Quiz playing is a wonderful way to increase your knowledge of English as a Second Language. Remember that all of our ESL quizzes have titles that are both friendly and technical at the same time… In the case of this quiz you might like to tell your friends about “All Present & Correct” but no doubt your teachers will talk about the “Present Tense Forms quiz”! If you hear a technical term and you want to find a quiz about the subject then just look through the list of quiz titles until you find what you need.
English has several ways of expressing Present action. None of them is particularly hard to form, but you need to know when, how and why we would use each form.
'Present', of course, also means that someone is where they should be (as in 'The father was present at the birth of his child', or 'All the students were present for the exam'.) So if a senior soldier is asked if all his men are on parade, he might reply 'All present and correct, Sir!’.
Take a look at these present tense forms.
1.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Two plus two ... ... four.' |
|
[ ] |
... is making ... |
[ ] |
... make ... |
[ ] |
... equals ... |
[ ] |
... is equalling ... |
|
|
2.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
Your bus ... ... up the road now. |
|
[ ] |
... comes ... |
[ ] |
... come ... |
[ ] |
... is (just) coming ... |
[ ] |
... are comeing ... |
|
|
3.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
My husband ... ... sugar in his tea, thanks all the same. |
|
[ ] |
... is taking no ... |
[ ] |
... takes not ... |
[ ] |
... does take not ... |
[ ] |
... doesn't take ... |
|
|
4.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Who ... ... after your cats while you are away next week on holiday?' |
|
[ ] |
... looks ... |
[ ] |
... is looking ... |
[ ] |
... does look ... |
[ ] |
... are looking ... |
|
|
5.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Why ... ... looking in the cupboard? The butter ... ... in the fridge!' |
|
[ ] |
... looks he ... / ... is being ... |
[ ] |
... does he look ... / ... are ... |
[ ] |
... is he looking ... / ... is ... |
[ ] |
... he is looking ... / ... is be ... |
|
|
6.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
The human body ... ... best at a temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius, but some older British people still ... ... to it as '98.4 Fahrenheit'. |
|
[ ] |
... functions ... / ... refer ... |
[ ] |
... is functioning ... / ... are refering ... |
[ ] |
... function ... / ... referees ... |
[ ] |
... functioning ... / ... reference ... |
|
|
7.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
( ... ) So this Scotsman ... ... into a pub, and ... ... in the corner ( ... )
[This is the kind of way that a British joke-story might well begin!] |
|
[ ] |
... is walking ... / ... sits ... |
[ ] |
... walks ... / ... sit ... |
[ ] |
... is walking ... / ... is sitting ... |
[ ] |
... walks ... / ... are sat ... |
|
|
8.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Ranjit and his family ... ... meat, but I ... ... we can still enjoy a really good meal.' |
|
[ ] |
... do not eat any ... / ... hope ... |
[ ] |
... don't eat ... / ... am hoping ... |
[ ] |
... eat no... / ... am hoping ... |
[ ] |
... don't eat ... / ...find myself hoping ... |
|
|
9.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
' ... ... home safely, ... ... some nice music on and ... ... yourself a glass of your favourite drink!' |
|
[ ] |
Go ... / ... put ... / ... pour ... |
[ ] |
Going ... / ... putting on ... / ... pouring ... |
[ ] |
You are going ... / ... you are putting on ... / ... you are pouring ... |
[ ] |
You go ... / ... you put on ... / ... you pour ... |
|
|
10.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'The young frog ... ... to catch an insect, and ... ... it on its third attempt.' |
|
[ ] |
... trys ... / ... catchs ... |
[ ] |
... try's ... / ... catch's ... |
[ ] |
... tries ... / ... catches ... |
[ ] |
... trys' ... / ... catchs' ... |
|
|
1.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Two plus two ... ... four.' |
|
[ ] |
... is making ... |
[ ] |
... make ... |
[x] |
... equals ... |
[ ] |
... is equalling ... |
|
|
2.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
Your bus ... ... up the road now. |
|
[ ] |
... comes ... |
[ ] |
... come ... |
[x] |
... is (just) coming ... |
[ ] |
... are comeing ... |
|
|
3.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
My husband ... ... sugar in his tea, thanks all the same. |
|
[ ] |
... is taking no ... |
[ ] |
... takes not ... |
[ ] |
... does take not ... |
[x] |
... doesn't take ... |
|
|
4.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Who ... ... after your cats while you are away next week on holiday?' |
|
[ ] |
... looks ... |
[x] |
... is looking ... |
[ ] |
... does look ... |
[ ] |
... are looking ... |
|
|
5.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Why ... ... looking in the cupboard? The butter ... ... in the fridge!' |
|
[ ] |
... looks he ... / ... is being ... |
[ ] |
... does he look ... / ... are ... |
[x] |
... is he looking ... / ... is ... |
[ ] |
... he is looking ... / ... is be ... |
|
|
6.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
The human body ... ... best at a temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius, but some older British people still ... ... to it as '98.4 Fahrenheit'. |
|
[x] |
... functions ... / ... refer ... |
[ ] |
... is functioning ... / ... are refering ... |
[ ] |
... function ... / ... referees ... |
[ ] |
... functioning ... / ... reference ... |
|
|
7.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
( ... ) So this Scotsman ... ... into a pub, and ... ... in the corner ( ... )
[This is the kind of way that a British joke-story might well begin!] |
|
[ ] |
... is walking ... / ... sits ... |
[ ] |
... walks ... / ... sit ... |
[ ] |
... is walking ... / ... is sitting ... |
[x] |
... walks ... / ... are sat ... |
|
|
8.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'Ranjit and his family ... ... meat, but I ... ... we can still enjoy a really good meal.' |
|
[ ] |
... do not eat any ... / ... hope ... |
[ ] |
... don't eat ... / ... am hoping ... |
[ ] |
... eat no... / ... am hoping ... |
[x] |
... don't eat ... / ...find myself hoping ... |
|
|
9.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
' ... ... home safely, ... ... some nice music on and ... ... yourself a glass of your favourite drink!' |
|
[x] |
Go ... / ... put ... / ... pour ... |
[ ] |
Going ... / ... putting on ... / ... pouring ... |
[ ] |
You are going ... / ... you are putting on ... / ... you are pouring ... |
[ ] |
You go ... / ... you put on ... / ... you pour ... |
|
|
10.
|
Pick the word/s to make the best correct English answer.
'The young frog ... ... to catch an insect, and ... ... it on its third attempt.' |
|
[ ] |
... trys ... / ... catchs ... |
[ ] |
... try's ... / ... catch's ... |
[x] |
... tries ... / ... catches ... |
[ ] |
... trys' ... / ... catchs' ... |
|
|
In this case the subject is 'two' (which in itself is a singular idea ~ perhaps slightly surprisingly!), so the verb needs to be in its third-person singular form, i.e. Answer 3 is OK while Answer 2 is not (though plenty of English speakers ~ not only children ~ might say it!).