Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option to complete each sentence. These questions are part of a neighborhood group chat discussion regarding the grand opening of a new supermarket.
1 Guess what? A new supermarket ______ on Oak Street!
(a) have open
(b) has opened
(c) is opening
(d) opened
2 I ______ the announcement on the community board five minutes ago.
(a) have seen
(b) seed
(c) seen
(d) saw
3 The mayor ______ the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony this morning.
(a) has cut
(b) cut
(c) cutted
(d) cuts
4 Wait, ______ you already ______ to the new store?
(a) have / been
(b) did / go
(c) have / be
(d) has / gone
5 They ______ any bread left when I visited at 10:00 AM.
(a) haven’t had
(b) didn’t have
(c) didn’t had
(d) don’t have
6 I ______ three emails to the manager today about the parking issues.
(a) sent
(b) sended
(c) have sent
(d) send
7 The store ______ a huge success since it opened at 8:00 AM.
(a) was
(b) has been
(c) been
(d) is being
8 “Look at these photos! I ______ them while I was waiting in line.”
(a) have taken
(b) tooked
(c) take
(d) took
9 ______ you ______ the manager yet? I heard he is very friendly.
(a) Did / meet
(b) Have / meet
(c) Have / met
(d) Do / met
10 My neighbor ______ some fresh milk there yesterday, and she said it was cheap.
(a) has bought
(b) buyed
(c) buys
(d) bought
11 We ______ a discount code last week, but I forgot to bring it today.
(a) received
(b) have received
(c) receive
(d) receivied
12 The shelves are empty! Many people ______ there since early morning.
(a) were
(b) have been
(c) gone
(d) was
13 “I ______ my wallet! Did I leave it at the checkout counter?”
(a) lost
(b) have lose
(c) lose
(d) have lost
14 Mr. Thompson ______ to the store three times today because he keeps forgetting things.
(a) has went
(b) went
(c) has gone
(d) goes
15 The bakery section ______ any croissants since the delivery truck broke down.
(a) didn’t have
(b) hasn’t had
(c) hasn’t have
(d) isn’t having
16 “I ______ that shop for ten years when it was a small grocery store.”
(a) have known
(b) knew
(c) knowed
(d) have know
17 It’s only noon, but the staff ______ to rest because of the massive crowd.
(a) didn’t have time
(b) haven’t had time
(c) haven’t have time
(d) don’t have time
18 I ______ the new manager for the first time just a few seconds ago.
(a) have met
(b) met
(c) meeted
(d) have meet
19 Why ______ you ______ the flyer? It explains all the opening deals.
(a) haven’t / read
(b) didn’t / read
(c) didn’t / red
(d) haven’t / red
20 The local news ______ an interview with the owner last night.
(a) has broadcasted
(b) broadcast
(c) have broadcast
(d) broadcasts
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (b) has opened
- Why correct: We use Present Perfect to announce “breaking news” where the time is not specified but the result is important now.
- Analysis: (a) is a structural error (wrong auxiliary/verb form); (c) implies it is currently happening (trap); (d) is a common mistake (using Past Simple for news without a time marker).
2 (d) saw
- Why correct: “Five minutes ago” is a finished time expression, requiring the Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (Present Perfect with specific time); (b) and (c) are structural/spelling errors.
3 (b) cut
- Why correct: “This morning” indicates a specific finished period. “Cut” is an irregular verb (cut-cut-cut).
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (cut is not regular); (d) is the wrong tense.
4 (a) have / been
- Why correct: “Already” is a typical signal for Present Perfect to ask about life experiences/recent actions. “Been” implies going and returning.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake (Past Simple with ‘already’); (c) is a structural error; (d) is a meaning trap (“gone” means you are still there).
5 (b) didn’t have
- Why correct: We use “didn’t + base form” for negative past actions with a specific time (10:00 AM).
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (double past); (d) is the wrong tense.
6 (c) have sent
- Why correct: “Today” is an unfinished time period, so Present Perfect is used for repeated actions.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is a structural error (irregular verb); (d) is the wrong tense.
7 (b) has been
- Why correct: “Since” indicates an action starting in the past and continuing to the present.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (Past Simple cannot be used with “since”); (c) is a structural error; (d) is a meaning trap.
8 (d) took
- Why correct: The speaker specifies the time of the action (while I was waiting), requiring Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is a structural error; (c) is the wrong tense.
9 (c) Have / met
- Why correct: “Yet” is used in questions and negatives with the Present Perfect.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is a structural error (need V3); (d) is a structural error.
10 (d) bought
- Why correct: “Yesterday” requires Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is a structural error (irregular verb); (c) is the wrong tense.
11 (a) received
- Why correct: “Last week” is a finished time period.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is a spelling error.
12 (b) have been
- Why correct: “Since” describes a state continuing until now.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (missing auxiliary); (d) is a structural error (subject-verb agreement).
13 (d) have lost
- Why correct: This is a recent action with a present result (the wallet is missing now), used for exclamations.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (too distant); (b) is a structural error; (c) is the wrong tense.
14 (c) has gone
- Why correct: “Today” is unfinished, and the context suggests he might still be there or the pattern continues.
- Analysis: (a) is a structural error (has + V3); (b) is a common mistake (ignores ‘today’); (d) is a meaning trap.
15 (b) hasn’t had
- Why correct: “Since” requires Present Perfect.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (need V3); (d) is a meaning trap.
16 (b) knew
- Why correct: The context “when it was a small grocery store” shows this period is finished and over.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (Present Perfect implies you still know it as a small store); (c) is a structural error; (d) is a structural error.
17 (b) haven’t had time
- Why correct: “It’s only noon” (unfinished time) + recent lack of time requires Present Perfect.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong tense.
18 (b) met
- Why correct: “A few seconds ago” is a specific point in time, even if very recent.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (thinking recent = present perfect); (c) is a structural error; (d) is a structural error.
19 (a) haven’t / read
- Why correct: The speaker is interested in the current state of knowledge (news context).
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) and (d) are structural/spelling errors (read/read/read).
20 (b) broadcast
- Why correct: “Last night” is a finished time. “Broadcast” is an irregular verb (broadcast-broadcast-broadcast).
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (irregularity); (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong tense.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Present Perfect (Have/Has + V3): Use this for Breaking News or events with no specific time. Use it with just, already, yet, since, for, and today/this week. It connects the past to the “now.”
- Past Simple (V2/ed): Use this for Details (who, when, where). If you see a specific time marker like yesterday, ago, last night, at 7:00, you must use this tense.
- The Golden Rule for News: Start with the Present Perfect to catch attention (“A fire has started!”) and follow up with Past Simple to give details (“It started at 5 PM.”).