Tense Review Mega-Exam #2 — Interactive ESL Worksheet

Read the Story — “Saturday Club at Riverbend Community Center”

Priya runs a weekend conversation club, and Jamal usually brings warm-up games. Right now, Priya is setting up chairs in a circle, and Jamal is checking the speaker. The coordinator walks through the hall and gently reminds everyone to keep aisles clear.

Yesterday, they went to the center early because it was raining hard. When they arrived, Linh was explaining the ground rules, and a small group was practicing questions about weekend plans. As Priya taped signs on the wall, the lights flickered, and a few people were looking up, surprised.

Priya opened the attendance sheet and underlined the date. While she was taping the last poster, the coordinator announced extended hours. Jamal brought tea; he was carrying a box of markers and a tiny timer. They reviewed irregular past verbs for half an hour. During that time, Omar and Sofia were comparing sentences, and Mateo was checking his notes.

Tonight, Priya is trying a timed “story relay.” She is writing prompts on cards, and Jamal helps by asking, “What were you doing when the phone rang?” and “What do you usually do before a test?” The timer rings every fifteen minutes, so people take short breaks and stretch.

Two months ago, Omar was presenting a story when the alarm went off. Everyone was waiting by the exit while staff explained it was a drill. After they returned to the room, they were laughing about how quickly the practice ended.

Priya tracks time, sets clear goals, and shares reminders. Jamal quizzes verbs. As a rule they say, “For habits, we use simple present; for actions in progress, we use present continuous. For finished past actions, we use simple past; for ongoing past actions interrupted by another action, we use past continuous.”

Vocabulary — Matching A (10)

1. coordinator —

2. flicker —

3. ground rules —

4. relay —

5. compare —

6. underline —

7. prompt —

8. aisle —

9. stretch —

10. routine —

Vocabulary — Matching B (10)

1. announce —

2. carry —

3. practice —

4. timer —

5. quiz —

6. compare —

7. habit —

8. drill —

9. guideline —

10. relay (verb) —

Vocabulary in Context (Select the best meaning)

1. The lights flickered. —

2. Linh explained the ground rules. —

3. A story relay —

4. They took a short break. —

5. Jamal quizzes verbs. —

6. Omar and Sofia were comparing sentences. —

7. Priya tracks time. —

8. They stretch between rounds. —

9. Mateo was checking notes. —

10. The coordinator announced extended hours. —

Multiple Choice (10)

1) What is Priya doing right now?
She taped signs yesterday.
She is setting up chairs in a circle.
She will clean the hall tomorrow.

2) Why did Priya and Jamal go early yesterday?
It was raining hard.
The center was closed.
They forgot the time.

3) Which shows past continuous + interruption?
Priya opens the sheet.
Priya opened the sheet.
Linh was explaining when they arrived.

4) What does Jamal usually do for the club?
Fix the lights.
Bring warm-up games.
Cancel meetings.

5) Which is simple present?
Priya runs a weekend club.
Priya is running a weekend club now.
Priya was running a weekend club.

6) Which is simple past?
They go early.
They are going early.
They went early.

7) While Priya was taping signs, the lights…
flickered.
will flicker.
are flickering.

8) During timed rounds, participants…
sleep.
take short breaks and stretch.
leave the center.

9) Which is present continuous?
They practice every week.
They practiced last week.
They are practicing now.

10) What did the coordinator announce?
A cancellation.
Extended hours.
A new location.

Cloze A — Word Bank (drag or click words into blanks)

runs is setting up is checking went was raining arrived was explaining gives

Priya a weekend club. Right now, she chairs and Jamal the speaker. Yesterday, they early because it . When they , Linh the rules. The coordinator usually reminders.

Cloze B — Word Bank (drag or click)

opened was taping announced brought was carrying reviewed is trying is writing

Priya the attendance sheet and posters when the coordinator extended hours. Jamal tea and markers. Together, they irregular verbs. Tonight, Priya a timed relay and prompts.

Sequencing A — Past Scene (drag to correct order)

They reviewed irregular verbs.
They arrived at the center.
The coordinator announced extended hours.
Priya was taping posters.

Sequencing B — Present & Habit (drag to correct order)

They plan the next session.
Jamal is checking the speaker now.
The club meets every Saturday.
They take short breaks during timed rounds.

Grammar Transformations — Change the tense

1) (Simple present → Present continuous)
Prompt: Priya runs the club.

2) (Present continuous → Simple present)
Prompt: Jamal is checking the speaker.

3) (Simple past → Past continuous + interruption)
Prompt: They arrived. (Linh explain)

4) (Past continuous → Simple past)
Prompt: Priya was taping posters.

5) (Simple present → Simple past)
Prompt: The coordinator announces extended hours.

6) (Simple past → Simple present)
Prompt: Jamal brought tea.

7) (Present continuous → Past continuous)
Prompt: Omar is presenting when the alarm goes off.

8) (Simple present → Present continuous negative)
Prompt: Sofia stops now.

Guided Sentence Prompts (write full sentences)

Tip: include full verb forms and the correct tense.

1) Habit: (you / meet / Saturdays)

2) Now: (you / prepare / chairs / now)

3) Past: (you / arrive / early / yesterday)

4) Past prog: (Linh / explain / when / you / arrive)

5) Habit: (Jamal / bring / games)

6) Now: (Priya / write / prompts)

7) Past: (coordinator / announce / hours)

8) Past prog: (Omar / present / when / alarm / go off)

9) Habit: (participants / take / breaks)

10) Now: (Mateo / check / notes)

11) Past: (they / review / irregular verbs)

12) Past prog: (people / wait / while / staff / explain)

Dialogue Build — Tripled Length (18 lines)

Choose the best forms. Mix simple present, present continuous, simple past, and past continuous.

Priya: What now, Jamal?

Jamal: I the speaker.

Priya: What before the club starts?

Jamal: I games and set a timer.

Linh: Where when the lights flickered?

Priya: I posters near the door.

Omar: What when the alarm went off last month?

Sofia: I a story to the group.

Mateo: How often here?

Priya: We every Saturday.

Jamal: Listen—right now the timer . Break time!

Linh: During breaks, people and drink tea.

Sofia: Yesterday I irregular verbs with Omar.

Omar: Yes, we answers when Priya arrived.

Priya: Great. What on those cards now, Jamal?

Jamal: I new prompts for the relay.

Optional: continue the role-play aloud for two more rounds.

Answer Key (toggle to view)

MCQ: 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-b, 5-a, 6-c, 7-a, 8-b, 9-c, 10-b.

Cloze A (in order): runs, is setting up, is checking, went, was raining, arrived, was explaining, gives.

Cloze B (in order): opened, was taping, announced, brought, was carrying, reviewed, is trying, is writing.

Sequencing A: arrive → setup → announce → practice. Sequencing B: meets → is-checking → break → plan.

Grammar transforms: 1) Priya is running the club. 2) Jamal checks the speaker. 3) Linh was explaining when they arrived. 4) Priya taped posters. 5) The coordinator announced extended hours. 6) Jamal brings tea. 7) Omar was presenting when the alarm went off. 8) Sofia isn’t stopping now.

Dialogue (target choices): are you doing / am checking • do you usually do / bring • were you waiting / was taping • were you doing / was presenting • do you meet / meet • is ringing / stretch • reviewed / were comparing • are you writing / am writing