Upper Primary English Quizzes on the Present and Past Continuous

Upper Primary School English Quiz - Grammar 18 - The Present and Past Continuous Tenses (Questions)

In the previous two quizzes we learnt about the present continuous tense and the past continuous tense. To recap, the present continuous tense is formed by adding the helping verb "to be" (in the present tense - ARE, IS and AM) to the PRESENT PARTICIPLE of the main verb. The past continuous tense is formed by adding the same helping verb ‘to be’ (in the past tense – WAS or WERE) to the PRESENT PARTICPLE of the main verb.

We have also learnt that an interrogative form is expressed by placing the helping verb before the subject and a negative form is expressed by placing ‘NOT’ between the helping verb and the main verb (present participle).

While the present continuous tense is used to describe an action in progress and the continuity of the action or just the continuity of the action, it can also be used to describe an action in progress, but not necessarily at the time of expression. For instance - ‘India IS IMPORTING oil from IRAQ’ or ‘What ARE you READING these days?’.

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Similarly, while the past continuous tense is used to describe an action that was happening in the past at the time of expression when the time of action may or may not be expressed, it can also be used, along with simple past tense, to describe a previous action going on when a later action happened - ‘My brother WAS WATCHING TV when I reached home’.

Tenses are easy to master - if you are not tense! Take this quiz and refresh your learning of present and past continuous tenses.

"What --- Sunita --- today?" Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Is --- reciting
[ ]	Are --- reciting
[ ]	Was --- reciting
[ ]	Am --- reciting

"The policeman --- the criminal." Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is arresting
[ ]	Were arresting
[ ]	Was arrest
[ ]	Was arresting

"China --- cheap goods into India." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Are dumping
[ ]	Is dumping
[ ]	Was dumping
[ ]	Is dumped

"My sister --- clothes when I reached her house." Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Was washed
[ ]	Were washing
[ ]	Is washes
[ ]	Was washing

"--- Gopinath --- the site?" Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Is --- surveying
[ ]	Was --- survey
[ ]	Are --- surveying
[ ]	Was --- surveying

"The students --- the cricket match they saw." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Are describing
[ ]	Were describing
[ ]	Is describing
[ ]	Are described

"The company --- its deal to buy a smaller firm." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is not consummate
[ ]	Was not consummating
[ ]	Is not consummating
[ ]	Are not consummating

"The movie --- at all." Choose the verb expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is not terrifying
[ ]	Was not terrifying
[ ]	Are not terrifying
[ ]	Am not terrifying

"--- Raghav --- the baby?" Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Is --- carrying
[ ]	Are --- carrying
[ ]	Am --- carrying
[ ]	Was --- carrying

10.

"Why --- they --- their heads?" Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Are --- breaking
[ ]	Were --- breaking
[ ]	Is --- breaking
[ ]	Am --- breaking

Upper Primary School English Quiz - Grammar 18 - The Present and Past Continuous Tenses (Answers)

"What --- Sunita --- today?" Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[x]	Is --- reciting
[ ]	Are --- reciting
[ ]	Was --- reciting
[ ]	Am --- reciting

In interrogative forms, the helping verb is placed before the subject and 'is' is used in the case of the singular noun 'Sunita' and the present participle of 'recite' is 'reciting'. Answers 2 and 4 have used the wrong helping verb and Answer 3 is in the past continuous tense

"The policeman --- the criminal." Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is arresting
[ ]	Were arresting
[ ]	Was arrest
[x]	Was arresting

Note that 'was' is used for singular and the present participle of 'arrest' is 'arresting'. Answer 1 is in the present continuous tense, Answer 2 has used the wrong helping verb and Answer 3 has not used the present participle of 'arrest'

"China --- cheap goods into India." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Are dumping
[x]	Is dumping
[ ]	Was dumping
[ ]	Is dumped

'China' is a place in the singular and hence 'is' is the correct helping verb to go with the present participle of 'dump'. Answer 1 has used the wrong helping verb, Answer 3 is in the past continuous tense and Answer 4 has not used the present participle of 'dump'

"My sister --- clothes when I reached her house." Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Was washed
[ ]	Were washing
[ ]	Is washes
[x]	Was washing

Note that 'was' is used for singular and the present participle of 'wash' is 'washing'. This sentence has both past continuous tense in the first part and simple past tense in the second part, denoting that the previous action was going on when the latter action took place. Answers 1 and 3 have not used the present participle of 'wash' and Answer 2 has used the wrong helping verb

"--- Gopinath --- the site?" Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Is --- surveying
[ ]	Was --- survey
[ ]	Are --- surveying
[x]	Was --- surveying

In interrogative forms the helping verb is placed before the subject and 'was' is used in the case of the singular noun 'Gopinath' and the present participle of 'survey' is 'surveying'. Answer 1 is in the present continuous tense, Answer 2 has not used the present participle of 'survey' and Answer 3 has used the wrong helping verb

"The students --- the cricket match they saw." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[x]	Are describing
[ ]	Were describing
[ ]	Is describing
[ ]	Are described

Note that 'are' is used for plural and the present participle of 'describe' is 'describing'. Answer 2 is in the past continuous tense, Answer 3 has used the wrong helping verb and Answer 4 has not used the preset participle of 'describe'

"The company --- its deal to buy a smaller firm." Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is not consummate
[ ]	Was not consummating
[x]	Is not consummating
[ ]	Are not consummating

In negative forms, 'not' is placed between the helping verb and the main verb (present participle). 'Is' is used for singular and the present participle of 'consummate' is 'consummating'. Answer 1 has not used the present participle of 'consummate', Answer 2 is in the past continuous tense and Answer 4 has used the wrong helping verb

"The movie --- at all." Choose the verb expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blank.

[ ]	Is not terrifying
[x]	Was not terrifying
[ ]	Are not terrifying
[ ]	Am not terrifying

In negative forms, 'not' is placed between the helping verb and the main verb (present participle). 'Was' is used for singular and the present participle of 'terrify' is 'terrifying'. Answer 1 is in the present continuous tense and Answers 3 and 4 have used the wrong helping verbs

"--- Raghav --- the baby?" Choose the verbs expressing the past continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[ ]	Is --- carrying
[ ]	Are --- carrying
[ ]	Am --- carrying
[x]	Was --- carrying

In interrogative forms the helping verb is placed before the subject and 'was' is used in the case of the singular noun 'Raghav'. The present participle of 'carry' is 'carrying'. Answer 1 is in the present continuous tense while Answers 2 and 3 have used the wrong helping verbs

10.

"Why --- they --- their heads?" Choose the verbs expressing the present continuous tense to fill up the blanks.

[x]	Are --- breaking
[ ]	Were --- breaking
[ ]	Is --- breaking
[ ]	Am --- breaking

In interrogative forms the helping verb is placed before the subject. 'Are' is used in the case of 'they' and the present participle of 'break' is 'breaking'. Answer 2 is in the past continuous tense and Answers 3 and 4 have used the wrong helping verbs