Present Tense Quiz: How Much You Know About Present Tense?

Reviewed by Juliette Firla
Juliette Firla, MA (Teaching Writing) |
English Teacher
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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.
, MA (Teaching Writing)
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1. A: What are you doing now? B: Well, right now I ... a book on how to cook fried rice. (Write)

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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About This Quiz
Present Tense Quiz: How Much You Know About Present Tense? - Quiz


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... see moreyour 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 statements, 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! see less

2. Don't give him this book. I ______________ it.

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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3. Don't forget to take your umbrella. It ... outside. (Rain)

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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4. I ... them three times, but I still haven't received a reply. (Write)

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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5. 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)

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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6. 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.

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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7. She ... to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

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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8. Rani: Did you like the movie "The Godfather"? Erna: I don't know. I ... that movie in my life.

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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9. The weather ... very cold in Moscow during winter. (Get)

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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10. Hey, let's change the conversation. It ... too serious! (Get)

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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11. After six days of rain, I'm glad that the sun ... again today. (Shine)

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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12. Which sentence is in the simple present tense?

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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13. Right now Martha is in the science building at our school. The chemistry experiment that she ... is dangerous, so she is being cautious. (Do)

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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14. The boys are playing soccer now. They ... for almost two hours. They must be getting tired.

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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15. The telephone ... for almost a minute. Why doesn't someone answer it?

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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16. Judy: How long have you been in Canada? Claude: I ... here for more than three years.

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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17. Many birds of Europe ... south to Africa for the winter. (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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18. It's ten p.m. I ... for three hours and probably won't finish until midnight.

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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19. Justin ... a book about his adventure in Tibet. I hope he can find a good publisher when he is finished. (Write)

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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20. We ... three major snowstorms so far this winter. I wonder how many more we will have. (Has)

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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21. She graduated from university less than three years ago. She ... for three different companies so far.

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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22. A: Do you know Alex? B: Well, I ... him since he was a child.

Explanation

The present perfect tense ("have known") is used to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present. In this case, the speaker has known Alex since he was a child, and they presumably still know him now.

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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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A: What are you doing now? ...
Don't give him this book. I ______________ it.
Don't forget to take your umbrella. It ... outside. (Rain)
I ... them three times, but I still haven't received a reply....
Hendra needs to get in touch with you. Since this morning, he...
A: Tell me about your experience of going around the world. ...
She ... to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why...
Rani: Did you like the movie "The Godfather"? ...
The weather ... very cold in Moscow during winter. (Get)
Hey, let's change the conversation. It ... too serious! (Get)
After six days of rain, I'm glad that the sun ... again today....
Which sentence is in the simple present tense?
Right now Martha is in the science building at our school. The...
The boys are playing soccer now. They ... for almost two hours. They...
The telephone ... for almost a minute. Why doesn't someone answer...
Judy: How long have you been in Canada? ...
Many birds of Europe ... south to Africa for the winter. (Fly)
It's ten p.m. I ... for three hours and probably won't finish...
Justin ... a book about his adventure in Tibet. I hope he can find a...
We ... three major snowstorms so far this winter. I wonder how many...
She graduated from university less than three years ago. She ... for...
A: Do you know Alex? B: Well, I ... him since he was a child.
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