Grammar & Tenses
Accurate tense use is central to a strong IELTS band. This chapter reviews the present perfect, future perfect, past continuous, and conditionals. Note that this practice set covers English language usage only and does not reproduce the IELTS Listening, Reading, Writing, or Speaking modules.
Present Perfect and Past Simple
The present perfect ('have lost') links a past event to a present result or an unfinished time period such as 'this year'. The past simple is used for finished actions at a definite past time. Choosing correctly signals control of tense.
Continuous and Perfect Forms
The past continuous ('was cooking') sets a background action interrupted by a shorter past event. The future perfect ('will have worked') describes something completed by a future deadline, often paired with a duration.
Conditionals
The second conditional describes unreal or hypothetical present situations, using a past-tense 'if' clause and 'would' in the main clause. Standard usage prefers 'if I were you' when giving advice.