FPSC (Federal Public Service Commission) · CSS (Central Superior Services)
Present Tenses
Grammar
· English
299 MCQs
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of 299 MCQs
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1
My knowledge of the subject ______ primarily from books and documentaries.
Answer:
comes
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** is used to state the origin or source of something as a general fact. The subject 'My knowledge' is a singular, uncountable noun. **Correct Usage**: The singular verb 'comes' agrees with the singular subject 'knowledge'. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'come' and (d) 'have come' are plural verbs. (b) 'are coming' is plural and continuous, which is incorrect for stating a factual source.
2
Our city ______ its cultural festival every spring, attracting tourists from all over the world.
Answer:
holds
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** is used for regularly scheduled or habitual events. The phrase 'every spring' indicates a recurring event. **Correct Usage**: 'holds' is the correct verb for the singular subject 'Our city' to describe this annual tradition. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'is holding' (Present Continuous) would be for this year's specific plan. (c) 'has held' (Present Perfect) refers to past festivals. (d) 'hold' is a plural verb.
3
Many people ______ that honesty is the best policy.
Answer:
believe
**Rule**: **Stative Verbs**. 'Believe' is a stative verb used to express an opinion or conviction. The **Simple Present Tense** is used to state a general belief. The subject 'Many people' is plural. **Correct Usage**: The plural verb 'believe' agrees with the plural subject. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'are believing' is incorrect as 'believe' is stative. (b) 'believes' is a singular verb. (c) 'have believed' refers to a belief held over time.
4
How many times ______ you that movie?
Answer:
have you seen
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used to ask about past experiences without specifying a time. The question asks about the number of times an action has occurred up to the present moment. The structure for a question is **Have/Has + subject + past participle?**. **Correct Usage**: 'have you seen' is the correct form to inquire about life experiences. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'do you see' (Simple Present) asks about a current habit. (b) 'are you seeing' (Present Continuous) asks what is happening now. (d) 'did you see' (Simple Past) would require a specific time in the past (e.g., 'yesterday').
5
I ______ this song on repeat all day. I love it!
Answer:
have been listening to
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Continuous Tense** is used to emphasize the duration ('all day') of a repeated or continuous action that is still ongoing or has just finished. **Correct Usage**: 'have been listening to' shows the speaker's continuous engagement with the song throughout the day. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'listen to' (Simple Present) is a habit. (b) 'am listening to' (Present Continuous) refers to right now. (d) 'have listened to' (Present Perfect) focuses on the completion.
6
The athletes ______ on a strict diet while they prepare for the competition.
Answer:
are
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** of 'to be' ('are') is used to describe a current state or situation, even if it is temporary. **Correct Usage**: 'are on a strict diet' describes their current condition during the preparation period. **Incorrect Options**: (b) 'have been' would be used with 'for' or 'since'. (c) 'are being' would imply they are consciously acting in a certain way, which is less natural here than just stating their condition. (d) 'were' is past tense.
7
I ______ never ______ such a beautiful sunset before.
Answer:
have, seen
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used with 'never' and 'before' to talk about life experiences up to the present moment. **Correct Usage**: 'have never seen' correctly expresses that this experience is new to the speaker's entire life. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'do, see' and (d) 'did, see' are grammatically incorrect structures with 'never'. (b) 'am, seeing' is incorrect because 'see' in this context is a stative verb.
8
I ______ for this company for five years, and I still enjoy my job.
Answer:
have been working
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Continuous Tense** is used for an action that started in the past and is still continuing. It emphasizes the duration of the action, often indicated by 'for' or 'since'. The structure is **has/have + been + verb-ing**. **Correct Usage**: The phrase 'for five years' highlights the duration of an ongoing action. For the subject 'I', the correct form is 'have been working'. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'work' (Simple Present) is possible but doesn't emphasize the duration as effectively. (b) 'am working' (Present Continuous) focuses only on the present moment. (d) 'has been working' is used for third-person singular subjects (he/she/it).
9
The professor ______ this topic in great detail in his lectures.
Answer:
covers
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** is used to describe the regular content of a course or the habitual actions of a person. **Correct Usage**: 'covers' correctly describes what the professor typically does in his lectures. The subject 'The professor' is singular. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'is covering' (Present Continuous) would be for this week's lectures. (b) 'has covered' (Present Perfect) refers to past lectures. (d) 'cover' is a plural verb.
10
Congratulations! I hear you ______ a promotion.
Answer:
have gotten
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used to talk about recent news or events that have a present relevance. **Correct Usage**: 'have gotten' correctly refers to the recent event of receiving the promotion, which is the reason for the congratulations. (Note: 'have got' is also common in British English). **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'get' (Simple Present) is a habit. (b) 'are getting' (Present Continuous) could refer to a future arrangement. (d) 'gets' is a singular verb.
