Fill in the blanks with an appropriate tense form.

If you know how to use tenses correctly, you can write error free English.

1. I ………………. tea very often. (not drink)

2. What ……………….. this word ……………? (mean)

3. I ……………….. my phone again. (lose)

4. The kettle ………………… Shall I make tea? (boil)

5. My parents …………………. all their lives in Kerala. (live)

6. Why ……… you ………. so selfish? (be)

7. You never ……………… about other people. (think)

8. She told me her time, but I ………………. it. (forget)

9. Don’t turn the TV off. I …………………. it. (watch)

10. They were angry because I ………………. late. (be)

11. I couldn’t afford that house so I ………………. it. (sell)

12. I knew she was upset so I ……………… her a pep talk. (give)

Answers

1. don’t drink (Use the simple present to talk about habits.)

2. does mean

3. have lost (When there is no past time reference, we usually use the present perfect to talk about finished events.)

4. is boiling

5. have lived

6. are being

7. think

8. forgot

9. am watching (Use the present continuous to talk about an action or situation that is going on at the moment of speaking.)

10. was

11. sold

12. gave