IOE Sequence of Tense – 50 Practice Questions set 2

 Sequence of Tense – 50 Practice Questions set 2

1.      She said she ___ a new dress.
a) buys
b) has bought
c) had bought
d) bought

2.      He told me that he ___ busy.
a) is
b) was
c) will be
d) has been

3.      The teacher said that the sun ___ in the east.
a) rose
b) rises
c) had risen
d) is rising

4.      I thought she ___ home already.
a) has gone
b) goes
c) had gone
d) gone

5.      He said he ___ the work.
a) finishes
b) will finish
c) had finished
d) is finishing

6.      She said that she ___ tired.
a) is
b) was
c) has been
d) will be

7.      They told me they ___ the movie before.
a) see
b) saw
c) had seen
d) have seen

8.      I knew that he ___ in India.
a) lives
b) lived
c) has lived
d) had lived

9.      She said that she ___ me later.
a) will call
b) would call
c) calls
d) is calling

10. He asked if I ___ to school that day.
a) go
b) went
c) have gone
d) had gone

11. She said that she ___ a song.
a) sings
b) sang
c) has sung
d) had sung

12. He mentioned that he ___ dinner.
a) eats
b) had eaten
c) was eating
d) is eating

13. The guide told us that Mount Everest ___ the highest peak.
a) was
b) is
c) had been
d) will be

14. I thought you ___ your homework.
a) finish
b) finished
c) had finished
d) have finished

15. They promised they ___ help us.
a) will
b) would
c) should
d) can

16. She told me she ___ to the doctor.
a) goes
b) had gone
c) go
d) is going

17. He said he ___ to the concert.
a) had gone
b) goes
c) is going
d) was going

18. I said that I ___ there.
a) am
b) was
c) had been
d) is

19. She asked whether I ___ the truth.
a) tell
b) told
c) have told
d) had told

20. They said they ___ in the park.
a) play
b) played
c) had played
d) have played

21. He told me he ___ cricket in school.
a) played
b) plays
c) is playing
d) has played

22. I knew he ___ his work on time.
a) finishes
b) finished
c) had finished
d) is finishing

23. She said she ___ to the market.
a) had gone
b) went
c) goes
d) is going

24. He claimed he ___ the problem.
a) solved
b) solves
c) had solved
d) was solving

25. She told me she ___ to speak French.
a) learns
b) learned
c) had learned
d) is learning

26. He told me he ___ the bus.
a) missed
b) had missed
c) misses
d) is missing

27. The teacher said light ___ faster than sound.
a) travels
b) traveled
c) has travelled
d) had travelled

28. He said he ___ to call me later.
a) will try
b) would try
c) tries
d) is trying

29. I asked her if she ___ the book.
a) read
b) had read
c) reads
d) has read

30. They said they ___ a picnic the previous day.
a) have
b) had
c) had had
d) has had

31. He told us that he ___ there once.
a) is
b) has been
c) was
d) had been

32. She said that she ___ to dance.
a) likes
b) liked
c) has liked
d) had liked

33. He said he ___ working all day.
a) is
b) was
c) had been
d) has been

34. The child said he ___ his toy.
a) lost
b) has lost
c) had lost
d) loses

35. He said he ___ a car.
a) buys
b) bought
c) has bought
d) had bought

36. She told us the train ___ late.
a) is
b) was
c) has been
d) will be

37. I asked him why he ___ there.
a) came
b) had come
c) comes
d) is coming

38. She said she ___ the work by then.
a) would finish
b) will finish
c) finishes
d) has finished

39. He said he ___ to the gym regularly.
a) goes
b) went
c) is going
d) had gone

40. I said that she ___ smart.
a) is
b) was
c) has been
d) will be

41. He told me that he ___ a mistake.
a) made
b) has made
c) had made
d) makes

42. I said he ___ the truth.
a) speaks
b) spoke
c) had spoken
d) has spoken

43. She said the baby ___ all night.
a) cried
b) had cried
c) cries
d) is crying

44. They told me they ___ back soon.
a) will come
b) would come
