Mixed Tenses Test Exercises – Multiple Choice Questions With Answers – Advanced Level 1

Just as means 'at exactly the moment when'. It links a longer background action in the past continuous (I was entering) with a short action that interrupts it (the phone rang). Not During, because during is a preposition and must be followed by a noun (during the meeting), not a clause. At the time would need that or when after it.

The story is set in the past (Colin received), so the time setting also needs the past simple: It was just before the war when…. Is and has been do not match the past narrative. Would be and should be add a future or modal meaning that does not fit.

Use the past continuous (were talking) for an action already in progress at a past moment. That moment is given by the past simple clause when the director wanted. The present perfect forms and present tenses don't fit a finished past situation.

The past simple was describes a past state or period (when he was a schoolboy). Inside that period a single past event happened (caught). Not had been: the past perfect would put his schooldays before another past point, and there is no such point here.

Always with the present continuous (is always leaving) describes a repeated habit that the speaker finds annoying. These days shows the habit is current. Not was / leaving, because these days refers to the present, not the past.

Have meaning possession is a stative verb, so it is not normally used in the continuous form. With at the moment, we use the present simple: We don't have your size. Not aren't having: have for possession doesn't take -ing.

The present continuous expresses a fixed personal arrangement in the future, here tomorrow morning: We are leaving for Alexandria. The collocation is leave for a place. Go for and are going for don't work, because we say go to a place.

A completed past event needs the past simple: his father died. Not dead, because it is an adjective, not a verb. Not was dying, which describes a process in progress, not the moment of death.

Was going to + verb expresses a past intention that did not happen. The clue is but I couldn't find the spade, so the digging never took place. Not dug, because that would say the digging actually happened.

Last year is a finished past time, so we need the past simple: went camping. Not have gone: the present perfect cannot be used with a finished time expression like last year.

After the time word when, we use a present tense for future meaning (when you get there), not will. The second gap looks back from a future point (next month) over a period (for five months). That needs the future perfect passive: it will not have been cleaned. Not hasn't been cleaned, because the first verb will get breaks the rule after when.

The present continuous (is arriving) describes a fixed arrangement for tomorrow morning. The present perfect (have forgotten) describes a past action with a present result: I can't remember now. Not had forgotten, because the past perfect needs a past reference point. Not am forgetting, because forget is not normally used in the continuous in this meaning.

The past continuous (was talking) describes the background action in progress at the moment of a shorter past action (I met him). Present forms such as is talking or talks don't match the past narrative.

These are completed actions in a past narrative, and the clue is immediately. Both verbs therefore take the past simple: called and wanted. Want is a stative verb, so was wanting and is wanting are wrong. Present tenses don't fit on seeing in a past story.

The past continuous (was playing) describes what was in progress at the moment of the shorter past action (when I left her). Not played / left: that suggests she started playing after I left, which is not the meaning here.

The main clause uses will for a promise or future offer (I will help). After as soon as, we use a present tense, not will. The present perfect (have finished) stresses that the reports will be complete before the helping starts. Not will finish, because will is not used after time conjunctions like as soon as.

After already makes the order of events clear, so two past simple verbs are enough: After they delivered the books, they started their journey. The continuous forms are wrong, because these are completed actions, not actions in progress.

Both verbs describe past facts: a past habit (supported) and a past state (was a schoolboy). Not was being: be is used in the continuous only for temporary behaviour, not for a state like being a schoolboy.

Got is the past simple for the completed result of the struggle. Wanted describes the desire the speaker had before getting the job: the job I wanted. Not have been wanting: the present perfect continuous would mean the wanting is still going on now, but it ended when I got the job. Not was wanting: here want simply states a past wish, so the simple form is used.

The sentence is a past narrative, so both verbs take the past simple: pleased and utilized. Not pleases / utilized: mixing present and past here has no logical reason. Not were utilizing: the continuous suggests an unfinished background action, but the sentence reports a completed response.

The present simple is used for timetabled events: My plane leaves at five p.m. Be going to expresses a plan already made: my friend is going to take me. That plan is why I don't need a taxi. Not would take: would is not used for a definite future plan in a present context.

The past simple never finished describes a repeated past pattern that ended at a past moment (until this morning). Not has finished: the present perfect would suggest the pattern continues up to now, but the sentence says it changed this morning.

Reporting what newspapers predict, will appoint is a natural way to state a future decision. In the relative clause, the minister's present wish needs the present simple: he wants. Want is a stative verb, so continuous forms like is wanting or was wanting are wrong. Not appoints: the present simple does not express this kind of future prediction.

By the time + present simple (he arrives) marks a future deadline. The action completed before it needs the future perfect: will have finished. Not will finish / will arrive, because will is not used after by the time, and will finish doesn't show completion before the deadline.

The sentence contrasts some years ago (past simple: preferred) with now (present simple: prefer). Prefer is stative, so continuous forms like were preferring are wrong. Not had preferred: there is no later past point that would need the past perfect.

Remember is a stative verb, and even today points to the present. So we use the present simple: I remember. Not am remembering, because stative verbs like remember are not normally used in the continuous form.

After the time word when, we use the present simple for future meaning (when he arrives), while the main clause uses will. Not will arrive or is going to arrive, because future forms are not used after time conjunctions like when.

Once a long time ago refers to a finished past time, so we need the past simple: met. The speaker's present opinion needs the present simple: I don't think she will remember me. Not have met, because the present perfect cannot be used with a finished past time like a long time ago.

The holiday is over, so both verbs take the past simple: enjoyed and was. Not was being: be is not used in the continuous to describe a general state such as the weather during a whole holiday.

Do you remember when… refers to finished past events, told in order. So both verbs take the past simple: graduated and started. Not graduated / had started: the past perfect would wrongly put starting work before graduating.