Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises with Answers

Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises help students review grammar, recognize basic tenses, and use verbs correctly in sentences. To complete these exercises successfully, students need to identify the subject, recognize time expressions, and apply the correct grammatical structures. These include adding -s/-es, using am/is/are, and keeping verbs in their base form after does, did, and will.

This article provides a collection of Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises with Answers, ranging from individual tense practice to mixed-tense questions, dialogue completion, paragraph exercises, and error correction. The activities use familiar topics such as school, family, travel, nature, and everyday life. Students can strengthen their grammar skills while expanding their English vocabulary.

Table of Contents

Essential Grammar for Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises

Before starting the exercises, students should follow this sequence: identify the subject → determine the tense → apply the correct structure → check the verb form. This process helps prevent mistakes caused by guessing or relying on a single time expression.

How to Conjugate Verbs According to the Subject

In the present simple, verbs generally remain in their base form with I, you, we, and they, as well as plural subjects. With he, she, it, or a singular noun, verbs usually take -s or -es.

My friends play chess after school.
My brother plays chess after school.

Some verbs have special forms that students should remember:

Base Verb	Form with He/She/It
have	has
do	does
go	goes
study	studies
watch	watches

Recognizing the Four Basic Tenses

Present Simple

The present simple describes habits, facts, and repeated activities. Common signal words include usually, always, often, sometimes, and every day.

Example: The library opens at 8 a.m. every day.

Present Continuous

The present continuous describes actions happening at the moment of speaking. Its structure is am/is/are + V-ing. Common signal words include now, at the moment, Look! and Listen!.

Example: The students are preparing a poster now.

Past Simple

The past simple describes actions that happened and finished in the past. Common time expressions include yesterday, last week, last month, and two days ago.

Example: We visited the museum last Sunday.

Future Simple

The future simple describes future actions or predictions. Its basic structure is will + base verb. Common signal words include tomorrow, next week, soon, and in the future.

Example: I will call you tomorrow.

Using To Be and Auxiliary Verbs Correctly

The verb to be changes according to the subject and the time of the action.

Subject	Present	Past
I	am	was
He/She/It	is	was
You/We/They	are	were

After do, does, did, and will, the main verb must remain in its base form.

Correct: Does your sister like painting?
Incorrect: Does your sister likes painting?
Correct: Did they visit the museum?
Incorrect: Did they visited the museum?

Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises by Tense

Students should begin with exercises focusing on individual tenses. This helps them understand the structures before moving on to mixed-tense activities.

Present Simple Exercises

Exercise 1: Complete each sentence with the correct present simple form of the verb in brackets.

My father usually (read) ______ the news on his phone before breakfast.
The local library (open) ______ at 8 a.m. every weekday.
Emma (collect) ______ postcards from different countries.
These plants (need) ______ plenty of sunlight.
My uncle (work) ______ as a chef in a small restaurant.
We often (recycle) ______ plastic bottles at school.
The Earth (move) ______ around the Sun.
My cousin (enjoy) ______ making paper models in her free time.
The bus to the city center (leave) ______ at 7:15 every morning.
My grandparents (grow) ______ vegetables in their garden.

Answers:

reads
opens
collects
need
works
recycle
moves
enjoys
leaves
grow

Explanation: Singular subjects such as my father, Emma, my uncle, the Earth, and the bus require verbs ending in -s or -es. With these plants, we, and my grandparents, the verbs remain in their base form.

Present Continuous Exercises

Exercise 2: Complete each sentence using the present continuous form of the verb in brackets.

Look! The children (plant) ______ trees in the school garden.
My mother (prepare) ______ vegetable soup in the kitchen now.
We (wait) ______ for the train at the moment.
Listen! Someone (play) ______ the piano upstairs.
The students (design) ______ posters for the recycling campaign.
I (write) ______ a message to my cousin right now.
The birds (build) ______ a nest in the tree.
Sarah (take) ______ photos of the old buildings in the town.
The dog (sleep) ______ beside the sofa.
You (use) ______ my tablet at the moment.

Answers:

are planting
is preparing
are waiting
is playing
are designing
am writing
are building
is taking
is sleeping
are using

Explanation: The present continuous follows the structure am/is/are + V-ing. Students should choose the correct form of to be according to the subject and pay attention to spelling changes, such as write → writing and take → taking.

Past Simple Exercises

Exercise 3: Complete each sentence using the past simple form of the verb in brackets.

We (visit) ______ an interesting science museum last Saturday.
Lily (buy) ______ a handmade scarf during her trip to Da Lat.
My family (have) ______ dinner at a seafood restaurant yesterday.
The children (find) ______ a small turtle near the river.
I (take) ______ many pictures during our camping trip.
Jack (lose) ______ his umbrella on the way home.
They (watch) ______ a documentary about wild animals last night.
My sister (make) ______ a birthday card for our grandmother.
We (be) ______ at the railway station two hours ago.
The weather (be) ______ cold during our trip to the mountains.

