Free Tenses MCQs with Answers

51. He ___________ as a teacher before he became a lecturer

• A. have worked
• B. had worked
• C. was worked
• D. have been worked

Explanation: Past perfect, had worked, marks the earlier of two past events: his teaching came before his becoming a lecturer. “Have worked” is present perfect and does not match this past sequence.

52. I usually have bread and butter for breakfast, but yesterday I _________ pasta.

• A. have been
• B. had been
• C. have
• D. had

Explanation: The adverb “yesterday” requires the simple past, so “had pasta” is correct. “Have” is present tense, while the perfect forms do not fit this completed past event.

53. It's about time you ___________exercising regularly.

• A. start
• B. started
• C. should start
• D. will start

Explanation: After “it is about time,” English commonly uses the simple past to express an action that should already begin: “you started.” The past form here does not indicate ordinary past time.

54. There ___________any message from my teacher since she moved to London.

• A. isn't
• B. wasn't
• C. hasn't been
• D. hadn't been

Explanation: “Hasn’t been” is present perfect and describes the absence of a message continuing from the past until now. “Wasn’t” refers only to a completed past time, while “hadn’t been” requires another later past reference point.

55. We shall go for a picnic if the weather ____________good.

• A. is
• B. was
• C. has been
• D. had been

Explanation: In a real future condition, the if-clause takes the present simple: “if the weather is good,” while the main clause may use “shall” or “will.” Past forms would describe a hypothetical or past situation.

56. ____________you hear the President's speech?

• A. Have
• B. Has
• C. Had
• D. Did

Explanation: Did forms a past simple question with the base verb “hear”: “Did you hear...?” Have, has and had would require a past participle such as “heard,” not “hear.”

57. How much longer__________this book?

• A. you are needing
• B. will you be needing
• C. will you have needing
• D. have you needing

Explanation: “Will you be needing” is the future continuous and can politely ask about the continued need for the book. The other options are grammatically incomplete or incorrectly formed.

58. I ____________a single word he says

• A. not believe
• B. don't believe
• C. am not believing
• D. will not believe

Explanation: “Believe” is generally a stative verb, so it normally takes the simple present rather than the continuous form. “I don’t believe” correctly expresses the speaker’s present opinion.

59. The farmers ____________their farms, if they had known that a thunderstorm was approaching.

• A. will leave
• B. would leave
• C. will have left
• D. would have left

Explanation: This is a third conditional: “if they had known” refers to an unreal past condition, so the result takes “would have left.” “Will” forms do not match the past hypothetical situation.

60. If you had followed the rules, you ____________disqualified.

• A. will not be
• B. would not be
• C. will not have been
• D. would not have been

Explanation: This is a third conditional: the past condition “had followed” takes “would not have been” for its imagined past result. “Would not be” refers to a present or future result instead.