Question 1

Fill in the blank: "She ___ to school every day."

Accepted Answer

Simple Present (goes) for habitual/routine actions. Third person singular adds -s. Trap: "is going" implies a temporary action happening right now.

Question 2

Which sentence is correct?

Accepted Answer

"Have" as a stative verb (possession/condition) is not used in continuous form. Shortcut: Body conditions (have a headache/fever) → Simple Present.

Question 3

Choose the correct form: "If I were you, I ___ that job."

Accepted Answer

Type 2 Conditional (present unreal): If + Simple Past → would + V1. Trap: "would have taken" is for past unreal (Type 3). Shortcut: "If I were you" is always Type 2 → would.

Question 4

Fill in: "She ___ the piano since she was five years old."

Accepted Answer

Present Perfect (has played) for an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "Since she was five" is the time reference. Shortcut: Since + past point → Present Perfect.

Question 5

Fill in: "By the time you read this letter, I ___ the city."

Accepted Answer

Future Perfect (will have left) for an action completed before a specific future time. Shortcut: "By the time + Present" → Future Perfect.

Question 6

Spot the error: "I am living here since 2010."

Accepted Answer

With "since" for ongoing actions → Present Perfect Continuous. Correct: "I have been living here since 2010." Shortcut: Since/for with action continuing to now → have been + V-ing.

Question 7

Spot the error: "Scarcely had I reached the station when the train has left."

Accepted Answer

"Scarcely/Hardly...when" requires Past Perfect in both clauses. "has left" should be "had left". Shortcut: Scarcely/Hardly/No sooner → both clauses use Past Perfect.

Question 8

Choose the correct sentence in reported speech: He said, "I am tired."

Accepted Answer

Reporting verb "said" (past) → backshift: am/is/are → was/were. Shortcut: Said/told/asked → shift all present tenses one step back into past.

Question 9

Spot the error: "The committee have been taking their decision after a long debate."

Accepted Answer

The action (taking a decision) is a completed event, not a continuous process. Correct: "has taken" (Present Perfect). Present Perfect Continuous implies ongoing action. Shortcut: Completed single event → Perfect simple, not Perfect Continuous.

Question 10

Fill in: "It is time you ___ your habits."

Accepted Answer

"It is time + Simple Past" (subjunctive) expresses that something should happen now/soon. "It is time you changed" means you should change now. Shortcut: It is time / It is high time → always Simple Past (subjunctive).

Question 11

Spot the error: "The train leaves at 9 AM tomorrow."

Accepted Answer

Simple Present can express fixed future schedules (timetables). "The train leaves at 9 AM tomorrow" is correct. Trap: Students wrongly change to "will leave". Shortcut: Transport/event timetables → Simple Present for future is acceptable.

Question 12

Fill in the blank: "Water ___ at 100°C."

Accepted Answer

Universal truths and scientific facts always use Simple Present. Trap: "is boiling" implies a temporary ongoing action. Shortcut: Permanent truth = Simple Present always.

Question 13

Choose the correct sentence:

Accepted Answer

"Resemble" is a stative verb (describing a permanent state) — never used in continuous tense. Shortcut: Appearance/similarity verbs (resemble, consist, contain) → always Simple tense.

Question 14

Choose the correct form: "By the time the ambulance arrived, the patient ___."

Accepted Answer

Past Perfect (had died) is used for an action completed before another past action. Trap: "died" (Simple Past) ignores the sequence. Shortcut: "By the time + Simple Past" → Past Perfect in the other clause.

Question 15

Spot the error: "She has returned from London last week."

Accepted Answer

Present Perfect cannot be used with specific past time expressions (last week, yesterday, ago). Use Simple Past: "She returned". Shortcut: If you see last/ago/yesterday → Simple Past, never Present Perfect.

Question 16

Spot the error: "He plays cricket since childhood."

Accepted Answer

"Since" indicates an action continuing from the past to now — requires Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous. Correct: "He has played cricket since childhood." Shortcut: since/for with ongoing action → has/have + V3.

Question 17

Fill in: "If it rains tomorrow, we ___ the match."

Accepted Answer

Type 1 Conditional (real possibility): If + Simple Present → will + V1. Trap: "would cancel" is Type 2 (unreal). Shortcut: Real future possibility = will, Unreal = would.

Question 18

Fill in: "She ___ in this company for ten years by next December."

Accepted Answer

Future Perfect is used for an action that will be complete by a specific future time. Trap: "will be working" (Future Continuous) expresses an ongoing action, not completion. Shortcut: "by + future time" → will have + V3.

Question 19

Fill in: "No sooner ___ he entered the room than the lights went off."

Accepted Answer

"No sooner...than" uses Past Perfect + Simple Past. "No sooner had he entered...than the lights went off." Shortcut: No sooner = Past Perfect | Hardly/Scarcely = Past Perfect.

Question 20

Fill in: "The students ___ for three hours when the teacher arrived."

Accepted Answer

Past Perfect Continuous shows an action ongoing for a duration before another past event. Trap: "were studying" (Past Continuous) doesn't express the completed duration. Shortcut: Duration + before a past event → had been + V-ing.

CDS Grammar Questions

CDS Grammar — Past Exam Questions

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