Practice Exercises – Present Perfect & Past Simple
1. Match the questions with the responses:
1. Have you ever been to Russia?
a. Yes, I saw it last week.
2. Have you seen Peter?
b. Yes, I got a postcard from her this
morning.
3. Has she started her new job?
c. Yes, she called a few minutes ago.
4. Have you seen the latest Bond film?
d. Yes, it left ten minutes ago.
5. Have you had lunch yet?
e. Yes, I went there last summer.
6. Has Sarah phoned?
f. Yes, we had dinner there on Tuesday.
7. Has the train already left?
g. Yes, I saw him a couple of hours ago.
8. Have you been to that new Italian
restaurant?
h. Yes, they bought a new place last week.
9. Has she written to you?
i. Yes, I had a sandwich when the lesson
finished.
10. Have they moved house?
j. Yes, she started on Monday.
2. Some of these sentences are correct and some are wrong. Correct the ones that are wrong.
1. I have been to Spain last summer.
2. She has never been to Spain.
3. I went to the theatre on Tuesday.
4. How long have you stayed at the party last night?
5. Where’s Sarah? She’s gone home.
6. She has just started her new job.
7. She has started her new job last Monday.
8. I’ve had a cup of coffee a few minutes ago.
9. When have you been to Germany?
10. What time did the plane arrive?
3. Fill the gaps using the verb in brackets in either the present perfect or the past simple
1. She isn’t here. She ____________________ (go)
2. Oh. When ____________________ ? (go)
3. He ____________________ his arm. (break)
4. Really? How ____________________ that? (do)
5. ____________________ to Italy? (be)
6. Yes. I ____________________ there with my family last summer. (go)
7. ____________________ yet? (eat)
8. Yes, I ____________________ lunch at 12 o’clock. (have)
9. We’re too late. The lesson ____________________ . (start)
10. What time ____________________ ? (start)
4. Complete the sentences with a time expression from the box.
for never since yet already ever still just always
1 Have you ____________ been to Canada?
2 I’m afraid I haven’t done my homework _____________.
3 I’ve worked for MKG _____________ 1998.
4 Will has __________ told me the news. Congratulations!
5 I _______________ haven’t heard from Jo. I hope she’s all right.
6 Detectives have been investigating the murder _________ six weeks.
7 You’ve ___________ given me any encouragement. I’ve had to do it all myself.
8 Don’t worry. I’ve _____________ texted her. She knows we’re coming.
9 I’ve ____________ wondered what happened to Peter. Perhaps we’ll find out one
day.
5. Choose the best time expression and put it in the correct place in the sentence.
Example: for/since
I’ve been here ten minutes.
__I’ve been here for ten minutes.__
1. Ever / never
I don’t think I’ve thanked you for all your help.
_____________________________________
2. Just / already
Peter’s lost his watch. He’s outside looking for it.
3. Still / yet
Sally hasn’t passed her driving test. But she’s only eighteen, so there’s plenty of
time.
4. Already / yet
Don’t worry about booking seats. I’ve done it.
5. Yet / still
Richard hasn’t returned my call, you know. I rang him yesterday. If he doesn’t
call soon, then our relationship is over.
KEY
1. 1e; 2g; 3j; 4a; 5i; 6c; 7d; 8f; 9b; 10h
2. 1. I went to Spain last summer
4. How long did you stay at the party last night?
7. She started her new job last Monday.
8. I had a cup of coffee a few minutes ago.
9. When did you go to Germany?
The other sentences are correct.
3.
1. She’s gone.
2. When did she go?
3. He has broken his arm.
4. How did he do that?
5. Have you been to Italy?
6. Yes, I went there with my family last summer.
7. Have you eaten yet?
8. Yes, I had lunch at 12 o’clock.
9. The lesson has started.
10. What time did it start?
4. 1 Ever 2 yet 3 since 4 just 5 Still 6 for 7 never 8 already 9 always
5.
1 I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for all your help.
2 Peter’s just lost his watch. He’s outside looking for it.
3 Sally hasn’t passed her driving test yet. But she’s only eighteen, so there’s plenty
of time.
4 Don’t worry about booking seats. I’ve already done it.
5 Richard still hasn’t returned my call, you know. I rang him yesterday. If he
doesn’t call soon, then our relationship is over.
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