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Past simple or present perfect?

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Grammar » B1 Grammar lessons and exercises » Past simple or present perfect? » Page 2

Exercises Explanation

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Exercise 2
Choose past simple or present perfect for each gap below.

 
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Correct answers: 4/10.
Your score is 40%.
Check your answers:
 

1 A: Mary isn't here. She ______ to Egypt.     B: I ______ to Egypt.

a. has gone / have never gone

b. has gone / have never been
c. went / have never gone

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➪ We use the present perfect to talk about past actions or events when time is not mentioned, i.e. we don’t say when these
events happened (She has gone to Egypt).
➪ We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences (I've never been to Egypt).
➪ We say someone has gone somewhere when this person is still away, and we say someone has been somewhere when this
person has already come back from that place.

2 I ______ my arm. I ______ it playing with my cousin.

a. 've broken / broke

b. 've broken / 've broken
c. broke / 've broken

➪ We use the present perfect to introduce a past event or experience and we don't say when (I've broken my arm), but if we
continue talking and we give details, then we use the past simple (I broke it playing with...).

3 ______ a ghost?

a. Have you ever seen

b. Did you ever see
c. Have you ever see

➪ We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences.

4 A: I ______ to China this year.    B: When ______ there?

a. have been / have you been

b. have been / did you go
c. was / have you gone

➪ We can use the present perfect with time expressions when the time we mention has not finished: today, this week, this year,
etc (I've been to China this year). 
➪ We use the past simple (NOT present perfect) when we mention or ask about when something happened (When did you go?).

5 I'm sure I ______ this man before.

a. 've seen
b. saw
c. 've see

➪ We often use the words never, ever, or before to talk about experiences.

6 A: How long ______ a teacher?     B: I ______ teaching a long time ago.

a. were / started
b. have you been / have started
c. have you been / started

➪ We can use the present perfect with for and since and how long to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and
have not finished.
➪ We use the past simple (NOT present perfect) when we mention or ask about when something happened, or when the time is
known by the speaker and the listener. (a long time ago).

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7 ______ Titanic?

a. Did you see

b. You have seen
c. Have you seen

➪ We use the present perfect to talk about past experiences when we don’t say or we don’t know when something happened.

8 A: I ______ the keys.    B: Where ______ them?

a. have found / did you find

b. found / have you found
c. found / did you find

➪ We use the present perfect to introduce a past event or experience (we don't say when), but if we continue talking and we give
details , then we use the past simple.

9 Here are your shoes. I ______ them.

a. just cleaned
b. 've just cleaned
c. just have cleaned

➪ We use the present perfect with just for events that happened a very short time before speaking.

10 She ______ to be a singer since she ______ a kid.

a. wanted / was
b. has wanted / has been
c. has wanted / was

➪ We can use the present perfect with for and since and how long to ask or talk about situations that started in the past and
have not finished.
➪ We use since before the moment in the past when something started. If we use a verb after since, it's usually in past.

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Related tests:

Present perfect – form

and use

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21/1/23, 17:45 Test English - Prepare for your English exam

Present perfect or past

simple?

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