Grammar: Past Simple or Present Perfect

What has happened in these situations?

1 Jack had a beard. Now he hasn't got a beard....He has shaved off his beard,..

2 Linda was here five minutes ago. Now she's in bed. She....................................

3 The temperature was 25 degrees. Now it is only 17. The temperature......................

4 The light was off. Now it is on. Somebody...................................................

5 The tree was only three metres high. Now it is four. The tree...................................

6 The plane was on the runway a few minutes ago. Now it is in the air. The plane....................

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

1 'Where's your key?' 'I don't know. I 've it.' (lose)

2 I... was very tired, so I lay down on the bed and went to sleep. (be)

3 Mary........................................to Australia for a while but she's back again now. (go)

4 'Where's Ken?' 'He.....................................out. He'll be back in about an hour.' (go)

5 I did German at school but I...................................................most of it. (forget)

6 I meant to phone Diane last night but I....................................................(forget)

7 I...................................................a headache earlier but I feel fine now. (have)

8 Look! There's an ambulance over there. There.................................an accident, (be)

9 They're still building the new road. They................................................it. (not/finish)

10 'Is Helen still here?' 'No, she...................................................out.' (just/go)

11 The police..........................................three people but later they let them go. (arrest)

12 Ann...........................me her address but I'm afraid I.............................it. (give, lose)

13 Where's my bike? It........................outside the house. It...................(be, disappear)!

14 What do you think of my English? Do you think I.....................................? (improve)

 

Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.

1 Do you know about Sue? She's given up her job. ………..RIGHT

2 The Chinese have invented printing. ………WRONG: The Chinese invented...

3 How many plays has Shakespeare written?.....................................................

4 Have you read any of Shakespeare's plays?...........................................................

5 Aristotle has been a Greek philosopher......................................................................

6 Ow! I've cut my finger. It's bleeding.............................................................................

My grandparents have got married in London......................................................

8 Where have you been born?.....................................................................

9 Mary isn't at home. She's gone shopping.................................................

10 Albert Einstein has been the scientist who has developed the theory of relativity.....

 

Put the verb into the most suitable form, present perfect or past simple.

1 A: Look! Somebody...has split... (spill) coffee on the carpet.

B: Well, it...wasn't... (not/be) me. I...didn't do... (not/do) it.

2 A: Ben...................................................(break) his leg.

B: Really? How...................................................(that/happen)?

A: He...................................................(fall) off a ladder.

3 A: Your hair looks nice....................................................(you/have) a haircut?

B: Yes.

A: Who.............................. (cut) it?......................... (you/go) to the hairdresser?

B: No, a friend of mine...................................................(do) it for me.

Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.

1 I've lost my key. I can't find it anywhere..... RIGHT..

2 Have you seen the news on television last night?... WRONG:. Did you see..

3 I've bought a new car. Do you want to see it?............................................................

4 I've bought a new car last week..............................................................................

5 Where have you been yesterday evening?................................................................

6 Jenny has left school in 1991.........................................................................

7 I'm looking for Mike. Have you seen him?..................................

8 I'm very hungry. I haven't eaten anything today....................................................

9 Diane hasn't been at work yesterday.........................................................................

10 When has this book been published?...................................................................

Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use the present perfect or past simple.

1 (it / not / rain / this week)....It hasn't rained this week....

2 (the weather / be / cold / recently) The weather...................................................

3 (it / cold / last week) It..................................................................................

4 (1/ not / read / a newspaper yesterday) I.....................................................

5 (I / not / read / a newspaper today)................................................................

6 (Ann / earn / a lot of money / this year)..........................................................

7 (she / not/ earn/ so much / last year)...............................................................

8 (you / have / a holiday recently?).........................................................................

Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

1 I don't know where Amy is.....Have you. seen (you/see) her?

2 When I.......(get) home last night, I......(be) very tired and I.........(go) straight to bed.

3 Your car looks very clean....................................................(you/wash) it?

4 George...................................................(not/be) very well last week.

5 Mr Clark.................................(work) in a bank for 15 years. Then he gave it up.

6 Molly lives in Dublin. She............................................(live) there all her life.

7.......(you/go) to the cinema last night?' 'Yes, but it........(be) a mistake. The film.........(be) awful.'

8 My grandfather............(die) 30 years ago. I..........................(never/meet) him.

9 I don't know Carol's husband. I...........................(never/meet/him).

10 A: Where do you live? B: In Boston.

A: How long.............................................(you/live) there? B: Five years.

A: Where................................................ (you/live) before that? B: In Chicago.

A: And how long......................................(you/live) in Chicago? B: Two years.

Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.

1 (something you haven't done today)...l haven't eaten any fruit today...

2 (something you haven't done today).....................................................

3 (something you didn't do yesterday).......................................................................

4 (something you did yesterday evening)...............................................................

5 (something you haven't done recently)...........................................................