Present Perfect vs.

Past Tense Exercises

1. Put in the correct verb form.
? I've done (I / do) all the housework. The fat is really clean now.
? A young couple bought (buy) the house next door. But they didnt li!e there long.
". #ur !isitors$$$$$$$$$$$. (arri!e). Theyre sitting in the garden.
%. Theres still a proble& with the tele!ision. 'o&eone ...................................... (repair) it( but then it broke
down again.
). $$$$$$$$$$ (I / lose) &y bank card. I cant *nd it anywhere.
+. The &atch$$$$$$$$$$.. (start). ,nited are playing well.
-. .y sister$$$$$$$$$$.. (run) away /ro& ho&e. But she ca&e back two days later.
0. 1aniel$$$$$$$$$$.. (earn) so&e &oney last week. But I& a/raid hes already spent it all.
2. $$$$$$$$$..(we / plant) an apple tree in the garden. ,n/ortunately it died.
3. 4rices$$$$$. .................. (go) up. 5!erything is &ore expensi!e this year.
6. 'o&eone$$$$$$$$. ......... (turn) on the hi7*. 8hats that song called?
"9. $$$$$$$.. (I / phone) the o:ce at ele!en to speak to the &anager( but he isnt there today.
"". $$$$$$$.. (I / &ake) a cake. 8ould you like a piece?
"%. The runner A&os Te&ila$$$$$$$$$$$ (break) the world record /or the "-99 &etres in ;rank/urt.
Then two days later in <elsinki( =ee 8illia&s ran it in an e!en /aster ti&e.
2. Things that have happened today are on the radio and TV news. Give the news using the
present perfect and past simpe.
the 4ri&e .inister / !isit =uton ,ni!ersity / speak to students there / earlier today
The Prime Minister has visited Luton University. He spoke to students there earlier today.
". the train dri!ers / go on strike / stop work / at twel!e oclock
%. the >ueen / arri!e in Toronto / fy there / in an ?A; aircra/t
). two &en / escape /ro& 4arkhurst 4rison / get away / during the night
+. the actor <oward Bates / die in a car accident / his car / crash into a wall
-. =inda / @ones / win the wo&ens &arathon / run it / in % hours %2 &inutes
!. "ompete the conversations.
.ikeA This car is *lthy. I ha!ent been to the car wash /or about a year.
To&A 8hatB Cou &ean its twel!e &onths since you last went to the car wash?
". =auraA I ha!ent used &y ca&era recently. @une was the last ti&e I took a photo.
Tre!orA ?eally? I& surprised you .......................................................... @une.
%. ?achelA I ha!ent seen Andrew /or weeks.
1anielA Dor &e. Its .................................................................................................. hi&.
). To&A 8hat about a ga&e o/ cards? 8e ha!ent played since your birthday.
1a!idA ?eally? Cou &ean &y birthday............................................................. cards?
+. 5&&aA I /eel terrible. Its three days since I ate anything.
EickyA 8hat did you say? Cou ................ three days?
#. "ompete this etter to a newspaper. Put in the present perfect or past simpe.
A /ew days ago I ( learned (learn) that so&eone plans to knock down the 8hite <orse Inn. This pub E@ has
been (be) the centre o/ !illage li/e /or centuries. It (")$$$$$$$$$$$ (stand) at our crossroads /or -99
years. It (%)$$$$$$$$$$$ (be) /a&ous in the old days( and 'hakespeare once ())
$$$$$$$$$$$. (stay) there( they say. I (+)$$$$$$$$$$.. (li!e) in Brick*eld all &y li/e. The
!illagers (-)$$$$$$$$$$$$(know) about the plans /or less than a week and already theres a 'a!e
#ur 4ub ca&paign. =ast week we (0)$$$$$$$$$$$ (be) happy( but this week were angry. 8e will
stop the&( youll see.
$. %oo& at each conversation and choose the best sentence' a( or b(.
<a!e you heard about the wo&an walking across the ,'? F Ces( shes reached the ?ockies.
a)The walk is continuing( b) The walk has *nished.
