Present Perfect Simple & Past Simple

Present Perfect

A Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect form of the verbs below.
1 Tom looks different. I ...................................... him for years.
2 ...................................... you ...................................... this book before?
3 We’re not late for the lesson. It ...................................... yet.
4 I can’t find Kim. ...................................... she already ...................................... the party?
5 My essay is nearly finished. I ...................................... four pages so far.
6 The grass is very dry. It ...................................... for a long time.

B Choose the correct answer.
1 We have owned our holiday home for / since three years.
2 I have never / ever been to Sweden.
3 Tom has worked in this office for / since three years.
4 Barbie hasn’t bought Jill’s birthday present yet / recently.
5 I haven’t been to the beach since / for last summer.
6 Have you been here since / for a long time?
7 Have you ever / never seen a giraffe?
8 I have ever / always had long hair.

C Choose the correct verb.
1 We arrived / have arrived an hour ago.
2 He has been / was here since 5 am.
3 We have heard / heard a wonderful concert last night.
4 Did you visit / Have you visited the Rock Museum yet?
5 Jane has read / read many books lately.
6 Tom has gone / went to Rio last year.
7 When have you left / did you leave the party?
8 We have seen / saw this programme many times before.

D Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or Present Perfect form of the verbs in brackets.
1 The dog ...................... already ...................... (bury) the bone in the garden.
2 Look at that! The children ...................................... (make) a big snowman.
3 I was tired, so I ...................................... (sleep) late last Saturday morning.
4 How long ...................... you ...................... (have) this puppy?
5 I ...................................... (speak) to my friends on the phone last night.
6 ...................... you ...................... (see) my pen? I can’t find it.
7 He spoke so fast. I ...................................... (not understand) him.
8 Colin ...................................... (never break) any windows with his soccer ball.
read not rain leave not see write not start
haven’t seen
has buried

Present Perfect – Answers
A 1 haven’t seen 4 Has … left
2 Have … read 5 have written
3 hasn’t started 6 hasn’t rained
B 1 for 5 since
2 never 6 for
3 for 7 ever
4 yet 8 always
C 1 arrived 5 has read
2 has been 6 went
3 heard 7 did you leave
4 Have you visited 8 have seen
D 1 has … buried 5 spoke
2 have made 6 Have … seen
3 slept 7 didn’t understand
4 have … had 8 has never broken

Present perfect simple and past simple

Present perfect simple

We use the present perfect simple: ·       to talk about an experience in somebody’s life. (We don’t say when it happened.)      He’s had a mobile phone for a long time. ·       with for and since to talk about an action that started in the past and continues to the present.      Tim’s known Kate since he was ten. ·       with just, yet and already for a past action with a result in the present.      I’ve just bought a new mountain bike.

Past simple

We use the past simple to talk about a finished action that happened at a definite time in the past. We saw John at the weekend.

1   Choose the correct words.

1   They’ve already / yet visited Venice.

2   Have you ever / never seen a ghost?

3   Has she finished work just / yet?

4   They’ve been married for / since October.

5   Lucy has worked in the circus since / for she was a child.

6      David has just / yet got back from holiday.

2   Complete the newspaper extracts. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past simple.

Last night a massive tidal wave 1……………… (hit) the coast of Mexico. Over 5,000 people 2……………… (already / lose) their homes.

Yesterday a girl 3……………… (hand in) a briefcase containing £100,000 to the police. The girl found the briefcase at Euston railway station.

The cost of living in Britain 4……………… (rise) again. Last year prices in British supermarkets 5……………… (increase) by more than five per cent.

3   Complete the text. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past simple.

¹…………… you …………… (ever / dream) of being a film star? Leonardo DiCaprio was only five years old when he ²………….…(star) in his first TV show, and just thirteen when he ³……………… (appear) in his first film. Since then he ⁴……………… (not stop) working. He ⁵……………… (be) in over fifteen films and he ⁶……………… (work) with stars such as Robert De Niro and Johnny Depp.

  Leonardo ⁷……………… (be) born in Los

Angeles in 1974. After appearing in TV shows,

he ⁸……………… (get) his first film role in

Critters 3, then he starred in Romeo and Juliet.

But it ⁹……………… (not be) until Titanic that

he ¹⁰……………… (become) a world-famous

teen idol. It was then that Leonardo

¹¹……………… (begin) to appear on magazine

covers around the world.

  Since Titanic, Leonardo ¹²……………… (be)

very busy. He ¹³……………… (already / make)

three more films and ¹⁴…………… (just / start) work on another.

4      Write questions about Leonardo. Use the present perfect simple or past simple.

1   How old / when / first appear / on TV?

     ………………………………………………

2   ever / meet / Robert De Niro?

     ………………………………………………

3   How long / be / an actor?

     ………………………………………………

4   famous / before Titanic?

     ………………………………………………

5   How many / films / make / since Titanic?

     ………………………………………………

Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous

Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for over half an hour and nobody (take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) here for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not) yet! We (sit) here for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction once.

