PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT

Ex1: Put the verbs in brackets into the gaps in the correct tense Past Perfect or Simple Past.

Example: Pat _________ (to live) in London before he _________ (to move) to Rome.

Answer: Pat had lived in London before he moved to Rome.

1) I _________  (be) very tired because I _________  (study) too much.

2) Jill _________  (phone) Dad at work before she _________  (leave) for her trip.
3) They _________  (ride) their bikes before they _________  (meet) their friends.
4) When she _________  (arrive) the match _________  already _________  (start).
5) After Eric _________  (make) breakfast he _________  (phone) his friend.
6) After the man _________  (come) home he _________  (feed) the cat.
7) Before he _________  (sing) a song he _________  (play) the guitar.
8) Susan _________ (turn on) the radio after she _________ (wash) the dishes.
9) She _________ (watch) a video after the children _________ (go) to bed.
10) After Fred _________ (spend) his holiday in Italy he _________ (want) to learn Italian.

Ex2: Simple Past/Past Perfect

I can't believe I (get) _________that apartment. I (submit) _________my application last week,

but I didn't think I had a chance of actually getting it. When I (show) _________up to take a look
around, there were at least twenty other people who (arrive) _________before me. Most of them
(fill, already) _________out their applications and were already leaving. The landlord said I could
still apply, so I did.

I (try) _________to fill out the form, but I couldn't answer half of the questions. They
(want) _________me to include references, but I didn't want to list my previous landlord because I
(have) _________some problems with him in the past and I knew he wouldn't recommend me. I
(end) _________up listing my father as a reference.

It was total luck that he (decide) _________to give me the apartment. It turns out that the
landlord and my father (go) _________to high school together. He decided that I could have the
apartment before he (look) _________at my credit report. I really lucked out!

Ex3: Choose the correct answer.

1. After Diego ____ lunch, he ____ to some music for a while. 
A) finished / had listened  B) had finished/listened 
C) finished / listened  D) had finished /had listened
2. Peter ___ his homework when the phone ____ . 
A) had just finished/rang  B) had just finished/had rung 
C) just finished/rang  D) just finished/had rung
3. I ___ anything because the doctor ___ me an injection for the pain before he started working on
me.
A) didn't feel/gave  B) hadn't felt/had given  C) didn't feel/had given D) hadn't felt/gave
4. The streets ___ wet yesterday because it ____ early in the morning. 
A) had been/rained  B) were/rained  C) had been/had rained  D) were/had rained
5. When Danny and Cecelia ___ , they ___ each other for two weeks.
A) had gotten married/only knew  B) had gotten married/had only known 
C) got married/had only known  D) got married/only knew
6. Lee's manager ____ to convince him to stay, but he ____ to quit.
A) tried/had already decided  B) had tried/had already decided 
C) had tried/already decided  D) tried/already decided
7) Jennifer ____ in several other cities when she _____ to move to New York City.
A) lived/decided  B) lived/had decided 
C) had lived/decided  D) had lived/had decided
8) Elena _____ her bicycle for only a short time before somebody_____ it. 
A) had had/stole  B) had had/had stolen  C) had/stole  D) had/had stolen
9. I ___ sick for several days, so I ___ to see the doctor.
A) had felt/had gone  B) felt/had gone  C) felt/went  D) had felt/went
10. The movie ____ by the time we ____ to the theater.
A) had already started/had gotten  B) already started/gotten 
C) had already started/got  D) already started/had gotten
Ex4: Rewrite these sentences.
1. We moved to this area 10 years ago.
-> We have______________________________________________________________________
2. How long is it since you late saw Mary?
-> How long_____________________________________________________________________
3. My father stopped smoking last year.
-> My father_____________________________________________________________________
4. How long have you been teaching at this school.
-> When ________________________________________________________________________
5. We have learnt English for 4 years.
-> We started ____________________________________________________________________
6. My father started to give up smoking last year.
-> My father has __________________________________________________________________
7. They have worked in that factory since 2001.
-> They started ___________________________________________________________________
8. Lan hasn’t written to Maria for a month.
-> Lan didn’t ____________________________________________________________________
9. I haven’t seen her for a long time.
-> I didn’t _______________________________________________________________________
10. How long has he worked in this company?
-> How long ago__________________________________________________________________