Verb Tenses and Usage Quiz

Verb Tenses and Usage

• Seemed (past tense) indicates a temporary state of feeling or appearance; example: "Yesterday, she seemed very tired."
• Built (past tense) describes an action completed in the past; example: "The pharaohs built pyramids."
• Crossed (past tense) shows completion of an event; relevant date: "Egyptian army crossed the Suez Canal in 1973."
• Did take (question form of past tense) asks about the duration of a past event; example: "How long ago did the plane take to arrive in Cairo?"
• Do (present tense) signifies current habits or actions; example: "I didn’t use to eat beans. But now I do."

Changes in Habits

• Watches (present tense) implies a change in regular behavior; example: "Retal no longer watches movies as she used to."
• Used to (past habitual action) indicates past habits; example: "He used to work hard on the farm."
• No longer (indication of change) shows cessation of a previous activity; example: "Nesma used to work hard on the farm."

Transition Between Tenses

• Like (present tense) reflects current feelings; example: "I like him, but now we are good friends."
• Don’t eat (present tense negative) signifies current dietary changes; example: "I used to like fish, but I don’t eat it now."

Holiday Activities

• Stays up (present tense) denotes habitual actions during holidays; example: "When he is on holiday, he usually stays up late."
• Stayed up (past tense) pertains to past holiday behavior; example: "When he was on holiday, he usually stayed up late."

Sequence of Events

• Saw, had, slept (past tense) illustrate a sequence of actions; example: "First, he saw the film, then he had dinner and afterwards he slept."

Dream Narratives

• Dreamt (past tense) reflects a memory or imagination; example: "I once dreamt of my mother as an angel with golden wings."

Storytelling Elements

• Was, lived (past tense) describe existence in a narrative; example: "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a castle."

Work Experience

• Worked (past continuous) provides context for previous employment; example: "From 2005 to 2010, I worked as a blacksmith."