Present Tense Quiz: How Much You Know About Present Tense?
Reviewed by Juliette Firla
Juliette Firla, MA (Teaching Writing)|
English Teacher
Review Board Member
Juliette is a middle school English teacher at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Connecticut. Juliette earned a BA in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Elon University and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Classroom Teacher license from the Connecticut State Department of Education. Juliette possesses strong skills in English language arts, writing, editing, and literature study. She has a deep passion for working with young people and contributing to the education of America's youth in the classroom.
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Are you an expert on tenses? This is a present tense quiz to help you check how well you understand the present tense. Take this quiz to evaluate your knowledge and hopefully learn something new! You might even get a perfect score. Just fill in the sentences with the correct word. From identifying the correct form of the verb to completing sentences with appropriate tense usage, this quiz covers a wide range of topics to help you master present tense concepts effectively. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to practice using present tense in various contexts, including daily routines, factual Read morestatements, and ongoing actions. Explore the nuances of present simple and present continuous tenses through a variety of engaging questions. Challenge yourself with exercises on verb conjugation, sentence construction, and verb tense consistency. Test your ability to differentiate between habitual actions, current activities, and future plans expressed in the present tense. After the quiz, share your results with friends and see who gets the better score. Good luck!
Present Tense Questions and Answers
1.
Many birds of Europe ... south to Africa for the winter. (Fly)
A.
Are flying
B.
Flies
C.
Fly
D.
Has flown
Correct Answer
C. Fly
Explanation The correct answer is "fly" because it is the present tense form of the verb that agrees with the subject "birds." This form indicates that the action is happening currently or habitually, which makes sense in the context of birds migrating from Europe to Africa in winter.
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2.
The weather ... very cold in Moscow during winter. (Get)
A.
Get
B.
Is getting
C.
Has got
D.
Gets
Correct Answer
D. Gets
Explanation In this sentence, the verb "gets" is the correct answer because it is the simple present tense form of the verb "get." The sentence is talking about the weather in Moscow during winter in general, so the present tense is appropriate. The word "gets" indicates that the weather consistently becomes very cold during winter in Moscow.
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3.
After six days of rain, I'm glad that the sun ... again today. (Shine)
A.
Shines
B.
Is shining
C.
Shining
D.
Is shines
Correct Answer
B. Is shining
Explanation The sentence is in the present tense, and we are referring to the current day. The word "glad" indicates a feeling in the present moment. Therefore, the correct answer is "is shining" as it indicates that the sun is currently shining today.
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4.
Don't forget to take your umbrella. It ... outside. (Rain)
A.
Rains
B.
Raining
C.
Has been raining
D.
Is raining
Correct Answer
D. Is raining
Explanation The correct answer is "is raining" because the sentence is in the present tense and the verb "raining" is the correct form of the verb to describe the current weather condition.
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5.
Justin ... a book about his adventure in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished. (Write)
A.
Write
B.
Has written
C.
Is writing
D.
Writes
Correct Answer
C. Is writing
Explanation The correct sentence is "Justin is writing a book about his adventure in Tibet." The present continuous tense "is writing" is used to describe an action that is currently in progress. The other options do not fit the context of an ongoing action. "Write" is the base form, "has written" is in the present perfect tense indicating a completed action, and "writes" suggests a habitual action.
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6.
I ... them three times, but I still haven't received a reply. (Write)
A.
Am writing
B.
Have written
C.
Write
D.
Writing
Correct Answer
B. Have written
Explanation The phrase "I still haven't received a reply" indicates that the action of writing the message has already been completed in the past and has a connection to the present. Therefore, the correct answer is "have written," which is the present perfect tense indicating an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present moment.
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7.
Hey, let's change the conversation. It ... too serious! (Get)
A.
Gets
B.
Has been getting
C.
Getting
D.
Is getting
Correct Answer
D. Is getting
Explanation The phrase "is getting" is the correct answer because it indicates the ongoing nature of the action of changing the conversation. The present continuous tense is used to describe actions that are happening at the moment or around the present time. In this context, the speaker is suggesting a shift in the conversation from being too serious to something else, implying that the change is currently happening or about to happen.
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8.
A: What are you doing now?
B: Well, right now I ... a book on how to cook fried rice. (Write)
A.
Write
B.
Have written
C.
Writes
D.
Am writing
Correct Answer
D. Am writing
Explanation The correct answer is "am writing" because it is the present continuous tense, which is used to describe an action happening at the moment of speaking. In this context, person B is currently engaged in the activity of writing a book on how to cook fried rice better.
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9.
We ... three major snowstorms so far this winter. I wonder how many more we will have. (Has)
A.
Are having
B.
Have
C.
Have had
D.
Has
Correct Answer
C. Have had
Explanation The sentence indicates that the speaker is referring to past snowstorms that have already occurred this winter. Therefore, the correct answer is "have had," which is the present perfect tense and accurately reflects the ongoing action of experiencing snowstorms in the past.
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10.
Hendra needs to get in touch with you. Since this morning, he __________ here four times trying to reach you. He called at 9:10, 10:25, 12:15, and 1:45. (Call)
A.
Calls
B.
Has called
C.
Is calling
D.
Called
Correct Answer
B. Has called
Explanation The correct tense is "has called" because it indicates that the action of calling started in the past and has relevance to the present, with multiple occurrences. The other options do not correctly convey the ongoing nature of Hendra's attempts to reach you throughout the day.
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11.
Right now Martha is in the science building at our school. The chemistry experiment that she ... is dangerous, so she is being cautious. (Do)
A.
