Mixed Tenses (12 Tenses) – English Grammar Exercises for B2

1 (c)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “At midnight yesterday” is a specific completed time in the past. We use the Past Simple (struck).
• Error Analysis: (b) has struck is a Common Mistake (students overuse Present Perfect for past events). (a) was striking is a Meaning Trap (implies an interrupted background action, not a single point of impact). (d) strike is a Structural Error (wrong tense form).

2 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “Right now” indicates an action happening at the moment of speaking. Present Continuous (are clearing) is required.
• Error Analysis: (b) clear is a Common Mistake (using Present Simple for current ongoing actions). (c) have cleared is a Meaning Trap (implies the job is already finished). (d) is clearing is a Structural Error (Subject-verb agreement: ‘workers’ is plural).

3 (d)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Present Perfect (has just announced) is used to deliver recent news or actions with a present result.
• Error Analysis: (c) had just announced is a Common Mistake (using Past Perfect instead of Present Perfect for current news). (a) is just announcing is a Meaning Trap (he is not in the middle of speaking right now; the announcement is a completed recent event). (b) announced just is a Structural Error (wrong adverb placement).

4 (b)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Future Simple (will stop) is used for predictions based on weather forecasts.
• Error Analysis: (c) stops is a Common Mistake (Present Simple is for fixed schedules, not weather predictions). (a) is stopping is a Meaning Trap (Present Continuous is for human arrangements, not nature). (d) will stopped is a Structural Error (will + V1 is required).

5 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Past Continuous (were sleeping) shows a long background action that was interrupted by a short action (sirens went off).
• Error Analysis: (b) slept is a Common Mistake (fails to show the interrupted nature of the action). (c) had slept is a Meaning Trap (implies they finished sleeping before the sirens, which is illogical). (d) was sleeping is a Structural Error (‘Residents’ is plural).

6 (b)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “By the time…” triggers the Past Perfect (had collapsed) to show an action completed before another past action (reached).
• Error Analysis: (a) collapsed is a Common Mistake (fails to clarify the timeline of events). (c) has collapsed is a Meaning Trap (connects to the present, but the narrative is entirely in the past). (d) had collapse is a Structural Error (needs the past participle ‘collapsed’).

7 (d)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Present Perfect Continuous (has been raining) emphasizes the duration of an ongoing past action that directly causes a present result (rivers overflowing today).
• Error Analysis: (b) is raining is a Common Mistake (ignores the duration “for the past 14 hours”). (a) rained is a Meaning Trap (implies a finished action with no continuous link to the present). (c) have been raining is a Structural Error (‘it’ requires singular ‘has’).

8 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Future Continuous (will be checking) describes an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future (“tomorrow morning”).
• Error Analysis: (b) will check is a Common Mistake (misses the ongoing, temporary nature of the work at that exact time). (c) check is a Meaning Trap (Present Simple is for permanent schedules). (d) will be check is a Structural Error (needs V-ing).

9 (c)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “While” requires the Past Continuous (was giving) for the longer action happening when a shorter past action (fell) occurred.
• Error Analysis: (a) gave is a Common Mistake (ignores the continuous nature of ‘while’). (b) had given is a Meaning Trap (implies he finished speaking before it fell). (d) were giving is a Structural Error (‘reporter’ is singular).

10 (b)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Present Simple (departs) is used for official, fixed timetables and schedules in the future.
• Error Analysis: (a) will be departing is a Common Mistake (often used colloquially, but Present Simple is the strict grammatical rule for public transport schedules). (c) has departed is a Meaning Trap (implies it already left). (d) depart is a Structural Error (Subject-verb agreement).

11 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Present Perfect (have never seen) is used for experiences from the past up to the present moment (“in our city’s history” up to now).
• Error Analysis: (b) never saw is a Common Mistake (implies the period of time is completely finished). (c) had never seen is a Meaning Trap (used only if referring to a point strictly in the past, but the news is happening now). (d) hasn’t never seen is a Structural Error (double negative and wrong agreement).

12 (c)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “By the end of this week” requires the Future Perfect (will have restored) to show an action that will be completed before a future deadline.
• Error Analysis: (a) will restore is a Common Mistake (misses the “completion before a deadline” aspect). (b) are restoring is a Meaning Trap (refers to right now, not the future completion). (d) will have restore is a Structural Error (needs past participle ‘restored’).

13 (d)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Past Perfect Continuous (had been rising) emphasizes the continuous duration of an action (“for several days”) before a specific past event (“broke at 3 AM”).
• Error Analysis: (a) were rising is a Common Mistake (does not show the accumulation of time before the past point). (b) have been rising is a Meaning Trap (connects to the present, but the dam broke in the past). (c) had been rise is a Structural Error.

