Past Simple vs Present Simple - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

18 original exam-style questions - 8 pages of questions with a full mark scheme - free printable PDF.

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KS2 · Grammar

Y3.1 Past Simple vs Present Simple

Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes
Total Marks
Name: _______________________________    Date: ____ / ____ / ______
Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

A Visit to Oakwood Wildlife Park

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written for Year 3 grammar practice, July 2026.

On Thursday, Class 3 travelled to Oakwood Wildlife Park for the day. The coach arrived at nine o'clock, and Mr Bailey led the children through the main gates.

First, the class visited the meerkat enclosure. The meerkats stood on their back legs and watched everyone walk past. Priya laughed when a meerkat popped its head out of a tunnel.

Next, a keeper called Mrs Grant showed the children how she fed the sea lions. She threw a fish high into the air, and a sea lion caught it with a loud clap of its flippers. Everyone cheered.

Later, the class saw the elephants splashing in a large pool. One elephant sprayed water over its own back, and another elephant ate a whole pile of leaves in a few minutes. Sam took a photograph of the biggest elephant.

Before they left, the children stopped at the gift shop. Mr Bailey gave everyone ten minutes to choose a small toy. The whole class agreed that it was a brilliant day out.

1
Practice question (not marked). The present simple tense describes things that happen regularly, are generally true, or are true now. The past simple tense describes things that have already happened and finished. Tick the sentence below that is written in the present simple tense.
  • A) The otters swim in the river.
  • B) The otters swam in the river.
2
Tick the present simple verb in each sentence below. Each sentence describes something that happens regularly or is generally true.
(a)Every morning, the keeper feeds the seals.(1)
  • A) Every
  • B) keeper
  • C) feeds
(b)Meerkats live together in large family groups.(1)
  • A) Meerkats
  • B) live
  • C) family
(c)The parrot copies human speech.(1)
  • A) parrot
  • B) copies
  • C) speech
3
Tick the past simple verb in each sentence below. Each sentence describes something that has already happened and finished.
(a)Yesterday, the class visited Oakwood Wildlife Park.(1)
  • A) Yesterday
  • B) class
  • C) visited
(b)The giraffe stretched its long neck over the fence.(1)
  • A) giraffe
  • B) stretched
  • C) fence
(c)Last week, the keepers cleaned every enclosure.(1)
  • A) Last
  • B) keepers
  • C) cleaned
4
Sort each verb from the box into the correct column of the table below: present simple or past simple.
Word bank: opens | jumped | watches | arrived | carries | stopped
Present simplePast simple
(6)
5
Read the first paragraph of the passage above, down to '...through the main gates.' Find and copy two different past simple verbs from that part of the text.
(a)First past simple verb:(1)
(b)Second past simple verb (different from your first answer):(1)
6
Each time phrase below usually goes with a certain tense. Tick whether it usually signals the present simple or the past simple.
(a)Every day,(1)
  • present simple
  • past simple
(b)Yesterday,(1)
  • present simple
  • past simple
(c)Last month,(1)
  • present simple
  • past simple
(d)Every week,(1)
  • present simple
  • past simple
7
Complete each sentence with the present simple form of the verb in brackets. Watch out for the correct spelling ending for the subject.
(a)The monkey ___ (swing) from branch to branch.(1)
(b)The zookeeper ___ (watch) the animals every morning.(1)
(c)The tortoise ___ (carry) its shell wherever it goes.(1)
(d)The lion ___ (have) a loud, deep roar.(1)
8
Write the past simple form of the regular verb in brackets to complete each sentence.
(a)Last summer, the family ___ (visit) a safari park.(1)
(b)The keeper ___ (close) the gate carefully.(1)
(c)The zebra ___ (hurry) across the field.(1)
(d)The otter ___ (grab) a fish from the water.(1)
9
Write the past simple form of each irregular verb below. These verbs do NOT simply add -ed.
(a)go ->(1)
(b)see ->(1)
(c)have ->(1)
(d)eat ->(1)
10
Rewrite each present simple sentence below in the past simple.
(a)The elephant sprays water over its back.(1)
(b)The children feed the goats at the farm.(1)
(c)The keeper opens the gate at nine o'clock.(1)
11
Rewrite each past simple sentence below in the present simple. Check the correct verb ending for the subject of each sentence.
(a)The peacock showed off its bright feathers.(1)
(b)The snake shed its skin.(1)
(c)The keepers cleaned the enclosures.(1)
12
Complete each sentence with the correct tense of the verb in brackets. The time phrase at the start of each sentence tells you which tense to use.
(a)Every day, the elephant ___ (splash) water over its back.(1)
(b)Last month, the elephant ___ (find) a new water hole.(1)
(c)Every week, the keeper ___ (clean) the pond.(1)
13
This sentence mixes two tenses by mistake.

The children walks to the enclosure and watched the meerkats.
(a)Which word in the sentence is in the wrong tense?(1)
(b)Write the whole sentence correctly, using the past simple tense throughout.(1)
14
The recount below should be written entirely in the past simple, but three verbs have been mistakenly left in the present tense. Find the three mistakes and write the passage out correctly.

On Monday, Class 3 travelled to Oakwood Wildlife Park again. The coach arrives at ten o'clock, and everyone walked through the gates. A keeper shows the class how to feed the goats, and later the children watch the penguins swim.
(3)
15
Each sentence below has one incorrect past tense verb. These are common mistakes with irregular verbs. Find the mistake and write the correct past tense form.
(a)The meerkat runned across the enclosure.(1)
(b)The elephant eated a pile of leaves.(1)
(c)Yesterday, the class goed to the reptile house.(1)
16
This information text about meerkats should be written entirely in the present simple, but one verb has been mistakenly written in the past tense.

Meerkats lived in large groups called mobs. They take turns to watch for danger while the rest of the group searches for food.
(a)Which word is in the wrong tense?(1)
(b)Write the sentence containing the mistake correctly.(1)
17
Write one sentence of your own for each instruction below. Use correct subject-verb agreement and correct spelling.
(a)Write a present simple sentence giving a general fact about an animal of your choice.(2)
(b)Write a past simple sentence describing something that happened on a visit to a wildlife park or zoo.(2)
18
Write a short recount (4 to 5 sentences) about an imagined or real class trip to see animals. Use the past simple tense consistently throughout, including at least one irregular past tense verb, and check the spelling of any -ed verbs carefully.
(4)
Mark scheme · Y3.1 Past Simple vs Present Simple

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Question 18