Elementary School Writing Quiz: Form And Use Perfect Verb Tenses
20 questions · exam conditions
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Form And Use Perfect Verb TensesQuestion 1 of 20

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By next Friday, Jamal   his science project."

will finish
will have finished
has finished
had finished
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Elementary School Writing Quiz

Elementary School Writing Quiz: Form And Use Perfect Verb Tenses

Practice Form And Use Perfect Verb Tenses in Elementary School Writing with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Form And Use Perfect Verb Tenses, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Elementary School Writing.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By next Friday, Jamal   his science project."

  1. will finish
  2. will have finished (correct answer)
  3. has finished
  4. had finished
Explanation: The clue "By next Friday" names a future time, and the sentence tells about an action that will be completed before that future moment. That job belongs to the future perfect tense, "will have finished." The choice "will finish" is simple future—it says the action happens, but not that it will be done before another future time. The choice "has finished" is present perfect, which points to something already completed now, not by a future date. The choice "had finished" is past perfect, used for an action completed before another action in the past, so it does not fit a sentence looking ahead to next Friday. Only "will have finished" matches an action finished before a future time.

Question 2

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "Sofia   in this town since second grade."

  1. lived
  2. has lived (correct answer)
  3. had lived
  4. have lived
Explanation: The word "since" shows an action that started in the past and continues now, which calls for the present perfect "has lived." Choice B is correct. Choice A is simple past, Choice C is past perfect, and Choice D uses "have" (wrong for the singular subject "Sofia"), so none fits.

Question 3

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? "By the time we arrive, Amir   the game."

  1. will have started (correct answer)
  2. will be starting
  3. had started
  4. has been starting
Explanation: The clue "By the time we arrive" points to a future moment, and we need to show that Amir's action will already be finished before that future point. That is the job of the future perfect tense: "will have" plus the past participle. So "will have started" is the correct answer. "Will be starting" is a future action still in progress, but it does not show the action being completed before another future event. "Had started" is the past perfect tense, which shows one action finished before another action in the PAST, not the future—but our sentence is about a future arrival. "Has been starting" is the present perfect progressive, which describes an ongoing action up to now, and it does not fit a future point of completion. Only "will have started" correctly places a finished action before the future time you arrive.

Question 4

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "Since September, Jamal and I   for band every week."

  1. had practiced
  2. have practiced (correct answer)
  3. will have practiced
  4. practiced
Explanation: The words "Since September" show an action that started in the past and is still happening now, so you need the present perfect tense. With the plural subject "Jamal and I," the correct helping verb is "have," giving "have practiced." The choice "had practiced" is past perfect, which shows something finished before another past event, not something still going on now. The choice "will have practiced" is future perfect, which points to the future, but this action began back in September. The choice "practiced" is simple past, which describes a finished action and does not show that the practicing continues week after week. Only "have practiced" matches an action that started in the past and keeps going into the present.

Question 5

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "Before the bus arrived, Yuki   for her library book."

  1. was looking
  2. has looked
  3. had looked (correct answer)
  4. looked
Explanation: The looking happened before another past event (before the bus arrived), so the sentence needs the past perfect "had looked." Choice C is correct. Choice A is past continuous, Choice B is present perfect, and Choice D is simple past, none of which shows an action finished before the bus arrived.

Question 6

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By next Friday, Emma   three chapters for her project."

  1. has read
  2. will have written
  3. will have read (correct answer)
  4. will read
Explanation: The phrase "by next Friday" signals an action that will be finished before a point in the future. That calls for the future perfect tense: "will have read." The choice "has read" is present perfect, which describes something already completed by now, not by a future deadline. The choice "will have written" uses the correct future perfect form, but "written" is the wrong verb—Emma is reading chapters, not writing them. The choice "will read" is simple future; it tells what Emma will do but does not show the reading being complete by next Friday. Only "will have read" matches both the correct tense and the correct verb.

Question 7

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? By the time class started, Jamal   his homework.

  1. has finished
  2. had finished (correct answer)
  3. had finish
  4. finished
Explanation: This sentence is all about the order of two past events. When one thing happens before another thing in the past, we use a special verb form called the past perfect: had + a verb ending in -ed (or another past form). It helps show which action came first. Try lining up the two events. First, Jamal did his homework. Then, class started. Since finishing the homework happened before class started, you need "had finished." The word "had" acts like a time signal that says, "This already happened earlier." You can test it by reading the whole sentence: "By the time class started, Jamal had finished his homework." That sounds smooth and clear! Quick try-this: finish this sentence with the same pattern—"By the time the movie ended, we   all our popcorn." (Answer: had eaten.) When one past action comes before another, reach for "had" plus a past verb.

Question 8

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? "We   our instruments for two weeks, and we are improving."