14 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Present Continuous (is visiting) is used for a fixed personal arrangement/plan in the near future (“secured the perimeter” proves it’s arranged).
• Error Analysis: (b) visits is a Common Mistake (Present Simple is for public timetables, not human itineraries). (c) will have visited is a Meaning Trap (she hasn’t gone yet, so completion doesn’t fit ‘this afternoon’). (d) is visited is a Structural Error (Passive voice is illogical here).

15 (b)

• Why it is correct (The Key): Future Perfect Continuous (will have been operating) is used to express the duration (“for exactly 48 hours”) of an ongoing action up to a specific point in the future (“By midnight tonight”).
• Error Analysis: (c) will be operating is a Common Mistake (ignores the calculation of duration). (a) had been operating is a Meaning Trap (Past tense used for a future deadline). (d) will have been operated is a Structural Error (Passive continuous implies someone is operating them, but pumps “operate” automatically in this context; structurally clunky).

16 (c)

• Why it is correct (The Key): The assurance happened before the storm hit, requiring Past Perfect (had assured). The storm gathering strength is the subsequent past action, requiring Past Simple (gathered).
• Error Analysis: (a) assured / had gathered is a Common Mistake (reverses the chronological order of the tenses). (b) have assured / was gathering is a Meaning Trap (mixes present perfect into a strictly past narrative). (d) had assured / gather is a Structural Error (tense mismatch).

17 (d)

• Why it is correct (The Key): In future time clauses (after until, when, as soon as), we use Present Perfect (have declared) to emphasize that the action must be 100% completed before the future action can happen.
• Error Analysis: (a) will declare is a Common Mistake (never use ‘will’ directly after ‘until/when’). (b) declared is a Meaning Trap (past tense does not fit a future condition). (c) has declared is a Structural Error (‘inspectors’ is plural).

18 (b)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “Since yesterday” dictates Present Perfect Continuous (have been sleeping) for an action starting in the past and continuing. “Until Monday” is a future prediction, requiring Future Simple (will remain).
• Error Analysis: (a) are sleeping / will remain is a Common Mistake (ignores ‘since yesterday’). (c) slept / are remaining is a Meaning Trap (mixes finished past with present continuous, breaking the logic). (d) have been sleeping / remained is a Structural Error (Past tense ‘remained’ after a future marker ‘until Monday’).

19 (a)

• Why it is correct (The Key): “At this very moment” requires Present Continuous. The towers receive the action, requiring Passive Present Continuous (are being repaired). The verb “have” (experiencing trouble) is dynamic here, allowing Present Continuous (are having).
• Error Analysis: (b) are repairing / have is a Structural Error (active voice means the towers are fixing themselves). (d) repair / have is a Common Mistake (Present simple instead of continuous). (c) have been repaired / are having is a Meaning Trap (if they are already repaired, people wouldn’t be having trouble right now).

20 (c)

• Why it is correct (The Key): This is an advanced inversion structure. “Scarcely + Past Perfect (inverted) + when + Past Simple” is used to show one action happened immediately after another.
• Error Analysis: (a) the mayor had issued / surged is a Common Mistake (fails to invert the subject and auxiliary verb after a negative adverb ‘Scarcely’). (b) did the mayor issue / had surged is a Meaning Trap (uses wrong tenses for the “Scarcely… when” sequence). (d) had the mayor issue / surged is a Structural Error (requires past participle ‘issued’).

1. Duration vs. Current Moment: Use Present Continuous for actions happening exactly right now (are clearing). However, the moment you add a duration with “since” or “for” (since yesterday / for 14 hours), you MUST switch to the Present Perfect Continuous (have been clearing).
2. The “By the time” Rule: – Past context: By the time + Past Simple, main clause needs Past Perfect (had + V3).
• Future context: By the time + Present Simple, main clause needs Future Perfect (will have + V3).
3. Future Time Clauses: Never use “will” immediately after time conjunctions like when, until, as soon as, once. Use the Present Simple, or the Present Perfect if you want to emphasize that the action must be completely finished first (e.g., until they have declared it safe).
4. Schedules vs. Arrangements: Use Present Simple for official timetables (The flight departs at 8 AM). Use Present Continuous for personal/human planned arrangements (The governor is visiting this afternoon).
5. Inversion with Negative Adverbs: When a sentence begins with Hardly, Scarcely, or No sooner, you must invert the subject and the auxiliary verb of the Past Perfect tense (e.g., Scarcely had he arrived…).