English Grammar MCQs

English Tenses Advanced Level MCQs (Set 3)

English Tenses Advanced Level MCQs (Set 3) for competitive exams
Written by CSS Times

English Tenses Advanced Level MCQs (Set 3)

English Tenses  MCQs 1-10

1. I ____ my book in the launderette while my washing ________.
A) have read / dries
B) read / was drying
C) was reading / has dried
D) have read / is drying
E) am reading / has dried
Answer: B

2. Up to now, the predicted Millennium computer bug ____ very few problems, although many scientists last year ____ a catastrophe.
A) has been causing / have predicted
B) is causing / predict
C) causes / were predicting
D) caused / have been predicting
E) has caused / predicted
Answer: E

3. I only ____ the company on Monday for a copy of their magazine and I ____ it already.
A) was asking / am receiving
B) have been asking / was receiving
C) ask / receive
D) asked / have received
E) have asked / have been receiving
Answer: D

4. More and more of my colleagues ____ these days because the owners of the company have changed a lot of procedures. These changes won’t affect me though, because I ____ my job here only recently.
A) have left / was starting
B) leave / am starting
C) were leaving / started
D) left / start
E) are leaving / have started
Answer: E

5. She ____ onto the train because the station guard ____ his whistle.
A) has hurried / blows
B) hurries / has been blowing
C) hurried / was blowing
D) was hurrying / has blown
E) is hurrying / blows
Answer: C

6. Maryam’s family ____ pedigree dogs for three generations and they regularly ____ their dogs in shows.
A) have been breeding / enter
B) are breeding / are entering
C) were breeding / are entering
D) breed / have entered
E) bred / were entering
Answer: A

7. Mrs. Wahab ____ her daughter’s wedding dress herself since November and ____ it, except for the trimmings.
A) made / finished
B) was making / was finishing
C) has been making / has finished
D) is making / finished
E) makes / is finishing
Answer: C

8. Because we have a young baby, we ____ the opportunity to go to the cinema any more, but now and again, we ____ a video to play at home.
A) didn’t have / are buying
B) aren’t having / were buying
C) don’t have / buy
D) weren’t having / bought
E) haven’t had / have been buying
Answer: C

9. The perfume ____ like cheap soap and definitely isn’t worth this price
A) is smelling
B) smells
C) has been smelling
D) was smelling
E) smelt
Answer: B

10. While I ____ some money from a cash machine, a man ____ it all out of my hand
A) was withdrawing / snatched
B) withdrew / snatches
C) am withdrawing / has snatched
D) have withdraw / was snatching
E) withdrew / has been snatching
Answer: A

Check also: English Tenses Advanced Level MCQs (Set 1)

English Tenses  MCQs 11-20

11. They ____ to buy a boat for years, and finally they ____ enough money.
A) have been hoping / have saved
B) hope / saved
C) were hoping / are saving
D) hoped / have been saving
E) are hoping / save
Answer: A

12. As he ____ the party, a strange man ____ him
A) left / has been approaching
B) is leaving / has approached
C) leaves / was approaching
D) has left / approaches
E) was leaving / approached
Answer: E

13. We ____ with the sales staff tomorrow because our sales ____ recently
A) were meeting / declined
B) are meeting / have declined
C) meet / decline
D) met / were declining
E) have met / are declining
Answer: B

14. Saira’s husband ____ for a new job because his present one ____ no opportunities for advancement.
A) was looking / has offered
B) looks / was offering
C) looked / is offering
D) is looking / offers
E) has looked / has been offering
Answer: D

15. I ____ you several times last week, but no one ____ in.
A) was phoning / has been
B) phoned / was
C) have phoned / has been
D) phone / is being
E) am phoning / is
Answer: B

16. My father ____ English at all although he ____ it for three years when he was in high school.
A) isn’t speaking / has studied
B) hasn’t been speaking / studies
C) doesn’t speak / studied
D) didn’t speak / has been studying
E) wasn’t speaking / is studying
Answer: C

