Present Perfect Tense – English Grammar Exercises for A2
You are reading various notices on shop windows and Facebook pages about sudden closures, changed hours, or hot news. Read the announcements carefully and choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete each message.
1 “Dear customers, we ______ the shop early today because of a power cut.”
(A) closed just
(B) have just closed
(C) have just close
(D) just closed
2 “The manager ______ to change our weekend opening hours. From now on, we close at 5 PM on Sundays.”
(A) has decided
(B) have decided
(C) decided
(D) decide
3 “Notice: We ______ a new coffee machine, so we cannot serve espresso this morning.”
(A) hasn’t installed
(B) didn’t install
(C) haven’t installed
(D) don’t install
4 “We apologize for the inconvenience. The store has been closed ______ 8:00 AM due to a water leak.”
(A) for
(B) since
(C) from
(D) in
5 “Our family bakery will be closed today. We haven’t taken a holiday ______ three years!”
(A) since
(B) during
(C) in
(D) for
6 “Attention: The delivery truck ______ yet, so we don’t have fresh milk right now.”
(A) didn’t arrive
(B) hasn’t arrived
(C) doesn’t arrive
(D) haven’t arrived
7 “Dear guests, our head chef ______ home sick. Therefore, the restaurant is closed for the evening.”
(A) has gone
(B) went
(C) have gone
(D) goes
8 “Breaking news! The city council ______ new health rules, so we must close the kitchen for an inspection.”
(A) have announce
(B) has announced
(C) announced
(D) is announcing
9 “We haven’t updated our interior ______ we opened the cafe in 2020 We are closed for painting today!”
(A) when
(B) after
(C) for
(D) since
10 “Please visit our second store on Main Street. We ______ all our products there.”
(A) have already moved
(B) already moved
(C) have already move
(D) has already moved
11 “Notice: We ______ a serious problem with the roof, so it is not safe to enter.”
(A) had
(B) have find
(C) have found
(D) are finding
12 “Thank you for your patience. We haven’t cleaned the carpets ______ a long time, so we are doing it today.”
(A) for
(B) since
(C) in
(D) during
13 “We are closed today, but ______ our new online delivery website yet?”
(A) Did you try
(B) Have you tried
(C) You have tried
(D) Do you try
14 “Good news! The electricity ______ back on, but we need one hour to clean up before opening.”
(A) just came
(B) is just coming
(C) has just come
(D) have just come
15 “The air conditioner ______ working ______ the storm started last night.”
(A) hasn’t been / for
(B) wasn’t / since
(C) hasn’t stop / since
(D) has stopped / since
16 “We ______ open on Sundays ______ over a decade, but starting this week, we will close on Sundays.”
(A) have been / for
(B) were / for
(C) are / since
(D) have been / since
17 “Every worker in our team ______ extra hours this week, so we are closed today to let them rest.”
(A) worked
(B) have worked
(C) has worked
(D) is working
18 “The repairman is late. He ______ the broken pipe ______.”
(A) hasn’t fixed / already
(B) didn’t fix / yet
(C) haven’t fixed / still
(D) hasn’t fixed / yet
19 “This is the biggest renovation we ______! See you next week when we reopen.”
(A) have ever done
(B) ever did
(C) have never done
(D) have ever do
20 “Due to bad weather, we ______ all our outdoor events for today.”
(A) cancelled
(B) have cancelled
(C) cancel
(D) has cancelled
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Key: (B) have just closed
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Have just” + V3 announces very recent news that affects the present moment (the shop is closed right now).
- Common Mistake: (D) “just closed” uses Past Simple, which is less accurate in standard CEFR grammar for announcing immediate news.
- Structural Error: (C) Missing the ‘d’ for the V3 form.
- Meaning Trap: (A) Wrong word order.
2 Key: (A) has decided
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “The manager” is singular (takes “has”). Present Perfect is used to announce a recent decision that has a present result.
- Common Mistake: (C) “decided” (Past Simple) disconnects the action from the “hot news” aspect.
- Structural Error: (B) “have” is plural, wrong for “manager”.
- Meaning Trap: (D) “decide” (Present Simple) implies a routine or habit, not a newly made rule.
3 Key: (C) haven’t installed
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “We” takes “haven’t”. The negative Present Perfect explains the current situation (no espresso today).
- Common Mistake: (B) “didn’t install” uses Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (A) “hasn’t” is wrong for “We”.
- Meaning Trap: (D) “don’t install” means we generally refuse to install machines, which doesn’t fit a temporary notice.
4 Key: (B) since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “8:00 AM” is a specific starting point in time, which requires “since”.
- Common Mistake: (A) “for” is used for durations, not starting points.
- Structural Error: (D) “in” is not used for Present Perfect time markers here.
- Meaning Trap: (C) “from” is usually used with “to” (from 8 to 9), but “since” is strictly required for perfect tenses.
5 Key: (D) for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Three years” is a duration (length of time), requiring “for”.
- Common Mistake: (A) “since” is only for starting points.
- Structural Error: (C) “in” is not the standard CEFR rule for duration in Present Perfect.
