Tense
TOPICS â–¾
Active - Passive Voice
Adjective
Antonyms
Arrangement of Sentences
Articles
Conjunctions
Determiner
Direct & Indirect Speech
Glossary of Official and Technical Terms
idiom or phrase
Letter Writing
Misspelt Word
One Word Substitution
Prefixes and Suffixes
Preposition
Synonyms
Tense
Translation
Verb
SORT BY â–¾
41. Many people ______ their lives in the earthquake.
Answer: This refers to a completed event in the past (the earthquake), so the simple past tense is the most appropriate choice.
42. This time next week, I ______ on a beach.
Answer: The phrase 'this time next week' refers to an action that will be in progress at a specific point in the future, which calls for the future continuous tense.
43. She has been suffering from fever since she ______ her job.
Answer: When 'since' is used to connect a present perfect (or present perfect continuous) clause with a time clause, the verb in the time clause is in the simple past.
44. The boy fell down while he ______ to cross the road.
Answer: The action of falling down happened during the ongoing process of trying to cross the road. The past continuous is used for the background action.
45. Either of the two candidates ______ eligible for the post.
Answer: Pronouns like 'either', 'neither', 'each', and 'everyone' are singular and require a singular verb.
46. I ______ never seen such a beautiful sunset before.
Answer: The sentence describes an experience up to the present moment. The present perfect tense ('have' + past participle) is used to express life experiences.
47. The police ______ the thief yesterday.
Answer: 'Yesterday' specifies a definite past time, so the simple past tense is required.
48. He will not come ______ you invite him.
Answer: 'Unless' means 'if not'. The sentence means 'He will not come if you do not invite him.' The verb tense in the 'unless' clause is simple present when the main clause is in the future.
49. When the principal entered the class, a student ______ on the blackboard.
Answer: The action of writing was in progress when the principal entered. The past continuous tense is used for an ongoing action interrupted by another.
50. He ______ out for a walk after he had finished his dinner.
Answer: The action of finishing dinner (past perfect 'had finished') happened before the action of going for a walk. The subsequent action is in the simple past.
51. She ______ for an hour when the bus finally arrived.
Answer: This emphasizes the duration of an action (waiting) that was happening up until another point in the past (the bus arrived). The past perfect continuous is used here.
52. I ______ you my book as soon as I am finished with it.
Answer: The main clause expressing a future action uses the simple future tense. The time clause ('as soon as...') uses the simple present tense.
53. It ______ since last night.
Answer: 'Since last night' indicates an action that started in the past and is still continuing. The present perfect continuous tense is the correct choice.
54. The committee ______ divided in their opinion.
Answer: When a collective noun like 'committee' refers to the individual members of the group (indicated by 'their opinion'), it is treated as plural and takes a plural verb.
55. How long ______ you been working on this project?
Answer: The structure 'have you been + verb-ing' is the question form of the present perfect continuous tense, used to ask about the duration of an action up to the present.
56. When I was a child, I ______ to be a pilot.
Answer: The phrase 'When I was a child' sets the context firmly in the past. Therefore, the simple past tense is used to describe a state or feeling during that time.
57. The sun ______ in the east.
Answer: This is a statement of a universal truth, which is always expressed in the simple present tense.
58. I ______ my friend's letter yesterday, but I ______ not replied yet.
Answer: The first action happened 'yesterday' (simple past), and the second action (or lack thereof) continues up to the present ('yet' - present perfect).
59. As soon as the teacher ______, the students stood up.
Answer: When two actions happen one immediately after the other in the past, both are typically expressed in the simple past tense.
60. The manager will not be able to attend the meeting as he ______ to Mumbai.
Answer: The reason for the future inability to attend is a recent past action with a present result. The present perfect tense is used to show this connection.