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Year 10 English — Tenses across a passage

Choose the tense each gap in a passage needs, using the time signals around it.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Sort each sentence by whether its two verbs belong to the same time.

    Groups: Tenses agree · Tenses clash

    • The bell rang and everyone stood up.
    • We were walking home when it started to rain.
    • We were walking home when it starts to rain.
    • The bell rang and everyone stands up.
    • She switched on the lamp and reads for an hour.
    • She switches on the lamp and reads for an hour.

  2. 2.Sort each verb form by its tense.

    Groups: Past perfect · Present perfect · Past continuous

    • were writing
    • has reached
    • had written
    • have written
    • was reaching
    • had reached

  3. 3.Complete with the past continuous of "wait", in two words: The passengers ____ on the platform when the announcement came.

  4. 4.The shop ____ at eight every morning, but today it ____ late.

    • a) opens / opened
    • b) opens / is opening
    • c) opened / opens
    • d) is opening / opens

  5. 5.Complete with the past perfect of "leave", in two words: The train ____ before we reached the platform.

  6. 6.By the time the bell rang, the class ____ the whole chapter.

    • a) finishes
    • b) has finished
    • c) finished
    • d) had finished

  7. 7.Match each verb form to the time it describes.

    • cooked
    • had cooked
    • has cooked
    • was cooking
    • is cooking
    • will have cooked
    • going on right now
    • finished before another past action
    • finished at a stated past time
    • was going on at a past moment
    • finished, and it still matters now
    • will be finished before a future point

  8. 8.Put these four sentences in time order, earliest first. The tense of each one tells you where it belongs.

    • Since then the fields have stayed green.
    • The digging began in March and finished in June.
    • The village had suffered three dry years before the new well was dug.
    • Next summer the village council will deepen the well further.

Answer key — Year 10 English — Tenses across a passage

  1. 1. We were walking home when it started to rain. → Tenses agree; We were walking home when it starts to rain. → Tenses clash; The bell rang and everyone stood up. → Tenses agree; The bell rang and everyone stands up. → Tenses clash; She switches on the lamp and reads for an hour. → Tenses agree; She switched on the lamp and reads for an hour. → Tenses clash
  2. 2. had reached → Past perfect; has reached → Present perfect; was reaching → Past continuous; had written → Past perfect; have written → Present perfect; were writing → Past continuous
  3. 3. were waiting
  4. 4. a) opens / opened
  5. 5. had left
  6. 6. d) had finished
  7. 7. cooked → finished at a stated past time; had cooked → finished before another past action; has cooked → finished, and it still matters now; was cooking → was going on at a past moment; is cooking → going on right now; will have cooked → will be finished before a future point
  8. 8. 1. The village had suffered three dry years before the new well was dug. 2. The digging began in March and finished in June. 3. Since then the fields have stayed green. 4. Next summer the village council will deepen the well further.