B1 English – The 4 Past Tenses Quiz - Ex 749
This intermediate quiz covers all four English past tenses: Simple Past, Past Continuous, Present Perfect, and Past Perfect. Study the grammar lessons below, then complete 20 questions (10 MC + 10 Fill) selected from a large pool. Complete within 20 minutes.
📚 Grammar Lessons – The 4 Past Tenses
Read these short lessons carefully before starting the quiz. Pay attention to the signal words — they tell you which tense to use!
Tense 1
Simple Past
Used for completed actions at a specific time in the past.
Subject + V2 (past form)
Subject + did not + base verb
Did + subject + base verb?
| ✓ Examples: | She visited Paris last year. They didn't go to the party. |
| ⌛ Signal words: | yesterday, last week/year, ago, in 2010, at 3 pm |
| ⚠ Irregular: | go→went, see→saw, buy→bought, have→had, take→took, write→wrote |
Tense 2
Past Continuous
Used for actions in progress at a moment in the past, or interrupted by another action.
Subject + was/were + V-ing
Subject + was/were + not + V-ing
Was/Were + subject + V-ing?
| ✓ Examples: | I was reading when the phone rang. They were having dinner at 8 pm. |
| ⌛ Signal words: | while, when, at that moment, at 8 o'clock last night, all day yesterday |
| 🔗 Pattern: | While I was cooking (continuous), the alarm rang (simple past). |
Tense 3
Present Perfect
Connects the past to the present — experiences, recent events, or unfinished time.
Subject + have/has + V3 (past participle)
Subject + have/has + not + V3
Have/Has + subject + V3?
| ✓ Examples: | I have visited Japan. She has just arrived. |
| ⌛ Signal words: | already, yet, just, ever, never, so far, recently, since, for, this week/year |
| ⚠ Note: | he/she/it → HAS | I/you/we/they → HAVE |
Tense 4
Past Perfect
Action that happened before another past action — the "past before the past."
Subject + had + V3 (past participle)
Subject + had + not + V3
Had + subject + V3?
| ✓ Examples: | By the time she arrived, we had already eaten. |
| ⌛ Signal words: | by the time, before, after, already, when, never…before |
| 🔗 Tip: | Earlier action = Past Perfect. Later action = Simple Past. |
SECTION 1: Multiple Choice Questions
Choose the best answer for each question below by clicking on the option. Select only ONE option per question.
SECTION 2: Fill in the Blanks
Type the correct verb form in each blank. Read the hint carefully. Press Enter after typing your answer to move to the next question.