Mastering Tenses: CTET Insights with 20 MCQs & Answers
Tenses Overview (Present, Past, Future)
Tenses are the grammatical categories used to denote the time of action or state. They are divided into three main categories:
1. Present Tense
Indicates actions or states occurring at the present moment.
- Types:
- Simple Present: Habitual actions or general truths.
Example: She sings beautifully. - Present Continuous: Actions happening now.
Example: They are playing football. - Present Perfect: Actions completed at the present moment.
Example: I have finished my homework. - Present Perfect Continuous: Actions continuing up to now.
Example: He has been studying for two hours.
2. Past Tense
Indicates actions or states that occurred in the past.
- Types:
- Simple Past: Actions completed in the past.
Example: She visited Paris last year. - Past Continuous: Actions ongoing in the past.
Example: They were watching TV when I arrived. - Past Perfect: Actions completed before another past event.
Example: He had left before she came. - Past Perfect Continuous: Actions that continued for some time in the past.
Example: They had been working all morning.
3. Future Tense
Indicates actions or states that will occur.
- Types:
- Simple Future: Actions that will happen.
Example: I will go to the market. - Future Continuous: Actions that will be ongoing in the future.
Example: She will be cooking dinner at 7 PM. - Future Perfect: Actions completed before a certain time in the future.
Example: They will have completed the project by Monday. - Future Perfect Continuous: Actions continuing until a specific time in the future.
Example: I will have been working here for five years next month.
CTET MCQs on Tenses with Detailed Answers
1. Choose the correct tense: “He _ in the park every morning.”
A) Walks
B) Walked
C) Will walk
D) Is walking
Answer: A) Walks
Explanation: The sentence indicates a habitual action, so the Simple Present tense is used.
2. Identify the tense: “She has completed her homework.”
A) Present Perfect
B) Past Perfect
C) Future Perfect
D) Present Continuous
Answer: A) Present Perfect
Explanation: “Has completed” shows an action completed in the present.
3. Fill in the blank: “They _ cricket when it started raining.”
A) Play
B) Played
C) Were playing
D) Have played
Answer: C) Were playing
Explanation: The action was ongoing in the past, so Past Continuous is used.
4. Select the correct tense: “By next year, we _ this project.”
A) Complete
B) Will complete
C) Will have completed
D) Are completing
Answer: C) Will have completed
Explanation: “By next year” indicates a future action completed before a specific time.
5. Identify the error in the sentence: “He is work on his project for two hours.”
A) Incorrect verb tense
B) Missing preposition
C) Incorrect article
D) No error
Answer: A) Incorrect verb tense
Explanation: The correct sentence is “He has been working on his project for two hours.”
6. Complete the sentence: “We _ this movie before.”
A) See
B) Saw
C) Have seen
D) Will see
Answer: C) Have seen
Explanation: “Before” indicates an action completed in the present, so Present Perfect is correct.
7. “While she _ dinner, the phone rang.”
A) Cooked
B) Is cooking
C) Was cooking
D) Has cooked
Answer: C) Was cooking
Explanation: “While” and “rang” indicate two actions in the past, with one ongoing.
8. Choose the tense: “I _ for the train at 8 PM tomorrow.”
A) Waited
B) Will wait
C) Am waiting
D) Will be waiting
Answer: D) Will be waiting
Explanation: The action is ongoing at a future time, so Future Continuous is used.
9. Fill in the blank: “By the time you arrive, he _ his homework.”
A) Finishes
B) Will finish
C) Will have finished
D) Has finished
Answer: C) Will have finished
Explanation: The action will be completed before a specific future time.
10. Select the tense: “I _ for this company since 2015.”
A) Work
B) Worked
C) Am working
D) Have been working
Answer: D) Have been working
Explanation: The action started in the past and continues to the present, so Present Perfect Continuous is used.
11. Identify the tense: “She had never seen a rainbow before.”
Answer: Past Perfect
Explanation: “Had never seen” indicates an action completed before another past event.
12. “By next month, I _ here for five years.”
Answer: Future Perfect Continuous
Explanation: The action will have been continuing up to a point in the future.
13. Correct the sentence: “He is write a book right now.”
Answer: “He is writing a book right now.”
Explanation: “Write” should be in the Present Continuous form.
14. Fill in the blank: “We _ football yesterday.”
Answer: Played
Explanation: The action occurred in the past, so Simple Past is used.
15. Identify the error: “I will waiting for you.”
Answer: “Will waiting” should be “Will be waiting.”
16. Select the correct tense: “She _ to the market every Saturday.”
Answer: Goes
Explanation: Habitual actions use the Simple Present tense.
17. Fill in the blank: “I _ this movie three times already.”
Answer: Have seen
Explanation: “Already” indicates a Present Perfect tense.
18. “While he _ to school, he met an old friend.”
Answer: Was going
Explanation: Ongoing action in the past uses Past Continuous.
19. Choose the correct form: “They _ for the project by next week.”
Answer: Will have prepared
Explanation: The action will be completed in the future.
20. Correct the sentence: “She has been worked there for years.”
Answer: “She has been working there for years.”
Explanation: Present Perfect Continuous form is required.
These questions cover a range of tense-related topics frequently asked in CTET exams.