Answers:

visited
bought
had
found
took
lost
watched
made
were
was

Explanation: Expressions such as last Saturday, yesterday, last night, and two hours ago indicate the past simple. Irregular verbs, including buy, have, find, take, lose, and make, have special past forms that students need to memorize.

Future Simple Exercises

Exercise 4: Complete each sentence using the future simple form of the verb in brackets.

I think our team (win) ______ the school competition.
My family (travel) ______ to Phu Quoc next summer.
The weather forecast says it (rain) ______ tomorrow.
We (visit) ______ the new aquarium next weekend.
I (help) ______ you carry those books.
Our class (have) ______ an outdoor activity next Friday.
Perhaps robots (become) ______ more common in the future.
My brother (join) ______ the photography club next month.
I think you (enjoy) ______ this book.
They (plant) ______ more trees around the community center.

Answers:

will win
will travel
will rain
will visit
will help
will have
will become
will join
will enjoy
will plant

Explanation: The future simple follows the structure will + base verb. Do not add -s/-es, -ed, or -ing to the main verb after will.

Mixed Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises with Answers

After practicing each tense separately, students should work on mixed-tense questions. These activities develop their ability to read the context and identify when each action happens.

Mixed-Tense Grammar Practice

Exercise 5: Complete each sentence using the correct tense of the verb in brackets.

My mother usually (buy) ______ fruit at the market, but today she (shop) ______ online.
Look! A squirrel (climb) ______ that tree.
We (visit) ______ the pottery village last weekend.
My brother often (listen) ______ to podcasts about science.
I think people (use) ______ more electric cars in the future.
The students (prepare) ______ for the English presentation at the moment.
Sarah (find) ______ an old map in the attic yesterday.
My grandparents usually (grow) ______ herbs behind their house.
We (have) ______ a picnic next Sunday.
The museum (close) ______ at 5 p.m. every day.
They (take) ______ the train to Nha Trang last month.
Listen! The baby (cry) ______ in the next room.
My cousin (play) ______ the violin every evening.
I (send) ______ you the photos tomorrow.
The volunteers (clean) ______ the beach last Sunday.

Answers:

buys / is shopping
is climbing
visited
listens
will use
are preparing
found
grow
will have
closes
took
is crying
plays
will send
cleaned

Explanation: Read the entire sentence before choosing a tense. For example, usually describes a habit, while at the moment indicates an action happening now. Expressions such as yesterday and last month point to the past simple.

Verb Tense Exercises in a Paragraph

Exercise 6: Read the paragraph and complete the verbs in brackets with the correct forms.

Last Saturday, our class (visit) ______ a small organic farm outside the city. The farmer (show) ______ us how he grows vegetables without harmful chemicals. Some students (ask) ______ questions while others (take) ______ notes. Today, we (prepare) ______ a poster about what we learned from the trip. Our teacher (hope) ______ that the project will help us understand more about protecting the environment.

Answers:

visited
showed
asked
took
are preparing
hopes

Explanation: The first four actions happened during a trip in the past, so they use the past simple. The sentence beginning with Today describes a project currently in progress and uses the present continuous. Our teacher hopes expresses the teacher’s current belief and uses the present simple.

Verb Tense Exercises in a Dialogue

Exercise 7: Complete the conversation using the correct verb forms.

Anna: What ______ your brother usually (do) ______ after school?

Ben: He usually (go) ______ to the community sports center. But today, he (help) ______ our father in the garden.

Anna: What did he do last weekend?

Ben: He (join) ______ a cycling trip with his friends.

Anna: That sounds fun! Will he go cycling again next weekend?

Ben: Yes. I think he (invite) ______ me to join him.

Answers:

does / do
goes
is helping
joined
will invite

Explanation: Present simple questions use does + subject + base verb. In the answer, go becomes goes because the subject is he. The expressions last weekend and next weekend help identify the time of each action.

Verb Tense Error Correction Exercises

Exercise 8: Find the mistake in each sentence and rewrite it correctly.

My aunt work at a wildlife center.
Look! The children is feeding the rabbits.
Did you visited the art museum yesterday?
My sister will buys a new backpack next week.
We are clean the classroom now.
The local market open at 6 a.m. every morning.
They was at the campsite last night.
Does your father cooks dinner on Sundays?

Answers:

My aunt works at a wildlife center.
Look! The children are feeding the rabbits.
Did you visit the art museum yesterday?
My sister will buy a new backpack next week.
We are cleaning the classroom now.
The local market opens at 6 a.m. every morning.
They were at the campsite last night.
Does your father cook dinner on Sundays?

Explanation: These questions focus on common errors, including missing -s/-es, incorrect forms of to be, using the wrong verb form after did, will, and does, and forgetting -ing in the present continuous.