". <a!e you e!er played beach !olleyball? F Ces( we played it on holiday.
a) The holiday is still going on. b) The holiday is o!er.
%. 1id you know old .r Green? F Do( I ne!er &et hi&.
a) .r Green is probably ali!e( b) .r Green is probably dead.
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). 8ayne @ohnson is a great /ootballer. F Ces( hes scored %99 goals /or ,nited.
a) 8ayne @ohnson still plays /or ,nited( b) 8ayne @ohnson has le/t ,nited.
). Put in this, last, today or yesterday.
Last &onth prices went up( but this &onth they ha!e /allen a little.
". Its been dry so /ar ............................................ week( but .........$$$$$$$$.. week was !ery wet.
%. I went shopping earlier ............................................and spent all the &oney I
earned ............................................
). 8e didnt ha!e &any !isitors ...............................................year. 8e!e had a lot &ore ...........................
year.
+. I dont /eel so tired now. 8e got up Huite late $$$$.. .. &orning. I /elt really tired ................................
when we got up so early.
*. Put in the verbs.
To&A () Have you heard (you / hear) the news about 1a!id?
<arrietA Do. (") ..............................................(what / happen)?
To&A (%)$$$.............................. (he / ha!e) an accident. <e was walking down so&e steps. ())
$$$$$$$$$$$$ (he / /all) and (+)$$$$$$$$$$$.. (break) his leg.
<arrietA #h( how aw/ulB 8hen (-)............................................... (it / happen)?
To&A Cesterday a/ternoon. .elanie (0)$$$$$$$$$$$$.. (tell) &e about it last night.
<arrietA =ast nightB (2)$$$$$$$$.. (you / know) about it last night( and (3)$$$$$$$....... (you / not /
tell) &eB
To&A 8ell( (6) ........................................... (I / not / see) you last night. And ("9) ........................................... (I /
not / see) you today( until now.
<arrietA I hope hes all right. ("") ............................................. (he / ha!e) lots o/ accidents( you know.
("%) ............................... (he / do) the sa&e thing about two years ago.
+. Put in the past participes of the verbs in brac&ets.
8eI!e !ound (*nd) all the answers.
". <a!e you$$$$$$$$$. (wash) the car?
%. Cou ha!ent .................................. (eat) !ery &uch.
). They!e$$$$$$$.. ......... (open) a new super&arket.
+. Cou!e$$$$$$$$$$$ (write) it in pencil.
-. I!e$$$$$$$$$ ...... (&ake) the sandwiches.
0. 8e!e$$$$.. ...................... (ha!e) our lunch.
2. ,nited ha!e$$$$$$$.. ......... (score) a goal.
3. The balloon has$$$$$$ ..................(land) in a *eld.
6. 8hos$$$$$$$$$$.. (break) this glass?
"9. Its war& because the heating has ....................................... (be) on.
"". <a!e you .......................................(sell) your fat yet?
"%. I!e$$$$$$$$$$$ (*nish) that Job at last.
,. "ompete the second sentence so that it foows on from the -rst. .se the present perfect.
.y hair is tidy now. II!e brushed &y hair.
". The door is open. 'o&eone ......................................... the door.
%. This is #li!ers drawing( look. #li!er ........$$$$...............a picture.
). The calculator is broken. 'o&eone$$$$$$$$$$$ the calculator.
+. ,nited are the winners. ,nited...................................$. the ga&e.
-. Theres no &ore wine in the bottle. 8e ....................................... all the wine.
0. The foor is clean now. I ....................................... the foor.
2. I know &y nu&ber now. I$$$$$$$$$. .....&y nu&ber by heart.
3. The guests are here now. The guests .......................................
6. I& still working on the co&puter. I....................................... with the co&puter yet.
1/. 0ecide which word is correct.
