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Past simple or present perfect?

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

Exercises Explanation

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Exercise 1
Choose past simple or present perfect to complete the sentences below.

 
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Correct answers: 6/10.
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1 Have you finished   painting the bedroom yet?' 'Not yet. I'll finish it tomorrow.'

➪ We often use the present perfect with just, already and yet.

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2 I didn't earn   much last year, but I earned    a lot this year.

Correct answer: didn't earn/'ve earned

➪ We use the past simple with a past expression (last week, yesterday, when I was a child, etc.)
➪ We can use the present perfect with time expressions when the time we mention has not finished: today, this week, this year,
etc. 

3 Did you have   a holiday recently?

Correct answer: Have you had

➪ We often use the present perfect with recently to talk about past recent actions.

4 We have arrived   last week. We were   here for 5 days.

Correct answer: arrived/have been

➪ We use the past simple with a past expression: last week, yesterday, when I was a child, etc.
➪ 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.

5 Mr. Barnes is very important in this company. He has worked    here for 30 years.

➪ 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.

6 He loves gardening. He has been   a gardener all his life.

➪ We can use the present perfect to talk about situations that started in the past and have not finished (all his life= from the past
until now).

7 Have you seen    anything like this before?

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

8 This the the most delicious dish I ever ate   .

Correct answer: have ever eaten

➪ We can use the present perfect with a superlative adjective and ever.

9 I 've never seen   him behave like this before.

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

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10 My mother grew up    in Scotland.

➪ 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.
➪ In this sentence both the listener and the speaker know that my mother grew up when she was a child, in the past.

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Related tests:

Present perfect – form

and use

Present perfect or past

simple?

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