IELTS Grammar & Vocabulary: Tenses Practice Questions
Test yourself on Tenses with 12 original IELTS practice questions. Pick an answer to see instant feedback and a full explanation.
Free original practice questions for study purposes. Open Exam Prep is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the makers of IELTS.
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Answer the questions below — you get instant feedback and a full explanation for each.
1. Choose the best option: "By the time the train arrived, we ___ at the station for nearly an hour."
Explanation. Use the past perfect continuous for an action that started before another past event and continued up to that event. The train arrived in the past, and the waiting happened before it, so 'had been waiting' is correct.
2. Select the correct sentence.
Explanation. Use the past simple with a finished time expression such as 'yesterday'. The present perfect cannot be used with a specific finished past time, so 'I saw Maria yesterday' is correct.
3. Fill the gap: "This is the first time I ___ such a detailed map of the city."
Explanation. After 'This is the first time...', use the present perfect because the experience connects to the present. 'Have seen' shows that the experience is new up to now.
4. Choose the best option: "While I ___ dinner, my roommate called to say she would be late."
Explanation. Use the past continuous for a longer background action interrupted by a shorter past action. Cooking was in progress when the call happened, so 'was cooking' is correct.
5. Select the best completion: "The number of international students ___ steadily since the new scholarship was introduced."
Explanation. Use the present perfect with 'since' when a change began in the past and continues to matter now. 'Has increased' links the past introduction of the scholarship to the present trend.
6. Fill the gap: "At 8 p.m. tomorrow, I ___ my presentation, so please call me after 9."
Explanation. Use the future continuous for an action that will be in progress at a specific future time. At 8 p.m. tomorrow, the presentation will be happening, so 'will be giving' fits.
7. Choose the correct option: "She ___ in Singapore for three years before she moved to Toronto."
Explanation. Use the past perfect for an action that happened before another past action. Living in Singapore happened before she moved to Toronto, so 'had lived' is correct.
8. Select the best sentence for a current temporary situation.
Explanation. Use the present continuous for temporary actions around now. 'This week' describes a limited current period, so 'I am studying at home this week' is the best choice.
9. Fill the gap: "By next July, the research team ___ data for five full years."
Explanation. Use the future perfect for an action completed by a specified future point. 'By next July' signals the deadline, so 'will have collected' is correct.
10. Choose the best option: "I ___ the report yet, but I will finish it before lunch."
Explanation. Use the present perfect with 'yet' for an unfinished action expected to happen. The report is still incomplete now, so 'have not completed' is correct.
11. Select the correct option: "When we reached the cinema, the film ___."
Explanation. Use the past perfect to show that one past event happened before another. The film started before we reached the cinema, so 'had already started' is correct.
12. Choose the sentence that uses the present simple correctly.
Explanation. Use the present simple for routines, schedules, and general facts. 'Every day' marks a regular schedule, so 'The museum opens at 9 every day' is correct.
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FAQ
How do I choose between past simple and present perfect in IELTS grammar?
Use past simple with finished past times such as yesterday, last year, or in 2020. Use present perfect when the exact time is not stated or when the result connects to now, especially with already, yet, ever, never, since, and for.
When should I use past perfect?
Use past perfect to make the earlier of two past events clear. If one action happened before another past action, use had plus the past participle for the earlier event: The lecture had started before we arrived.
What is the fastest way to improve tense accuracy for IELTS Writing?
Underline time markers in your sentences, then match each marker to a tense. For example, 'now' often points to present continuous, 'since' often points to present perfect, and 'by next year' often points to future perfect.