Id like to borrow this book. <as Anna read it yet? a) done b) /or c)
Just d) yet
". Ben writes !ery Huickly. <es$$$$$$$$$$.. *nished his essay. a) already b)
been c) /or d) yet
%. 8hat are you going to do? F I dont know. I ha!ent decided ........ . a) Just b) long c)
since d) yet
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). I!e........................................ to =ondon. I went there in @une. a) been b) gone c)
Just d) yet
+. <a!e you ......................................done any skiing? a) e!er b) /or c) Just
d) long
-. .y boy/riend hasnt rung$$$$$$$$$$ week. a) /or b) last c)
since d) this
0. I ha!ent seen that coat be/ore. <ow ..........................................ha!e you had it? a) already b) /or c)
long d) since
2. The girls ha!e .............. to the cine&a. They wont be back until ten oclock. a) already b) been c)
gone d) Just
3. I ha!ent seen &y parents .......................................... last Khrist&as. a) already b) be/ore c)
/or d) since
6. This is the *rst .................................. I!e e!er li!ed away /ro& ho&e. a) already b) since c
that d) ti&e
"9. This progra&&e &ust be new. I!e ..........................................seen it be/ore. a) e!er b) ne!er c)
since d) yet
11. 1ome of these sentences are correct' and some have a word which shoud not be there. 2f the
sentence is correct' put a tic& 34(. 2f it is incorrect' cross the unnecessary have or has out of the
sentence and write it in the space.
? 'usan has lost her keys. 'he cant *nd the& anywhere. L
? Khristopher has hurt his hand( but its #M now. has
". The directors ha!e arri!ed hal/ an hour ago( but they didnt stay long.
%. Its raining( and 4eter has le/t his u&brella behind( look.
). Its a long ti&e since your /riends ha!e last !isited us.
+. Done o/ you ha!e called &e /or weeks. Arent we /riends any &ore?
-. 8e can play tennis now. The others ha!e *nished.
0. The co&pany has bought so&e land( but then it sold it.
2. The co&puter isnt on now. 'o&eone has turned it oN.
3. Tessa has posted the parcel. Its on its way to you.
6. 'e!eral bo&bs ha!e gone oN in the city centre. It has happened an hour ago.
"9. 'i&on has le/t. <e and #li!er ha!e le/t a/ter lunch.
12. Put in the present perfect or past simpe of the verbs in brac&ets.
? I've had (ha!e) these shoes since &y eighteenth birthday.
? I tidied (tidy) &y desk( but now its in a &ess again.
". The last ti&e I ............................................... (go) to Brighton was in August.
%. Id like to &eet a ghost( but I .................................................(ne!er / see) one.
). I!e *nished &y ho&ework. I ....................................... (do) it be/ore tea.
+. And the race is o!erB And .ickey 'i&pson................................................ (win) in a record ti&eB
-. I ................... (work) /or a co&puter co&pany /or a year. That was a/ter college.
0. 8hat ti&e .................................................(you / get) to work this &orning?
2. .artin ............................... (be) to Greece *!e ti&es. <e lo!es the place.
3. The 4resident .............. (co&e) out o/ the building and is going to &ake a speech.
6. Cou wont belie!e this( but I!e got so&e tickets /or the concert. F #h( well done. <ow ........................ (you /
get) the&?
"9. #/ course I can ride a bike. But I ..........$$$. ....................(not / ride) one /or years.
"". .arilyn .onroe..................................................(be) in about thirty *l&s.
"%. .................. (you / e!er / bake) your own bread? F Do( but I &ight try it so&e ti&e.
"). @anet .................................. (be) !ery ill three years ago.
"+. ?upert has le/t a &essage /or you. <e .............................................(ring) last night.
"-. $$$$$$$$$$$$$.. (you / see) the news today? F Do( not yet. Ill watch it at ten.
"0. 8e &o!ed here in "66). 8e..................................................(be) here a long ti&e now.
1!. "hoose a verb with either the present perfect or past simpe for these sentences.
agree appear continue disappear move reach show solve write
". ?esearch has shown that cycling can help patients o!erco&e their illnesses.
%. The rabbit Just $$$$$$$$$ in &y garden one day last week.
). 8ith this pro&otion( I /eel that I $$$$$$$$$.. a turning point in &y career.
+. #h( noB .y car $$$$$$$$$$.B
-. >uite early in the negotiations( they $$$$$$$$$. to lower the prices.
