Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option (A, B, C, or D) to complete the incident report regarding a broken window. All questions center on reporting the event to a landlord or repair person.
1 “Help! Someone ______ the living room window! There is glass everywhere.”
(a) has break
(b) breaks
(c) has broken
(d) broke
2 “I ______ a very loud crash exactly five minutes ago.”
(a) have heard
(b) heard
(c) hear
(d) heared
3 “I ______ into the room immediately to see what happened.”
(a) ran
(b) have run
(c) runned
(d) run
4 “______ you ______ the landlord about this problem yet?”
(a) Have / told
(b) Did / tell
(c) Have / tell
(d) Do / told
5 “The rock ______ through the glass and landed on the sofa.”
(a) has come
(b) comed
(c) comes
(d) came
6 “I ______ the police yet because I wanted to speak to you first.”
(a) haven’t called
(b) didn’t call
(c) haven’t call
(d) don’t call
7 “Last month, a similar thing ______ to the neighbor downstairs.”
(a) was happening
(b) has happened
(c) happened
(d) happen
8 “I ______ in this building for two years, and it’s always been safe until now.”
(a) live
(b) have lived
(c) lived
(d) have live
9 “Look! Someone ______ a heavy brick on the grass outside.”
(a) leaves
(b) left
(c) has left
(d) has leave
10 “I ______ any suspicious people on our street earlier today.”
(a) haven’t seen
(b) don’t see
(c) haven’t saw
(d) didn’t see
11 “When ______ you ______ the damage exactly?”
(a) did / notice
(b) have / noticed
(c) did / noticed
(d) do / notice
12 “I ______ the hole with plastic for now to keep the rain out.”
(a) cover
(b) have covered
(c) covered
(d) has covered
13 “The repairman ______ here once before to fix the lock last year.”
(a) been
(b) has gone
(c) was
(d) has been
14 “He ______ his tools in the hallway before he went to his truck.”
(a) leaved
(b) left
(c) has left
(d) leaves
15 “I ______ the front door locked all day, so I don’t think anyone entered.”
(a) have kept
(b) kept
(c) keep
(d) have keep
16 “This is the third time a window ______ in this street this month.”
(a) has broken
(b) has broke
(c) broke
(d) breaks
17 “I ______ the security camera footage yet, but I will do it now.”
(a) don’t check
(b) didn’t check
(c) haven’t check
(d) haven’t checked
18 “Where ______ the person ______? I saw them running toward the park.”
(a) has / been
(b) did / go
(c) has / gone
(d) does / go
19 “I ______ the window was a bit loose when I first moved in.”
(a) knew
(b) have known
(c) knowed
(d) know
20 “I ______ to three different glass shops this afternoon to check prices.”
(a) have go
(b) went
(c) have been
(d) have gone
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (c) has broken
- Why it’s correct: Use Present Perfect to announce a recent event that has a clear result in the present (the glass is currently on the floor).
- Error Analysis: (a) is a structural error (V3 needed); (b) is the wrong tense; (d) is a common mistake (using Past Simple without a time marker).
2 (b) heard
- Why it’s correct: “Five minutes ago” is a finished time expression, requiring Past Simple.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is a structural error (irregular verb).
3 (a) ran
- Why it’s correct: Narrative sequence of events in the past uses Past Simple.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong tense.
4 (a) Have / told
- Why it’s correct: “Yet” is used in Present Perfect questions to ask about an action up to the present.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (needs V3); (d) is a structural error.
5 (d) came
- Why it’s correct: Describing the specific details of how an incident occurred requires Past Simple.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is a structural error; (c) is the wrong tense.
6 (a) haven’t called
- Why it’s correct: Use Present Perfect negative with “yet” for an expected action that hasn’t happened.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong tense.
7 (c) happened
- Why it’s correct: “Last month” indicates a finished past period.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (b) is a common mistake (Present Perfect + finished time); (d) is the wrong tense.
8 (b) have lived
- Why it’s correct: “For two years” indicates a state that started in the past and continues now.
- Error Analysis: (a) is the wrong tense; (c) is a meaning trap (suggests you no longer live there); (d) is a structural error.
9 (c) has left
- Why it’s correct: The result (the brick is there now) is the focus of the statement.
- Error Analysis: (a) is the wrong tense; (b) is a common mistake; (d) is a structural error.
10 (d) didn’t see
- Why it’s correct: “Earlier today” is treated as a completed past moment in an incident report.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (b) is the wrong tense; (c) is a structural error (didn’t + V-bare).
11 (a) did / notice
- Why it’s correct: Questions starting with “When” almost always require Past Simple.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (did + V-ed); (d) is the wrong tense.
12 (b) have covered
- Why it’s correct: Recent action completed with a current result (the hole is now covered).
- Error Analysis: (a) is the wrong tense; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is a structural error.
13 (c) was
- Why it’s correct: “Last year” is a finished time, requiring Past Simple.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a structural error; (b) and (d) are common mistakes/meaning traps.
14 (b) left
- Why it’s correct: Part of a sequence of past actions (“before he went”).
- Error Analysis: (a) is a structural error; (c) is a common mistake; (d) is the wrong tense.
15 (a) have kept
- Why it’s correct: “All day” implies the time period is still ongoing or the result is relevant.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is the wrong tense; (d) is a structural error.
16 (a) has broken
- Why it’s correct: “This is the [number] time…” is a standard structure requiring Present Perfect.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a structural error (broke vs broken); (c) is a common mistake; (d) is the wrong tense.
17 (d) haven’t checked
- Why it’s correct: “Yet” with a negative Present Perfect.
- Error Analysis: (a) is the wrong tense; (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (needs -ed).
18 (c) has / gone
- Why it’s correct: “Has gone” means they left and are still away/missing (the intruder).
- Error Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap (been = went and came back); (b) is a common mistake; (d) is the wrong tense.
19 (a) knew
- Why it’s correct: “When I first moved in” is a specific past point. “Know” is a stative verb.
- Error Analysis: (b) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong tense.
20 (c) have been
- Why it’s correct: “This afternoon” is an unfinished time, and “have been” implies going and returning.
- Error Analysis: (a) is a structural error; (b) is a common mistake; (d) is a meaning trap (gone = still at the shop).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Past Simple: Used for completed actions at a specific time.
- Signal words: yesterday, ago, last…, when I was…, in [year].
- Focus: When the event happened.
- Present Perfect: Used for recent actions with a present result, or actions in an unfinished time period.
- Signal words: just, already, yet, so far, since, for, this week.
- Focus: The result or the experience, not the time.
- The “When” Rule: Never use Present Perfect with “When” in a question. Use “Did…?” instead.