Present Tenses Test — English Grammar Exercises
"I am from Spain" or "I have from Spain"? One 30-question quiz across all four present-tense topics.
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I ___ from Spain — Madrid, originally.
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am
'Be' for nationality/origin — 'I am from Spain'.
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She ___ two children — a boy and a girl.
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has
'Have' for possession — third person singular 'has'.
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They ___ got a beautiful new flat in the centre.
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've
'Have got' = have. Contracted form 'they've got'.
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I ___ a terrible headache — I need to lie down.
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have
'Have' for a physical state — 'I have a headache'.
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He ___ very tall for his age.
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is
'Be' for a description/quality — 'he is tall'.
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___ you got a pen I could borrow?
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Have
Questions with 'have got' use 'have/has' as the auxiliary — 'Have you got ...?'.
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How old ___ you?
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are
Use 'be' for age — 'How old are you?'.
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She ___ in a small flat near the river.
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lives
Present simple for a permanent state — third person singular adds -s: 'she lives'.
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Water ___ at 100°C.
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boils
Present simple for a scientific fact — 'water boils'.
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He ___ like coffee — he prefers tea.
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doesn't
Present simple negative with 'he/she/it' uses 'doesn't' + base form.
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___ you speak any other languages?
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Do
Present simple questions use 'do/does' as the auxiliary.
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She ___ to the gym three times a week.
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goes
Present simple for a regular habit; 'go' → 'goes' for she/he/it.
Present Tenses Test: Four Topics in One 30-Question Quiz
This test reviews the four present-tense topics that make up the foundation of everyday English: the verbs 'be', 'have' and 'have got'; the present simple; the present continuous; and the contrast between present simple and present continuous. Grammar reference research consistently identifies these four areas as the most frequently tested present-tense material at B1–B2 level, precisely because each one interacts with the others — choosing 'is' instead of 'has', or the present simple instead of the present continuous, produces sentences that are grammatically well-formed but carry the wrong meaning. Rather than testing each tense in isolation, this 30-question quiz mixes all four together, with roughly seven to eight questions per area, so that learners must actively identify which present-tense rule applies to each sentence rather than relying on a single pattern repeated throughout a page.
Be, Have and Have Got
'Be' expresses identity, nationality, age and description. 'Have' and 'have got' express possession and physical states. Confusing the two — reaching for 'have' where 'be' is required, or the reverse — is one of the earliest and most persistent errors in English.
She has two children — a boy and a girl. ('have' for possession)
They've got a beautiful new flat in the centre. ('have got' = have)
I have a terrible headache — I need to lie down. ('have' for a physical state)
He is very tall for his age. ('be' for description)
Have you got a pen I could borrow? ('have got' question — no 'do')
How old are you? ('be' for age)
Present Simple: Habits and Facts
The present simple describes routines, habits and general or scientific facts, with the familiar third-person -s and do/does question forms.
Water boils at 100°C. (scientific fact)
He doesn't like coffee — he prefers tea. (negative, base form after 'doesn't')
Do you speak any other languages? (question with 'do')
She goes to the gym three times a week. (habit)
How often do you visit your parents? (frequency question)
Present Continuous: Now and Temporary
The present continuous describes an action happening at the moment of speaking, a temporary situation, or a personal future arrangement.
What are you doing this evening? (future arrangement)
I'm reading a great book at the moment. (around now)
The kids are playing in the garden — listen to them! (happening now)
She's studying Italian this term. (temporary)
Look! It's snowing outside. ('Look!' signals now)
Present Simple or Present Continuous?
The final block puts the two tenses side by side, requiring learners to distinguish general facts and habits from temporary situations and actions in progress — and to recognise stative verbs, which never take the continuous form regardless of context.
The Earth goes around the Sun. (permanent fact)
She is staying with friends for the next two weeks. (temporary)
I know what you mean. ('know' is stative — never continuous)
Be quiet — we're watching a film right now! (happening now)
She goes to work by bus every day. (daily habit)
Common Mistakes in the Present Tenses Test
✗ Do you have got a pen? → ✓ Have you got a pen? ('have got' questions use 'have', not 'do')
✗ He doesn't likes coffee. → ✓ He doesn't like coffee. (base form after 'doesn't')
✗ Look! It snows outside. → ✓ Look! It's snowing outside. (happening now)
✗ She is studying Italian. (as a permanent fact about her) → ✓ She studies Italian. (if it's a general fact, not 'this term')
✗ I'm knowing what you mean. → ✓ I know what you mean. ('know' is stative)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between be, have, and have got?
'Be' is used for identity, nationality, age, and descriptions: 'I am from Spain', 'He is very tall', 'How old are you?'. 'Have' (or 'have got' in British English) is used for possession and physical states: 'She has two children', 'I have a terrible headache', 'They've got a beautiful new flat'. A common learner error is using 'have' where 'be' is needed, or vice versa — saying 'I have from Spain' instead of 'I am from Spain'. 'Have got' behaves like 'have' in meaning but forms questions and negatives with 'have/has' as an auxiliary rather than 'do/does': 'Have you got a pen?', not 'Do you have got a pen?'.
What is the difference between the present simple and the present continuous?
The present simple describes habits, routines and general facts: 'She goes to the gym three times a week', 'Water boils at 100°C'. The present continuous describes an action happening right now, or a temporary situation: 'He is working at his desk right now', 'She's studying Italian this term'. The present continuous is also used for personal future arrangements: 'What are you doing this evening?'. The two forms are not interchangeable — using the present simple for something happening now, or the continuous for a permanent fact, are both common mistakes tested throughout this quiz.
Why is 'I know what you mean' correct, but 'I am knowing what you mean' is not?
'Know' is a stative verb — it describes a mental state rather than a deliberate, ongoing action, so English does not use it in the continuous form. Stative verbs (know, understand, love, believe, have meaning 'possess') stay in the present simple even when describing something true at this exact moment. This is one of the four present-tense contrasts tested in the final block of the quiz, alongside habits, facts and temporary situations, because recognising a stative verb is essential for choosing correctly between the present simple and the present continuous.
How is 'have got' different from 'have' in questions and negatives?
Both express possession with the same meaning, but 'have got' forms questions and negatives using 'have/has' directly as an auxiliary, without 'do/does': 'Have you got a pen?', 'She hasn't got a car'. Plain 'have' (without 'got'), especially in American English, forms questions and negatives the normal way, with 'do/does': 'Do you have a pen?', 'She doesn't have a car'. Mixing the two patterns — 'Do you have got a pen?' or 'Have you a pen?' without 'got' — is a common error at this level, since learners often apply the auxiliary rule from one pattern to the other.
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