0. In "233 he $$$$$$$$$ his last great work in Eienna.
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2 .Theres not &uch &ore to do( now that we $$$$$$$$. the &ain proble&.
3. Throughout the su&&er o/ "639 .alcol& $$$$$$. to di!ide his ti&e between =ondon and Dew Cork.
6. 8hen he was ")( his parents $$$$$$$$$$ to the ,nited 'tates.
1#. 1uggest a verb that can compete both sentences in each pair. .se either the present perfect
or the past simpe.
". a. The price o/ houses $$$$$$ dra&atically in recent years.
b. ,ne&ploy&ent $$$$$$$$. e!ery year until "63- and then started to /all.
%. a. At his wedding he $$$$$$$. a green suit and red tie.
b. These are the glasses I $$$$$$$$.. e!er since I was )9.
). a. The co&pany $$$$$$$$.. &any setbacks in its -97year history( but it is now fourishing.
b. ;ew o/ the trees in our !illage $$$$$$$$. the stor&s during the winter o/ "66".
+. a. This $$$$$.. his ho&e /or o!er %9 years and he doesnt want to lea!e it.
b. 8hen I picked up the coNee I $$$$$$$$. surprised to *nd it that it was cold.
-. a. 'o /ar its been so cold that we $$$$$$$$$$ in the house all day.
b. 8e $$$$$$$$.. with .ike and 'ue last weekend.
0. a. I last $$$$$$$$$$ you in BeiJing three years ago.
b. I ne!er $$$$$$$$.. anyone play so well in &y whole li/e.
1$. 5ind the foowing6 3i( three sentences that are incorrect7 3ii( three sentences with the
present perfect which coud aso have the past simpe 3consider the di8erence in meaning(' 3iii(
three sentences where ony the present perfect is correct.
". @ane has agreed to lend us her car. (ii)
%. 1o you know how &any people ha!e walked on the &oon?
). 4hone /or an a&bulance. I think Meiths broken his ar&.
+. In his twenties( =awrence has spent &any years tra!elling around 'pain.
-. The Eikings ha!e established a settle&ent at what is now Cork( in the north o/ 5ngland.
0. The house looks so &uch bigger now that we!e painted the walls in brighter colours.
2. .y brother has gone into town to buy so&e new shoes.
3. The 5arth has been /or&ed about +(-99 &illion years ago.
6. I!e worked in .alaysia /or three years.
1). "ompete these sentences with the verb given. "hoose the present perfect or past simpe.
". According to yesterdays newspapers( astrono&ers in Australia $$$$$$$$$$ a planet in a galaxy
close to our own. (disco!er)
%. To help todays custo&ers &ake a choice( a co&pany in Dew Cork $$$$$$$$$ a !ideo trolley 7 a
super&arket trolley with a !ideo screen to display ad!ertise&ents and price in/or&ation. (de!elop)
). At the start o/ his career( Kousteau $$$$$$$$ the aHualung( opening the oceans to explorers(
scientists( and leisure di!ers. (in!ent)
+. <e proudly told reporters that the co&pany $$$$$$$$$ so/tware to pre!ent the recent increase in
co&puter cri&e. (produce)
-. @ohn Grigg $$$$$$$$.. the co&et now called Grigg7'kJellerup( at the beginning o/ the %9
th
century.
(disco!er)
1*. "ompete the sentences with appropriate verbs. .se the same verb for each sentence in the
pair. .se either the present perfect or the past simpe.
". a. A lot o/ people $$$$$$. about the painting( and I always say its not /or sale.
b. The police $$$$$$$$ &e se!eral Huestions about &y car be/ore they let &e go.
%. a. ,ntil she retired last &onth( she $$$$$$$$$ in the custo&er co&plaints depart&ent.
b. 'ulli!an $$$$$$$$ hard to change the rules and says that the ca&paign will go on.
). a. I $$$$$$$$$.. skiing e!er since I li!ed in 'witOerland.
b. 'he once $$$$$$$$ the support o/ the &aJority o/ the 1e&ocratic 4arty.