c) come
d) came

45. He asked whether she ___ at the time.
a) sleeps
b) slept
c) is sleeping
d) was sleeping

46. I thought I ___ the keys somewhere.
a) leave
b) left
c) had left
d) have left

47. He mentioned that he ___ the news.
a) hears
b) heard
c) has heard
d) had heard

48. She said that she ___ a letter to her aunt.
a) writes
b) wrote
c) had written
d) has written

49. I asked whether they ___ help.
a) need
b) needed
c) had needed
d) has needed

50. He said that he ___ the answer.
a) knows
b) knew
c) has known
d) had known

Answers set 2

1.      c) had bought
➡ "Said" is past → use past perfect for earlier past action.

2.      b) was
➡ "Told" is past → subordinate clause also in past.

3.      b) rises
➡ Universal truth → stays in present tense, even after past.

4.      c) had gone
➡ Past perfect shows action happened before "thought".

5.      c) had finished
➡ "Said" is past → earlier action → past perfect.

6.      b) was
➡ Past reporting verb → use past in subordinate clause.

7.      c) had seen
➡ Past before past → use past perfect.

8.      d) had lived
➡ Action completed before "knew" → past perfect.

9.      b) would call
➡ Future in past → would + base verb.

10. d) had gone
➡ Past before "asked" → use past perfect.

11. d) had sung
➡ Earlier action → past perfect after "said".

12. b) had eaten
➡ Completed before speaking → past perfect.

13. b) is
➡ Universal truth → remains in present tense.

14. c) had finished
➡ Finished work before "thought" → past perfect.

15. b) would
➡ Future in past → "would" after "promised".

16. b) had gone
➡ Past action before reporting verb → past perfect.

17. a) had gone
➡ Completed action before "said" → past perfect.

18. b) was
➡ Reporting in past → use past.

19. d) had told
➡ Telling happened before "asked" → past perfect.

20. c) had played
➡ Completed before "said" → past perfect.

21. a) played
➡ Habit in the past → use simple past.

22. c) had finished
➡ Completed before "knew" → past perfect.

23. a) had gone
➡ Past action before reporting → past perfect.

24. c) had solved
➡ Solved before reporting → past perfect.

25. c) had learned
➡ Action completed before "told" → past perfect.

26. b) had missed
➡ Earlier action before speaking → past perfect.

27. a) travels
➡ Scientific truth → stays in present.

28. b) would try
➡ Future in past → "would + base verb".

29. b) had read
➡ Completed before asking → past perfect.

30. c) had had
➡ Two past actions → past perfect for earlier one.

31. d) had been
➡ Happened before "told" → past perfect.

32. b) liked
➡ Past reporting → subordinate in simple past.

33. c) had been
➡ Continuous past action completed → past perfect continuous.

34. c) had lost
➡ Action happened before speaking → past perfect.

35. d) had bought
➡ Past perfect needed for earlier action.

36. b) was
➡ Reporting in past → use past tense.

37. b) had come
➡ Action happened before asking → past perfect.

38. a) would finish
➡ Future in past → "would + base verb".

39. b) went
➡ Regular past habit → use simple past.

40. b) was
➡ Reported in past → subordinate in past.

41. c) had made
➡ Completed before speaking → past perfect.

42. c) had spoken
➡ Past action before "said" → past perfect.

43. b) had cried
➡ Crying happened before "said" → past perfect.

44. b) would come
➡ Future in past → use "would".

45. d) was sleeping
➡ Past continuous action → use past continuous.

46. c) had left
➡ Leaving happened before thinking → past perfect.

47. d) had heard
➡ Earlier action → use past perfect.

48. c) had written
➡ Past perfect used after reporting verb.

49. b) needed
➡ "Asked" in past → subordinate also in past.

50. d) had known
➡ Knowing came before reporting → past perfect.