Present Perfect or Past Simple - EXERCISES

Past Simple Present Perfect
Action in the past (determined time) Action in the past (undetermined time)
Action that starts / ends in the past Unfinished action starting in the past
Reference to a single action Reference to more than one action
Examples Examples
I bought a beautiful blouse yesterday. I have bought a beautiful blouse.
I bought a pie when I was at the supermarket. I have gone to Australia several times.
I worked at that office for 3 years. I have worked here since I moved to this town.
I lived in Miami before moving to Australia. I haven’t read the newspaper yet.
Complete with the verb given in the present perfect or the past simple:
1. I __________________ your sister when I ______________ at the
movie theater Saturday night. She looks like you. [to meet; to be]
2. Tony _______________________ the dishes yet. I ____________
him to do it after lunch, maybe he _________________ me. [to do; to ask;
to hear / not]
3. Claire _______________ to Canada three years ago. I miss her very
much. [to move]
4. Dan should be more careful. He _________________ his wallet at the mall yesterday. [to lose]
5. Ann is so absent-minded! Do you believe she ___________________ the wrong tickets? [to get]
6. _____ you ________ Sarah yet? She _______________ while you ____________ away. [to call; to
phone; to be]
7. I ______________ the garage this morning to see if the car ___________ ready but they
___________________ it yet. They ______________ me it’ll be ready by the weekend. [to phone; to be;
to repair / not; to tell]
8. When I ______________ in Columbia I ___________ to have a Porsche, but since I ___________ to
Maine I ___________________ a Mercedes. [to live; to use; to move; to have]
9. Calm down, Lucy! Carl _____________________ yet, but he may get here soon. [to arrive / not]
10. Paula _______________ from Italy this morning. She ___________ she wants to see you as soon as
possible. [to arrive / to say]
11. We _____________________ to Europe several times. It’s always a wonderful trip. [to be]
12. I ______________________ here for fourteen years, so I think you should listen to me. [to work]
13. Peter ________________ last year and since then he ____________________ his time to gardening.
[to retire; to dedicate]
14. Emily should go with us. The last time we ________________ there we _____________ a great time.
[to go; to have]
15. When I _______________ in Paris I _______________ to the Eifel
Tower just because everyone _______________ to visit it. [to be; to go; to
visit]
16. I _____________________ some weight because I ______________
every night after work for the past three weeks. [to lose; to jog]
17. Philip ____________________ to ballet classes. I don’t know if he wants
to lose weight or to shock his family. [to enroll]
TEACHER’S KEYS
Complete with the verb given in the present perfect or the past simple:
1. I MET your sister when I WAS at the movie theater Saturday night. She looks like you. [to meet]
2. Tony HASN’T DONE the dishes yet. I ASKED him to do it after lunch, maybe he DIDN’T HEAR
me. [to do; to ask; to hear / not]
3. Claire MOVED to Canada three years ago. I miss her very much. [to move]
4. Dan should be more careful. He LOST his wallet at the mall yesterday. [to lose]
5. Ann is so absent-minded! Do you believe she HAS GOTTEN / GOT the wrong tickets? [to get]
6. HAVE you CALLED Sarah yet? She PHONED while you WERE away. [to call; to phone; to be]
7. I PHONED the garage this morning to see if the car WAS ready but they HAVEN’T REPAIRED it
yet. They TOLD me it’ll be ready by the weekend. [to phone; to be; to repair / not; to tell]
8. When I LIVED in Columbia I USED to have a Porsche, but since I MOVED to Maine I HAVE HAD
a Mercedes. [to live; to use; to move; to have]
9. Calm down, Lucy! Carl HASN’T ARRIVED yet, but he may get here soon. [to arrive / not]
10. Paula ARRIVED from Italy this morning. She SAID she wants to see you as soon as possible. [to
arrive / to say]
11. We HAVE BEEN to Europe several times. It’s always a wonderful trip. [to be]
12. I HAVE WORKED here for fourteen years, so I think you should listen to me. [to work]
13. Peter RETIRED last year and since then he HAS DEDICATED his time to gardening. [to retire;
to dedicate]
14. Emily should go with us. The last time we WENT there we HAD a great time. [to go; to have]
15. When I WAS in Paris I WENT to the Eifel Tower just because everyone WANTED to visit it. [to
be; to go; want]
16. I LOST / HAVE LOST some weight because I HAVE JOGGED every night after work for the
past three weeks. [to lose; to jog]
17. Philip HAS ENROLLED / ENROLLED to ballet classes. I don’t know if he wants to lose weight or
to shock his family. [to enroll]

Present Perfect or Past Simple - EXERCISES

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