Tenses

25 Grade 8 English questions on Tenses, with worked marking schemes. 25 questions are available on this topic in full.

1. Question 1

   1 mark

   Which word correctly fills: "The data _______ inconclusive." (formal academic English)

   A. are

   B. A or B

   C. was

   D. is

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   B. 'Data' can be singular or plural in modern usage

2. Question 2

   1 mark

   _______ the instructions carefully before you begin.

   A. Reads

   B. Read

   C. Reading

   D. To read

   (1 mark)

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3. Question 3

   1 mark

   Choose the correct form: "By the time the guests arrived, she _______ the meal."

   A. prepares

   B. prepared

   C. has prepared

   D. had prepared

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   D. Past perfect: had prepared (before another past event)

4. Question 4

   1 mark

   She _______ the report by the time the manager arrived.

   A. has completed

   B. was completing

   C. completed

   D. had completed

   (1 mark)

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5. Question 5

   1 mark

   Which sentence uses "who" correctly?

   A. The man who was there left.

   B. The man who I met was kind.

   C. The man whom came was kind.

   D. Who did you see?

   (1 mark)

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6. Question 6

   1 mark

   The letter _______ by the time you arrive.

   A. is being typed

   B. will be typed

   C. will have been typed

   D. would be typed

   (1 mark)

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7. Question 7

   1 mark

   Which sentence uses "whom" correctly?

   A. Whom did go first?

   B. Whom is there?

   C. I know whom did it.

   D. The man whom I met was kind.

   (1 mark)

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8. Question 8

   1 mark

   Which sentence correctly uses the present perfect progressive?

   A. She has studied for three hours.

   B. She studied for three hours.

   C. She has been studying for three hours.

   D. She is studying for three hours.

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   C. Present perfect progressive: has been + -ing

9. Question 9

   1 mark

   Which is a compound-complex sentence?

   A. She ran because she was late.

   B. She ran and she fell because she was tired.

   C. She ran.

   D. Running fast.

   (1 mark)

   Marking scheme

   B. Compound-complex: two+ independent clauses + subordinate clause

10. Question 10

    1 mark

    Which sentence uses "fewer" correctly?

    A. There are fewer water in the jug.

    B. There are fewer pupils today.

    C. He drinks fewer milk.

    D. She has fewer money.

    (1 mark)

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11. Question 11

    1 mark

    Which sentence demonstrates correct subject-verb agreement?

    A. The team are playing well.

    B. Each of the students were present.

    C. A number of pupils was absent.

    D. Neither of the answers is correct.

    (1 mark)

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12. Question 12

    1 mark

    The students were asked whether they _______ the assignment.

    A. have finished

    B. had finished

    C. finished

    D. finish

    (1 mark)

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13. Question 13

    1 mark

    Which sentence demonstrates correct parallelism?

    A. She likes to read, cooking, and dance.

    B. She likes to read, to cook, and to dance.

    C. She likes reading, to cook, and dancing.

    D. She likes reading and to cook.

    (1 mark)

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14. Question 14

    1 mark

    Choose the correct tag: "She can swim, _______?"

    A. couldn't she

    B. can she

    C. could she

    D. can't she

    (1 mark)

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15. Question 15

    1 mark

    Choose the correct form: "She demanded that he _______ immediately."

    A. leave

    B. would leave

    C. left

    D. leaves

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    A. Subjunctive after demand/insist/suggest: base form

16. Question 16

    1 mark

    "I would rather you _______ here tonight." (stay)

    A. stay

    B. would stay

    C. stays

    D. stayed

    (1 mark)

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17. Question 17

    1 mark

    Which is the correct tag: "She rarely comes early, _______?"

    A. doesn't she

    B. isn't she

    C. does she

    D. is she

    (1 mark)

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18. Question 18

    1 mark

    She _______ working here since 2019.

    A. has been

    B. was

    C. had been

    D. is

    (1 mark)

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19. Question 19

    1 mark

    By next December, we _______ in this house for ten years.

    A. will live

    B. would live

    C. are living

    D. will have lived

    (1 mark)

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20. Question 20

    1 mark

    Choose the correct form: "She _______ the letter by tomorrow."

    A. will have finished

    B. will finish

    C. finished

    D. finishes

    (1 mark)

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21. Question 21

    1 mark

    Choose the correct form: "I _______ here since January 2023."

    A. lived

    B. have lived

    C. am living

    D. live

    (1 mark)

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22. Question 22

    1 mark

    Which is the correct form? "She suggested _______ the meeting."

    A. postponing

    B. postponed

    C. A or B

    D. to postpone

    (1 mark)

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23. Question 23

    1 mark

    If she had studied harder, she _______ passed.

    A. shall have

    B. would have

    C. will have

    D. may have

    (1 mark)

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24. Question 24

    1 mark

    The sentence "Were I to study harder, I would pass." is in the _______ mood.

    A. indicative

    B. interrogative

    C. subjunctive

    D. imperative

    (1 mark)

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25. Question 25

    1 mark

    Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

    A. The bag was dropped while she ran.

    B. She ran and dropped the bag.

    C. Running to the bus, the bag was dropped.

    D. Running to the bus, she dropped her bag.

    (1 mark)

    Marking scheme

    C. Dangling: 'bag' can't run — the modifier has no clear subject

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