Check also: English Grammar MCQs

17. I ____ on this report for more than three weeks now, but I ____ only half of it yet.
A) work / have been completing
B) am working / complete
C) work / am completing
D) was working / completed
E) have been working / have completed
Answer: E

18. The archaeological evidence ____ clearly that people in ancient Crete ____ flush toilets 4000 years ago.
A) has shown / use
B) is showing / have used
C) showed / have been using
D) shows / were using
E) was showing / are using
Answer: D

19. Ayesha says she ____ Ali because he ____ her life miserable.
A) has been leaving / makes
B) has left / is making
C) leaves / was making
D) is leaving / has made
E) was leaving / has made
Answer: D

20. My brother ____ a new BMW and ever since, he ____ about it.
A) was buying / bragged
B) is buying / is bragging
C) has bought / brags
D) buys / has bragged
E) bought / has been bragging
Answer: E

English Tenses  MCQs 21-30

21. He ____ great poverty until he ____ up writing and got a proper job.
A) has suffered / gives
B) suffered / gave
C) is suffering / has given
D) has suffered / was giving
E) suffers / is giving
Answer: B

22. I ____ a lot of weight since I ____ drinking beer every night.
A) have lost / stopped
B) lost / am stopping
C) lose / have been stopping
D) was losing / have stopped
E) am losing / stop
Answer: A

23. My son ____ very well at university this term because he ____ out late at night any more.
A) does / hasn’t stayed
B) did / isn’t staying
C) has done / wasn’t staying
D) was doing / hasn’t been staying
E) is doing / doesn’t stay
Answer: E

24. Last year he almost ____ because he ____ his social life a little too much.
A) fails / has enjoyed
B) was failing / has been enjoying
C) failed / was enjoying
D) has been failing / enjoyed
E) has failed / enjoys
Answer: C

25. Our company’s sales ____ since the new management ____ over.
A) have been improving / took
B) improve / has taken
C) improved / has been taking
D) are improving / was taking
E) were improving / is taking
Answer: A

26. The guards ____ when the enemy ____
A) are sleeping / has been attacking
B) have slept / was attacking
C) slept / has attacked
D) were sleeping / attacked
E) sleep / is attacking
Answer: D

27. The negotiators ____ to bring the two sides together for months, but so far they ____.
A) try / are failing
B) are trying / failed
C) tried / fail
D) have tried / were failing
E) have been trying / have failed
Answer: E

28. The electricity ____ off last night just as the film on TV ____ interesting.
A) has gone / got
B) was going / has got
C) is going / has been getting
D) goes / is getting
E) went / was getting
Answer: E

29. More than a million people ____ the new superstore since it ____ last month.
A) are visiting / has been opening
B) have visited / opened
C) were visiting / opens
D) have been visiting / is opening
E) visited / has opened
Answer: B

30. Water ____ from liquid to gas when it ____a temperature of 100◦ C.
A) has changed / reached
B) changed / was reaching
C) changes / reaches
D) has been changing / is reaching
E) is changing / reached
Answer: C

Check also: English Tenses Advanced Level MCQs (Set 2)

English Tenses  MCQs 31-40

31. The phrase “post modernism” ____ about fifty years ago, but most people still ____ what it means.
A) was appearing / haven’t known
B) has appeared / don’t know
C) appeared / don’t know
D) appears / didn’t know
E) has been appearing / haven’t known
Answer: C

32. People who ____ items like bottles and cans ____the world’s resources.
A) aren’t recycling / wasted
B) didn’t recycle / waste
C) haven’t been recycling / were wasting
D) don’t recycle / are wasting
E) haven’t recycled / wasted
Answer: D

33. The president ____ too hard lately, and as a result, he ____ terrible
A) has been working / looks
B) has worked / looked
C) worked / is looking
D) works / has looked
E) is working / was looking
Answer: A

34. I ____ to play the lottery about two years ago, but I ____ anything yet
A) was starting / didn’t win
B) started / haven’t won
C) start / haven’t been winning
D) have started / don’t win
E) am starting / wasn’t winning
Answer: B

