Grammar Test B1 (Verb Tenses): Simple Present, Simple Past, Present Continuous, and Past Continuous

2025 Series: Test 1
For the complete grammar lesson, click this.

Instruction: Choose the correct verb form for each sentence.

1. They ____ their grandparents twice a month.
a) visit
b) visited
c) are visiting
d) were visiting

2. She ____ a great movie last night.
a) watch
b) watched
c) am watching
d) was watching

3. We ____ for the test at the moment.
a) study
b) studied
c) are studying
d) were studying

4. He ____ his homework before dinner yesterday.
a) finishes
b) finished
c) is finishing
d) was finishing

5. The children ____ in the garden now.
a) play
b) played
c) are playing
d) were playing

6. We ____ football every Saturday afternoon.
a) play
b) played
c) are playing
d) were playing

7. He ____ when the phone rang.
a) sleeps
b) slept
c) is sleeping
d) was sleeping

8. The train ____ at 9:00 a.m. every day.
a) leaves
b) left
c) is leaving
d) was leaving

9. We ____ to school when it started raining.
a) walk
b) walked
c) are walking
d) were walking

10. I ____ a book right now.
a) read
b) read
c) am reading
d) was reading

11. My brother ____ in a bank in the city.
a) works
b) worked
c) is working
d) was working

12. She ____ a magazine at 9:00 p.m.
a) reads
b) read
c) is reading
d) was reading

13. She ____ a new phone yesterday.
a) buys
b) bought
c) is buying
d) was buying

14. I ____ dinner at the moment.
a) cook
b) cooked
c) am cooking
d) was cooking

15. They ____ Paris two years ago.
a) visit
b) visited
c) are visiting
d) were visiting

16. He ____ his bike this afternoon.
a) fixes
b) fixed
c) is fixing
d) was fixing

17. She ____ coffee every morning before work.
a) drinks
b) drank
c) is drinking
d) was drinking

18. I ____ my homework while my sister was cooking.
a) do
b) did
c) am doing
d) was doing

19. They ____ TV when I called.
a) watch
b) watched
c) are watching
d) were watching

20. We ____ tennis last weekend.
a) play
b) played
c) are playing
d) were playing

ANSWER KEY WITH EXPLANATIONS

1. A) visit – Simple present, “twice a month” shows a habit.
2. B) watched – Simple past, “last night” shows completed past action.
3. C) are studying – Present continuous, “at the moment” shows current action.
4. B) finished – Simple past, “yesterday” shows completed past time.
5. C) are playing – Present continuous, “now” shows current action.
6. A) play – Simple present, “every Saturday” shows a habit.
7. D) was sleeping – Past continuous, ongoing action in the past interrupted by another.
8. A) leaves – Simple present, timetable/schedule.
9. D) were walking – Past continuous, “when it started raining” shows an action in progress.
10. C) am reading – Present continuous, “right now” shows action happening at this moment.
11. A) works – Simple present, permanent job.
12. D) was reading – Past continuous, “at 9:00 p.m.” past specific time.
13. B) bought – Simple past, “yesterday” shows completed action.
14. C) am cooking – Present continuous, “at the moment” shows current activity.
15. B) visited – Simple past, “two years ago” shows completed past time.
16. C) is fixing – Present continuous, planned/ongoing action “this afternoon.”
17. A) drinks – Simple present, “every morning” shows habit.
18. D) was doing – Past continuous, “while” shows two actions happening in the past.
19. D) were watching – Past continuous, “when I called” shows interrupted past action.
20. B) played – Simple past, “last weekend” shows completed past event.