Present Perfect Tense – English Grammar Exercises for A2
You and your mom are checking your luggage before leaving for the airport. Read the conversation carefully and choose the best option (a, b, c, or d) to complete each sentence.
1 “Let’s check your bag. ______ your toothbrush in the small pocket?”
(a) Do you pack
(b) Did you pack
(c) Have you pack
(d) Have you packed
2 “Don’t worry, Mom. I ______ my shoes in the suitcase.”
(a) already put
(b) have already putted
(c) have already put
(d) am already putting
3 “What about your sister? ______ her passport yet?”
(a) Have she found
(b) Did she find
(c) Does she find
(d) Has she found
4 “We need to leave soon, but you ______ your jacket from the closet.”
(a) haven’t taken
(b) didn’t take
(c) hasn’t taken
(d) aren’t taking
5 “I am so excited! I haven’t been on a plane ______ last year.”
(a) since
(b) from
(c) for
(d) in
6 “Look! Dad ______ the car outside. Let’s take the bags to him.”
(a) just parked
(b) is just parking
(c) have just parked
(d) has just parked
7 “Please check your pockets. I hope you ______ your house keys.”
(a) didn’t forget
(b) haven’t forgotten
(c) haven’t forget
(d) haven’t remembered
8 “______ the travel tags to the bags yet?”
(a) Have you attached
(b) Did you attach
(c) You have attached
(d) Do you attach
9 “Hurry up! The taxi driver ______ outside for ten minutes.”
(a) was
(b) has been
(c) have been
(d) is
10 “Mom, I am a bit nervous because I ______ alone before.”
(a) have ever flown
(b) never flew
(c) have never fly
(d) have never flown
11 “We haven’t checked the weight limit ______ we bought these new suitcases.”
(a) when
(b) for
(c) since
(d) after
12 “______ the hotel address on this piece of paper?”
(a) Did you wrote
(b) Have you write
(c) Do you write
(d) Have you written
13 “I can’t close this bag. I ______ so many clothes in it before!”
(a) have never put
(b) never put
(c) haven’t never put
(d) have always put
14 “I have my phone, but I haven’t packed the charger ______.”
(a) just
(b) already
(c) yet
(d) still
15 “Are you sure you ______ the back door? I don’t want anyone to enter the house.”
(a) locked
(b) have opened
(c) have locked
(d) have lock
16 “______ this passport? It looks very old.”
(a) How long did you have
(b) How long do you have
(c) How long have you had
(d) How long you have had
17 “We haven’t visited grandma ______ a long time. She will be so happy to see us.”
(a) in
(b) since
(c) for
(d) from
18 “______ the airline’s rules about liquids? We can only bring 100ml.”
(a) Have you readed
(b) Did you read
(c) Are you reading
(d) Have you read
19 “Mom, I am ready. I ______ everything on the checklist.”
(a) have already checked
(b) already checked
(c) have already check
(d) haven’t checked
20 “This is the heaviest suitcase I ______! What did you put inside?”
(a) have never carried
(b) ever carried
(c) have ever carry
(d) have ever carried
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 Key: (d) Have you packed
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Asking about a completed action on a checklist up to the present moment requires Present Perfect.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (using Past Simple instead of Present Perfect for a checklist). (c) is a Structural Error (missing the ‘ed’ for V3). (a) is a Meaning Trap (Present Simple asks about a general habit, not the current trip).
2 Key: (c) have already put
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Already” with Present Perfect confirms a task is done. The V3 of “put” is “put”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (b) is a Structural Error (“putted” is incorrect). (d) is a Meaning Trap (Present Continuous means you are doing it right now, which doesn’t fit “already”).
3 Key: (d) Has she found
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Sister” is 3rd person singular (takes “has”). “Yet” signals the Present Perfect question.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (a) is a Structural Error (“Have” is wrong for “she”). (c) is a Meaning Trap (asks about a habit).
4 Key: (a) haven’t taken
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Negative Present Perfect (haven’t + V3) shows a necessary action is still incomplete.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (“hasn’t” is wrong for “you”). (d) is a Meaning Trap (Present Continuous implies you are refusing to take it, rather than just haven’t done it yet).
5 Key: (a) since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Last year” is a specific starting point in time, requiring “since”.
- Distractor Analysis: (c) is a Common Mistake (“for” is used for durations, not starting points). (b) is a Structural Error (“from” is rarely used with Present Perfect). (d) is a Meaning Trap (“in” + year is for Past Simple).
