Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option to complete each sentence.
1 “Hi! I’m Mark. ________ you ever played this icebreaker game before?”
(a) Did
(b) Do
(c) Have
(d) Were
2 “Yes, I ________ it once at a summer camp last year.”
(a) have played
(b) played
(c) play
(d) was play
3 “Great! So, have you ever ________ to South America?”
(a) went
(b) go
(c) been
(d) being
4 “No, I haven’t, but I ________ to Mexico in 2021”
(a) have traveled
(b) travel
(c) traveled
(d) was traveled
5 “That’s cool! How ________ you get there? By plane?”
(a) have
(b) did
(c) were
(d) do
6 “Actually, I ________ a cruise ship from Florida to Cozumel.”
(a) took
(b) have taken
(c) take
(d) taked
7 “I ________ never been on a cruise ship. Was it fun?”
(a) didn’t
(b) haven’t
(c) have
(d) was
8 “It was amazing! We ________ many beautiful islands during the trip.”
(a) have seen
(b) saw
(c) see
(d) did saw
9 “What about food? Have you ________ any weird tropical fruits?”
(a) ate
(b) eat
(c) eaten
(d) eating
10 “Yes! I ________ dragon fruit for the first time when I was there.”
(a) have tried
(b) tried
(c) try
(d) tryed
11 “I love dragon fruit! I ________ it many times since I moved here.”
(a) have eaten
(b) ate
(c) eat
(d) eaten
12 “Oh? When ________ you move to this city?”
(a) have
(b) did
(c) were
(d) do
13 “I ________ here three months ago for my new job.”
(a) have arrived
(b) arrived
(c) arrive
(d) was arrive
14 “Have you ________ any new friends since you arrived?”
(a) made
(b) make
(c) maked
(d) did make
15 “Yes, I ________ a few colleagues at the office party last Friday.”
(a) have met
(b) meet
(c) met
(d) was meet
16 “Have you ever ________ your passport while traveling?”
(a) lost
(b) lose
(c) losed
(d) have lost
17 “Fortunately, no! But my brother ________ his suitcase on a trip to Italy.”
(a) has lost
(b) lost
(c) lose
(d) was lose
18 “Oh no! How long ________ he stay in Italy without his clothes?”
(a) has
(b) did
(c) was
(d) does
19 “He ________ there for two weeks, but the airline found it after three days.”
(a) was
(b) has been
(c) is
(d) been
20 “Well, we ________ a lot about each other today! Let’s grab a coffee.”
(a) learned
(b) have learned
(c) learn
(d) are learn
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) Have
- Why it’s correct: Present Perfect is used with “ever” to ask about life experiences.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (using Past Simple for general experience); (b) is a basic grammar error (Present Simple); (d) is a structural error (Verb ‘to be’ doesn’t go with ‘played’).
2 (b) played
- Why it’s correct: “Last year” is a finished time marker, requiring Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (using Present Perfect with a specific time); (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is a structural error.
3 (c) been
- Why it’s correct: “Have been to” refers to visiting a place and returning.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (using the past form ‘went’ after ‘have’); (b) is the base form; (d) is the wrong participle.
4 (c) traveled
- Why it’s correct: The sentence specifies “in 2021,” so we must use Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (Present Perfect cannot be used with a finished year); (b) is Present Simple; (d) is a structural error (passive voice attempt).
5 (b) did
- Why it’s correct: This is a follow-up question about a specific past event.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (trying to continue the Present Perfect); (c) and (d) are structural/tense errors.
6 (a) took
- Why it’s correct: Refers to a specific action during the Mexico trip (Past Simple).
- Analysis: (b) is a meaning trap (implies the action is still relevant/happening); (d) is a structural error (irregular verb ‘take’ is not ‘taked’).
7 (c) have
- Why it’s correct: “I have never been” is the standard Present Perfect structure for experience.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake (double negative: ‘haven’t never’); (a) and (d) are structural errors.
8 (b) saw
- Why it’s correct: “During the trip” refers to a completed period in the past.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (d) is a structural error (did + past form).
9 (c) eaten
- Why it’s correct: Past participle is required after “Have you…?”
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (using past simple ‘ate’); (b) and (d) are structural errors.
10 (b) tried
- Why it’s correct: “When I was there” defines a specific past time.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (d) is a spelling error (Structural error).
11 (a) have eaten
- Why it’s correct: “Since I moved here” indicates a period starting in the past and continuing to now.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is missing the auxiliary ‘have’.
12 (b) did
- Why it’s correct: Questions with “When” almost always use the Past Simple because they ask for a specific time.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (Present Perfect doesn’t specify ‘when’); (c) and (d) are structural/tense errors.
13 (b) arrived
- Why it’s correct: “Three months ago” is a finished time marker.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is a structural error.
14 (a) made
- Why it’s correct: “Since you arrived” triggers the Present Perfect.
- Analysis: (b) is the base form; (c) is a structural error (‘make’ is irregular); (d) is a structural error.
15 (c) met
- Why it’s correct: “Last Friday” requires the Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is the wrong tense; (d) is a structural error.
16 (a) lost
- Why it’s correct: ‘Lost’ is the past participle of ‘lose’.
- Analysis: (b) is the base form; (c) is a structural error (irregular verb); (d) is redundant (Meaning trap).
17 (b) lost
- Why it’s correct: Narrating a specific event in a brother’s past trip.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake (mixing experience with a specific story); (c) and (d) are basic errors.
18 (b) did
- Why it’s correct: Asking about the duration of a finished past event.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (implies he is still in Italy); (c) and (d) are structural/tense errors.
19 (a) was
- Why it’s correct: He is no longer there; the stay is finished.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake (using Present Perfect for a completed duration); (c) and (d) are basic errors.
20 (b) have learned
- Why it’s correct: Used to describe the result of an activity that just finished or is relevant to the “now.”
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (suggests the learning happened at a specific point in the past, rather than as a result of the conversation); (c) and (d) are structural errors.
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Life Experience vs. Specific Details:
- Use Present Perfect (Have you ever…?) to ask about experiences at any time in someone’s life.
- Once the person says “Yes,” switch to Past Simple (When did you…? / Where were you…?) to ask for specific details like time, place, or people.
- Time Markers:
- Past Simple: Yesterday, last week, in 2010, two months ago, when I was a child. (Finished time).
- Present Perfect: Ever, never, so far, since, for, already, yet. (Unfinished time or general experience).
- Been vs. Gone:
- Have been to: You went and came back (used for experiences).
- Have gone to: You went and are still there.
- The “When” Rule:
- We cannot use the Present Perfect with “When…?” because “When” asks for a specific point in time. Always use Past Simple: “When did you arrive?” (NOT: “When have you arrived?”).