Continuous Tenses Quiz

Verb tense explains when the action in a sentence takes place, either an action has occurred, happening, or will happen in the future. Verb tenses are classified into the following three types:

• Present tense

• Past tense, and

• Future tense

Here, each of these has its own four types: simple/indefinite, perfect, continuous, and perfect continuous. 

• Simple tenses are basic ways to express any action.

• Perfect tenses illustrate an action that is complete and finished, or perfected.

• Continuous tenses illustrate an action that is, was, or will be in progress at a particular time.

• Perfect continuous tenses show an action that was started in the past and is continuing at the present time. 

Here, on this page, we will go through the interesting questions on the two following topics:

• Continuous tenses quiz, and

• Verbs continuous meaning quiz

MCQs on Verb Continuous Tenses 

The portion will be based on the following three parts:

• Present continuous

• Past continuous, and

• Future continuous

Now, let us proceed with a Verbs continuous meaning quiz.

1. Choose the correct response among the following four options.

1. I am ……….a sandwich at this time.

1. Ate

2. Eat

3. Was eating

4. Eating

Ans: option d: Eating

Explanation:

We know that the rule for a present continuous tense is just adding -ing (gerund) to the base verb. Here, eat is a base verb and adding “- ing” to it makes “eating” a present continuous tense.

2. The girl ……….for a taxi.

1. Was looking

2. Was look

3. Look for

4. Looked for

Ans: option a:  was looking

Explanation:

Here, we see that the sentence has was and a gerund looking. This means that by adding the “ing” form of a base verb to was/were, we get a past continuous tense.

3. As I spoke, the children …………. at my cleverness.

1. Was looking

2. Was laughing

3. Was happy

4. Were laughing

Ans: option d: were laughing

Explanation:

Here, by adding a gerund from the base verb and then to was/were, we get the past continuous tense form. 

4. She….. foodstuff for the coming week.

1. is bought

2. was bought

3. is buying

4. Was brought

Ans: option c: is buying

Explanation: 

The type of tense in the sentence “she is buying foodstuff for the coming week” is present continuous tense.

5. Which among the following sentences is the present tense?

1.  I am eating pizza.

2. They are eating pizza.

3. She is eating pizza

Ans: option a: I am eating pizza

Explanation:

Here, the sentence “I am eating pizza” is present continuous tense. It is because is/am/are + ing is a rule for the present continuous tense.

6. …..time to learn English is important.

1. Making

2. Have make

3. Make

4. To making

Ans: option a: Making

“Making” time to learn English is important.

7. Choose the correct types of past tenses.

1. Simple, compound, past

2. Simple, perfect, continuous, past perfect

3. Simple, perfect, continuous, perfect continuous

4. Simple, past perfect, continuous, perfect continuous 

Ans: option (c): Simple, perfect, continuous, perfect continuous

Explanation:

The correct types of past tenses are:

• Simple past

• Past perfect

• Past continuous, and

• Past perfect continuous, and

8. Choose the set of verbs that cannot be used in continuous tenses.

1. hate, like, desire, feeling, prefer, want, wish

2. see, feel, seem, smell, sound, taste

3. love, prefer, see, agree, deny, disagree, mean, promise, satisfy, surprise

4. facing, warming, believe, imagine, know, mean, realize, recognize, remember, understand

Ans: option (b): see, feel, seem, smell, sound, taste.

Explanation:

The four following verbs cannot be used in continuous tenses:

• Feeling

• Senses

• Communication, and

• Feeling

9. Choose the correct set of verbs that are non-continuous tenses.

1. Be, cost, need, care, contain, owe, exist, want

2. Be, were, desire, want, compile

3. Be, were, care, contain

4. Being, need, owe, consist

Ans: option (a): Be, cost, need, care, contain, owe, exist, want

Explanation:

Verbs like Be, want, cost, need, care, contain, owe, exist cannot be continuous. 

10. Which of the following possessive pronouns are non-continuous?

1. Own, belong, possess 

2. Mine, her, theirs

3. Mine, our, belong

4. Possess, mine, belong

Ans: option (a): Own, belong, possess

Explanation:

Possessive pronouns display the possessiveness or ownership of something. So, here own, belong, and possess are possessive verbs that are non-continuous.

11. Which of the following verbs cannot be used in the present continuous tense?

1. Transitive verbs

2. Static verbs

3. Dynamic verbs

4. Complex transitive verbs

Ans: option (b): Static verbs

Explanation:

Verbs that describe a state rather than an action are static verbs. Usually, we don’t use these verbs in the present continuous form. Therefore, we use dynamic verbs for present continuous tenses.

12. How many types of static verbs are there?

1. Four

2. Three

3. Two 

4. One

Ans: (a): four types

Explanation:

There are four types of static verbs, such as senses, emotion, being, and possession.

13. Which among the following is the correct formula for past continuous tense?

1. past form of 'to be' [was, were] + past participle

2. past form of 'to be' [was, were] + present participle.

3. was/were + past participle

4. past form of 'to be' [was, were] + the base of the main verb +ing.

Ans: (a) past form of 'to be' [was, were] +  the base of the main verb +ing.

Explanation:

The correct formula for a past continuous tense is the past form of 'to be', i.e., was/were +  the base of the main verb +ing (gerund).

14. Which of the following is a correct formula for past perfect continuous tense?

1.  had + been + present participle

2. Have + been + past participle

3. Had + been + present participle

4. Have + been + past participle

Ans: opton (a):  had + been + present participle

Explanation: 

The correct formula is option a. For instance, she had been making a breath-taking record or riding a bike to long distances.

15. Which of the following is the correct sentence for future perfect continuous tense?

1. She will have been playing guitar for twenty-three years.

2. I will be visiting your palace today.

3. They had been making a lot of noise.

4. She was watching a movie last night.

Ans: option (a)

Explanation: 

We know that the correct formula for future perfect continuous tense is will + have + been + the verb's present participle (verb root + -ing). So, the example of the same will be:

When I finish my engineering course, I will have been learning coding for the coming years. 

16. Which of the following is the correct formula for a continuous tense?

1. will/shall + be + present participle

2. shall + be + past participle

3. will/shall + being + present participle

4. will/shall + present participle

Ans: option (a):  will/shall + be + present participle

Explanation:

The correct answer is option a. For instance, What will you be planning for the coming week?

Conclusion

So, we understand from the above text that verb tenses describe the time an action occurred. Going through the sets of questions on a continuous tenses quiz will help you score well in this portion. 

Facts on Verb Tenses

• Present continuous tenses are used to add energy to something that is happening and combine this tense with a dynamic verb (action verbs) when describing an action that is or is not occurring now or at this exact moment. Examples: I am playing.

• Enjoy is a feeling and also a verb that can be used as continuous tenses. For instance, she is really enjoying herself here and 'I really enjoy the winter season. However, these verbs aren't usually used in continuous forms.