35. I ____ in Istanbul for so long that I ____ the time before the Bosphorus Bridges
A) am living / remembered
B) lived / am remembering
C) was living / have remembered
D) live / was remembering
E) have lived / remember
Answer: E

36. Two years ago, she ____ English at all, but she ____ hard since then.
A) hasn’t spoken / is studied
B) wasn’t speaking / studies
C) isn’t speaking / studied
D) didn’t speak / has been studying
E) doesn’t speak / was studying
Answer: D

37. My brother ____ three years in jail when he was younger, but now he ____ to give up his life of crime.
A) spent / has decided
B) spends / is deciding
C) has spent / has been deciding
D) was spending / decides
E) has been spending / decided
Answer: A

38. I ____ my boss privately tomorrow and I ____ quite nervous about it.
A) have seen / am feeling
B) see / was feeling
C) am seeing / feel
D) saw / felt
E) was seeing / have felt
Answer: C

39. The first time I ____ horse riding, I was very nervous and ____ the reins very tightly.
A) was going / am holding
B) have gone / hold
C) am going / have held
D) go / was holding
E) went / held
Answer: E

40. Life ____ immensely since Thomas Edison ____ the first light bulb in 1879.
A) is changing / was inventing
B) has changed / invented
C) has been changing / has invented
D) changed / has been inventing
E) was changing / invent
Answer: B

English Tenses  MCQs 41-45

41. Normally, people ____ quickly from the flu, but so far this year many people ____ as a result of it.
A) are recovering / had died
B) had recovered / are going to die
C) have been recovering / die
D) recover / have died
E) were recovering / will die
Answer: D

42. You ____ for three months by the time you leave for your holiday, so you ____ quite a lot of weight.
A) have been dieting / will be losing
B) will have been dieting / will have lost
C) had dieted / lost
D) were dieting / had lost
E) are going to diet / have lost
Answer: B

43. Carreta turtles ____ their eggs on the beach at night and ____ the reflection from the sea to find their way back to the water. English Tenses  MCQs
A) lay / use
B) were laying / have used
C) are going to lay / used
D) laid / are using
E) will lay / had used
Answer: A

44. By the mid 1970s, “Marks and Spenser” ____ one of the top department stores and they ____ more underwear than any other British company at the time.
A) had become / were selling
B) is going to become / had sold
C) has become / are selling
D) became / will be selling
E) was becoming / will have sold
Answer: A

45. I ____ the potpeeled / will be chopping atoes while you ____ the potatoes while you ____ the leeks for the soup. ____ the leeks for the soup.
A) peeled / will be chopping | English Tenses  MCQs 11-20
B) will have peeled / have chopped
C) was peeling / had chopped
D) peel / will have chopped
E) will peel / chop
Answer: E

English Tenses  MCQs 45-50

46. For the past 24 hours, a tropical storm ____ the houses of villages in Mozambique, but it is hard to know as yet how much damage it ____ by the time it has stopped.
A) was going to batter / causes
B) battered / will have been causing
C) has been battering / will have caused
D) had been battering / has caused
E) is battering / has been causing
Answer: C

47. By 1840, the US Army ____ most Eastern Indian tribes west of the Mississippi.
A) will have pushed
B) have pushed
C) had pushed
D) pushed
E) are pushing
Answer: C

48. For most of the time throughout the picnic, the boys ____ football while the girls ____ flowers. English Tenses  MCQs 11-20
A) will play / have been picking
B) are playing / have been picking
C) have played / are picking
D) were playing / were picking
E) had been playing / have picked
Answer: D

49. Over recent years, glue sniffing, which ____ negative effects on both the body and the mind, ____ a major problem among teenagers.
A) has had / is becoming
B) has / has become
C) is going to have / had become
D) will have / will have become
E) is having / was becoming
Answer: B

50. Chinese merchants ____ trade in Tibet since 1950, when China ____ the country. English Tenses  MCQs 11-20
A) dominate / was invading
B) were dominating / has invaded
C) will have dominated / had invaded
D) had dominated / will be invading
E) have dominated / invaded
Answer: E


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