Present Simple vs. Past Simple – English Grammar Exercises for A1

1 (A)

• The Key: is. The location of the restaurant is a permanent present fact. “This new restaurant” is singular (it), so it takes “is”.
• Error Analysis: (B) was (Common Mistake: Using past tense for a present fact). (D) are (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject agreement for a singular noun). (C) be (Structural Error).

2 (B)

• The Key: went. “Last night” indicates a finished past event. The irregular past of “go” is “went”.
• Error Analysis: (A) go (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) goed (Structural Error: Applying regular rules to an irregular verb). (D) was go (Strong Distractor).

3 (D)

• The Key: looks. Commenting on the permanent appearance of the dining room. The singular subject takes the verb with an ‘s’.
• Error Analysis: (B) looked (Common Mistake: Using past tense, which implies the room doesn’t look beautiful anymore). (A) look (Strong Distractor: Missing the ‘s’). (C) is look (Structural Error).

4 (B)

• The Key: arrived. Arriving at 7:00 PM last night is a completed past action.
• Error Analysis: (A) arrive (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) arrives (Strong Distractor). (D) arriving (Structural Error).

5 (C)

• The Key: wear. “Always” indicates a routine or rule of the restaurant. “The waiters” (plural) takes the base verb.
• Error Analysis: (B) wore (Common Mistake: Past tense). (A) wears (Strong Distractor: Adding ‘s’ to a plural subject). (D) are wear (Structural Error).

6 (C)

• The Key: ordered. The action of ordering happened “yesterday”.
• Error Analysis: (A) order (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) ordering / (D) was order (Structural Errors).

7 (B)

• The Key: didn’t want. The friend did not want meat “last night”. The negative past is “didn’t + base verb”.
• Error Analysis: (D) doesn’t want (Common Mistake: Present tense). (A) don’t want (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject agreement). (C) wasn’t want (Structural Error).

8 (B)

• The Key: serve. Discussing the restaurant’s general menu is a present fact. “They” takes the base verb.
• Error Analysis: (C) served (Common Mistake: Using past tense, making readers think the restaurant no longer serves it). (A) serves (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject agreement). (D) serving (Structural Error).

9 (D)

• The Key: was. Reviewing the specific pizza the writer already ate (“I ate”). It is singular, so we use the past “to be” verb “was”.
• Error Analysis: (A) is (Common Mistake: Using present tense for food that is already gone). (B) were (Strong Distractor: Plural verb). (C) did (Structural Error).

10 (C)

• The Key: is. Evaluating the general price level (“In general”) is a present fact. “The food” is uncountable, so it takes “is”.
• Error Analysis: (B) was (Common Mistake: Past tense). (A) are (Strong Distractor: Plural verb). (D) does (Structural Error: “does” cannot be used with the adjective “expensive”).

11 (D)

• The Key: drank. The action of drinking juice with the meal is finished. The irregular past of “drink” is “drank”.
• Error Analysis: (A) drink (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) drinked (Structural Error). (C) drunk (Strong Distractor: This is the past participle/V3, not the past simple/V2).

12 (B)

• The Key: like. The writer’s current preference for the background music. “I” takes “like”.
• Error Analysis: (A) liked (Common Mistake: Past tense, implying the writer doesn’t like it anymore). (C) likes (Strong Distractor). (D) am like (Structural Error).

13 (C)

• The Key: brought. The action of bringing the bill was completed after dinner. The irregular past of “bring” is “brought”.
• Error Analysis: (A) bring (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) bringed (Structural Error). (D) was bring (Strong Distractor).

14 (D)

• The Key: doesn’t accept. The restaurant’s payment policy is a fixed present rule. “The restaurant” is singular, so we use “doesn’t”.
• Error Analysis: (A) didn’t accept (Common Mistake: Past tense). (B) don’t accept (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject agreement). (C) isn’t accept (Structural Error).

15 (C)

• The Key: paid. The action of paying is finished. The irregular past of “pay” is “paid”.
• Error Analysis: (A) pay (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) payed (Structural Error: Incorrect spelling for this context). (D) did pay (Strong Distractor).

16 (B)

• The Key: has. Describing the permanent decoration on the tables. Subjects starting with “Every” (like Every table) are always singular and take “has”.
• Error Analysis: (C) had (Common Mistake: Past tense). (A) have (Strong Distractor: Thinking “every” means plural). (D) is have (Structural Error).

17 (C)

• The Key: left. Leaving the restaurant at 9:00 PM is a finished event. The irregular past of “leave” is “left”.
• Error Analysis: (A) leave (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) leaved (Structural Error). (D) did leave (Strong Distractor).

18 (A)

• The Key: recommend. Giving advice to the readers right now. “I” takes “recommend”.
• Error Analysis: (C) recommended (Common Mistake: Past tense). (B) recommends (Strong Distractor). (D) am recommend (Structural Error).

19 (C)

• The Key: Did. Asking readers about their past experience (“meal there”) requires the past auxiliary “Did”.
• Error Analysis: (B) Do (Common Mistake: Asking in the present tense). (A) Enjoyed (Strong Distractor: Missing the auxiliary for a question). (D) Are (Structural Error).

20 (B)

• The Key: want. A present desire for a future plan (“next weekend”).
• Error Analysis: (A) wanted (Common Mistake: Past tense). (C) wants (Strong Distractor). (D) am want (Structural Error).

1. The Review Formula:
• Facts (Sự thật): Use the Present Simple to talk about the permanent features of the restaurant: Location (is), Menu (serve), Policies (doesn’t accept), Atmosphere (looks).
• Experience (Trải nghiệm): Use the Past Simple to recount what you personally did that evening: When you went (arrived, left), What you ate (ordered, drank), How the specific food tasted (was delicious).
2. “Every” is always Singular: Remember Question 16! Words starting with Every (Every table, Everyone, Everybody) are grammatically singular. Always use singular verbs with them (e.g., has, looks, is).
3. Dining Out Irregular Verbs: Memorize the past forms of these common action verbs used in restaurants:
• go → went
• drink → drank
• bring → brought
• pay → paid
• leave → left