PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE/PAST SIMPLE

I.
LOCH NESS

Loch Ness is a lake between the Scottish towns of Inverness and Fort Augustus. The word loch is
Scottish for lake. Loch Ness is about 37 km long and extremely deep, the deepest part is 226 m.

Loch Ness is famous for its friendly monster, Nessie. Most people think that this is only a legend, but
every year tourists from all over the world come to Loch Ness and hope that they will see the monster.

Grammar Exercise on the Text

Present Perfect Simple

We use the present perfect to express what has (not) happened until now.

Write the verbs in present perfect simple.

1. Tourists from all over the world (be)   to Loch Ness.

2. Most of them (see / not)   Nessie, however.

3. Only very few people say that the Loch Ness Monster (appear)   in front of them.

4. Even scientists (come)   to Loch Ness to find the monster.

5. And the boss of the Guinness brewery (promise)   to pay 500,000 Pounds to the
person who catches Nessie

II.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1. A: (you / play / already)   the new computer game?

2. B: No, not yet. I only (buy)   it yesterday and I (have / not)   the time
yet.

3. A: (you / go)   to the cinema last night?

4. B: Yes. I (be)   there with Sue and Louis. (you / be)   to the cinema
recently?

5. A: I last (go)   to the cinema two weeks ago.

6. B: So you (see / not)   the new action film yet.

7. A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy)   it?

8. B: Oh, I really (love)   it. But Sue (like / not)   it - too much action!

9. A: But why (you / take)   her with you? She (tell)   me last week that

she (hate)   action films.

10. B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try)   to flirt with him all the time. So he (can

/ concentrate / not)   on the film.

III.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

1. I (just / finish)   my homework.

2. Mary (already / write)   five letters.

3. Tom (move)   to this town in 1994.

4. My friend (be)   in Canada two years ago.

5. I (not / be)   to Canada so far.

6. But I (already / travel)   to London a couple of times.

7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go)   to the cinema.

8. I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy)   a new film yet.

9. (they / spend)   their holiday in New Zealand last summer?

10. (you / ever / see)   a whale?

EDINBURGH

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland. It has a beautiful old city centre and a castle that lies on a hill above
the city. In the castle you can see the statues of two Scottish heroes: Robert Bruce and William Wallace
(known from the film Braveheart).

Several famous people were born in Edinburgh, for example Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the
telephone), Tony Blair (Prime Minister) and Arthur Conan Doyle (who wrote the Sherlock Holmes
stories). By the way, J. K. Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book in an Edinburgh coffee-shop.

Grammar Exercise on the Text

Simple Past – Present Perfect

We use the simple past for situations or actions in the past (often a time expression in the past indicates
that we must use simple past). We use the present perfect if there is a connection with the present. For
further information, check out our grammar section: Simple Past or Present Perfect
 Write the verbs in the correct tense (Simple Past or Present Perfect).

1. My friend (be)   to Edinburgh three times.

2. Some years ago he (study)   English there.

3. Last month he (visit)   some friends in Edinburgh.

4. Unfortunately, I (can / not)   go to Edinburgh with him.

5. This is a pity. They are my friends, too, and I (see / not)   them for ages.

IV.
1. Answer the following questions in complete sentences, using the present perfect or the simple past
tense:
a) How long have you had your current job?
b) When did you finish high school?
c) How many times have you gone gone shopping this week?
d) Where did you go last weekend?
e) What did you do last Christmas?
f) How long have you lived in the place where you live now?
g) How long have you studied English?
h) How did you spend your summer?
i) Who did you meet two days ago?
j) What time did you eat dinner yesterday? What did you eat?

2. Imagine you are ready to go on a trip tomorrow. Use the present perfect to write about what you have
ALREADY done and what you have not done YET.
Example: I have already asked my neighbor to take care of the flowers, but I have not bought extra food
for the cat yet.

Pay attention: ALREADY comes before the main verb, YET is at the end of the sentence.

3. Use the present perfect with NEVER to talk about things you have never done until
now.
Ex: I have never traveled by plane.

4. Use the simple past tense to talk about important events in your life, mentioning the
date or at least the year when these events took place.
Ex: I got my first job in September 2004.
Download the attached file to your computer, fill in the blanks with the verbs in the correct tense
(present perfect or past tense) and the correct form (affirmative, interrgoative or negative, depending
on the case).
- Rename your file adding your name to its original name. (example: PI Unit 1 Homework PAST TENSE
PRESENT PERFECT EXERCISES_Name Surname).
- Upload your renamed file on the platform and click on "Hand in"