KS1 History | Language of Past, Present and Future

History Quiz - Past, Present or Future? (Questions)

Learn how historians talk about past, present and future, and how simple clues help us sort people and events into the right time.

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Fascinating Fact:

Old toys, photos and letters come from the past. These things are clues about how people lived.

In KS1 History, children learn to spot whether something belongs to the past, the present or the future. They use simple clues, such as materials, pictures and dates, to place events in time.

Key Terms

Past: A time that has already happened, like when our parents, grandparents or people long ago were alive.
Present: What is happening now, in today’s world, such as the toys and homes we use today.
Future: A time that has not happened yet, when we can only imagine what life might be like.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

How do you explain past, present and future to KS1 children?

For KS1 children, the past is “before today”, the present is “right now” and the future is “later on”. Teachers use stories, pictures and timelines to help them see the differences.

What clues show something is from the past?

Clues include old-fashioned clothes, black and white photos, handwriting styles and objects no longer used today. These details help children see that the person or event lived a long time ago.

Why is it important to learn about past, present and future?

It is important because it helps children understand change. They can see how life has moved from “then” to “now” and think about how their own lives might be different in the future.

Try These Related Quizzes

Ancient history is all about events which happened a long time ago...

[ ]	in the morning
[ ]	in the future
[ ]	in the present
[ ]	in the past

If I could travel back in time, I could meet famous people from...

[ ]	tomorrow morning
[ ]	well into the future
[ ]	times gone by
[ ]	next year sometime

I may want to buy a house of my own...

[ ]	in the present
[ ]	last week
[ ]	ten years ago
[ ]	in the future

Events which are happening right now, are happening in...

[ ]	the future
[ ]	the present day
[ ]	times gone by
[ ]	ancient history

Life has changed a lot over many years. Things are very different today to how they were...

[ ]	tomorrow
[ ]	in the future
[ ]	in the present time
[ ]	in past times

Houses in the past did not always have electricity and running water. This is very different from houses...

[ ]	in ancient history
[ ]	many years ago
[ ]	in present times
[ ]	1,000 years from now

We can't really predict what events may happen...

[ ]	yesterday
[ ]	in the past
[ ]	in the future
[ ]	last month

Life in the ____ day is very different to life in the past.

[ ]	night
[ ]	future
[ ]	past
[ ]	present

We can't change things which...

[ ]	happen the future
[ ]	happened the past
[ ]	happen now
[ ]	happen this moment

10.

Historians study things which happened in the past. This helps us learn about how things have...

[ ]	changed
[ ]	yet to happen
[ ]	not happened yet
[ ]	happening right now

History Quiz - Past, Present or Future? (Answers)

Ancient history is all about events which happened a long time ago...

[ ]	in the morning
[ ]	in the future
[ ]	in the present
[x]	in the past

History is always about things which have already happened

If I could travel back in time, I could meet famous people from...

[ ]	tomorrow morning
[ ]	well into the future
[x]	times gone by
[ ]	next year sometime

There are all sorts of people we could talk to if we could time travel!

I may want to buy a house of my own...

[ ]	in the present
[ ]	last week
[ ]	ten years ago
[x]	in the future

You might need to save up first though!

Events which are happening right now, are happening in...

[ ]	the future
[x]	the present day
[ ]	times gone by
[ ]	ancient history

Things which happen today will be history tomorrow!

Life has changed a lot over many years. Things are very different today to how they were...

[ ]	tomorrow
[ ]	in the future
[ ]	in the present time
[x]	in past times

The phrase 'how they were' tells us we're thinking about the past

Houses in the past did not always have electricity and running water. This is very different from houses...

[ ]	in ancient history
[ ]	many years ago
[x]	in present times
[ ]	1,000 years from now

Luckily, most people in this country have electricity and water from a tap

We can't really predict what events may happen...

[ ]	yesterday
[ ]	in the past
[x]	in the future
[ ]	last month

All sorts of things might happen in the future

Life in the ____ day is very different to life in the past.

[ ]	night
[ ]	future
[ ]	past
[x]	present

The present day means the times we are living in now