Present Perfect Tense – English Grammar Exercises for A2
You are at school or in a meeting, but you realize you forgot something important at home. Read the sentences carefully and choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each situation.
1 “I can’t do the exercise right now because I ______ my textbook at home.”
(a) usually leave
(b) have left
(c) left
(d) have leaved
2 “Oh no! I ______ to bring a pen. Can I borrow yours?”
(a) have forgotten
(b) never forget
(c) have forget
(d) forgot
3 “We can’t start the lesson because the teacher ______ the worksheets yet.”
(a) haven’t printed
(b) didn’t print
(c) hasn’t printed
(d) already printed
4 “Have you ______ your project materials with you today?”
(a) took
(b) brought
(c) bringed
(d) bring
5 “My partner ______ his laptop, so we have to share mine.”
(a) has brought
(b) hasn’t bring
(c) didn’t bring
(d) hasn’t brought
6 “I am so sorry, I can’t find my notes. I think I ______ them on my desk.”
(a) have put
(b) have left
(c) left
(d) have leave
7 “The manager is angry because I ______ the report ______.”
(a) didn’t finish / already
(b) have finished / yet
(c) hasn’t finished / yet
(d) haven’t finished / yet
8 “I ______ a pencil ______ the beginning of the semester! I always borrow one.”
(a) haven’t had / since
(b) have had / since
(c) didn’t have / for
(d) haven’t had / for
9 “I can’t read page 10 because I ______ my glasses at home.”
(a) left
(b) have left
(c) has left
(d) have forgotten
10 “Where is your math folder?” – “I don’t know. I ______ it anywhere since Monday.”
(a) have seen
(b) didn’t see
(c) haven’t seen
(d) hasn’t seen
11 “I am so embarrassed. I ______ my essay, so I have nothing to give the teacher.”
(a) have lose
(b) have lost
(c) lost
(d) am losing
12 “We ______ this textbook ______ three weeks, but I still forget to put it in my bag!”
(a) used / since
(b) use / for
(c) have used / since
(d) have used / for
13 “The meeting starts in one minute, but I ______ the document yet.”
(a) didn’t download
(b) haven’t downloaded
(c) have already downloaded
(d) haven’t download
14 “I can’t believe it! I ______ my folder in the library.”
(a) just left
(b) leave just
(c) have just left
(d) have just leave
15 “Teacher, I ______ my bag twice, but my notebook isn’t in here.”
(a) checked
(b) have check
(c) never check
(d) have checked
16 “He ______ his homework ______ a long time. The teacher is calling his parents today.”
(a) hasn’t brought / since
(b) hasn’t brought / for
(c) didn’t bring / since
(d) has brought / for
17 “Can I share the book with you? I ______ to put mine in my bag.”
(a) forgot
(b) remember
(c) have forgot
(d) have forgotten
18 “I know we have a math test today, but I ______ my calculator.”
(a) hasn’t brought
(b) haven’t brought
(c) didn’t bring
(d) have brought
19 “Do you have the new schedule?” – “No, the school ______ it to us yet.”
(a) didn’t give
(b) haven’t given
(c) hasn’t given
(d) has already given
20 “I can’t take notes. I ______ my pen, and I haven’t found it ______.”
(a) have dropped / just
(b) dropped / already
(c) have drop / yet
(d) have dropped / yet
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Key: (b) have left
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The Present Perfect connects the past mistake (leaving the book) to the present result (not having it now).
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple ignores the present consequence). (d) is a Structural Error (V3 of leave is “left”, not “leaved”). (a) is a Meaning Trap (Present Simple means you do it every day, which doesn’t fit the immediate panic of the situation).
2 Key: (a) have forgotten
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Shows a past action that has a direct effect right now (needing to borrow a pen).
- Distractor Analysis: (d) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple cuts the connection to the present). (c) is a Structural Error (missing the V3 form “forgotten”). (b) is a Meaning Trap (If you “never forget”, you wouldn’t need to borrow one).
3 Key: (c) hasn’t printed
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “The teacher” is singular (takes “has”). Negative Present Perfect is used with “yet” for an uncompleted expected task.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple with “yet” is incorrect). (a) is a Structural Error (“haven’t” is plural). (d) is a Meaning Trap (If they “already printed”, you could start the lesson).
4 Key: (b) brought
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Have you” requires the Past Participle (V3). The V3 of “bring” is “brought”.
- Distractor Analysis: (d) is a Structural Error (V1 form). (c) is a Structural Error (“bringed” is not a word). (a) is a Meaning Trap (“take” means to move something away from here; “bring” means to move something here. Also, “took” is V2, not V3).
5 Key: (d) hasn’t brought
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Explains the present situation (having to share a laptop) caused by a past action.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (b) is a Structural Error (missing V3). (a) is a Meaning Trap (If he “has brought” it, you wouldn’t need to share).
