A. Complete these news stories with the present perfect and the past simple.
1 John Bruce ……has won…… (win) three million euros in a lottery. He ……bought…… (buy) the lottery ticket last Saturday and …
2 Princess Lola and Sir John Falstaff ………………… (marry). They ………………… (meet) at a party at Windsor Castle in 2009.
3 Cameron Bowie ………………… (break) the 800 m record in Oslo. He ………………… (run) 1.40.23, the fastest time in the world.
4 Farmer Bo Peep ………………… (lose) all her sheep. She ………………… (call) the police last night but they …
5 Pop star Donna Ma ………………… (go) to live in Greenland. The pop star ………………… (say) that …
6 Builder Hansel and Gretel Sweet ………………… (build) a house out of sugar. Work on the house ………………… (start) two years ago and …
Answers
2 have married; met 3 has broken; ran
4 has lost; called 5 has gone; said
6 have built; started
B. Underline the correct option.
1 Let’s go out. The rain stops / has stopped.
2 Alice lives / has lived in Newcastle for three years.
3 It is / has been my birthday today.
4 Tony doesn’t speak / hasn’t spoken German.
5 Tony doesn’t speak / hasn’t spoken to me for years.
6 Do you ever see / Have you ever seen my school photos?
7 I play / have played it twice.
8 This cake doesn’t taste / hasn’t tasted very nice.
9 England has / has had a king or queen for more than 1,000 years.
10 Who thinks / has thought he knows the answer?
Answers
2 has lived 3 is 4 doesn’t speak
5 hasn’t spoken 6 Have you ever seen
7 have played 8 doesn’t taste
9 has had 10 thinks
C. Match the pairs.
1 Leo Tolstoy
2 That woman next to you
a has written many books
b wrote many books.
3 Mark watched the film
4 Mark has watched the film
a yesterday.
b today.
5 He’s been to Berlin.
6 He’s gone to Berlin.
a He will be back next Monday.
b He got back last night.
7 I really need it
8 I really needed it
a now.
b then.
9 It hasn’t rained for months,
10 It didn’t rain for months,
a so there wasn’t much water.
b so there isn’t much water.
11 Kangaroos live
12 Kangaroos have lived
a in Australia.
b in Australia for a long time.
13 Sheila bought a bike
14 Sheila has bought a bike
a when she was on holiday.
b but she never uses it.
15 ‘What happened next?’
16 ‘What happens next?’
a ‘Let’s wait and see.’
b ‘Look in the newspaper.’
Answers
1 b 2 a 3 a 4 b 5 b 6 a 7 a 8 b 9 b
10 a 11 a 12 b 13 a 14 b 15 b 16 a
D. Complete the dialogue using the verbs in brackets in the present perfect, past simple or present simple.
Susan: I’m not happy! It 1……has been…… (be) a hard week and it 2……………………. (have not) finished yet!
Lorraine: What 3…………………….? (happen)
Susan: Well, after training on Monday Mr Jones 4……………………. (phone) me and 5……………………. (tell) me I couldn’t be in the handball team.
Lorraine: Oh no, you always tell me that handball 6……………………. (be) your favourite sport.
Susan: That isn’t true any more. It 7……………………. (be) my favourite, but not now! I never want to play again.
Lorraine: This is terrible. 8……………………. you ……………………. (speak) to the other players?
Susan: No, I 9……………………. (not see) them all week. They are probably hiding!
Lorraine: When 10……………………. you ……………………. (start) playing handball?
Susan: Three years ago, My dad 11……………………. (take) me to a handball club. I 12……………………. (not miss) a single training session since then.
Lorraine: Don’t worry, Susan, you will get on the team again.
Answers
2 has not (hasn’t / ‘s not) finished
3 has (‘s) happened 4 phoned 5 told
6 is 7 was 8 Have … spoken
9 have not (haven’t / ‘ve not) seen
10 did … start 11 took
12 have not (haven’t / ‘ve not) missed
E. Circle the correct option.
The University of Bologna is the oldest university in the world. It 1…… a university since 1088. (The oldest university in England, Oxford University, 2…… in 1167.) Bologna, in the north of Italy, 3…… a beautiful town and many tourists 4…… the university each year to understand its history and traditions. The first students at Bologna only 5…… law but now the university 6…… over a hundred different types of courses, from agriculture to zoology. Many famous people 7…… from Bologna, especially in law and science. Perhaps the most important scientist is Copernicus (1473-1543). Copernicus was an astronomer (someone who studies the planets and stars). He 8…… that the earth went round the sun at a time when everyone 9…… that the earth was the centre of the universe. Since 2000, Bologna 10…… ‘Alma Mater Studiorum’, which means ‘Dear mother of studies’ in Latin.
1 a was b is c has been d have been
2 a started b starts c has started d have started
3 a was b is c has been d have been
4 a visited b visit c has visited d have visited
5 a studied b study c has studied d have studied
6 a taught b teaches c has taught d have taught
7 a graduated b graduates c has graduated d have graduated
8 a thought b thinks c has thought d have thought
9 a believed b believes c has believed d have believed
10 a was called b is c has been called d have been called
Answers
2 a 3 b 4 b 5 a 6 b 7 d 8 a 9 a 10 c
F. You are interviewing the DJ at a hotel in Greece. Write questions to match his replies, using the present perfect, past simple or present simple.
1 ‘For fifteen years.’
How long have you been a DJ? How long have you worked in this hotel?
2 ‘When I was a boy, it was always my dream to be a DJ.’
………………………………………………..?
3 ‘The sea is great and the people are so friendly.’
………………………………………………..?
4 ‘In 1976. It was the first hotel on the island.’
………………………………………………..?
5 ‘Yes, lots of famous people have stayed here.’
………………………………………………..?
6 ‘No, we are open 365 days a year.’
………………………………………………..?
7 ‘I’ve never thought about it – I love my job.’
………………………………………………..?
Answers
2 When did you decide to become a DJ?
3 What do you like about Greece?
4 When did the hotel open?
5 Has anybody famous stayed in the hotel?
6 Do you get any time off?
7 Have you ever wanted to do something different?
G. Make questions with the present perfect, past simple or present simple, using words and expressions from the box and write them below. Then answer them.
|
the weather you your best friend your parents your English teacher your dog / cat |
be do give have go play want |
recently this week now today yesterday last year |
1 Has your best friend had a party recently?
No, she hasn’t.
2 ………………………………………………?
…………………….. .
3 ………………………………………………?
…………………….. .
4 ………………………………………………?
…………………….. .
5 ………………………………………………?
…………………….. .
6 ………………………………………………?
…………………….. .
Answers
your own answers
H. Circle the correct option.
1 John Harvard …………… from England.
a comes b came c has come
2 Lesley …………… a student for two years now.
a is b was c has been
3 Obama …………… president in 2009.
a becomes b became c has become
4 Women …………… at Harvard for about the last 100 years.
a study b studied c have studied
5 My brother needs good marks because he …………… to go to Harvard.
a wants b wanted c has wanted
Answers
1 b 2 c 3 b 4 c 5 a
Related Posts
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Linking words 2: reason, purpose and result
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Linking words 1
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – It and there
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Word formation 2: nouns (affixes)
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Word formation 1: verbs and adjectives (affixes)
- English Grammar Exercises for B1 B2 – Non-defining relative clauses