Past Simple / Present Perfect Simple

A Choose the correct answer.

1. I’m really hungry. I (haven’t eaten / didn’t eat) yet.
2. They (arrived / have arrived) a week ago.
3. We (have worked / worked) here for three years.
4. They (didn’t recognise / haven’t recognised) me at yesterday’s meeting.
5. Our neighbour (was / has been) in hospital since Friday.
6. (Have you travelled / Did you travel) abroad many times?

B Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Use the Past Simple or the Present Perfect
Simple.
1. John ........................... (not call) me recently.
2. They ........................... (buy) a new car last month.
3. The teacher ........................... (not return) the tests yet.
4. How long ........................... she ........................... (know) about this problem?
5. ........................... you ever ........................... (hear) such an unbelievable story?
6. When I was a child, I ........................... (live) in England for two years.
7. He ........................... (buy) me a beautiful gift for my birthday.
8. I am so excited to have a dog. I ......................................... (always / want) one.

C Correct the error in each of the sentences.

1. Have you ever eat Chinese food?
............................................................................
2. She has moved to another city last year.
............................................................................
3. They have sent out the invitations yet.
............................................................................
4. Jack hasn’t seen Jill since she has graduated.
............................................................................
5. Mr Brown already left the office.
............................................................................
6. We haven’t been abroad since a year.
............................................................................
7. The lesson has started ten minutes ago.
............................................................................
8. Did she just leave?
............................................................................

D Complete the passage with suitable words.

I 1.............................. always been very fit and healthy, and I have 2.............................. had a serious illness.
However, a couple of weeks 3.............................. , I caught the flu. I must admit that until then, I
4.............................. not realised just how unpleasant the flu could be. I had a high temperature for nearly a
week, and my whole body hurt. I don’t think I have 5.............................. felt so miserable. It’s taking me ages to
get my strength back. It really bothers me that I haven’t had enough energy to play football 6..............................
I got ill. In fact, I have 7.............................. been to the doctor to ask if it’s normal to feel weak for so long. He
says I’ll soon feel better. Apparently I’m lucky. For some people, especially the old and the weak, the flu can be
very serious. Doctors have tried 8.............................. years to find a cure for the flu, but they haven’t found one
9............................... . Fortunately, researchers have developed a vaccine which gives effective protection against
the disease. According to my doctor, most of his elderly patients have 10.............................. received their flu
shots.

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 Grammar videos: Present perfect: simple and continuous – exercises

Watch the video on our website and read the

conversation between Sophie and Yasmina. Then do
these exercises to check your understanding of the
present perfect simple and continuous.

1. Check your grammar: grouping

Write the sentences in the correct group.

To talk about a recent action

To say how many times To talk about life experience
which might not be finished

To explain the 'side effects' of an activity,

When the result is more important
e.g. why the kitchen is a mess

When the action is more

To say how long To talk about a finished activity
important

Present perfect simple Present perfect continuous

(have/has done) (have/has been doing)

2. Check your grammar: gap fill

Complete the sentences using the verb in brackets in the present perfect simple or continuous.

1. I _______________ (write) five emails today.

2. Sorry the kitchen's a mess. Ollie _______________ (cook).

3. Sorry I'm late! Have you _______________ (wait) long?

4. He _______________ (learn) English for six years.

 Grammar videos: Present perfect: simple and continuous – exercises

5. I _______________ (see) that film! It was terrible.

6. They've been playing for forty minutes but no one _______________ (score) a goal yet.

7. We _______________ (know) each other for years.

8. I really need a break! I _______________ (revise) all morning!

9. Hey, you look different. Have you _______________ (change) your hair?

10. Can we go if we _______________ (finish)?

11. Your hands are really dirty! What have you _______________ (do)?

12. Who _______________ (eat) all the cake?! There's none left.

3. Check your grammar: multiple choice

Read the sentences and circle the correct option.

1. He's waiting for Amy. He arrived 40 minutes ago.

a. He's been waiting for b. He waits for 40 minutes. c. He's waited for Amy for
40 minutes. 40 minutes.

2. Sophie is planning to buy souvenirs. It's on her list of things to do.

a. Sophie's already b. Sophie hasn't bought c. Sophie hasn't bought

bought souvenirs. souvenirs already. souvenirs yet.

3. Sophie wanted to visit the Burj Al Arab hotel. She went there two days ago.

a. Sophie hasn't been to b. Sophie has already been c. Sophie has just been to
the Burj Al Arab hotel yet. to the Burj Al Arab hotel. the Burj Al Arab hotel.

4. I don't know what octopus tastes like!

a. I haven't been trying b. I've already tried octopus. c. I've never tried octopus.
octopus.

5. Ollie took his cake out of the oven a moment ago.

a. Ollie has been making b. Ollie has just made a c. Ollie hasn't made a cake
a cake. cake. yet.
 B1 Present Perfect Tense: Simple and Progressive T008

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the present perfect tense.

1. I ___________________ the book you gave me, so you can have it back now. (READ)

2. You look tired. You _______________________________ too hard lately. (PROBABLY WORK)

3. Rachel ________________________ around Europe for two months now. At the moment,
she’s in Barcelona. She ___________________ six countries so far. (TRAVEL, VISIT)

4. Is it still raining? – No, it ________________________ but the streets are still wet. (ALREADY
STOP)

5. I ________________________ at your report for some time, but I must say I can’t agree with
you on a few things. (LOOK)

6. James ________________________ the new Harry Potter novel for hours now. He simply
can’t let it go. (READ)

7. I ________________________ this few times, but I’ll say it again. (ALREADY SAY)

8. The two brothers ________________________ films since they left high school. (MAKE)

9. Look! Someone ________________________ that window! (BREAK)

10. I ________________________ to him, but he ________________________ me an answer yet.

(ALREADY WRITE, NOT GIVE)

11. You are too late. The patient ________________________ . (JUST DIE)

12. The manager isn’t here. He’s away on holiday. – Where ________________________ ? (HE
GO)

13. They ________________________ from New York. (JUST ARRIVE)

14. _____________________________ in the rain the whole time? Why ________________________

you in? (YOU STAND, ANYONE NOT LET)

15. Mr Benson ________________________ the whole morning. So far, he _____________________

three fish. (FISH, CATCH)

16. The company ________________________ money with this product for ages. It’s time to
stop producing it. (LOSE)

17. She ________________________ Charles since she was 17. They ________________________ in
the same town for over 20 years. (KNOW, LIVE)

18. John ________________________ off his bike again. It’s the third time now! (FALL)

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