Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each sentence.
1 Sarah: “Tom, the taxi is coming in 30 minutes! _______ your suitcase yet?”
(a) Have you packed
(b) Did you packed
(c) Have you pack
(d) Are you packed
2 Tom: “Yes, I _______ it last night before I went to bed.”
(a) have finished
(b) finished
(c) finish
(d) was finished
3 Sarah: “Great. What about the passports? _______ them in your small bag?”
(a) Did you put
(b) Have you putted
(c) Have you put
(d) Do you put
4 Tom: “I _______ them on the kitchen table two minutes ago. Can you check?”
(a) have seen
(b) saw
(c) see
(d) was seen
5 Sarah: “I _______ them! They are right here. Now, where is my phone charger?”
(a) found
(b) have found
(c) finded
(d) have find
6 Tom: “I _______ that charger to the living room this morning to charge my tablet.”
(a) took
(b) have taken
(c) take
(d) was take
7 Sarah: “_______ it back in the bedroom? I can’t find it anywhere.”
(a) Did you put
(b) Have you putted
(c) Do you put
(d) Were you put
8 Tom: “Oh, sorry. I _______ to do that. I’ll go get it now.”
(a) forgot
(b) have forgotten
(c) forget
(d) was forget
9 Sarah: “Wait! _______ the hotel to confirm our late arrival?”
(a) Did you called
(b) Have you called
(c) Have you call
(d) Do you call
10 Tom: “Yes, I _______ them yesterday afternoon. Everything is fine.”
(a) have emailed
(b) emailed
(c) email
(d) was email
11 Sarah: “And the neighbors? _______ them our house keys for the plants?”
(a) Have you given
(b) Did you gave
(c) Have you give
(d) Are you given
12 Tom: “I _______ them the keys on Monday when I saw them in the garden.”
(a) have given
(b) gave
(c) give
(d) was given
13 Sarah: “Good. I _______ a checklist, but I think I lost it.”
(a) wrote
(b) have written
(c) writed
(d) was written
14 Tom: “I _______ it in the trash can earlier. I thought we didn’t need it.”
(a) throw
(b) threw
(c) have thrown
(d) was throw
15 Sarah: “This is the third time we _______ our flight tickets this morning!”
(a) checked
(b) have checked
(c) have check
(d) are checking
16 Tom: “Relax! We _______ for this trip for months. We are ready.”
(a) prepared
(b) have prepared
(c) have prepare
(d) are prepared
17 Sarah: “I _______ so nervous about a holiday since we went to Italy in 2019”
(a) wasn’t
(b) haven’t been
(c) haven’t be
(d) don’t be
18 Tom: “Why? We _______ a great time in Italy back then!”
(a) had
(b) have had
(c) have
(d) did had
19 Sarah: “Look! The taxi _______ just now. It’s waiting outside.”
(a) arrived
(b) has arrived
(c) arrives
(d) was arrived
20 Tom: “Okay, let’s go! I _______ the front door already, so we can leave.”
(a) locked
(b) have locked
(c) have lock
(d) was lock
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) Have you packed
- Why: Use Present Perfect with “yet” to ask about a completed action up to the present.
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error (did + V2); (c) is missing the V3; (d) is an adjective structure, less natural here.
2 (b) finished
- Why: “Last night” is a finished time, requiring Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (Present Perfect with specific time); (c) is present; (d) is passive.
3 (c) Have you put
- Why: Checking the current status/result of an action. “Put” is an irregular verb (put-put-put).
- Analysis: (a) asks about a past moment; (b) “putted” is not a word; (d) is Present Simple.
4 (b) saw
- Why: “Two minutes ago” is a specific past time marker.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
5 (b) have found
- Why: Announcing a recent discovery with a present result (she has them now).
- Analysis: (a) is too narrative; (c) is an irregular verb error; (d) is missing V3
6 (a) took
- Why: “This morning” is treated as a finished past time here.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
7 (a) Did you put
- Why: Asking about a specific past action (when he finished charging).
- Analysis: (b) is an irregular verb error; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
8 (a) forgot
- Why: Refers to the specific moment in the past when he failed to do it.
- Analysis: (b) is a meaning trap; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
9 (b) Have you called
- Why: Checking if the task is done (status).
- Analysis: (a) is a structural error (did + V2); (c) is missing V3; (d) is present.
10 (b) emailed
- Why: “Yesterday afternoon” is a specific past time.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
11 (a) Have you given
- Why: Checking for completion of a task.
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error (did + V2); (c) is missing V3; (d) is passive.
12 (b) gave
- Why: “On Monday” is a specific past time.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
13 (a) wrote
- Why: Refers to the specific past act of writing the list.
- Analysis: (b) implies she is still writing it; (c) is an irregular verb error; (d) is passive.
14 (b) threw
- Why: “Earlier” refers to a specific past moment.
- Analysis: (a) is present; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is a structural error.
15 (b) have checked
- Why: Use Present Perfect with “This is the… time.”
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is missing V3; (d) is continuous.
16 (b) have prepared
- Why: “For months” indicates an action starting in the past and continuing/relevant now.
- Analysis: (a) implies preparation stopped long ago; (c) is missing V3; (d) is an adjective state.
17 (b) haven’t been
- Why: “Since” requires Present Perfect to show duration until now.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (ignoring the ‘since’ connection); (c) is missing V3; (d) is present.
18 (a) had
- Why: “Back then” refers to a finished period in the past.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
19 (b) has arrived
- Why: “Just now” indicates a very recent event with a present result.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
20 (b) have locked
- Why: “Already” is a signal word for Present Perfect.
- Analysis: (a) is too narrative; (c) is missing V3; (d) is a structural error.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Use Present Perfect (Have/Has + V3) to Check Status:
- In a checklist, use this to ask if a task is done (e.g., “Have you packed?”).
- Look for words like: yet, already, just, so far.
- Use Past Simple (V2) to Give Details:
- Use this to say exactly when you did a task (e.g., “I did it at 2 PM“).
- Look for words like: ago, yesterday, last week, on Monday.
- Irregular Verbs (The V3 Challenge):
- Remember that many verbs change in the Present Perfect: see -> seen, give -> given, write -> written.
- Some stay the same: put -> put.
- Duration vs. Moment:
- Use Present Perfect for “How long” (e.g., “I’ve been here for an hour”).
- Use Past Simple for “When” (e.g., “I arrived at 9:00”).