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Year 8 English — Tense in stories and in reports

Choose the tense a piece of writing needs — the past for a story or a report, the present for instructions and general facts, and the past perfect for what happened earlier still.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.By the time we reached the platform, the train ____.

    • a) had left
    • b) has left
    • c) leaves
    • d) is leaving

  2. 2.Write one word: A story about events that are over and done with is normally written in the ____ tense.

  3. 3.A radio commentator is describing a match as it happens. Which sentence fits?

    • a) Sharma will pass the ball to Khan.
    • b) Sharma had passed the ball to Khan.
    • c) Sharma passes the ball to Khan.
    • d) Sharma passed the ball to Khan.

  4. 4.A newspaper is reporting a fire that broke out during the night. Which opening sentence fits?

    • a) A fire broke out at the grain market during the night.
    • b) A fire will break out at the grain market.
    • c) A fire is breaking out at the grain market.
    • d) A fire breaks out at the grain market.

  5. 5.You are writing a set of instructions for making tea. Which sentence fits?

    • a) You boiled the water first.
    • b) Boil the water first.
    • c) You will have boiled the water first.
    • d) The water had been boiled first.

  6. 6.Rewrite this as a story would tell it, in the past tense: "She opens the letter." Write the whole sentence.

  7. 7.Sort each verb by its tense.

    Groups: Simple past · Past perfect

    • had walked
    • wrote
    • walked
    • had written
    • saw
    • had seen

  8. 8.Sort each piece of writing by the tense it is normally written in.

    Groups: Past tense · Present tense

    • A fact about how bees make honey
    • A story about a journey you made last year
    • A diary entry about what happened at school today
    • A newspaper report of yesterday's match
    • A recipe for lemon rice
    • A description of how a bicycle pump works

Answer key — Year 8 English — Tense in stories and in reports

  1. 1. a) had left
  2. 2. past
  3. 3. c) Sharma passes the ball to Khan.
  4. 4. a) A fire broke out at the grain market during the night.
  5. 5. b) Boil the water first.
  6. 6. She opened the letter.
  7. 7. walked → Simple past; had walked → Past perfect; saw → Simple past; had seen → Past perfect; wrote → Simple past; had written → Past perfect
  8. 8. A story about a journey you made last year → Past tense; A recipe for lemon rice → Present tense; A newspaper report of yesterday's match → Past tense; A description of how a bicycle pump works → Present tense; A diary entry about what happened at school today → Past tense; A fact about how bees make honey → Present tense