Quick answer. Mixed tenses exercises check whether you can choose the correct English tense from context, not from one keyword. Start with the time marker, then ask: is the action finished, repeated, temporary, in progress, or connected to the present?
This page is for Russian-speaking learners who already know the basic forms of Present Simple, Present Continuous, Past Simple, Present Perfect, Past Perfect, Future Simple and be going to, but mix them in real sentences.
How to choose the tense
| Question | Typical tense | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Is it a habit or fact? | Present Simple | She works from home on Fridays. |
| Is it happening now or around now? | Present Continuous | She is working on a report today. |
| Is it a finished past action with a time? | Past Simple | She finished the report yesterday. |
| Is the result important now? | Present Perfect | She has finished the report. |
| Was one past action earlier than another? | Past Perfect | She had finished before I called. |
| Is it a plan or intention? | be going to | She is going to call the client. |
Formula checklist
- Present Simple: subject + V1 / V-s.
- Present Continuous: am / is / are + V-ing.
- Past Simple: V2 or did + V1.
- Present Perfect: have / has + V3.
- Past Perfect: had + V3.
- Future Simple: will + V1.
- Be going to: am / is / are + going to + V1.
Typical mistakes for Russian speakers
| Mistake | Why it happens | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| I know him since 2020. | Russian uses the present, English needs connection to now. | I have known him since 2020. |
| Yesterday I have met her. | A finished time marker pushes the sentence to Past Simple. | Yesterday I met her. |
| Look! It rains. | An action happening now needs Present Continuous. | Look! It is raining. |
| When I came, he left already. | The earlier past action needs Past Perfect. | When I came, he had already left. |
Exercise 1: choose the correct tense
Choose the best form. Do not look at the answers until you finish all ten sentences.
- I usually ___ (drink) coffee in the morning.
- Listen! Somebody ___ (play) the guitar upstairs.
- We ___ (visit) London in 2024.
- She ___ already ___ (send) the email.
- By the time we arrived, the film ___ (start).
- They ___ (move) to Spain next month. They bought the tickets yesterday.
- I ___ never ___ (try) Indian food.
- He ___ (not / call) me yesterday.
- What ___ you ___ (do) at 7 p.m. yesterday?
- I think it ___ (rain) tomorrow.
Answers to Exercise 1
- drink
- is playing
- visited
- has already sent
- had started
- are going to move
- have never tried
- did not call
- were you doing
- will rain
Exercise 2: Past Simple or Present Perfect
- I ___ (lose) my keys. I cannot open the door.
- She ___ (lose) her keys yesterday, but she found them.
- We ___ (not / see) this film yet.
- They ___ (see) it last weekend.
- He ___ (work) here since 2021.
- He ___ (start) working here in 2021.
Answers to Exercise 2
- have lost
- lost
- have not seen
- saw
- has worked
- started
Exercise 3: choose the best future form
- Look at those clouds. It ___ (rain).
- I promise I ___ (help) you.
- We ___ (meet) Anna at 6. It is in my calendar.
- I think people ___ (use) more AI tools in education.
- Careful! You ___ (drop) the glass.
Answers to Exercise 3
- is going to rain
- will help
- are meeting / are going to meet
- will use
- are going to drop
Self-check: explain your choice
For each sentence, write one reason: time marker, result now, action in progress, plan, prediction, or earlier past action. If you cannot name the reason, you probably guessed the tense.
Model explanation
“I have lost my keys” uses Present Perfect because the past action has a present result: I cannot open the door now. “I lost my keys yesterday” uses Past Simple because yesterday is a finished time.
Related grammar practice
Revise separate topics before repeating the mixed test: Present Simple exercises, Present Continuous exercises, Past Simple exercises, Present Perfect exercises, Past Perfect exercises and will or be going to exercises.
FAQ
What level are these mixed tenses exercises for?
They are best for A2-B1 learners who know the basic tense forms but need practice choosing between them in context.
How many mistakes are normal?
If you make 3-4 mistakes out of 21, revise the explanations and repeat the exercise tomorrow. If you make more than 7 mistakes, practise each tense separately first.
Should I translate from Russian first?
Translation can help at the beginning, but the final decision should come from English context: time marker, result, duration, plan, or sequence of actions.
What should I study next?
Study the tense group where you made the most mistakes. Mixed practice works only after the separate rules are clear enough.
