Verb Tense MCQ: Grammar Quiz

"Was reading" is the correct form, employing the past continuous tense. This tense is ideal for expressing an action that was ongoing in the past and was interrupted by another action (she called). It sets the scene by focusing on the continuity of the past action up to the point of interruption.

"Takes" is the correct answer for describing habitual actions that occur regularly. The simple present tense, which is used here, is typically employed to express daily routines or habitual facts. In this context, "usually" cues the use of the simple present to indicate a regular activity.

"Have been waiting" employs the present perfect continuous tense, which is used to describe actions that began in the past and continue up to the present. The inclusion of "for two weeks now" indicates that the action of waiting started in the past and is still ongoing, making the present perfect continuous the best fit to express the duration of the activity up to now.

"Were having" fits the sentence as it describes an ongoing action (eating dinner) that was interrupted by another action (the phone ringing). The past continuous tense, indicated by "were" plus the -ing form of the verb, is used to denote actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past and often provides a backdrop for another action.

"Will complete" is the appropriate choice because the sentence is discussing a future event, the completion of a degree, expected to happen by next year. The future simple tense, formed with "will" plus the base form of the verb, is used to express actions that are predicted or planned to happen in the future. This tense effectively communicates intentions or definite plans set for times ahead.

"Went" is the correct answer because the sentence describes an action that happened at a specific time in the past, one hour ago. The simple past tense is used for actions completed at a definite time in the past, which is indicated here by "an hour ago." Unlike the present perfect or future tenses, the simple past directly ties the action to a completed timeframe, making it the appropriate choice for this sentence.

"Would have acted" correctly uses the past perfect conditional tense, which is ideal for expressing hypothetical outcomes in the past. This tense suggests that if the condition (knowing) had been met, the outcome (acting differently) would have followed, indicating a missed outcome based on a past condition not being met.

"Had been written" is the correct form, using the past perfect passive tense. This tense is necessary because the action (the book being written) was completed before another past action (his arrival). The past perfect passive is formed with "had been" followed by the past participle of the verb, emphasizing that the book's writing was completed at a point in the past before another event occurred.

"Will have finished" uses the future perfect tense, appropriate for actions that will be completed before a specific future time. In this case, all exams will be finished by the end of the month. The future perfect is constructed with "will have" followed by the past participle of the verb, signifying completion of an action before another time or event in the future.

"Will have started" is the appropriate tense because it describes an action that will be complete before a specific future time, the time of arrival. The future perfect tense is used here, formed by "will have" plus the past participle, to denote that the start of the movie precedes another future event.