Is doing
B.
does
C.
Has done
D.
Doing
Correct Answer
A. Is doing
Explanation Martha is currently in the science building and she is engaged in an ongoing activity of conducting a chemistry experiment. The use of the present continuous tense "is doing" indicates that the action is happening at the present moment. The sentence also mentions that the experiment is dangerous, which implies that Martha needs to be careful and take necessary precautions while performing it.
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12.
Don't give him this book. I ______________ it.
A.
Reading
B.
Been reading
C.
Am reading
D.
Will Reading
Correct Answer
C. Am reading
Explanation The correct sentence is "Don't give him this book. I am reading it." The present continuous tense "am reading" is used to indicate an action that is currently ongoing. The other options are incorrect: "reading" needs an auxiliary verb, "been reading" is incomplete without "have" or "had," and "will reading" is grammatically incorrect.
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13.
A: Tell me about your experience of going around the world.
B: Well, I ... many of the countries in Central America. I took a tour of Central America about six years ago.
A.
Visit
B.
Have visited
C.
Have been visiting
D.
Am visiting
Correct Answer
B. Have visited
Explanation The correct answer is "have visited." This is because B is talking about a past experience of taking a tour of Central America six years ago. The use of "have visited" indicates that B has already completed the action of visiting the countries in Central America.
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14.
Which sentence is in the simple present tense?
A.
She will go to the store later.
B.
They are playing soccer tomorrow.
C.
I eat breakfast every morning.
D.
He was studying when I called.
Correct Answer
C. I eat breakfast every morning.
Explanation This sentence is in the simple present tense because it describes a habitual or regular action. The subject "I" and the verb "eat" are both in the base form and the adverbial phrase "every morning" indicates that this action is something that happens regularly or as a routine.
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15.
It's ten p.m. I ... for three hours and probably won't finish until midnight.
A.
Am studying
B.
Study
C.
Have studied
D.
Have been studying
Correct Answer
D. Have been studying
Explanation The correct answer is "have been studying." This is because the sentence is in the present perfect continuous tense, which is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. In this case, the speaker started studying at seven o’clock. and is still studying at the time of speaking.
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16.
She ... to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.
A.
Has talked
B.
Have talked
C.
Talks
D.
Is talked
Correct Answer
A. Has talked
Explanation The correct answer is "has talked" because it indicates that she has already had conversations with several specialists in the past. The use of the present perfect tense suggests that the action of talking to the specialists happened at an unspecified time before the present moment and is still relevant to the present situation. This implies that despite seeking help from multiple specialists, none of them have been able to determine the cause of her illness.
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17.
Rani: Did you like the movie "The Godfather"?
Erna: I don't know. I ... that movie in my life.
A.
Am never watching
B.
Has never watched
C.
Have never watched
D.
Have never been watching
Correct Answer
C. Have never watched
Explanation Erna's response indicates that she has never watched the movie "The Godfather" in her life. The phrase "have never watched" implies that she has not had the experience of viewing the film before. This suggests that she is unable to provide an opinion on whether she liked it or not since she has no prior knowledge or experience with it.
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18.
The telephone ... for almost a minute. Why doesn't someone answer it?
A.
Has been ringing
B.
Has rung
C.
Has been rung
D.
Is ringing
Correct Answer
A. Has been ringing
Explanation The correct answer is "has been ringing." This tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. In this case, the telephone has been ringing for almost a minute and the speaker wonders why nobody has answered it yet.
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19.
She graduated from university less than three years ago. She ... for three different companies so far.
A.
Work
B.
Works
C.
Has been working
D.
Has worked
Correct Answer
D. Has worked
Explanation The correct answer is "has worked" because the phrase "less than three years ago" indicates a specific time frame in the past that is still relevant to the present. The present perfect tense "has worked" is used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up until now. In this case, it implies that she started working for three different companies in the past and is still currently working.
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20.
A: Do you know Alex?
B: Well, I ... him since he was a child.
A.
Know
B.
Am knowing
C.
Have been knowing
D.
Have known
Correct Answer
D. Have known
Explanation The correct answer is "have known" because the sentence is referring to a past action or experience of knowing Alex. The phrase "since he was a child" indicates that the speaker has known Alex for a long period of time, which aligns with the past perfect tense.
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21.
Judy: How long have you been in Canada?
Claude: I ... here for more than three years.
A.
Am studying
B.
Study
C.
Have been studying
D.
Have studied
Correct Answer
C. Have been studying
Explanation Claude's response "I have been studying here for more than three years" suggests that he has been studying in Canada for a continuous period of time that started in the past and is still ongoing. This is indicated by the use of the present perfect continuous tense "have been studying," which implies an action that started in the past and is still happening in the present.
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22.
The boys are playing soccer now. They ... for almost two hours. They must be getting tired.
A.
Are playing
B.
Have been playing
C.
Have played
D.
Play
Correct Answer
B. Have been playing
Explanation The correct answer is "have been playing" because the sentence indicates that the boys are currently engaged in playing soccer and have been doing so for almost two hours. The use of "have been playing" suggests an ongoing action that started in the past and is still happening in the present. This tense is appropriate to convey the idea that the boys have been actively involved in the game and are likely to be tired as a result.
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Juliette Firla |MA (Teaching Writing)|
English Teacher
Juliette is a middle school English teacher at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Connecticut. Juliette earned a BA in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Elon University and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Classroom Teacher license from the Connecticut State Department of Education. Juliette possesses strong skills in English language arts, writing, editing, and literature study. She has a deep passion for working with young people and contributing to the education of America's youth in the classroom.
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