Present Simple vs. Past Simple – English Grammar Exercises for A1
You look very tired and sad today. A friend asks how you are, and you have to explain that your current state is because of bad things that happened in the past (last night, this morning, yesterday).
Choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) to complete each sentence.
1 I ______ very tired today.
(A) was
(B) am
(C) be
(D) is
2 I ______ a terrible headache right now.
(A) had
(B) am have
(C) have
(D) has
3 Last night, I ______ to bed very late.
(A) go
(B) goes
(C) was go
(D) went
4 I ______ sleep well yesterday.
(A) didn’t
(B) don’t
(C) wasn’t
(D) doesn’t
5 Friend: “Why ______ you so sad today?”
(A) were
(B) do
(C) are
(D) did
6 I feel bad today because I ______ my phone this morning.
(A) lose
(B) lost
(C) losed
(D) did lost
7 My eyes are red because I ______ for two hours last night.
(A) cry
(B) was cry
(C) cryed
(D) cried
8 Friend: “______ you sick right now?”
(A) Are
(B) Do
(C) Were
(D) Did
9 I ______ hungry now because I didn’t eat breakfast.
(A) was
(B) am
(C) be
(D) do
10 I didn’t eat breakfast because I ______ up late today.
(A) wake
(B) was wake
(C) woke
(D) waked
11 Friend: “______ something bad happen yesterday?”
(A) Did
(B) Do
(C) Was
(D) Had
12 Yes, my boss ______ at me in the office yesterday.
(A) shouts
(B) shout
(C) is shout
(D) shouted
13 I ______ want to talk to anybody today. Leave me alone, please.
(A) didn’t
(B) doesn’t
(C) don’t
(D) am not
14 My legs ______ very sore right now. I ran ten kilometers yesterday!
(A) is
(B) are
(C) were
(D) do
15 I ran so much yesterday, but I ______ the race!
(A) didn’t win
(B) don’t win
(C) didn’t won
(D) wasn’t win
16 Right now, I ______ a cup of coffee to wake up.
(A) needed
(B) need
(C) needs
(D) am need
17 I am very stressed today. My computer ______ yesterday and I lost my work.
(A) break
(B) breaks
(C) broke
(D) breaked
18 I ______ happy right now because my dog is sick.
(A) am not
(B) don’t
(C) didn’t
(D) wasn’t
19 The doctor ______ me some bad news about my dog this morning.
(A) give
(B) gived
(C) did give
(D) gave
20 Friend: “I am sorry. ______ you want to go home now?”
(A) Are
(B) Do
(C) Did
(D) Does
ANSWER KEY & EXPLANATIONS
1 (B)
- The Key: am. “Today” indicates a present state. The subject “I” takes the “to be” verb “am”.
- Error Analysis: (A) was (Common Mistake: Using past tense for a present state). (D) is (Strong Distractor: Correct tense, wrong subject). (C) be (Structural Error).
2 (C)
- The Key: have. “Right now” indicates a present condition.
- Error Analysis: (A) had (Common Mistake: Confusing current state with the past cause). (D) has (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject). (B) am have (Structural Error: Mixing “to be” with a main verb).
3 (D)
- The Key: went. “Last night” is a past time marker. The irregular past of “go” is “went”.
- Error Analysis: (A) go (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) was go (Structural Error). (B) goes (Structural Error).
4 (A)
- The Key: didn’t. “Yesterday” requires the negative past simple auxiliary for the main verb “sleep”.
- Error Analysis: (B) don’t (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) wasn’t (Strong Distractor: “wasn’t” cannot be used with the base verb “sleep”). (D) doesn’t (Structural Error).
5 (C)
- The Key: are. Asking about a present state (“sad today”) with an adjective requires the “to be” verb “are” for “you”.
- Error Analysis: (A) were (Common Mistake: Past tense). (B) do (Strong Distractor: “Do” cannot be used with the adjective “sad”). (D) did (Structural Error).
6 (B)
- The Key: lost. “This morning” is a finished past event acting as the cause. The irregular past of “lose” is “lost”.
- Error Analysis: (A) lose (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) losed (Structural Error: Adding “-ed” incorrectly). (D) did lost (Strong Distractor: Double past).
7 (D)
- The Key: cried. The crying happened “last night”. Regular verbs ending in “y” change to “ied”.
- Error Analysis: (A) cry (Common Mistake: Present tense). (C) cryed (Structural Error: Spelling mistake). (B) was cry (Strong Distractor).
