Precis & Composition
English Tenses
He _____ in the library every evening this week.
A. has studied
B. has been studying
C. studied last year
D. is study
Correct Answer: B
Repeated temporary activity during an unfinished recent period is naturally expressed by the present perfect continuous.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
It was the second time I _____ that mistake.
A. have made
B. had made
C. make
D. will make
Correct Answer: B
With a past reference ('It was...'), past perfect is used for the earlier experience.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
This is the second time I _____ this mistake.
A. make
B. have made
C. made yesterday
D. had making
Correct Answer: B
After 'This is the second/third time...', present perfect is normally used.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
When I _____ the office, everyone had already gone home.
A. reached
B. have reached
C. will reach
D. am reaching yesterday
Correct Answer: A
The later past event is simple past; the earlier event is past perfect.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
When I _____ the office, it was raining.
A. left
B. had been leaving
C. have left
D. will leave yesterday
Correct Answer: A
A completed past event in a past narrative takes the simple past.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
Choose the corrected sentence.
A. I am living here since 2020.
B. I have been living here since 2020.
C. I was living here since 2020 now.
D. I live here since 2020 ago.
Correct Answer: B
An activity beginning in the past and continuing to the present can take the present perfect continuous.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
Identify the incorrect part: 'He has completed the assignment yesterday.'
A. He
B. has completed
C. the assignment
D. yesterday
Correct Answer: B
Present perfect should not normally be used with the finished past-time expression 'yesterday'; use 'completed'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
By next year, she _____ here for a decade.
A. will work
B. will have worked
C. worked
D. had worked yesterday
Correct Answer: B
Future perfect can express the total duration of a state or completed span up to a future point.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
By the time I arrive, they _____ dinner.
A. had finished
B. will have finished
C. finished yesterday
D. have finished yesterday
Correct Answer: B
The completion is expected before a future arrival, so future perfect is appropriate.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
By the time I arrived, they _____ dinner.
A. finished
B. had finished
C. have finished
D. will finish
Correct Answer: B
The dinner was completed before the later past event of arrival.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
By 9 a.m. tomorrow, he _____ the office.
A. had left
B. will have left
C. left
D. has left yesterday
Correct Answer: B
Completion before a specified future time takes the future perfect.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
By 9 a.m. yesterday, he _____ the office.
A. left
B. had left
C. has left
D. will leave
Correct Answer: B
Completion before a specified past time takes the past perfect.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
Hardly had she _____ speaking when the lights went out.
A. finish
B. finished
C. finishing
D. finishes
Correct Answer: B
Past perfect requires the past participle 'finished'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
No sooner _____ the announcement made than the crowd reacted.
A. was
B. had
C. has
D. did
Correct Answer: B
The omitted-subject style still follows the past perfect pattern: 'No sooner had ...'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
Scarcely _____ the train left when it began to rain.
A. did
B. had
C. has
D. was
Correct Answer: B
Formal inversion after 'scarcely' takes 'had + subject + past participle'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
Hardly had I entered the room _____ the phone rang.
A. than
B. when
C. that
D. then
Correct Answer: B
The standard construction is 'Hardly/Scarcely ... when ...'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
No sooner had he arrived _____ the meeting began.
A. when
B. than
C. then
D. that
Correct Answer: B
The standard correlative construction is 'No sooner ... than ...'.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
I would rather _____ at home tonight.
A. stayed
B. stay
C. staying
D. have stayed yesterday
Correct Answer: B
When the subject is the same, 'would rather' is followed by the base form.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
I'd rather you _____ me before coming.
A. call
B. called
C. will call
D. have call
Correct Answer: B
After 'would rather + different subject', the past form can express a present/future preference.
Precis & Composition
English Tenses
It's time we _____ home.
A. go
B. went
C. will go
D. have gone tomorrow
Correct Answer: B
After 'It's time + subject', the past form is conventionally used to express present/future necessity.