  1. had practiced
  2. practiced
  3. have practiced (correct answer)
  4. has practiced
Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.b: forming and using perfect verb tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect). Perfect tenses use forms of 'have' (have/has/had/will have) plus the past participle of the main verb. Present perfect (have/has + past participle) shows action started in past that continues or is recently completed with present relevance. Past perfect (had + past participle) shows action completed before another past action. Future perfect (will have + past participle) shows action will be completed before a future time. This sentence requires present perfect tense because it shows an action (practicing) that started in the past (two weeks ago) and continues with present relevance (we are improving). The time marker 'for two weeks' indicates duration from past to present, and 'we are improving' shows present results. Choice B 'have practiced' is correct because it uses have + past participle 'practiced' which correctly shows the ongoing practice and its current effects. The form follows the pattern: subject (we) + have + past participle (practiced), with 'have' agreeing with the plural subject. Choice A 'practiced' represents using simple past instead of present perfect, which fails to connect the past practice to present improvement. This error occurs when students don't recognize that 'for + time period' with present results requires present perfect. To help students: Practice identifying duration markers (for two weeks, since Monday) that signal present perfect. Emphasize the connection between past actions and present results or states. Create cause-effect sentences: We have practiced (cause) → we are improving (present effect). Use personal examples of ongoing activities: 'I have studied Spanish for three years and now I can speak it.' Have students describe their own progress using present perfect + present result. Watch for students using simple past with 'for' + duration, missing the ongoing or present relevance aspect.

Question 9

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? "Before the bell rang, Chen   his name on the paper."

  1. wrote
  2. had written (correct answer)
  3. has written
  4. had wrote
Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.b: forming and using perfect verb tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect). Perfect tenses use forms of 'have' (have/has/had/will have) plus the past participle of the main verb. Present perfect (have/has + past participle) shows action started in past that continues or is recently completed with present relevance. Past perfect (had + past participle) shows action completed before another past action. Future perfect (will have + past participle) shows action will be completed before a future time. This sentence requires past perfect tense because 'Before the bell rang' establishes two past events where writing the name happened before the bell rang - we need to show the sequence of past actions. Choice B is correct because it uses 'had' + 'written' (irregular past participle of 'write') which correctly shows Chen's writing was completed before the past moment when the bell rang. Choice D represents an incorrect past participle form error - using 'had wrote' instead of 'had written.' This error occurs when students confuse the simple past form 'wrote' with the past participle 'written' needed for perfect tenses. To help students: Create lists of common irregular verbs showing all three forms (write/wrote/written, go/went/gone, see/saw/seen). Practice identifying 'before' and 'after' as signals for past perfect sequencing. Use color-coding to distinguish simple past from past participle forms. Emphasize that perfect tenses always use the past participle, never the simple past form. Watch for irregular verb confusion and mixing up wrote/written, went/gone, saw/seen patterns.

Question 10

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? "By tomorrow morning, Maya   her science poster."

  1. will finish
  2. has finished
  3. will have finished (correct answer)
  4. had finished
Explanation: The words "By tomorrow morning" point to a future deadline, so you need a verb showing the action will be completed before that future time. That is the future perfect tense: "will have" plus the past participle "finished." So "will have finished" is correct. "Will finish" is simple future tense; it tells you the action happens sometime later, but it does not show the poster is done before a set future time. "Has finished" is present perfect tense; it shows something already completed by now, which does not fit a future deadline like tomorrow morning. "Had finished" is past perfect tense; it shows an action completed before another action in the past, but this sentence looks ahead to the future, not back into the past. Remember: "by" plus a future time is your signal to use future perfect, "will have" plus the past participle.

Question 11

Read the sentence. Up to now, Amir   every spelling test this month.​

  1. has passed (correct answer)
  2. had passed
  3. passed
  4. have passed
Explanation: This question tests CCSS.L.5.1.b: forming and using perfect verb tenses (present perfect, past perfect, future perfect). Perfect tenses use forms of 'have' (have/has/had/will have) plus the past participle of the main verb. Present perfect (have/has + past participle) shows action started in past that continues or is recently completed with present relevance. Past perfect (had + past participle) shows action completed before another past action. Future perfect (will have + past participle) shows action will be completed before a future time. This sentence requires present perfect tense because Amir's action started in the past and continues to have present relevance. The time marker 'Up to now' clearly signals present perfect, showing a connection from past to present. Choice A 'has passed' is correct because it uses has + past participle 'passed' which correctly shows the ongoing success from past to present. The form follows the pattern: subject (Amir) + has + past participle (passed), with 'has' agreeing with the singular subject. Choice C 'passed' represents using simple past instead of present perfect. This error occurs when students don't recognize that showing ongoing relevance from past to present requires present perfect. To help students: Teach time markers for present perfect like 'up to now,' 'so far,' 'already,' 'yet.' Practice subject-verb agreement with have/has (he/she/it has vs. I/you/we/they have). Create timelines showing present perfect connects past to present. Have students identify whether the action has present relevance or is just completed past. Watch for students using simple past when the sentence shows ongoing or recent completion.

