1.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of present tense from those given in
brackets.

1. I am attempting the Civil Services exam coming up, so I ………………. (am/is)

studying hard these days.
2. My grandmother ………………. (carries/carrying) a walking stick when she goes
out for a walk.
3. Shashi isn’t at home. She ………………. (is/are) out for shopping with her father.
4. Can you speak louder please, I ………………. (am not/cannot) hear you.
5. My widower uncle often ………………. (coming/comes) to our house for lunch on
Sundays.
6. Since he changed his job, he ………………. (found/has found) more time to relax
and enjoy his hobby.
7. I feel proud of my team as it ………………. (performed/has performed) very well.
8. Look! They ………………. (gossip and while away/are gossiping and whiling
away) their time.
9. An apple a day ………………. (keeps/is keeping) the doctor away.
10. By profession, an artist ………………. (creates/is creating) a picture whereas an
author ………………. (writes/is writing) a book.

2. Fill in the blanks in the telephone conversation given below with the correct
present tense form of the verb given in brackets.
Sameer : Savita! How (a) ………………. (be) you? This is Sameer.
Savita: Ahhh……Sameer! I (b) ………………. (be) fine. How are you?
Sameer: I’m great, thanks.
Savita: That (c) ………………. (be) good. So, what’s up?
Sameer: Well, I (d) ………………. (has) a problem for you to solve.
Savita: Sure, just say it.
Sameer: My motorcycle (e) ………………. (be) defective. I (f) ………………. (try) to
repair it for days. I (g) ………………. (not, know) what is wrong with it. I (h)
………………. (no, can, fix) it.

3. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of past tense by selecting from the
options given in brackets.

1. The other employees had already left the office but Kanika ………………. (still
worked/was still working) there.
2. A small boy ………………. (fell/was falling) from the train when it was moving at
full speed.
3. We saw a bus fallen into a ditch when we ………………. (went/were going) to
Mussoorie.
4. Anita ………………. (burnt/was burning) her finger while she was cooking.
 5. While I ………………. (waited/was waiting) for my bus Rachita was running after
hers.
6. The farmer sold the crop after he ………………. (harvested/had harvested) it.
7. Indians ………………. (had fought/fought) a long struggle before they
………………. (had attained/attained) independence.
8. The train ………………. (departed/had departed) before we reached the station.

4. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of past tense of the verbs given in
brackets.

1. Binod ………………. (bring up) by his father because his mother died when he
was a baby.
2. Ramesh, who ………………. (work) in Kolkata for 10 years, is now seriously ill.
3. I once ………………. (hear) Honey Singh singing live on the stage.
4. Majid, my best friend, ………………. (stay) in Kanpur for the last five years.
5. Kritika _________ (break) her left ankle bone while she ………………. (dance) at
the party.
6. Tailor Master, are the clothes I ………………. (give) for stitching ready yet?
7. Parveen ………………. (not/write) a letter to me since last year.
8. Mummy, tell Papa that his phone ………………. (ring) while he ……………….
(have) his bath.

5. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the future tense of the verbs given in
brackets.

1. Now Nikhil ………………… (want) to move to a bigger city for a better job.
2. The famous Dr Prahlad ………………… (operate) on my uncle tomorrow to
remove his tumour.
3. Sarla’s mother ………………… (stay) in a rented house after her divorce gets
through.
4. Prodipta ………………… (win) the wrestling bout against Vijay this evening, I’m
sure.
5. I think Ranjan ………………… (start) his journey tomorrow.
6. Our Maths teacher ………………… (correct) the exam papers by Sunday.
7. I think Anil ………………… (certainly/get) good marks in the Social Science test.
8. By 7 PM, Sameera ………………… (finish) her homework.

6. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of future tense by selecting from the
options given in brackets.

1. The train ………………… (will have left/will leave) from Rajkot by 10 PM.
 2. My grandfather will ………………… (have arrived/be arriving) at home by now.
3. The entertainment program ………………… (will have ended/will end) by now.
4. I think that tomorrow Ramita ………………… (is starting/will start) on her new
project.
5. My class teacher ………………… (probably assigning/will probably assign) a lot of
homework for the summer holidays.
6. The building contractor ………………… (will finishing/will have finished) my new
house by next month.
7. I will ………………… (be completing/have completed) this task at this time
tomorrow.
8. I ………………… (will be passing/will have passed) my MBA by the time you
return from abroad.

7. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb (mixed tenses) given in
brackets.

One day a husband and wife (a) ………………… (drive) to the countryside to visit their
friends when they realised they needed to stop for petrol. The man was filling up the car
when he (b) ………………… (see) a penguin standing by the petrol pump. He (c)
………………… (think) it was very strange and when he went to the cashier to pay, he
asked, “Why is there a penguin standing next to the pump?”

The cashier replied, “I don’t know. It (d) ………………… (be) there all morning.”

Tenses Practice Exercises

Question 1.
When Kovid died he and Nisha had been married for six years.
(a) have been
(b) has been
(c) having been
(d) No correction

Question 2.
If it rained we will get wet.
(a) rains, will be
(b) raining, will
(c) rains, will
(d) No correction

Question 3.
I am contributing to my nation’s infrastructure.
(a) contribute
(b) contributed
(c) contributes
(d) No correction

Question 4.
I appeared for the interview today.
(a) appear
(b) has appeared
(c) appearing
(d) No correction

Question 5.
In the last ten years, the problem has almost became an epidemic.
(a) becomes
(b) become
(c) had become
(d) No correction

Question 6.
She waiting for her sister’s marriage.
(a) waits
(b) is waiting
(c) will waiting
(d) No correction

Question 7.
Digital downloads having changed the way we listen to music.
(a) been
(b) having been
(c) have
(d) No correction

Question 8.
Now would be a good time to _________ your stuff in order.
(a) get
(b) getting
(c) gets
(d) No correction

Question 9.
Sunil will have arrived in the hospital by now.
(a) has arrived
(b) is arriving
(c) will has arrived
(d) No correction

Question 10.
But nothing has changed in the way we are storing and manage our MP3s.
(a) managed
(b) manages
(c) managing
(d) No correction

Question 11.
Kejriwal put 18 conditions before Sonia and Rajnath.
(a) puts
(b) putting
(c) had puts
(d) No correction

Question 12.
Bru Gold coffee have an incredible aroma.
(a) having
(b) has
(c) had
(d) No correction

Question 13.
I have read this book since 10 am.
(a) have been read
(b) have reading
(c) have been reading
(d) No correction
Question 14.
Does Sakshi go for a walk every morning?
(a) goes
(b) going
(c) will go
(d) No correction

Question 15.
Samir came to meet me after you have leaving.
(a) have left
(b) had left
(c) left
(d) No correction
Answer:
(b) had left

Question 16.
As soon as Meena heard the alarm, she left for work.
(a) hears
(b) hear
(c) will hear
(d) No correction

Question 17.
Watching too many cartoons and junk food consumption are triggers that are lead to
obesity in children.
(a) are lead
(b) lead
(c) are leading
(d) No correction

Question 18.
When I left home my brother watch television.
(a) watches
(b) watched
(c) was watching
(d) No correction

Question 19.
The Earth revolved around the sun.
(a) revolves
(b) is revolving
(c) revolve
(d) No correction

Question 20.
All of us have a great time at the party.
(a) had
(b) will having
(c) having
(d) No correction