{
"finish": "Timeline restored! You used sequence, duration and context to solve all fifteen tense challenges.",
"steps": [
{
"word": "Timeline clue",
"say": "By the time the teacher arrived, the pupils had completed the experiment.",
"question": "Which verb form shows that the experiment was completed first?",
"card": "By the time the teacher arrived, the pupils ___ the experiment.",
"choices": ["completed", "had completed", "have completed"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. The past perfect shows that one past action happened before another.",
"help": "Both events are in the past, but the experiment happened before the teacher arrived."
},
{
"word": "Duration clue",
"say": "Amina has studied Swedish for three years.",
"question": "Which form describes an action that began in the past and continues now?",
"card": "Amina ___ Swedish for three years.",
"choices": ["studied", "has studied", "had studied"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. The present perfect connects a past beginning with the present.",
"help": "The phrase for three years describes a period continuing until now."
},
{
"word": "Interrupted action",
"say": "While Musa was walking home, he noticed the missing poster.",
"question": "Which form describes the longer action already in progress?",
"card": "While Musa ___ home, he noticed the missing poster.",
"choices": ["walked", "was walking", "has walked"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Exactly. The past continuous shows the ongoing action interrupted by noticed.",
"help": "One action was already happening when the shorter event occurred."
},
{
"word": "Future deadline",
"say": "By Friday, the class will have submitted every report.",
"question": "Which form shows completion before a future deadline?",
"card": "By Friday, the class ___ every report.",
"choices": ["will submit", "will be submitting", "will have submitted"],
"answer": 2,
"good": "Correct. The future perfect shows that something will be complete by a future time.",
"help": "The words by Friday focus on completion before a deadline."
},
{
"word": "Repeated action",
"say": "When she was younger, Grandmother would tell us stories beside the fire.",
"question": "What does would express in this sentence?",
"card": "When she was younger, Grandmother ___ tell us stories beside the fire.",
"choices": [
"A repeated past habit",
"A future prediction",
"An action she refused to perform"
],
"answer": 0,
"good": "Correct. Would can describe a repeated or characteristic action in the past.",
"help": "The sentence recalls something Grandmother regularly did."
},
{
"word": "Present result",
"say": "Leila has lost her key, so she cannot open the cupboard.",
"question": "Why is the present perfect appropriate?",
"card": "Leila ___ her key, so she cannot open the cupboard.",
"choices": ["lost", "has lost", "had lost"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. The past action has a clear result in the present: she cannot open the cupboard.",
"help": "Her missing key is still causing a problem now."
},
{
"word": "Earlier past",
"say": "Musa recognised the song because he had heard it before.",
"question": "Which form correctly shows that hearing happened before recognising?",
"card": "Musa recognised the song because he ___ it before.",
"choices": ["heard", "has heard", "had heard"],
"answer": 2,
"good": "Correct. Had heard places the listening before the later past action recognised.",
"help": "Which of the two past events happened first?"
},
{
"word": "Future in progress",
"say": "At this time tomorrow, we will be travelling across the lake.",
"question": "Which form describes an action that will be in progress at a future time?",
"card": "At this time tomorrow, we ___ across the lake.",
"choices": ["will travel", "will be travelling", "will have travelled"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Exactly. The future continuous shows an action in progress at a specified future time.",
"help": "The sentence imagines what will be happening at that exact time."
},
{
"word": "Conditional clue",
"say": "If the team had followed the map, they would not have become lost.",
"question": "Which form expresses an unreal past condition?",
"card": "If the team ___ the map, they would not have become lost.",
"choices": ["followed", "had followed", "would follow"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. Had followed introduces a past condition that did not actually happen.",
"help": "They did not follow the map, and they became lost."
},
{
"word": "Unreal present",
"say": "If I knew the answer, I would explain it.",
"question": "What does this sentence imply?",
"card": "If I ___ the answer, I would explain it.",
"choices": ["know", "knew", "had known"],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. The past form knew expresses an unreal or unlikely present condition.",
"help": "The speaker is suggesting that they do not currently know the answer."
},
{
"word": "Reported speech",
"say": "Leila explained that she had finished the assignment the previous evening.",
"question": "Which form places the completion before Leila's explanation?",
"card": "Leila explained that she ___ the assignment the previous evening.",
"choices": ["finished", "has finished", "had finished"],
"answer": 2,
"good": "Correct. The past perfect shows that finishing occurred before the later past act of explaining.",
"help": "The explanation happened after the assignment was completed."
},
{
"word": "Ongoing duration",
"say": "The researchers have been observing the birds since sunrise.",
"question": "Which form emphasises the continuing duration of the activity?",
"card": "The researchers ___ the birds since sunrise.",
"choices": ["observed", "have observed", "have been observing"],
"answer": 2,
"good": "Correct. The present perfect continuous emphasises an activity continuing over time.",
"help": "The observation began at sunrise and is still happening."
},
{
"word": "Completed quantity",
"say": "The researcher has recorded twenty different bird calls.",
"question": "Why is has recorded stronger than has been recording here?",
"card": "The researcher ___ twenty different bird calls.",
"choices": [
"It emphasises the completed number",
"It shows that recording is impossible",
"It places the recording in the distant past"
],
"answer": 0,
"good": "Correct. The present perfect simple focuses on the completed result: twenty calls.",
"help": "The exact quantity directs attention to what has been completed."
},
{
"word": "Formal recommendation",
"say": "The committee recommended that every pupil be given more time.",
"question": "Why is be used instead of is?",
"card": "The committee recommended that every pupil ___ given more time.",
"choices": [
"It is the passive infinitive",
"It is the subjunctive form used after a formal recommendation",
"It shows that the action happened yesterday"
],
"answer": 1,
"good": "Correct. Formal recommendations can use the subjunctive base form be.",
"help": "The committee is proposing what should happen, not describing what already happens."
},
{
"word": "Final timeline",
"say": "By the time the exhibition opens, the pupils will have been preparing for six months.",
"question": "Which form emphasises duration continuing up to a future point?",
"card": "By the time the exhibition opens, the pupils ___ for six months.",
"choices": [
"will prepare",
"will have prepared",
"will have been preparing"
],
"answer": 2,
"good": "Timeline restored! The future perfect continuous emphasises the duration leading up to a future point.",
"help": "The phrase for six months focuses on how long the preparation will have continued."
}
]
}ENGLISH PRACTICE ROOM
Tense Detective
Fifteen events have fallen out of time. Use sequence, duration and context clues to choose the verb form that repairs each timeline.
← Back to English PracticeTake your time. Every mistake gives you another clue.