KS1 Present Tense Verbs | Using Tense in Writing Stories

English Quiz - Verbs - Present Tense (Questions)

This quiz focusses on present tense and helps children recognise verbs that are written in the present tense. This quiz is designed to aid the National Curriculum's requirement that Year 2 children at the KS1 level continuously write in one tense. When writing and reading stories, knowing the tense will improve children’s command of literacy and the English language.

A verb is a doing word and when written in the present tense, they tell us what is happening now. If I say ‘The owl lives in the tree,’ the verb is ‘lives’ and that means he still lives there.

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What does present tense mean?

[ ]	It is happening now.
[ ]	It has happened.
[ ]	It happened last week.
[ ]	It describes an object.

'Alfie washes his face.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	Alfie
[ ]	washes
[ ]	his
[ ]	face

'Emma reads a book.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	book
[ ]	a
[ ]	reads
[ ]	Emma

'Eva climbs the tree.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	climbs
[ ]	Eva
[ ]	the
[ ]	tree

'Ollie's dad paints the walls.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	Ollie's
[ ]	dad
[ ]	paints
[ ]	walls

'My friend Lucy watches television.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	My
[ ]	friend
[ ]	Lucy
[ ]	watches

'The owl sits on the grass.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	sits
[ ]	on
[ ]	the
[ ]	grass

Which sentence is written in the present tense?

[ ]	A pilot flew the helicopter.
[ ]	A pilot flies the helicopter.
[ ]	A pilot had flown the helicopter.
[ ]	A pilot flied the helicopter.

Which sentence is written in the present tense?

[ ]	The secretary typed all the notes.
[ ]	The secretary type all the notes.
[ ]	The secretary types all the notes.
[ ]	The secretary typing all the notes.

10.

Which word is the present tense way of saying 'to teach'?

[ ]	taught
[ ]	teached
[ ]	teaches
[ ]	teach

English Quiz - Verbs - Present Tense (Answers)

What does present tense mean?

[x]	It is happening now.
[ ]	It has happened.
[ ]	It happened last week.
[ ]	It describes an object.

Present tense means that something is happening right now. If it's already happened, then it's in the past and is past tense.

'Alfie washes his face.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	Alfie
[x]	washes
[ ]	his
[ ]	face

The word 'wash' is the verb and when put in the past tense, we'd write 'washed'.

'Emma reads a book.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	book
[ ]	a
[x]	reads
[ ]	Emma

When we say someone has read a book, the spelling is the same as when we say, "read your book".

'Eva climbs the tree.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[x]	climbs
[ ]	Eva
[ ]	the
[ ]	tree

If she did it yesterday, we would say she 'climbed' the tree.

'Ollie's dad paints the walls.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	Ollie's
[ ]	dad
[x]	paints
[ ]	walls

When he has finished, we will say he painted the walls.

'My friend Lucy watches television.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[ ]	My
[ ]	friend
[ ]	Lucy
[x]	watches

The short way of writing 'television' is 'tv'.

'The owl sits on the grass.' Which word shows us we are writing in the present tense?

[x]	sits
[ ]	on
[ ]	the
[ ]	grass

As soon as the owl flies off, we will say 'The owl sat on the grass.'

Which sentence is written in the present tense?

[ ]	A pilot flew the helicopter.
[x]	A pilot flies the helicopter.
[ ]	A pilot had flown the helicopter.
[ ]	A pilot flied the helicopter.

The verb 'to fly' is what we call an irregular past tense. The word goes from fly, to flies, to flew.

Which sentence is written in the present tense?

[ ]	The secretary typed all the notes.
[ ]	The secretary type all the notes.
[x]	The secretary types all the notes.
[ ]	The secretary typing all the notes.

To change the last answer to the present tense, you can add the word 'is' so that it says, 'The secretary is typing all the notes.'

10.

Which word is the present tense way of saying 'to teach'?

[ ]	taught
[ ]	teached
[x]	teaches
[ ]	teach

To become a teacher you have to go to university.