6 Key: (d) has just parked
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Dad” takes “has”. “Just” shows the action happened moments ago, resulting in the car being ready now.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (“have” is plural). (b) is a Meaning Trap (Present Continuous means he is still driving/parking it right now).
7 Key: (b) haven’t forgotten
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Expresses hope that a negative state (not forgetting) is true up to the present. V3 of forget is “forgotten”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (missing V3 form). (d) is a Meaning Trap (If you “haven’t remembered”, it means you forgot them!).
8 Key: (a) Have you attached
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Question form checking the status of an item using “yet”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (statement word order, not a question). (d) is a Meaning Trap (asks about a general habit).
9 Key: (b) has been
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: A state that started in the past and continues now (“for ten minutes”). “Taxi driver” takes “has”.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple implies he is no longer there). (c) is a Structural Error (“have” is plural). (d) is a Meaning Trap (“is” cannot be used with “for ten minutes”).
10 Key: (d) have never flown
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Never” + V3 (flown) expresses a lack of life experience up to the moment of speaking.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (using V1 instead of V3). (a) is a Meaning Trap (“ever” in a positive statement is contextually weird; it means you have done it, which contradicts “alone before” and being nervous).
11 Key: (c) since
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Since” can be followed by a Past Simple clause (“we bought…”) to show the starting point of the Present Perfect time frame.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (using “for” before a clause). (a) is a Structural Error (“when” is not a Present Perfect time preposition). (d) is a Meaning Trap (“after” changes the grammatical structure).
12 Key: (d) Have you written
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: V3 of “write” is “written”. The question checks if the information is currently on the paper.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple with double past error). (b) is a Structural Error (using V1 instead of V3). (c) is a Meaning Trap (asks about a habit).
13 Key: (a) have never put
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Describes an experience (or lack of it) in the past that makes the current situation unusual.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (Double negative). (d) is a Meaning Trap (If you “have always put” so many clothes, it wouldn’t be a problem now).
14 Key: (c) yet
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “Yet” goes at the end of negative sentences to show an expected checklist item is missing.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (“already” goes in positive sentences). (a) is a Structural Error (“just” goes between have and V3). (d) is a Meaning Trap (“still” goes before “haven’t”).
15 Key: (c) have locked
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The past action (locking) is critical for the present result (the house is safe right now).
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple disconnects the action from the present concern). (d) is a Structural Error (missing V3 ‘ed’). (b) is a Meaning Trap (You don’t want to leave the door “opened”!).
16 Key: (c) How long have you had
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Asking about the duration of owning something up to the present moment.
- Distractor Analysis: (a) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple implies you don’t have it anymore). (d) is a Structural Error (statement word order). (b) is a Meaning Trap (Present Simple cannot be used with “How long”).
17 Key: (c) for
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: “A long time” is a duration (length of time), which requires “for”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (using “since” with a duration). (a) is a Structural Error (“in” is not the standard CEFR rule for Present Perfect duration). (d) is a Meaning Trap (wrong preposition).
18 Key: (d) Have you read
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: The V3 of “read” is “read” (spelled the same, pronounced /red/). Checking if the knowledge is in your head now.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (a) is a Structural Error (“readed” is not a word). (c) is a Meaning Trap (asks if you are reading it exactly at this second).
19 Key: (a) have already checked
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: Confirms that all tasks on the list are complete, with the present result being “I am ready”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (missing V3 ‘ed’). (d) is a Meaning Trap (Contradicts “I am ready”).
20 Key: (d) have ever carried
Explanation: – Why it’s correct: After a superlative adjective (“the heaviest”), we must use Present Perfect with “ever”.
- Distractor Analysis: (b) is a Common Mistake (Past Simple). (c) is a Structural Error (using V1 instead of V3). (a) is a Meaning Trap (“never” contradicts the fact that you are holding it right now!).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Form: Present Perfect is formed with Have / Has + Past Participle (V3/ed).
- Example: I have packed my bag. / She has found her passport.
- The Checklist Function: We use Present Perfect to check if a task is “DONE” or “NOT DONE” up to the present moment. We don’t care when it happened; we care if it is ready now.
- Important Signal Words:
- Already: Used to say a task is DONE (often earlier than expected). I have already put my shoes in.
- Yet: Used at the end of questions and negatives to check if a task is DONE. Have you packed yet? / I haven’t packed yet.
- Just: Used for a task completed a few moments ago. Dad has just parked the car.
- For vs. Since:
- Use For with a duration of time (for ten minutes, for a long time).
- Use Since with a specific starting point (since last year, since we bought it).