+. a. <is /ather $$$$$$$. so &any co&plaints about the noise that he told Khris to sell his dru&s.
b. 8e $$$$$$$$. o!er -9 letters o/ support in the last "9 days.
-. a. The "ible .................................. &ore copies than any other book.
b. 8hen it beca&e clear that we would be &o!ing to Austria( we $$$$$$$$ the house to &y brother.
0. a. I $$$$$$$$.. &o!ing to =ondon /ro& the day I arri!ed. Id lo!e to go back to ?o&e.
b. At *rst I $$$$$$$$$$.. in!iting the& to stay( but we soon beca&e great /riends.
1+. 9ere are some parts of a newspaper artice. 1tudy the underined verbs. "orrect them if
necessary' or put a 4.
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":"%E ;<.TE 1.""E11 2= >2;?2=G9@?
Dew cycle routes (") ha!e been built in and around the centre o/ Bir&ingha& and speed li&its (%) ha!e been
reduced on selected roads...The sche&e ()) was now in operation /or a year and (+) has been hailed as a
great success. 'ince the new speed li&its (-) were introduced( the nu&ber o/ accidents in the area (0) /ell
dra&atically...It (2) has taken only six &onths to draw up the plans and &ark the routes. This (3) has been
done in consultation with groups representing city cyclists. @ane 8ills( a keen cyclist who works in the city
centre( told usA 8hen the new routes (6) ha!e been introduced( I ("9) ha!e sold &y car and I ("") bought a
bike. I ("%) cycled to work e!er since. Its the best thing the council (")) did /or cyclists and pedestrians in the
ti&e II!e been li!ing in Bir&ingha&....The success o/ the sche&e ("+) has led to proposals /or si&ilar
sche&es in other cities.
1,. Put A 4 or correct the sentences.
". Terry dro!e to Glasgow last week to !isit his /ather.
%. I ha!e known a wo&an once who had sixteen cats.
). Ann Baker already did /our radio inter!iews about her new book.
+. @ulia /elt hungry. Then she has re&e&bered the salad in the /ridge.
-. Ill introduce you to 1r 1a!ies 7 or ha!e you &et her be/ore?
0. 8e!e had enor&ous proble&s recently with ants in the kitchen. 8e Just cant get rid o/ the&.
2. I ha!e talked to her yesterday about doing the work.
3. They still li!e in the s&all house they ha!e bought )9 years ago.
6. Cou ha!e not yet explained clearly what you want &e to do.
"9. 8e li!ed in Dewcastle /or three years now and like it a lot.
2/. "ompete these sentences with an appropriate verb. .se either the present perfect or past
simpe.
". .aria hasnt wanted to dri!e since she $$$$$$$$$ her car.
%. I $$$$$$$$ really hard this &orning. Another two shel!es to put up and then I think Ill ha!e lunch.
). 'ince the eruption $$$$$$$$.( all the !illages on the slopes o/ the !olcano ha!e been e!acuated.
+. 'o /ar this week there $$$$$$$$.. three burglaries in our street.
-. I $$$$$$$$$. a co&&ittee &eeting since "630( so I dont want to &iss the one today.
0. It was so hot today that I $$$$$$$$$. shorts and a T7shirt at work.
2. A great deal $$$$$$$$$$.. since I last spoke to you.
3. 8e $$$$$$$$.. P%99 on /ood this &onth already.
6. 'ince he $$$$$ the girl /ro& the /roOen pond( he has been on TE and in the newspapers al&ost e!ery
day.
21. "hoose one of these verbs and write Have you ever... or Did you ever... at the beginning of
these Buestions.
be eat have hear earn meet ta& thin&
". Have you ever been in a ca!e?
%. $$$$$$$$$.. durian #$ a !ruit when you li!ed in .alaysia?
). $$$$$$$.. so&ebody really /a&ous?
+. $$$$$$$ what it &ust be like to be a cat?
-. $$$$$$$ to play a &usical instru&ent as a child?
0. $$$$$$$ to .ichael when you worked in the sa&e co&pany?
2. $$$$$$$ a song called Klose to the 5dge?
3. $$$$$$$. a pet when you were young?
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