11
She ______ the piano since she was four years old and has won many awards.
Answer:
has been playing
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Continuous Tense** is ideal for an action that started in the past and continues to the present, especially when emphasizing the long duration and the continuous nature of the activity. **Correct Usage**: 'has been playing' highlights the continuous dedication to playing the piano since a young age, leading to her current success. 'Has played' would also be possible but focuses less on the continuous activity. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'plays' (Simple Present) states a habit. (b) 'is playing' (Present Continuous) means she is playing now. (d) 'played' (Simple Past) is incorrect as the action continues.
12
This ticket ______ you to one free drink at the bar.
Answer:
entitles
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** is used to state a fact, rule, or function. **Correct Usage**: 'entitles' correctly states the function or rule associated with the ticket. The subject 'This ticket' is singular. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'is entitling' is incorrect as 'entitle' is stative here. (c) 'has entitled' is the wrong tense. (d) 'entitle' is a plural verb.
13
She ______ three marathons this year, and she's training for another.
Answer:
has run
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used to talk about the number of times an action has been completed within an unfinished time period ('this year'). **Correct Usage**: 'has run' correctly quantifies her completed achievements so far this year. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'runs' (Simple Present) is a habit. (b) 'is running' (Present Continuous) is for now. (d) 'has been running' focuses on the continuous activity of training, not the completed races.
14
More and more people ______ to cities in search of work.
Answer:
are moving
**Rule**: The **Present Continuous Tense** is used to describe a current trend or a changing situation. The phrase 'More and more' signals a developing trend. **Correct Usage**: 'are moving' correctly captures the ongoing process of migration that is happening in the current era. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'move' (Simple Present) is for a general truth, not a developing trend. (c) 'have moved' (Present Perfect) focuses on the result so far. (d) 'moves' is a singular verb.
15
He ______ his homework for two hours but he ______ only half of it.
Answer:
has been doing, has finished
**Rule**: This sentence contrasts the duration of an activity with the result achieved. The **Present Perfect Continuous** emphasizes the duration, while the **Present Perfect Simple** emphasizes the result. **Correct Usage**: 'He **has been doing** his homework for two hours' focuses on the continuous activity over time. 'but he **has finished** only half of it' focuses on the amount of work completed so far. **Incorrect Options**: The other pairings create an illogical tense sequence for this context.
16
This is the best pizza I ______ ever ______.
Answer:
have, had
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used with superlatives ('the best', 'the worst') and 'ever' to talk about a unique experience within one's lifetime up to the present. **Correct Usage**: The structure 'This is the best... I have ever had' is a fixed pattern for expressing a peak experience. **Incorrect Options**: (b) 'am, having', (c) 'do, have', and (d) 'did, have' are all grammatically incorrect in this superlative structure.
17
This package ______ strange. What's inside?
Answer:
smells
**Rule**: **Stative Verbs**. Like 'taste', 'smell' is a verb of sense and is used in the **Simple Present Tense** to describe a current state or quality, not in the continuous form. **Correct Usage**: 'smells' describes the current characteristic of the package. The subject 'package' is singular. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'is smelling' is incorrect because 'smell' is a stative verb here. (c) 'has smelled' is the wrong tense. (d) 'smell' is for plural subjects.
18
The bus ______ every ten minutes, so we won't have to wait long.
Answer:
arrives
**Rule**: The **Simple Present Tense** is used to talk about scheduled events, especially timetables for public transport. **Correct Usage**: 'arrives' correctly describes the regular, scheduled frequency of the bus service. The subject 'The bus' is singular. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'is arriving' (Present Continuous) refers to the bus that is coming now. (c) 'has arrived' (Present Perfect) means a bus is already here. (d) 'arrive' is a plural verb.
19
The company ______ a new branch in Dubai next month.
Answer:
is opening
**Rule**: The **Present Continuous Tense** is used to talk about fixed plans for the near future. **Correct Usage**: 'is opening' correctly describes a definite, planned future event. **Incorrect Options**: (a) 'opens' (Simple Present) is also possible for a scheduled event but is less common for a corporate plan like this. (c) 'has opened' (Present Perfect) is for a past event. (d) 'open' is a plural verb.
20
I ______ this car since I graduated from university.
Answer:
have owned
**Rule**: The **Present Perfect Tense** is used with stative verbs (like 'own') to describe a state that started in the past and continues to the present, especially with 'since' or 'for'. **Correct Usage**: 'have owned' correctly describes the state of possession that started 'since I graduated' and continues now. **Incorrect Options**: (b) 'own' (Simple Present) does not convey the duration since graduation. (c) 'am owning' and (d) 'have been owning' are incorrect because 'own' is a stative verb and is not used in continuous tenses.
