before
- D) yesterday, ago, last year ✔
Why: Words showing a definite finished past time take the past simple.
"We were eating dinner when the light went out." What does the past continuous "were eating" show here?
- A) A habit in the past
- B) An action completed before another past action
- C) An action in progress that was interrupted ✔
- D) A future plan
Why: The past continuous shows an action going on at a past moment, here interrupted by the light going out.
In "The train had left before we reached the station", which action happened first?
- A) We reached the station.
- B) Both happened at the same time.
- C) The train left. ✔
- D) Neither action is in the past.
Why: The past perfect "had left" marks the earlier of two past actions.
"Shyam ___ for two hours when the doctor came." Choose the best form.
- A) had been waiting ✔
- B) has been waiting
- C) is waiting
- D) will be waiting
Why: An action that had continued for some time before another past action takes the past perfect continuous.
"At ten tomorrow I ___ for the exam." Choose the correct form.
- A) sat
- B) will be sitting ✔
- C) have sat
- D) had been sitting
Why: An action in progress at a definite future time takes the future continuous.
In formal British usage, which helping verb is traditionally used with I and we for the future simple?
- A) will
- B) would
- C) did
- D) shall ✔
Why: Formal British grammar uses shall with I and we and will with other subjects, though will is now common with all.
"By June, Ram will have been teaching in Dhangadhi for ten years." Which tense is this?
- A) Future perfect
- B) Future perfect continuous ✔
- C) Future continuous
- D) Present perfect continuous
Why: Will have been + V-ing is the future perfect continuous, showing how long an action will have continued.
Which is the correct form of "I have met him yesterday."?
- A) I have been meeting him yesterday.
- B) I had met him yesterday.
- C) I am meeting him yesterday.
- D) I met him yesterday. ✔
Why: A definite past time word like yesterday needs the past simple, not the present perfect.
Which of the following is a stative verb that is normally not used in continuous form?
- A) know ✔
- B) run
- C) write
- D) play
Why: Know describes a state of mind, so "She is knowing" is wrong; we say "She knows".
Choose the correct question in the past simple.
- A) Did he went home?
- B) Did he goes home?
- C) Did he go home? ✔
- D) Did he gone home?
Why: After did, the main verb is always in the base form V1.
Choose the correct sentence with a time clause about the future.
- A) When he will come, I will tell him.
- B) When he came, I will tell him.
- C) When he will have come, I tell him.
- D) When he comes, I will tell him. ✔
Why: After when, if, before, until and as soon as, the present simple is used for a future idea.
"We ___ each other since childhood." Choose the correct form.
- A) have known ✔
- B) are knowing
- C) know
- D) have been knowing
Why: An action from past to now with since takes a perfect form, and know is stative, so the present perfect "have known" is right.
"If it ___ tomorrow, the match will be cancelled." Choose the correct form.
- A) will rain
- B) would rain
- C) rains ✔
- D) rained
Why: In an if-clause about the future, the present simple is used.
"By the end of this year, Sita ___ her degree." Choose the correct form.
- A) completes
- B) will have completed ✔
- C) had completed
- D) has completed
Why: "By" with a future time points to the future perfect, will have + V3.