- Meaning Trap: (B) “during” must be followed by an event (like “during the meeting”).
6 Key: (B) hasn’t arrived
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Truck” is singular. “Yet” at the end of a negative sentence explains an expected action is still incomplete.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple with “yet” is grammatically incorrect.
- Structural Error: (D) “haven’t” is plural.
- Meaning Trap: (C) Present Simple implies the truck routinely fails to arrive.
7 Key: (A) has gone
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Chef” is singular. The past action (going home) has a direct present result (the restaurant is closed).
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple breaks the immediate “hot news” connection to the closure.
- Structural Error: (C) “have” is plural.
- Meaning Trap: (D) Present Simple implies he goes home sick every day as a routine.
8 Key: (B) has announced
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “City council” acts as a singular unit here. “Hot news” announcements almost always use the Present Perfect.
- Common Mistake: (C) Past Simple is often used in American newspaper text, but standard British/CEFR grammar prefers Present Perfect for breaking news.
- Structural Error: (A) “have” is plural and “announce” lacks the ‘d’.
- Meaning Trap: (D) Present Continuous means they are standing at a microphone right now, rather than having just released the rule.
9 Key: (D) since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “We opened the cafe in 2020” is a past simple clause acting as a specific starting point, requiring “since”.
- Common Mistake: (C) “for” cannot be used with a starting point.
- Structural Error: (A) “when” is not a time preposition for the Present Perfect.
- Meaning Trap: (B) “after” changes the necessary grammatical structure.
10 Key: (A) have already moved
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Already” shows the action is completed sooner than expected, with a present result. It goes between “have” and V3
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (D) “has” is wrong for “We”.
- Meaning Trap: (C) Missing the ‘d’ for V3
11 Key: (C) have found
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Announcing a recently discovered problem that directly causes the current closure. V3 of find is “found”.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (B) V1 instead of V3
- Meaning Trap: (D) Present Continuous implies you are actively discovering it right now, not that it is an established problem causing a closure.
12 Key: (A) for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “A long time” is a duration (length of time).
- Common Mistake: (B) “since” is used with durations incorrectly by many learners.
- Structural Error: (C) “in” is incorrect for Present Perfect duration in British English.
- Meaning Trap: (D) “during” is used for events, not lengths of time.
13 Key: (B) Have you tried
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Asking about an experience up to the present moment, marked by “yet”.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple with “yet”.
- Structural Error: (C) Statement word order instead of question.
- Meaning Trap: (D) Asks about a general habit.
14 Key: (C) has just come
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Electricity” is singular/uncountable. “Just” marks very recent news. V3 of come is “come”.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (D) “have” is plural.
- Meaning Trap: (B) Present Continuous means it is fluctuating or in the process of coming on right now.
15 Key: (D) has stopped / since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: First gap needs Present Perfect for the recent breakdown. Second gap needs “since” because “the storm started” is a specific past point.
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple cannot be used with “since”.
- Structural Error: (A) “for” cannot be used with a starting point.
- Meaning Trap: (C) Missing the ‘ed’ on stopped.
16 Key: (A) have been / for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: A state continuing from the past up to now. “Over a decade” is a duration, so it needs “for”.
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple implies the shop no longer exists.
- Structural Error: (D) “since” cannot be used with a duration.
- Meaning Trap: (C) Present Simple cannot be used with “since/for” time markers.
17 Key: (C) has worked
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Every worker” is a singular subject (takes “has”). The recent hard work causes the present need for rest.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (B) “have” is plural, wrong for “Every worker”.
- Meaning Trap: (D) Present Continuous means they are working right now, but the shop is closed.
18 Key: (D) hasn’t fixed / yet
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Negative Present Perfect (hasn’t + V3). “Yet” goes at the end to show an expected action is unfulfilled.
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple with “yet”.
- Structural Error: (A) “already” cannot be used in negative sentences.
- Meaning Trap: (C) “haven’t” is wrong for “He”, and “still” goes before the auxiliary, not at the end.
19 Key: (A) have ever done
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Present Perfect + “ever” is strictly used after a superlative (“the biggest renovation”).
- Common Mistake: (B) Past Simple.
- Structural Error: (D) V1 instead of V3
- Meaning Trap: (C) “never” contradicts the fact that you are doing it right now.
20 Key: (B) have cancelled
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “We” takes “have”. Giving hot news about a decision that affects the present day.
- Common Mistake: (A) Past Simple cuts off the “announcement” feel.
- Structural Error: (D) “has” is wrong for “we”.
- Meaning Trap: (C) Present Simple implies you cancel them every time as a habit.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The “Hot News” Function: – We use the Present Perfect (Have / Has + V3) to announce breaking news or recent changes. It tells the listener: “This just happened, and it affects you right now.” – Example: “We have closed the shop.” (Result: You cannot enter now).
- Signal Words for Announcements:
- Just: Means a few moments ago. (We have just found a water leak.)
- Already: Means a change happened sooner than expected. (We have already moved.)
- For vs. Since:
- Use For with a duration or length of time (for three years, for a long time).
- Use Since with a specific starting point in the past (since 8:00 AM, since we opened, since the storm started).