8 (A)
- The Key: Are. “Right now” and the adjective “sick” require a present “to be” question.
- Error Analysis: (B) Do (Common Mistake: Using “Do” with an adjective). (C) Were (Strong Distractor: Past tense). (D) Did (Structural Error).
9 (B)
- The Key: am. Being hungry “now” is a present state. “I” takes “am”.
- Error Analysis: (A) was (Common Mistake: Influenced by the past tense in the second clause). (D) do (Strong Distractor). (C) be (Structural Error).
10 (C)
- The Key: woke. Waking up late is the finished past cause. The irregular past of “wake” is “woke”.
- Error Analysis: (A) wake (Common Mistake: Present tense). (D) waked (Structural Error). (B) was wake (Strong Distractor).
11 (A)
- The Key: Did. A Yes/No question in the past (“yesterday”) with a main action verb (“happen”) uses “Did”.
- Error Analysis: (C) Was (Common Mistake: Using “to be” with a main verb). (B) Do (Strong Distractor: Present tense). (D) Had (Structural Error).
12 (D)
- The Key: shouted. “Yesterday” indicates the past. “Shout” is a regular verb.
- Error Analysis: (B) shout (Common Mistake: Present tense). (A) shouts (Strong Distractor: Present tense for he/she/it). (C) is shout (Structural Error).
13 (C)
- The Key: don’t. Not wanting to talk “today” is a present feeling. “I” takes “don’t”.
- Error Analysis: (A) didn’t (Common Mistake: Using past tense for a current feeling). (B) doesn’t (Strong Distractor). (D) am not (Structural Error: “am not” cannot go with the base verb “want”).
14 (B)
- The Key: are. “Right now” indicates the present. The plural subject “My legs” takes “are”.
- Error Analysis: (A) is (Common Mistake: Forgetting plural agreement). (C) were (Strong Distractor: Past tense). (D) do (Structural Error).
15 (A)
- The Key: didn’t win. The action of not winning happened “yesterday”. Use “didn’t + base verb”.
- Error Analysis: (C) didn’t won (Common Mistake: Double past marking). (B) don’t win (Strong Distractor: Present tense). (D) wasn’t win (Structural Error).
16 (B)
- The Key: need. A need “right now” takes the Present Simple.
- Error Analysis: (A) needed (Common Mistake: Past tense). (C) needs (Strong Distractor: Wrong subject). (D) am need (Structural Error).
17 (C)
- The Key: broke. The computer breaking happened “yesterday”. The irregular past of “break” is “broke”.
- Error Analysis: (A) break (Common Mistake: Present tense). (D) breaked (Structural Error). (B) breaks (Strong Distractor).
18 (A)
- The Key: am not. The emotional state is “right now” with the adjective “happy”. The negative “to be” for “I” is “am not”.
- Error Analysis: (C) didn’t (Common Mistake: Past tense). (B) don’t (Strong Distractor: Cannot be used with adjectives). (D) wasn’t (Structural Error).
19 (D)
- The Key: gave. “This morning” indicates a finished past event. The irregular past of “give” is “gave”.
- Error Analysis: (A) give (Common Mistake: Present tense). (B) gived (Structural Error). (C) did give (Strong Distractor).
20 (B)
- The Key: Do. Asking about a present desire (“now”) with the verb “want”. “You” takes “Do”.
- Error Analysis: (A) Are (Common Mistake: Using “to be” with the base verb “want”). (C) Did (Strong Distractor: Past tense). (D) Does (Structural Error).
GRAMMAR POINTS TO REMEMBER
- The Cause & Effect Rule:
- To describe your mood or physical state right now (tired, sad, hungry), always use the Present Simple: I am, I have, I feel, I don’t want.
- To explain the past reason that caused this mood, use the Past Simple: I didn’t sleep, I lost my phone, my boss shouted.
- Be Careful with “To Be” vs. Action Verbs:
- With adjectives and emotions (sad, tired, sick), use am/is/are or was/were. (e.g., Are you sick?)
- With action verbs (sleep, eat, cry), use the auxiliaries do/does or did. (e.g., Did you sleep?)
- Never mix them: Do not say “I am need” or “Was you cry?”
- The “Double Past” Mistake: When you use didn’t in a negative sentence, the main verb MUST return to its base form. (e.g., You must say I didn’t win. Never say I didn’t won).