Past Simple vs. Present Perfect – English Grammar Exercises for A2
Choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each sentence.
1 Alex: “I’m thinking about buying the new Brand X smartphone.”
Taylor: “Oh, please don’t! I _______ that brand before, and it was a disaster.”
(a) have used
(b) used
(c) have use
(d) am using
2 Alex: “Really? When _______ it?”
(a) did you buy
(b) have you bought
(c) do you buy
(d) were you buy
3 Taylor: “I _______ a pair of their wireless headphones last year.”
(a) have bought
(b) bought
(c) buy
(d) was bought
4 “They _______ after only two weeks of use!”
(a) have broken
(b) broke
(c) breaked
(d) were broke
5 Alex: “That’s bad. _______ any other products from them since then?”
(a) Did you try
(b) Have you tried
(c) Have you try
(d) Do you try
6 Taylor: “No, I _______. I don’t want to waste any more money.”
(a) didn’t
(b) haven’t
(c) haven’t try
(d) don’t
7 “In fact, I _______ any Brand X products in my house for over a year now.”
(a) didn’t have
(b) haven’t had
(c) haven’t have
(d) don’t have
8 Alex: “Maybe they improved. My brother _______ a Brand X laptop two months ago.”
(a) has gotten
(b) got
(c) gets
(d) was get
9 Taylor: “And is it okay? My laptop _______ twice while I was working last night.”
(a) has crashed
(b) crashed
(c) crashes
(d) was crashed
10 Alex: “Well, he _______ any problems with his laptop yet.”
(a) didn’t have
(b) hasn’t had
(c) hasn’t have
(d) doesn’t have
11 Taylor: “Lucky him! I _______ a long email to their support team yesterday morning.”
(a) have written
(b) wrote
(c) writed
(d) was written
12 “But they _______ to my message until now.”
(a) didn’t reply
(b) haven’t replied
(c) haven’t reply
(d) don’t reply
13 Alex: “_______ their website for the latest updates? They might have a fix.”
(a) Did you check
(b) Have you checked
(c) Have you check
(d) Do you check
14 Taylor: “Yes, I _______ that just now, but there’s nothing new.”
(a) have done
(b) did
(c) have did
(d) was doing
15 “This is the worst customer service I _______.”
(a) ever experienced
(b) have ever experienced
(c) ever experience
(d) am ever experiencing
16 Alex: “Wait, I remember now. You _______ me about this brand last month!”
(a) have warned
(b) warned
(c) warn
(d) were warn
17 Taylor: “Exactly! I _______ my lesson, and I don’t want you to be sad too.”
(a) learned
(b) have learned
(c) have learn
(d) was learned
18 Alex: “I _______ my mind. I’ll look for a different brand instead.”
(a) just changed
(b) have just changed
(c) just change
(d) was just changed
19 Taylor: “Good choice. How long _______ your current phone?”
(a) did you have
(b) have you had
(c) have you have
(d) do you have
20 Alex: “I _______ it for three years, and it still works perfectly!”
(a) had
(b) have had
(c) have have
(d) am having
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (a) have used
- Why: Present Perfect for life experience without a specific time.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake (using Past Simple without time); (c) is a structural error (V3 needed); (d) is a meaning trap (he isn’t using it now because he’s warning against it).
2 (a) did you buy
- Why: “When” always triggers the Past Simple for a specific past moment.
- Analysis: (b) is a common mistake (Present Perfect with ‘when’); (c) is Present Simple; (d) is a structural error.
3 (b) bought
- Why: “Last year” is a finished time period.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present tense; (d) is a passive voice error.
4 (b) broke
- Why: Describes a specific sequence of events in the past.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is an irregular verb error; (d) is a structural error.
5 (b) Have you tried
- Why: “Since then” indicates a period from the past until now.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (V3 needed); (d) is Present Simple.
6 (b) haven’t
- Why: Correct short answer for the Present Perfect question “Have you…?”
- Analysis: (a) is a common auxiliary mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is Present Simple.
7 (b) haven’t had
- Why: “For over a year now” shows duration of a state until the present.
- Analysis: (a) implies a finished period; (c) is a structural error (missing V3 ‘had’); (d) is Present Simple.
8 (b) got
- Why: “Two months ago” requires Past Simple.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
9 (b) crashed
- Why: “Last night” is a specific past time.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a passive error.
10 (b) hasn’t had
- Why: “Yet” is used in negative Present Perfect sentences for expectations up to now.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error; (d) is Present Simple.
11 (b) wrote
- Why: “Yesterday morning” is a specific past point.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is an irregular verb error; (d) is passive.
12 (b) haven’t replied
- Why: “Until now” indicates an unfinished duration.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is a structural error (V3 needed); (d) is Present Simple.
13 (b) Have you checked
- Why: Checking the current status or result of an action.
- Analysis: (a) asks about a past moment; (c) is a structural error; (d) is present.
14 (b) did
- Why: “Just now” in many English variants refers to a very recent but specific past moment.
- Analysis: (a) is a meaning trap; (c) is a structural error; (d) is ongoing.
15 (b) have ever experienced
- Why: Superlatives (the worst/best) are followed by Present Perfect to emphasize experience.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is continuous.
16 (b) warned
- Why: “Last month” is a finished time.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is a structural error.
17 (b) have learned
- Why: Use Present Perfect to show a past experience that has a present result (he is now wise).
- Analysis: (a) is too narrative; (c) is a structural error; (d) is passive.
18 (b) have just changed
- Why: “Just” with Present Perfect shows a very recent action with present relevance.
- Analysis: (a) is a common mistake; (c) is present; (d) is passive.
19 (b) have you had
- Why: Asking about the duration of a current state (owning the phone).
- Analysis: (a) implies he no longer has it; (c) is a structural error; (d) is a meaning trap (ignores duration).
20 (b) have had
- Why: “For three years” shows a state that began in the past and is still true.
- Analysis: (a) implies he doesn’t have it now; (c) is a structural error; (d) is the wrong aspect for ‘have’ (state).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Life Experiences (Present Perfect): Use Have/Has + V3 to say you have done something in your life. Don’t mention exactly when.
- Example: “I have used that brand.”
- Specific Evidence (Past Simple): Once you give a specific time (yesterday, last month, 2 years ago), switch to V2
- Example: “It broke last week.”
- Signal Words for Warning:
- Present Perfect: Yet, already, just, since then, for a long time.
- Past Simple: Ago, yesterday, when, in [year].
- Duration: If a problem started in the past and is still a problem now, use Present Perfect. If the problem is over, use Past Simple.
- Irregular Verbs: Watch out for V3 forms: buy -> bought -> bought; break -> broke -> broken; write -> wrote -> written.