Question 12

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By the time the game ended, Maya   two goals."

  1. has scored
  2. had score
  3. scored
  4. had scored (correct answer)
Explanation: Because one past action (scoring) finished before another past moment (the game ending), the sentence needs the past perfect "had scored." Choice D is correct. Choice A uses the present perfect "has," Choice B is missing the "-ed" on "score," and Choice C is simple past, so none shows the correct past perfect form.

Question 13

Which verb correctly completes the sentence? Chen and Amir   friends since second grade.

  1. had been
  2. were
  3. has been
  4. have been (correct answer)
Explanation: The subject "Chen and Amir" is plural, and "since second grade" points to something that started in the past and is still true, so the present perfect "have been" fits. Choice D is correct. Choice C ("has been") is singular and does not agree with a plural subject, Choice A ("had been") is past perfect, and Choice B ("were") is simple past, so none fits both the plural subject and "since."

Question 14

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "Emma   her lunch already, so she is not hungry."

  1. has eaten (correct answer)
  2. ate
  3. has ate
  4. had eaten
Explanation: The word "already" and the present result "she is not hungry" call for the present perfect "has eaten." Choice A is correct. Choice B is simple past, Choice C uses the wrong participle ("ate" instead of "eaten"), and Choice D is past perfect, which does not fit the present result, so none is right.

Question 15

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By the time class started, Jamal   his homework."

  1. has finished
  2. had finish
  3. had finished (correct answer)
  4. finished
Explanation: The homework was done before another past moment (by the time class started), so the sentence needs the past perfect "had finished." Choice C is correct. Choice A is present perfect (wrong for a past moment), Choice B uses the wrong form ("finish" instead of "finished"), and Choice D is simple past, so none fits.

Question 16

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "When the bus came, Yuki   her lunch at home."

  1. has left
  2. left
  3. had left (correct answer)
  4. was leaving
Explanation: Leaving the lunch happened before another past moment (when the bus came), so the sentence needs the past perfect "had left." Choice C is correct. Choice A is present perfect, Choice B is simple past, and Choice D is past continuous, none of which shows an action finished before the bus came.

Question 17

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "By tomorrow morning, Emma   her poster for the fair."

  1. will have made (correct answer)
  2. has made
  3. made
  4. will be made
Explanation: The phrase "by tomorrow morning" points to an action that will be finished before a future time, which calls for the future perfect "will have made." Choice A is correct. Choice B is present perfect, Choice C is simple past, and Choice D is passive and does not fit "Emma," so none is right.

Question 18

Which verb form correctly completes the sentence? "When the teacher asked, Amir   the directions twice already."

  1. had read (correct answer)
  2. read
  3. had been reading
  4. has read
Explanation: The reading happened twice and was finished before the past moment when the teacher asked, so the sentence needs the past perfect "had read." The choice "read" is simple past, which does not show that the reading was already completed before that earlier moment. The choice "had been reading" is the past perfect progressive, which shows an action still going on, not one already finished "twice already." The choice "has read" is present perfect, which connects the action to the present, but this sentence points back to a past moment. Only "had read" fits.

Question 19

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? "By noon tomorrow, Amir   his science poster."

  1. made
  2. will make
  3. will have made (correct answer)
  4. has made
Explanation: The clue "By noon tomorrow" tells you the action will be finished before a future time, so you need the future perfect tense: "will have" plus the past participle. "Will have made" is correct because it shows the poster will be completely done before tomorrow's noon deadline. "Made" is simple past, so it says Amir already finished the poster in the past, which does not fit a future deadline. "Will make" is simple future, showing an action that will happen but not one that will be completed before a set future time, so it misses the "by" part. "Has made" is present perfect, which shows an action finished recently with present importance, not one finishing before a future moment. Remember: for a job that will be done before a future time, use "will have" plus the past participle every time.

Question 20

Read the sentence. Which verb correctly completes it? By noon tomorrow, Amir   two chapters for class.

  1. has read
  2. will be reading
  3. will have read (correct answer)
  4. would have read
Explanation: The phrase 'By noon tomorrow' names a future deadline, and the reading will be finished before that point. That is exactly what future perfect tense shows, so 'will have read' is the correct choice: it points to a future time and tells you the action is complete by then. 'Has read' uses present perfect, which describes something already finished now — but Amir's reading is not done yet, so it does not fit the future deadline. 'Will be reading' uses future progressive, which shows an action happening or in progress at that future time, not one that is completed by then. 'Would have read' describes something imagined that did not really happen ('he would have read, but he ran out of time'), so it does not match this real future plan. Only future perfect shows an action that will be complete before a stated future moment.