CBSE Class 10 English Advanced Tense MCQs Set 01

Answer: (b) was born in Chennai on 10th October, 1906

Explanation:
1. The subject is the singular 'RK Narayan', so 'was born' is needed; 'were born' does not agree and 'born' alone has no verb.
2. We say 'in' a city and 'on' a date, so 'in Chennai on 10th October' is correct, not 'at Chennai' or 'on Chennai'.
3. The answer is was born in Chennai on 10th October, 1906.

Teacher's Note:
1. Birth is always 'was born' for one person.
2. Place takes in; a date takes on.

Answer: (a) was a Headmaster

Explanation:
1. The notes give 'Father: Headmaster' and do not say which school, so we use the indefinite article: 'a Headmaster'.
2. 'The Headmaster' would point to a particular person already known; 'was Headmaster' lacks an article; 'is' does not match the past-tense paragraph.
3. The answer is was a Headmaster.

Teacher's Note:
1. A noun for a job or rank needs 'a' or 'an'.
2. Keep the same tense as the earlier sentence.

Answer: (a) is a famous cartoonist

Explanation:
1. RK Laxman is a singular subject, so 'were' is wrong.
2. 'is this famous cartoonist' changes the meaning and 'is famous cartoonist' lacks the article 'a'.
3. The only grammatically correct option is is a famous cartoonist.

Teacher's Note:
1. The printed key text reads 'was a famous cartoonist', but the letter given is for option (i), 'is a famous cartoonist'.
2. Check the article before the noun.

Answer: (b) are ready.

Explanation:
1. In a clause beginning with 'until', the present tense is used for a future event.
2. So 'until you are ready' is correct; 'will be ready' and 'would be ready' repeat the future after a time word.
3. 'are not ready' changes the meaning, because the wait would never end.
4. The answer is are ready.

Teacher's Note:
1. Time clauses (until, when, before) take the present tense, not 'will'.
2. Check meaning as well as grammar.

Answer: (d) was reading the milk boiled over.

Explanation:
1. 'While' joins a longer action in progress with a shorter one, which here is 'the milk boiled over' (simple past).
2. The longer action needs the past continuous: 'was reading'.
3. The answer is was reading the milk boiled over.

Teacher's Note:
1. Pattern: while + past continuous, simple past.
2. The ongoing action gets the -ing form.

Answer: (b) went to the cinema last night.

Explanation:
1. 'Last night' shows a finished time in the past, so the simple past is needed.
2. The simple past of 'go' is 'went'.
3. The answer is went to the cinema last night.

Teacher's Note:
1. Look for the time phrase first; it decides the tense.
2. Go - went - gone.

Answer: (a) are worn in winter.

Explanation:
1. Clothes do not wear themselves; people wear them, so the passive is needed.
2. A general fact takes the present: 'are worn'.
3. The answer is are worn in winter.

Teacher's Note:
1. A thing that receives the action needs the passive voice.
2. 'worn' without 'are' has no helping verb.

Answer: (b) is being loaded at present.

Explanation:
1. 'At present' means the action is going on now, and a truck is loaded by someone, so we need the present continuous passive: 'is being loaded'.
2. 'will be loaded' is future and 'was loading' is wrongly active and past.
3. The answer is is being loaded at present.

Teacher's Note:
1. Passive continuous: is/are + being + past participle.
2. 'At present' goes with continuous forms.

Answer: (a) expands gas.

Explanation:
1. A scientific fact is stated in the simple present.
2. 'Heat' is singular, so the verb takes -s: 'expands'.
3. The answer is expands gas.

Teacher's Note:
1. Universal facts take the simple present.
2. Check the -s with a singular subject.

Answer: (a) is prohibited here.

Explanation:
1. The notice states a rule that is in force now, so the present passive 'is prohibited' is used.
2. 'will prohibited' and 'prohibit' are wrongly formed; 'was prohibited' speaks only of the past.
3. The answer is is prohibited here.

Teacher's Note:
1. Notices use the present passive: is prohibited, is not allowed.
2. 'Smoking' is the thing prohibited, so the passive is needed.

Answer: (c) was discovered by Columbus.

Explanation:
1. The discovery of America is a fact of history, so the simple past passive is used.
2. The structure is was + past participle: 'was discovered'.
3. The answer is was discovered by Columbus.

Teacher's Note:
1. Historical events take the simple past.
2. The doer comes after 'by'.

Answer: (d) has been raining since yesterday afternoon.

Explanation:
1. 'Since yesterday afternoon' marks a starting point of an action that is still going on.
2. This needs the present perfect continuous: 'has been raining'.
3. The answer is has been raining since yesterday afternoon.

Teacher's Note:
1. Since + a point in time points to a perfect tense.
2. The action continues up to now.

Answer: (d) had started

Explanation:
1. Two past actions: the film started first, and then we reached the theatre.
2. The earlier action takes the past perfect: 'had started'.
3. The answer is had started.

Teacher's Note:
1. Earlier of two past actions = past perfect.
2. 'After' often joins an earlier and a later action.

Answer: (c) is spoken all over the world.

Explanation:
1. English is spoken by people, so the passive is needed, and this is a present fact.
2. The present passive is 'is spoken'.
3. The answer is is spoken all over the world.

Teacher's Note:
1. A general fact in the passive: is/are + past participle.
2. 'speak' has no helping verb.

Answer: (d) has passed.

Explanation:
1. 'Recently' links the past action with the present, so the present perfect is used.
2. The subject 'Himani' is singular, so 'has passed'.
3. 'have passed' does not agree, 'pass' is the wrong form, and 'had passed' needs another past action.
4. The answer is has passed.

Teacher's Note:
1. The book printed option (B) as 'passed', which is also acceptable with 'recently'; I changed it to 'had passed' so that only one option is correct.
2. Singular subject: has.

