English Tenses · Choose by meaning

Compare English Tenses

Explore six useful comparisons. See how the meaning changes, then practise with 120 questions in rounds of ten.

What do you want to say?

A routine or an activity now? A completed event or an activity in progress? A result or a duration?

Meaning comes first

A time word alone does not always decide the tense. Two forms can sometimes be natural, with a different focus. These activities ask for a stated meaning or structure; they do not claim every alternative form is always wrong.

For each comparison, read the examples, think about the context and then try a practice round.

Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Present Simple

I walk to work every day.

Present Continuous

I am walking to work right now.

The present simple describes the regular routine; the continuous describes the activity now.

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Past Simple

I cooked dinner yesterday.

Past Continuous

I was cooking dinner at six yesterday.

Was cooking puts the focus inside the activity at that past time. Cooked presents a completed event.

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Past Simple

I visited York last year.

Present Perfect

I have visited York before.

Last year is a finished past time, so visited is suitable. Have visited focuses on experience up to now.

Will vs Going to

Will

I’ll help you carry that bag.

Going to

I’m going to apply for a new job next week.

I’ll help is an offer. The going-to sentence presents an intention already decided.

Both will and going to can express predictions and intentions in real contexts. Here, focus on how each example presents the situation: an offer, a decision now, an earlier intention, or evidence now.

Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect

I have read three pages.

Present Perfect Continuous

I have been reading for an hour.

Have read three pages tells us the completed amount. Have been reading focuses on activity and duration.

With verbs such as work and live, both forms can describe a continuing situation. Use the simple form for many state verbs, such as know. Do not assume for or since automatically requires a continuous tense.

Past Simple vs Past Perfect

Past Simple

She left at six yesterday.

Past Perfect

She had left before I arrived.

Had left looks back from my past arrival. Left at six reports a completed event at a past time.

Before and after can already make the sequence clear, so the past perfect is not compulsory for every earlier event. These examples show when had + participle makes earlier completion explicit.

8. Your practice space

Choose a comparison or try a mixed round. Each round has 10 questions. Type answers, choose an option or build a sentence. Read the feedback before moving on.

Full forms and standard contractions are accepted. Capital letters and final punctuation do not affect your score. Each answer is checked once per round; you can practise missed questions afterwards.

9. Your progress

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Complete a round to see your progress.

10. Print and practise

Use these questions for classwork or homework. The print version includes 20 questions followed by the answer key on a separate page. Use your print settings to save as PDF if you prefer.

View worksheet questions and answers

Describe your usual daily routine, rather than what you are doing now.
Choices: I walk to work every day. / I am walking to work right now.
Answer: I walk to work every day.
Describe a regular class timetable.
Choices: We study on Tuesdays. / We are studying for our test this week.
Answer: We study on Tuesdays.
Describe your morning habit.
Choices: I read the news every morning. / I am reading the news at the moment.
Answer: I read the news every morning.
Describe the activity happening now, rather than a state.
Choices: She needs help. / She is helping a customer now.
Answer: She is helping a customer now.
Focus on cooking being in progress at six.
Choices: I cooked dinner yesterday. / I was cooking dinner at six yesterday.
Answer: I was cooking dinner at six yesterday.
Say that the task was completed yesterday.
Choices: We finished the task yesterday. / We were working on the task at ten yesterday.
Answer: We finished the task yesterday.
Describe the background activity interrupted by the lights going out.
Choices: I cleaned the kitchen last night. / I was cleaning the kitchen when the lights went out.
Answer: I was cleaning the kitchen when the lights went out.
Give a finished past time for the visit.
Choices: I visited York last year. / I have visited York before.
Answer: I visited York last year.
Focus on the result now rather than the finished past date.
Choices: He bought a ticket yesterday. / He has bought a ticket, so he can travel now.
Answer: He has bought a ticket, so he can travel now.
Describe employment that continues until now.
Choices: She worked there from 2018 to 2020. / She has worked there since 2020 and still works there.
Answer: She has worked there since 2020 and still works there.
Choose the sentence that uses will to make an offer.
Choices: I’ll help you carry that bag. / I’m going to apply for a new job next week.
Answer: I’ll help you carry that bag.
Choose the going-to prediction based on visible evidence.
Choices: I think you’ll enjoy the course. / Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain.
Answer: Look at those dark clouds. It’s going to rain.
Choose the sentence that explicitly uses will as a promise.
Choices: I’ll send you the information, I promise. / He’s going to buy a travel card tomorrow.
Answer: I’ll send you the information, I promise.
Focus on the completed amount.
Choices: I have read three pages. / I have been reading for an hour.
Answer: I have read three pages.
Focus on time spent working on the repair, without saying it is finished.
Choices: He has repaired the bicycle. / He has been repairing the bicycle for two hours.
Answer: He has been repairing the bicycle for two hours.
Choose the sentence with the state verb know in its usual form.
Choices: She has known her tutor for years. / She has been studying with her tutor for months.
Answer: She has known her tutor for years.
Choose the sentence that explicitly uses the past perfect for an earlier completed action.
Choices: She left at six yesterday. / She had left before I arrived.
Answer: She had left before I arrived.
Report the event using the finished time yesterday.
Choices: He lost his keys yesterday. / He had lost his keys before he reached home.
Answer: He lost his keys yesterday.
Choose the sentence that explicitly places receipt before another past event using the past perfect.
Choices: We received the timetable yesterday. / We had received the timetable before the course began.
Answer: We had received the timetable before the course began.
Report the completed homework with the finished time yesterday.
Choices: Amina did her homework yesterday. / Amina had done her homework before the lesson began.
Answer: Amina did her homework yesterday.

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Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

Write your answers. Keep the same subject when changing sentences. Full forms and contractions are both correct.