English Grammar Mastery: Tenses, Quantifiers, and Articles Quiz

Posted on Oct 19, 2025 in English

Mastering the Past Continuous and Simple Past Tenses

Sentence Completion Practice (1-20)

Choose the correct verb form to complete the following sentences:

  1. I ___ when the phone rang. b) was sleeping
  2. She ___ TV while her brother was doing homework. a) was watching
  3. They ___ soccer when it started to rain. c) were playing
  4. What ___ you ___ at 9 p.m. last night? a) were/doing
  5. We ___ dinner when our friends arrived. a) were having
  6. While he ___ the guitar, his sister was singing. a) was playing
  7. The students ___ to the teacher when the bell rang. a) were listening
  8. I ___ to music when my mom called me. a) was listening
  9. She ___ her keys and couldn’t open the door. a) was losing
  10. While we ___ in the park, it began to snow. b) were walking
  11. He ___ a shower when the lights went out. a) was taking
  12. They ___ in the river when they saw the crocodile. b) were swimming
  13. I ___ my homework when my cousin arrived. b) was doing
  14. While Tom ___ to work, he had an accident. a) was driving
  15. We ___ the movie when the power went off. a) were watching
  16. She ___ her ankle while she was running. c) was twisting
  17. The children ___ in the garden all afternoon. a) were playing
  18. He ___ lunch when I saw him. a) was eating
  19. What ___ you ___ when I called? a) were/doing
  20. While I ___ a book, the cat jumped on the table. a) was reading

Understanding Past Tense Concepts (21-30)

  1. Which sentence is in the Past Continuous tense? b) I was working all night.
  2. The Past Continuous tense is used to describe: c) actions that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
  3. What is the correct structure of the Past Continuous? c) Subject + was/were + verb-ing.
  4. Which time expression is commonly used with the Simple Past? d) yesterday.
  5. Which sentence is in the Simple Past? c) She read a book last night.
  6. What is the main difference between Simple Past and Past Continuous? c) Past Continuous describes ongoing actions; Simple Past describes completed actions.
  7. Choose the correct sentence using both Past Continuous and Simple Past. b) I was sleeping when the phone rang.
  8. Which verb form do we use after “was/were” in the Past Continuous? d) verb + -ing.
  9. “While” is often used with: c) Past Continuous.
  10. Which sentence shows two actions happening at the same time in the past? c) He was cooking dinner while she was setting the table.

Quantifiers and Articles: Practice Exercises

Quantifiers: Few/Little, A Few/A Little (1-10)

Select the appropriate quantifier for each sentence:

  1. I have ___ money left, so I can buy some bread. d) a little
  2. There are only ___ students in the classroom today. c) few
  3. We have ___ time before the train leaves, let’s hurry! b) a little
  4. He has ___ friends, but they are very loyal. a) few
  5. She drank ___ water after running. d) a little
  6. They have ___ knowledge of the topic, so they need help. a) little
  7. I invited many people, but only ___ came. b) few
  8. He has ___ patience, which is why he gets angry quickly. b) little
  9. I need ___ sugar for the recipe, not too much. d) little
  10. We took ___ photos during the trip. b) few

Articles (A, An) and Quantifiers (Some, Any) Practice (11-20)

  1. I need ___ apple for my lunch. b) an
  2. She doesn’t have ___ friends in this city. c) some
  3. Would you like ___ tea? c) some
  4. There isn’t ___ milk in the fridge. d) any
  5. I bought ___ orange and ___ banana. a) an/a
  6. Can I have ___ water, please? c) some
  7. Is there ___ cheese on the table? d) any
  8. We saw ___ elephant at the zoo. b) an
  9. She always carries ___ umbrella in her bag. b) an
  10. I don’t need ___ help, thanks. d) any

Reviewing Quantifier and Article Rules (11-20)

  1. Which option correctly completes the sentence: “He has ___ money, so he can’t buy the ticket.” c) little
  2. The article “an” is used before: c) vowel sounds.
  3. Which sentence uses “a few” correctly? b) I have a few friends in London.
  4. We use “some” mainly in: c) affirmative sentences.
  5. Choose the sentence that uses “any” correctly. b) Do you have any sugar?
  6. The word “little” is used with: c) uncountable nouns.
  7. Which sentence shows the correct use of “a”? c) I saw a bird flying.
  8. Which sentence is grammatically correct? b) I have few problems with this topic.
  9. We use “a few” and “few” with: c) plural countable nouns.
  10. “Would you like ___ tea?” – Which word best completes the sentence? c) some