1b THE PERFECT ASPECT

 
Exercise 1: Use the simple past or the present perfect. In some sentences either
tense is possible but the meaning is different.
 
1. I (not attend) ________________________________ any parties since I came here.
2. I (go) ________________to a party at Sally's apartment last Saturday night.
3. Bill (arrive) ____________________________here three days ago.
4. Bill (be) _______________________________________here since the 22nd.
5. Try not to be absent from class again for the rest of the term. You (miss,
already) _______________________________ too many classes. You (miss)
__________________________________ two classes just last week.
6. Last January, I (see) ____________________ snow for the first time in my life.
7. I (know) _______________________________ Greg Adams for ten years.
8. So far this week, I (have) _________________________ two tests and a quiz.
9. The science of medicine (advance) _________________ a great deal in the 19 th

century.
10. Since the beginning of the 20 century, medical scientists (make)
th

____________________ many important discoveries.

 
Exercise 2: Complete the story with past simple or past perfect. 
 
1. On February 1 last year Jenny __________________ (go) to Taiwan on business.
2. She __________________ (book) her ticket a week before at the travel agent.
3. She __________________ (leave) home at eight o'clock and __________________ (get)
to the airport just before nine.
4. At the check in desk the clerk __________________ (ask) her if she
__________________ (want) a smoking or non-smoking seat.
5. She __________________ (ask) for non-smoking as she __________________ (give up)
smoking two years earlier.
6. The clerk then __________________ (ask) for her passport.
7. She __________________ (look) in her coat pockets and in her hand bag but she
__________________ (cannot/ find) it.  She __________________ (leave) it at home !
8. She __________________ (try/call) her husband on her mobile phone but he
__________________ (already leave) for work.
9. She __________________ (decide) to look in her luggage, and as she
__________________ (pull out) her other coat, her passport __________________ (fall)
out !
10. She __________________ (put) it in the wrong coat pocket. Feeling very relieved
she __________________ (hand) it to the clerk and __________________ (finish)
checking in.
 
 
Exercise 3: FUTURE PERFECT: What will they have done?
Write a, b or c in the gap and read the completed sentences.
1.    By Wednesday afternoon, Tom _____________ four people.
a will have interviewed b will interview c will be
interviewed
2.    By tomorrow night Jenny _____ four articles.
 a will be written b will have written c won't have been
writing
3.   When the newspaper comes out, they ______ on it for six weeks.
a will work b will have been working c won't have been
working
4.   They hope that by the end of next week they _____ 2,000 copies.
a will be sold b will have sold c won't have sold
 

Exercise 4: Put the verb into the correct PERFECT verb form.

1. I ________________ (study) Japanese before I took this class.

2. We ________________ (have) a lot of trouble because we ________________ (lose) our

passports.

3. Brian ________________ (know) many people at the club because he ________________

(be) there many times.

4. They ________________ (study) English before they ________________ (move) to Canada.

5. We ________________ (get) into the restaurant only because we ________________

(reserve) our places.

6. I ________________ (be) to India before 1986.

Time Phrases Reinforcement

Choose the correct option to complete the following:

1. I have never been to Peru (never/before/once).

2. (Last week/ 2 seconds ago/ In a week) I went to Atacames for 2 days to get some sun.

3. Look! I (am going/ go/ will go) to the concert no matter what you say!

4. I have been reading Harry Potter (during/ for/ since) 3 years now.

5. She had not been going to school (for/while/ ever since) the mean teacher started to treat

her badly.
Choose the correct verb form to complete the following (think about how much context

there is!):

1. She __________________________(read) that article 3 days ago.

2. Julian __________________________(run) a marathon next year.

3. They __________________________(negative see) the new Batman movie yet.

4. When Jamie arrived we still __________________________________(negative finish) the

project that was due the next day.

5. You have read a lot to prepare for next week's exam but I am not sure that

you______________ (pass) easily.