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English Quiz - Past Tense - Gave or Given (Questions)

Learn when to use gave and given so your KS1 sentences sound neat, correct, and confident when talking about things already shared, handed, or passed on.

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Fascinating Fact:

Use “had given” when something was already done before another past event, like “By lunch, we had given out all the leaflets.”

In KS1 English, children meet verbs that change in the past. Gave is used after people or things, while given usually needs a helper word like have or had.

Key Terms

Past Tense: A verb form showing something has already happened, like gave.
Gave: The past tense of give, used on its own, e.g. “She gave me a sticker.”
Given: The past participle of give, used with have, has, or had, e.g. “They had given homework.”

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

When should I use gave instead of given in KS1 writing?

Use gave when it stands alone in the past, like “Mum gave me a snack.” It does not need have, has, or had before it.

When do I use given in a sentence?

Use given with a helper verb, such as “have given” or “had given,” for actions linked to another time, e.g. “We have given in our work.”

How can teachers explain gave and given to KS1 children?

Tell children gave is the simple past, and given is the “helper friend” that comes after have, has, or had. Practise with short story sentences.

Try These Related Quizzes

To see a larger image, click on the picture.

1.

If I say, 'She was given a computer.' The word 'was' helps the word 'given', 'was' becomes a helping word. Which of these is not a helping word?

[ ]	has given
[ ]	was given
[ ]	have given
[ ]	duck given

2.

Which of these is not a correct helping word for given?

[ ]	is given
[ ]	were given
[ ]	had given
[ ]	chicken given

3.

Which sentence is perfect?

[ ]	The girl gave her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl give her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl gaved her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl given her friend a new pencil.

4.

Finish this sentence: Every child at the party will be...

[ ]	gave a piece of cake.
[ ]	given a piece of cake.
[ ]	has given a piece of cake.
[ ]	had given a piece of cake.

5.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[ ]	She ____ the dog some of her ice-cream.
[ ]	She was ____ an ice-cream.
[ ]	She had ____ the dog some of her ice-cream.
[ ]	She has ____ the dog some ice-cream.

6.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[ ]	She has ____ blood to the hospital.
[ ]	The doctor has ____ her a certificate to say thanks.
[ ]	She ____ blood to the hospital.
[ ]	She was ____ an award for giving blood.

7.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[ ]	The banker ____ great advice.
[ ]	The banker has ____ them advice.
[ ]	The banker had ____ them advice.
[ ]	The mother was ____ great advice.

8.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'gave' in the missing word space?

[ ]	He ____ all his money away.
[ ]	He ____ every penny to charity.
[ ]	He ____ one pound to his best friend.
[ ]	He has ____ all his money away.

9.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'gave' in the missing word space?

[ ]	She ____ the bird a new nest.
[ ]	She had ____ the bird a better home.
[ ]	The bird ____ her baby a worm.
[ ]	The bird ____ her baby a peck on the cheek.

10.

Which sentence is correct?

[ ]	She'd given all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She had gave all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She given all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She was given all the plates to her neighbour.

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - What are past, present and future tense?

English Quiz - Past Tense - Gave or Given (Answers)

1.

If I say, 'She was given a computer.' The word 'was' helps the word 'given', 'was' becomes a helping word. Which of these is not a helping word?

[ ]	has given
[ ]	was given
[ ]	have given
[x]	duck given

The words has, was and have can all go in front of the word 'given' to help it make sense.

2.

Which of these is not a correct helping word for given?

[ ]	is given
[ ]	were given
[ ]	had given
[x]	chicken given

We could say he is given something, they were given something and he had given her something. They are all helping words.

3.

Which sentence is perfect?

[x]	The girl gave her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl give her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl gaved her friend a new pencil.
[ ]	The girl given her friend a new pencil.

We can use gave or if you use 'given' then you have to add a helping word.

4.

Finish this sentence: Every child at the party will be...

[ ]	gave a piece of cake.
[x]	given a piece of cake.
[ ]	has given a piece of cake.
[ ]	had given a piece of cake.

The word 'be' in the sentence above is the helping word.

5.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[x]	She ____ the dog some of her ice-cream.
[ ]	She was ____ an ice-cream.
[ ]	She had ____ the dog some of her ice-cream.
[ ]	She has ____ the dog some ice-cream.

The missing word for the top answer is 'gave'.

6.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[ ]	She has ____ blood to the hospital.
[ ]	The doctor has ____ her a certificate to say thanks.
[x]	She ____ blood to the hospital.
[ ]	She was ____ an award for giving blood.

Many adults give blood to hospitals; this blood is then used in emergencies and helps save lives.

7.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'given' in the missing word space?

[x]	The banker ____ great advice.
[ ]	The banker has ____ them advice.
[ ]	The banker had ____ them advice.
[ ]	The mother was ____ great advice.

Many people go to a bank to get advice on how to invest their money.

8.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'gave' in the missing word space?

[ ]	He ____ all his money away.
[ ]	He ____ every penny to charity.
[ ]	He ____ one pound to his best friend.
[x]	He has ____ all his money away.

Some people give money away to charity. There are many types of charities available. You could give money to help animals or people.

9.

Which of these answers would you not put the word 'gave' in the missing word space?

[ ]	She ____ the bird a new nest.
[x]	She had ____ the bird a better home.
[ ]	The bird ____ her baby a worm.
[ ]	The bird ____ her baby a peck on the cheek.

This is a picture of seagulls. Seagulls are the only birds that can drink fresh and salt water.

10.

Which sentence is correct?

[x]	She'd given all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She had gave all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She given all the plates to her neighbour.
[ ]	She was given all the plates to her neighbour.

The word 'she'd' is actually two words pushed together; she and had. The first sentence, therefore, says 'She had given all the plates to her neighbour,' making it the correct answer.