Answer: (b) lived

Explanation:
1. 'Earlier' tells us this was true in the past, so the simple past is needed.
2. The answer is lived.

Teacher's Note:
1. A past state with a past time word takes the simple past.
2. 'Knows' shows that he now lives elsewhere.

Answer: (a) study

Explanation:
1. 'Had better' is followed by the base form of the verb without 'to'.
2. The answer is study.

Teacher's Note:
1. Had better, would rather and modal verbs take the bare infinitive.
2. Never write 'had better to'.

Answer: (b) to buy

Explanation:
1. The phrase shows the purpose of going, so the infinitive of purpose 'to buy' is used.
2. 'for buy' is wrong; 'buying' and 'to be bought' change the meaning.
3. The answer is to buy.

Teacher's Note:
1. Purpose is shown by 'to + verb'.
2. 'For' is followed by a noun or -ing form, not a base verb.

Answer: (c) had caught

Explanation:
1. 'By five o'clock yesterday' means that the action was complete before a fixed point in the past.
2. This needs the past perfect: 'had caught'.
3. The answer is had caught.

Teacher's Note:
1. By + a past time points to the past perfect.
2. Simple past would not show that it was complete earlier.

Answer: (a) left

Explanation:
1. In 'since' sentences, the main clause is in the present perfect and the 'since' clause takes the simple past.
2. The answer is left.

Teacher's Note:
1. Pattern: have not seen + since + simple past.
2. The earlier time is a plain past fact.

Answer: (b) will have taken

Explanation:
1. 'By tomorrow afternoon' means the action will be finished before that time, so the future perfect is used.
2. The answer is will have taken.

Teacher's Note:
1. By + future time points to the future perfect.
2. Will have + past participle.

Answer: (c) has not been declared

Explanation:
1. News is declared by someone, so the passive is needed.
2. 'So far' joins the past to the present, so the present perfect passive 'has not been declared' is right.
3. The answer is has not been declared.

Teacher's Note:
1. So far, till now and yet signal the present perfect.
2. Passive present perfect: has/have been + past participle.

Answer: (d) had reaped

Explanation:
1. 'Set in' is in the simple past, so the reaping happened earlier than another past event.
2. The earlier past action takes the past perfect: 'had reaped'.
3. 'will have reaped' is future and cannot go with 'set in'.
4. The answer is had reaped.

Teacher's Note:
1. The printed key gives (C) will have reaped; this is wrong for a past sentence, so I corrected the key to (D).
2. Before + simple past clause: past perfect in the main clause.

Answer: (b) had been bitten

Explanation:
1. The doctor 'found' (past) that the biting had happened earlier, and a person is bitten by a snake, so the past perfect passive is used.
2. The answer is had been bitten.

Teacher's Note:
1. Past perfect passive: had been + past participle.
2. The earlier action sits in the 'that' clause.

Answer: (b) reads

Explanation:
1. 'Always' shows a habit, which uses the simple present.
2. The subject 'Mayank' is singular, so the verb takes -s.
3. The answer is reads.

Teacher's Note:
1. Always, usually and every day point to the simple present.
2. Don't forget the -s.

Answer: (a) is knocking

Explanation:
1. 'Listen!' tells us that the action is happening now, so the present continuous is used.
2. 'Someone' is singular, so the helping verb is 'is'.
3. The answer is is knocking.

Teacher's Note:
1. Listen! and Look! are signals for the present continuous.
2. Someone takes a singular verb.

Answer: (b) came

Explanation:
1. 'Just now' means a moment ago, and it is used with the simple past.
2. The answer is came.
3. The present perfect 'has come' is used with 'just' alone, but not with 'just now'.

Teacher's Note:
1. The printed key gives (C) has come; with 'just now' the correct tense is the simple past, so I changed the key to (B).
2. Just now = a moment ago.

Answer: (b) was won

Explanation:
1. 'Last year' calls for the past, and 'first prize' is singular, so the passive is 'was won'.
2. The answer is was won.

Teacher's Note:
1. Singular subject: was; plural: were.
2. Prizes are won, so the passive is needed.

Answer: (c) will be given away

Explanation:
1. 'Next week' points to the future, and prizes are given by the guest, so the future passive is used.
2. The answer is will be given away.

Teacher's Note:
1. Future passive: will be + past participle.
2. The plural subject also rules out 'has been'.

Answer: (b) been

Explanation:
1. After 'have you ever' we need a past participle, and 'been' is the participle of 'be'.
2. 'Have you ever been abroad?' is correct.
3. The answer is been.

Teacher's Note:
1. Have + past participle makes the present perfect.
2. Ever goes with the present perfect.

Answer: (c) abandoned

Explanation:
1. 'Was found' is followed by a past participle used as an adjective that describes the state of the car.
2. The answer is abandoned.

Teacher's Note:
1. It was found abandoned = it was in an abandoned state when found.
2. Other options are wrongly formed.

Answer: (b) broken

Explanation:
1. 'Was already' + past participle describes a completed state.
2. The past participle of 'break' is 'broken'.
3. The answer is broken.

Teacher's Note:
1. Break - broke - broken.
2. 'Already' suggests a completed condition.

Answer: (a) has just come out

Explanation:
1. He is wet now, so the result of a recent action is visible; this is the present perfect.
2. 'Just' fits the present perfect: 'has just come out'.
3. The answer is has just come out.

Teacher's Note:
1. Present result of a recent action = present perfect.
2. Just, already and yet go with the present perfect.

Answer: (b) will go

Explanation:
1. This is a real condition: 'if' + simple present in the 'if' clause, and 'will' + base form in the main clause.
2. The answer is will go.

Teacher's Note:
1. First conditional: if + present, will + base form.
2. 'could going' is ungrammatical.