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    Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses PYQs for GATE DA

    Solve 2+ Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses previous year questions for GATE DA with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

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    Question 1
    2026 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    ‘My friend and I parted __ the door __ the cabin that I had rented __ the night.’
    Choose the option with the correct sequence of words to fill the blanks.
    Question 2
    2025 PYQ
    Level 3: Exam Standard
    We __________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain.

    Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.
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    Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses PYQs for GATE DA

    Solve 2+ Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses previous year questions for GATE DA with answers and detailed solutions. Free sample questions below.

    Chapter Roadmap: Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses

    Orientation Level 1

    Chapter Roadmap: Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses

    This chapter has two stops.

    1
    Verb Tenses and Aspect in Sentence Completion current topic
    You will learn how time, tense, and aspect decide the correct verb in a sentence blank.
    2
    Prepositions and Idiomatic Usage next topic
    This comes after the tense foundation is complete.
    Target by the end of the chapter
    Read a sentence, locate the time anchor, identify the required aspect, and choose the verb form that fits both grammar and logic.

    Topic Hero: Verb Tenses and Aspect

    Concept Level 1

    Topic Hero: Verb Tenses and Aspect

    Time, tense, and aspect are separate ideas that work together.

    Time
    The broad reference frame, such as past, present, or future.
    Tense
    The grammatical form used to place the action in that frame.
    Aspect
    How the action is viewed: fact, ongoing process, or completed before a reference point.
    Core rule
    Tense tells the time frame. Aspect tells the nature of the action inside that frame.
    "I wrote"
    Uses simple past. It presents the action as a completed fact in the past.
    "I was writing"
    Uses past continuous. It presents the action as ongoing at a past time.

    Grammar: Prepositions and Verb Tenses: Solved Questions with Step-by-Step Explanations (2 Problems)

    Question 1 · Verbal Aptitude · 2026 MCQ
    ‘My friend and I parted __ the door __ the cabin that I had rented __ the night.’
    Choose the option with the correct sequence of words to fill the blanks.
    1. A.

      at; of; for

    2. B.

      for; at; of

    3. C.

      of; for; in

    4. D.

      in; of; for

    Correct Answer:

    A

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: This is a multi-blank preposition question requiring independent analysis of spatial points, possession, and duration.

    Exam route: Blank 1: "parted at the door" (specific point). Blank 2: "door of the cabin" (possession/association). Blank 3: "rented for the night" (duration). Sequence: at; of; for.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Analyze the first blank. "Parted" happens at a specific physical location (the door). The preposition "at" is used for exact points.

    Step 2: Analyze the second blank. The relationship between "door" and "cabin" is one of possession or association. The preposition "of" correctly denotes this relationship.

    Step 3: Analyze the third blank. "The night" here refers to a duration of time for which the cabin was rented. The preposition "for" is used to denote a period or duration.

    Step 4: Verify the sequence "at; of; for" against the options. Option A matches perfectly.

    Question 2 · Verbal Aptitude · 2025 MCQ
    We __________ tennis in the lawn when it suddenly started to rain.

    Select the most appropriate option to complete the above sentence.
    1. A.

      have been playing

    2. B.

      had been playing

    3. C.

      would have been playing

    4. D.

      could be playing

    Correct Answer:

    B

    Step-by-Step Solution

    Insight: The sentence describes a past action that was ongoing up until another past event interrupted it.

    Exam route: The interrupting event "started to rain" is in the simple past. The main action must be in a past tense that shows ongoing duration up to that point. Among the options, only "had been playing" (past perfect continuous) fits this past duration requirement.

    Learning route:

    Step 1: Anchor the time. The phrase "started to rain" places the entire sentence in the past.

    Step 2: Identify the aspect. The action of playing tennis was ongoing for a duration before the rain started. This requires a continuous aspect in the past.

    Step 3: Evaluate options. "have been playing" is present perfect continuous (wrong time). "would have been playing" is conditional (no conditional context). "could be playing" is present modal (wrong time). "had been playing" is past perfect continuous, correctly showing an action ongoing up to a past reference point.