Advanced Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises

The following activities require students to combine their knowledge of different tenses in a single context. Instead of relying on one signal word, they should identify when each action happens and how the actions relate to one another.

Context-Based Verb Tense Practice

Exercise 9: Complete the passage using the correct verb forms.

Every summer, my family (choose) ______ a different place to visit. Last year, we (travel) ______ to a quiet coastal town. We (stay) ______ in a small hotel near the beach. Every morning, my brother (go) ______ swimming while my parents (walk) ______ along the shore.

This year, we have a different plan. We (visit) ______ a national park next month. My father says we (see) ______ many interesting animals there. I think the trip (be) ______ exciting.

Answers:

chooses
traveled
stayed
goes
walk
will visit
will see
will be

Explanation: Every summer and every morning describe repeated activities and therefore use the present simple. Last year refers to the past, while next month points to the future. The final sentences express predictions about the upcoming trip.

Exercises on Commonly Confused Verb Forms

Exercise 10: Choose the correct verb form.

The chef usually (prepares / is preparing) lunch at 11 a.m.
Look! The chef (prepares / is preparing) a special dish.
We (visit / visited) the craft village last Sunday.
Does your sister (enjoy / enjoys) photography?
They will (take / took) a bus to the airport tomorrow.
My neighbors (are planting / plant) flowers in their garden now.
The library (closes / is closing) at 6 p.m. every weekday.
I (see / saw) a beautiful rainbow after the storm yesterday.

Answers:

prepares
is preparing
visited
enjoy
take
are planting
closes
saw

Explanation: Distinguish between regular habits and actions happening now. Also remember the structures does + base verb and will + base verb. Expressions such as last Sunday and yesterday indicate the past simple.

Common Mistakes in Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises

Understanding common errors helps students review their work more effectively and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Forgetting -S/-ES with Singular Subjects

In the present simple, students often forget to change the verb when the subject is he, she, it, or a singular noun.

Incorrect: My uncle work in a restaurant.
Correct: My uncle works in a restaurant.

Always check the subject before completing the sentence.

Using the Wrong Verb Form After Auxiliary Verbs

After does and did, the main verb must remain in its base form.

Incorrect: Does she likes drawing?
Correct: Does she like drawing?

The same rule applies after will. For example: My sister will buy a new backpack.

Forgetting To Be in the Present Continuous

The present continuous requires the complete structure am/is/are + V-ing.

Incorrect: The students preparing a poster.
Correct: The students are preparing a poster.

Check whether the sentence contains the correct form of to be.

Choosing a Tense Without Reading the Whole Sentence

Some sentences describe two actions that happen at different times. Looking at only one signal word can lead to an incorrect answer.

Example: My father usually cooks at home, but today he is eating at a restaurant.

In this sentence, usually cooks describes a habit, while is eating describes an action happening in the current situation.

How to Check Your Answers Effectively

After completing the Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises, students can review their work using four steps:

Step 1: Identify whether the subject is singular or plural.
Step 2: Find the time expressions and read the context.
Step 3: Check whether the chosen tense follows the correct structure.
Step 4: Review the spelling and verb forms, especially -s/-es, -ing, and irregular past forms.

Parents can encourage students to practice a manageable number of questions each day and explain why they chose each verb form. Families who want to explore a structured English learning pathway can also consider Cambridge English learning options suited to a child’s age and current proficiency level.

Tips for Improving Your Verb Tense Skills

To perform well in Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises, students need to combine their knowledge of subjects, time expressions, and grammatical structures. Start with separate exercises on the present simple, present continuous, past simple, and future simple. Then move on to mixed-tense questions, dialogues, paragraphs, and error correction.

When checking answers, do more than mark each sentence as right or wrong. Identify the reason for each mistake, write down the relevant rule, and try creating a similar sentence. This approach helps students understand how verbs work in context instead of memorizing grammar formulas mechanically.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises

What tenses are commonly included in Grade 6 English Verb Tense Exercises?

These exercises commonly focus on the present simple, present continuous, past simple, and future simple. Students also need to practice the verb to be and auxiliary verbs in questions and negative sentences.

How can students identify which tense to use?

Read the entire sentence, identify when the action takes place, and look for expressions such as every day, now, yesterday, or tomorrow. Then check the subject and apply the appropriate tense structure.

Which verb form follows does, did, and will?

The main verb remains in its base form after these words.

Examples:

Does she play tennis?
Did he visit the museum?
They will travel tomorrow.

Why do students make mistakes even when they know the grammar rules?

Common reasons include identifying the wrong subject, confusing tenses, forgetting to be, and using the wrong verb form after an auxiliary verb. Students should review the subject, tense, structure, and verb form in that order.

Should students practice individual tenses or mixed-tense exercises first?

Students should begin with individual tenses to understand the rules and structures. Once they are comfortable with the basics, they can move on to mixed-tense exercises, paragraphs, and dialogues to practice recognizing tenses in context.

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