PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT

1. Do we usually use the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tenses with the following time
references?

a long time ago

since we last met
yet
after I got married
lately
this month
the day before yesterday
last night
since last weekend
at the weekend

2. Tick the most suitable tense - the Present Perfect or the Past Simple.

 She has studied very well at school.

 She studied very well at school.

 Have you ever visited Italy?

 Did you ever visit Italy?

 Thomas Edison has invented the light bulb.

 Thomas Edison invented the light bulb.

 How long have you had this job?

 How long did you have this job?

 I have never smoked a cigarette ever since.

 I didn't smoke a cigarette ever since.

 Charlie Chaplin has made a lot of films.

 Charlie Chaplin made a lot of films.

 When have you last been to the cinema?

 When did you last go to the cinema?

 We haven't had lunch yet.

 We didn't have lunch yet.
3. Put the following sentences in the correct tense.

1. David (be) ill, so he (have) to go to hospital.

2. How old (be) your grandfather when he (die)?
3. I (finish) this letter.
4. I (have) a very good time with Charles at the party, but we not (meet) since then.
5. I (see) this film last Tuesday.
6. I (stop) smoking ten years ago.
7. I first (meet) Kim at a school party.
8. Monica (go) to the disco and (meet) her friends there.
9. Pamela (go) home and (have) dinner alone.
10. The dog (bring) back the ball.
11. Tom always (work) in this factory?
12. We not (order) our meal yet.
13. When I (live) in Wales, I (have) a good time.
14. You (find) your pen yet?
15. You ever (see) a cheetah?

4. Complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

COMPUTERS

Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change)
1)_______________a great deal. The first computers (be) 2)_______________simple
machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) 3)_______________much memory and
they (be, not) 4)_______________very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive
and customers often (pay) 5)_______________thousands of dollars for machines which
actually (do) 6)_______________very little. Most computers (be)
7)_______________separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or
for playing games.

Times (change) 8)_______________. Computers (become) 9)_______________powerful

machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) 10)_______________a large
selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to
bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become)
11)_______________faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get,
also) 12)_______________on the Internet and (begin) 13)_______________communicating
with other computer users around the world. We (start) 14)_______________to create
international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past
(evolve) 15)_______________into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.
5. Past Simple or Present Perfect?

1. A: Did you like the movie ”Star Wars?”

B: I don’t know. I (see, never) _______________ that movie.

2. My best friend and I (know) _______________ each other for over fifteen years. We still
get together once a week.

3. I (have, not) _______________ this much fun since I (be) _______________ a kid.

4. Things (change) _______________ a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start)
_______________ working here three years ago, the company (have, only)
_______________ six employees. Since then, we (expand) _______________ to include
more than 2000 full-time workers.

5. I (tell) _______________ him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander)
_______________ off into the forest and (be) _______________ bitten by a snake.

6. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) _______________ the bus this morning. You (be)
_______________ late to work too many times. You are fired!

7. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never)
_______________ the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.

8. How sad! George (dream) _______________ of going to California before he died, but he
didn't make it. He (see, never) _______________ the ocean.

9. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) _______________ much easier and very
comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) _______________ two or three months to cross
North America by covered wagon. The trip (be) _______________ very rough and often
dangerous. Things (change) _______________ a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years.
Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

10. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) _______________ since the last time I (see)
_______________ you. You (grow) _______________ at least a foot!

11. This tree (be) _______________ planted by the settlers who (found) _______________
our city over four hundred years ago.

12. This mountain (be, never) _______________ climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers
(try) _______________ to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever) _______________. The
climb is extremely difficult and many people (die) _______________ trying to reach the
summit.

13. I (visit, never) _______________ Africa, but I (travel) _______________ to South

America several times. The last time I (go) _______________ to South America, I (visit)
_______________ Brazil and Peru. I (spend) _______________ two weeks in the Amazon,
(hike) _______________ for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly) _______________ over the
Nazca Lines.