6 Key: (b) have left
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Emphasizes that the notes are currently missing because they were left somewhere.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (d) is a Structural Error (missing V3). (a) is a Meaning Trap (“Put” implies a deliberate action, while “left” better captures the accidental nature of forgetting them).
7 Key: (d) haven’t finished / yet
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “I” takes “have”. “Yet” goes at the end of negative sentences to show an action is incomplete.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple and incorrect use of “already” in a negative). (c) is a Structural Error (“hasn’t” is wrong for “I”). (b) is a Meaning Trap (A positive sentence with “yet” is structurally and logically wrong here).
8 Key: (a) haven’t had / since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Negative state continuing up to now. “The beginning” is a specific starting point in time, requiring “since”.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (d) is a Structural Error (using “for” with a point in time). (b) is a Meaning Trap (If you “have had” one, you wouldn’t need to borrow).
9 Key: (b) have left
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: In English, we use “leave” (not “forget”) when we mention the place where we accidentally put something (e.g., at home).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (d) is a Meaning Trap (A very common learner error is saying “I have forgotten my book at home”. You can “forget your book”, but if you mention “at home”, you must use “leave”). (c) is a Structural Error (“has” is wrong for “I”).
10 Key: (c) haven’t seen
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: An ongoing lack of experience from Monday up to the present moment.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple cannot be used with “since”). (d) is a Structural Error (“hasn’t” is wrong for “I”). (a) is a Meaning Trap (Contradicts “I don’t know”).
11 Key: (b) have lost
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The past action of losing the essay has the immediate present result of having nothing to give the teacher.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (a) is a Structural Error (V1 instead of V3). (d) is a Meaning Trap (Present Continuous means it is slipping out of your hands right now).
12 Key: (d) have used / for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Three weeks” is a duration (length of time), so we must use “for”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple and wrong preposition). (c) is a Structural Error (using “since” with a duration). (b) is a Meaning Trap (Present Simple + for is grammatically clunky and doesn’t fit the ongoing perfect state here).
13 Key: (b) haven’t downloaded
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Yet” signals that an expected action is still incomplete right up to the deadline.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple with “yet”). (d) is a Structural Error (missing V3 “ed”). (c) is a Meaning Trap (If you “already downloaded” it, there wouldn’t be a problem).
14 Key: (c) have just left
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Have just + V3” describes an action that happened a very short time ago, causing the current panic.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (d) is a Structural Error (Missing V3). (b) is a Meaning Trap (Wrong word order and tense).
15 Key: (d) have checked
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Present Perfect is used to count how many times an action has happened up to now (“twice”).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple breaks the connection to the ongoing search). (b) is a Structural Error (missing V3 “ed”). (c) is a Meaning Trap (Contradicts the word “twice”).
16 Key: (b) hasn’t brought / for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “A long time” is a duration, requiring “for”. The negative habit continues to the present, causing the teacher to call parents today.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple + wrong preposition). (a) is a Structural Error (using “since” with a duration). (d) is a Meaning Trap (If he brought it, the teacher wouldn’t be angry).
17 Key: (d) have forgotten
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The past mistake results in needing to share the book now.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (Missing V3 “en”). (b) is a Meaning Trap (If you “remember” to put it in your bag, you don’t need to share).
18 Key: (b) haven’t brought
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Explains the current lack of a calculator.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (a) is a Structural Error (“hasn’t” is wrong for “I”). (d) is a Meaning Trap (If you brought it, there is no problem).
19 Key: (c) hasn’t given
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “The school” is singular (takes “has”). Negative sentence with “yet” shows the schedule is still missing.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple with “yet”). (b) is a Structural Error (“haven’t” is plural). (d) is a Meaning Trap (Contradicts “No”).
20 Key: (d) have dropped / yet
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Have dropped” sets up the current problem. “Yet” correctly goes at the end of the negative clause to mean “up to now”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple + wrong use of already). (c) is a Structural Error (missing V3 “ed”). (a) is a Meaning Trap (“Just” cannot go at the end of a negative sentence like this).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Focus on the Present Result: – We use the Present Perfect (Have/Has + V3) when a past action causes a problem right now.
- Example: “I have forgotten my pen” = I forgot it in the past, and as a result, I don’t have it right now. If you say “I forgot my pen”, the listener might think you found it later!
- Leave vs. Forget:
- You can say “I have forgotten my book.”
- BUT, if you mention the place, you must use leave: “I have left my book at home” (Never say “I have forgotten my book at home”).
- For vs. Since (Time Markers):
- Use For with a duration (how long): for three weeks, for a long time.
- Use Since with a starting point (when it began): since Monday, since the beginning of the semester.
- Using “Yet”:
- “Yet” means “up to now”. It is used when we expect to have our materials but don’t. It always goes at the end of questions and negative sentences (I haven’t found it yet).