 

 

Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous

1. Judy: How long (be) in Canada?
Claude: I (study) here for more than three years.

2. I (have) the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying a new one.

3. I (love) chocolate since I was a child. You might even call me a "chocoholic."

4. Matt and Sarah (have) some difficulties in their relationship lately, so they (go) to a marriage counselor. I hope they work everything out.

5. John (work) for the government since he graduated from Harvard University. Until recently, he (enjoy) his work, but now he is talking about retiring.

6. Lately, I (think) about changing my career because I (become) dissatisfied with the conditions at my company.

7. I (see) Judy for more than five years and during that time I have (see) many changes in her personality. 

Simple Past / Past Perfect

I can't believe I __________(get)that apartment. I _______________(submit) my application last week, but I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it. When I ________(show)up to take a look around, there were at least twenty other people who _________(arrive) before me. Most of them _________(fill, already) out their applications and were already leaving. The landlord said I could still apply, so I did.

I _________(try)to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They _________(want) me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I ___________(have)some problems with him in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me. I __________(end) up listing my father as a reference.

It was total luck that he __________(decide) to give me the apartment. It turns out that the landlord and my father ____________ (go) to high school together. He decided that I could have the apartment before he ___________ (look)at my credit report. I really lucked out! 



Complete with past simple or past continuous
1. I _______(drive) my new car when I _______(have) the accident.
2. She _________(walk) down the street when she ________(trip) on the pavement.
3. They ___________me (not see) me because they ________(talk) to each other.
4. I _________(have) a shower so I _________(not hear) the phone.
5. We _______(walk) in the mountains when we _______(hear) a piercing
scream.
6. They _______(have) so much fun at the party, they ________(decide) to stay.
7. When the teacher _______(arrive), they _______(play) in the back of the classroom.
8. While I ________(have) a drink in the cafe, I ______(see) an accident outside.
9. What _________(you/ do) when the telephone _______(ring)?
10. Why ________(you /run) when I _______you (see) the other day?

Past Continuous vs Past Simple

James Ellis ______ (go) on a business trip last week. He _________ (visit) some customers in Frankfurt. He ______ (leave) home early on Monday morning and ___(take) a taxi to the airport. He ______ (get) there at about 8 o'clock. He _____(check in) and _______(go) to the airport lounge. He _______ (buy) a newspaper and ______(go) to get a coffee.

He _________(drink) his coffee when he _______(see) an old friend, Bob. He ______(be) very surprised that Bob _______(be) in London and _________(find out) that he ________(start) a new job in the city. As they ________(speak) they _______(hear) an announcement. "Would all passengers for the 9.30 flight to Frankfurt please go to boarding gate 10". James _______(say) goodbye to Bob and as they _______(be) _______(leave) Bob _______(give) him his business card and ________(ask) him to phone when he _________(return) from Frankfurt.

After _______(board**) James _______(put) his briefcase in the overhead locker and ________(sit) down. During the flight, James _______(do) some paper work and _______(speak) to the woman sitting next to him, while they ________(speak) the flight attendant _________(bring) breakfast. When the plane ________(land) in London, it was almost 11 o'clock.

James _______(take) a train to his hotel. Then he _______(walk) to the customer's office. He _________(get) there at 1.00 pm and _______(go) to the reception desk. The receptionist _______(ask) him to wait. Whilst he _______(wait) she _______(offer) him a drink. He and his customer _______(talk) all afternoon. When Bob _______(get) to his hotel at 7 o'clock that night, he _______(phone) his wife and then ______(go) to the hotel restaurant.

Simple Past / Present Perfect

Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be) separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games.

Times (change) . Computers (become) powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) 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) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.

Simple Past / Present Perfect

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"
   B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie.
   
   2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.
   
   3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week.
   
   4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.
   
   5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid.
   
   6. 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.
   
   7. 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.
   
   8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired!
   
   9. 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.
   
   10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never) the ocean.
   
   11. 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.
   
   12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see) you. You (grow) at least a foot!
   
   13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago.
   
   14. 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.
   
   15. 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.

Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous

Robin: I think the waiter (forget) us. We (wait) here for over half an hour and nobody (take) our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk) by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only) here for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not) yet! We (sit) here for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even) us. He (run) from table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not) in our direction once.

 

 

Present Perfect / Present Perfect Continuous

1. Judy: How long (be) in Canada?
Claude: I (study) here for more than three years.

2. I (have) the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying a new one.

3. I (love) chocolate since I was a child. You might even call me a "chocoholic."

4. Matt and Sarah (have) some difficulties in their relationship lately, so they (go) to a marriage counselor. I hope they work everything out.

5. John (work) for the government since he graduated from Harvard University. Until recently, he (enjoy) his work, but now he is talking about retiring.

6. Lately, I (think) about changing my career because I (become) dissatisfied with the conditions at my company.

7. I (see) Judy for more than five years and during that time I have (see) many changes in her personality.