Tense Review Mega-Exam

Read the Story — “Before, Now, and Later at Maple Street Library”

Simple present & Present continuous: Maria studies English every evening, and she usually meets her friend Alex on Tuesdays. Right now, Maria is sitting at her favorite table near the window, and she is reviewing verbs while Alex is organizing flashcards. The librarian walks down the aisle and politely reminds students to keep their voices low. Maria likes the quiet; it helps her focus.

Simple past & Past continuous: Last week, Maria went to the library earlier than usual because the power was flickering in her building. When she arrived, a study group was practicing conversation, and the facilitator was explaining how to use past continuous with interruptions. Just as Maria sat down, a gust of wind pushed rain against the windows; people were turning their heads when the thunder cracked.

Maria opened her grammar book and underlined key rules. While she was copying examples, the librarian announced that the building would stay open late. Alex arrived after work; he was carrying a bag of sticky notes and a small timer. They reviewed irregular past verbs for thirty minutes. During that time, the heater was humming, and a few students were whispering vocabulary to each other.

Back to the present: Tonight, Maria is trying a new method. She is reading short dialogues and then is writing her own. Alex helps by asking, “What were you doing when the teacher walked in?” and “What do you usually do before an exam?” Maria answers out loud, and she checks her answers with examples. The timer rings every twenty minutes, so they take short breaks and stretch.

Flashback within past continuous: Two months ago, Maria was preparing for a speaking test when the fire alarm went off. Everyone was gathering near the exit when the librarian explained it was a drill. Maria was holding her notes, and Alex was checking the clock. After they returned inside, they were laughing about how fast the practice ended.

General habits and routines (simple present): Maria drinks water, takes clear notes, and creates daily goals. Alex helps her by quizzing verbs. They share a rule: “If the action is a habit, we use simple present; if the action is in progress, we use present continuous. If the action happened and finished in the past, we use simple past; if another action interrupted an ongoing past action, we use past continuous.”

Mini scene mix: Maria is highlighting examples while Alex writes questions. A new student asks for help because she forgot a rule. They explain patiently and offer a practice page. The new student thanks them and starts to read. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking, and the rain taps the glass softly.

Ending in the present leading to future practice: The library closes in an hour, but Maria isn’t stopping yet. She is finishing one more exercise while Alex is checking answers. They pack their bags and plan to meet again tomorrow. Maria feels ready: she knows she can explain each tense with examples from this week and last week.