Grade 5 · English Language Arts · Unit 7 of 10
Verb Tenses
Past, present, future and agreement
What your child practises
Choosing irregular past-tense verbs (brought, swam, froze), making verbs agree with their subjects, naming tenses and keeping tense consistent within a sentence.
BC Curriculum learning standard: Language features, structures and conventions: verb tenses, irregular verbs, consistent tense and subject–verb agreement
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which verb agrees with the subject?
The children on the bus ____ a song.
- sings
- sing
- is singing
Show answer
sing
Hint: “Children” is plural, so the verb has no -s.
Question 2
Which sentence keeps the verb tense the same all the way through?
- Lena finishes her homework and then called her friend.
- Lena finished her homework and then calls her friend.
- Lena finished her homework and then called her friend.
Show answer
Lena finished her homework and then called her friend.
Hint: Both actions happened at the same time, so both verbs should be in the same tense.
Question 3
Which past-tense form of “swim” completes the sentence?
Last summer, Priya ____ across the lake.
- swim
- swam
- swammed
- swimmed
Show answer
swam
Hint: “swim” is an irregular verb, so its past tense doesn't just add -ed. Today I swim; yesterday I swam.
Question 4
What is the tense of the verb in this sentence?
Lena painted a mural on the fence.
- past
- present
- future
Show answer
past
Hint: Past tense tells about something that already happened, often with -ed or an irregular form.
Question 5
Which verb agrees with the subject?
One of my friends ____ in a band.
- are playing
- plays
- play
Show answer
plays
Hint: The subject is “one,” not “friends.” One person needs a verb ending in -s.
Question 6
Which verb agrees with the subject?
The flowers in the garden ____ blooming.
- was
- is
- are
Show answer
are
Hint: The subject is “flowers,” more than one, so use “are.”