Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each sentence.
1 Mom: “I’m home! Lily, _______ the dishes yet? I need to start dinner.”
(a) have you done
(b) did you done
(c) have you do
(d) do you do
2 Lily: “Yes, Mom. I _______ them right after I finished my lunch.”
(a) have finished
(b) finished
(c) finish
(d) was finished
3 Mom: “That’s good. Max, _______ the dog for a walk today?”
(a) did you took
(b) have you taken
(c) have you take
(d) are you taken
4 Max: “I _______ him to the park at 4:00 PM. He is sleeping now.”
(a) took
(b) have taken
(c) take
(d) was taken
5 Mom: “Lily, _______ the laundry from the washing machine?”
(a) have you removed
(b) did you removed
(c) have you remove
(d) do you remove
6 Lily: “I _______ that about twenty minutes ago. It’s drying now.”
(a) have did
(b) did
(c) have done
(d) was doing
7 Mom: “Wait, I see some dirt here. Max, _______ the floor in the living room?”
(a) did you sweep
(b) have you swept
(c) have you sweep
(d) were you swept
8 Max: “I _______ it this morning, but the dog came in with muddy paws.”
(a) have swept
(b) swept
(c) sweep
(d) was sweeping
9 Mom: “I see. I _______ so many chores today, and I am very tired.”
(a) did
(b) have done
(c) have did
(d) am doing
10 Lily: “Don’t worry, Mom. We _______ most of the work already.”
(a) finished
(b) have finished
(c) have finish
(d) are finished
11 Mom: “_______ the plants in the garden? It’s very dry outside.”
(a) Did anyone water
(b) Has anyone watered
(c) Has anyone water
(d) Is anyone watered
12 Max: “I _______ them yesterday, but I forgot to do it today.”
(a) have watered
(b) watered
(c) water
(d) was watered
13 Lily: “I _______ the trash out just now. The bin is empty.”
(a) took
(b) have taken
(c) take
(d) was taken
14 Mom: “Excellent. How long _______ your homework, Max?”
(a) did you do
(b) have you done
(c) have you do
(d) are you doing
15 Max: “I _______ it for two hours, but I haven’t finished the math part.”
(a) worked
(b) have worked
(c) have work
(d) am working
16 Mom: “Lily, I ______ my glasses. Can you see them anywhere?”
(a) lost
(b) have lost
(c) have lose
(d) was losing
17 Lily: “I _______ them on the counter when I was cleaning the kitchen.”
(a) have seen
(b) saw
(c) see
(d) was seen
18 Mom: “This is the cleanest the house _______ all month! Good job.”
(a) was
(b) has been
(c) has be
(d) is being
19 Max: “We _______ really hard today because we wanted to surprise you.”
(a) worked
(b) have worked
(c) have work
(d) are worked
20 Mom: “Well, I _______ a pizza for us to celebrate the clean house!”
(a) bought
(b) have bought
(c) have buy
(d) was bought
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) have you done
- Why: “Yet” indicates we are checking the current status of a task.
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error (did + V3); (c) is missing the past participle; (d) is Present Simple.
2 (b) finished
- Why: “Right after… lunch” is a specific past point.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (Present Perfect + specific time); (c) is present tense; (d) is passive.
3 (b) have you taken
- Why: Asking about a completed action within the “today” period (unfinished time).
- Analysis: (a) is a structural error (did + V2); (c) is missing the past participle; (d) is a passive/adjective error.
4 (a) took
- Why: “At 4:00 PM” is a specific finished time.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
5 (a) have you removed
- Why: Checking for a present result (is the laundry out now?).
- Analysis: (b) is a structural error; (c) is missing V3; (d) is Present Simple.
6 (b) did
- Why: “Twenty minutes ago” requires Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a structural error; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is a past continuous error.
7 (b) have you swept
- Why: Mom is looking at the floor now and asking about the result.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (too narrative); (c) is missing V3; (d) is passive.
8 (b) swept
- Why: “This morning” is treated as a finished time here.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is the wrong aspect.
9 (b) have done
- Why: Communicating total work done “today” (unfinished time) with a present result (tiredness).
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong aspect.
10 (b) have finished
- Why: “Already” indicates a task completed before the expected time.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is missing V3; (d) is an adjective state.
11 (b) Has anyone watered
- Why: Checking the current state of the plants.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is missing V3; (d) is passive.
12 (b) watered
- Why: “Yesterday” is a finished time.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
13 (a) took
- Why: “Just now” refers to a very recent but specific past moment.
- Analysis: (b) is a meaning trap; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
14 (b) have you done
- Why: “How long” asks about the duration of an action up to now.
- Analysis: (a) is for a finished past action; (c) is missing V3; (d) focuses only on this second.
15 (b) have worked
- Why: “For two hours” indicates duration leading up to the present.
- Analysis: (a) implies he stopped working long ago; (c) is missing V3; (d) ignores the duration.
16 (b) have lost
- Why: She doesn’t have them now (present result).
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (too narrative); (c) is missing V3; (d) is continuous.
17 (b) saw
- Why: “When I was cleaning” provides a specific past context.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
18 (b) has been
- Why: “All month” is a period that is still continuing.
- Analysis: (a) implies the month is over; (c) is missing V3; (d) is continuous.
19 (b) have worked
- Why: Emphasizing the effort made leading up to this moment.
- Analysis: (a) is too narrative; (c) is missing V3; (d) is passive.
20 (b) have bought
- Why: Announcing news with a present result (the pizza is here now).
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is missing V3; (d) is passive.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Use Present Perfect (Have/Has + V3) to Review Results: When checking if chores are done (status), use Present Perfect.
- Example: “Have you done the dishes?” (Result: Are they clean now?)
- Use Past Simple (V2) to Give Specifics: When reporting when you did the chore, use Past Simple.
- Example: “I did them at 1:00 PM.”
- Signal Words:
- Present Perfect: Yet, already, just, so far, for, since.
- Past Simple: Ago, yesterday, last night, at [time].
- How Long vs. When:
- Ask “How long have you…?” for duration.
- Ask “When did you…?” for a specific moment.
- Irregular Verbs: Remember the V3 forms: do -> done; take -> taken; sweep -> swept; see -> seen; buy -> bought.