Present Perfect and Simple Past

1 Joji ________ in Tokyo for five years, but he left in 1993.

<> lived
<> have lived

2 The Titanic ________ in 1912.

<> sank
<> has sunk

3 Somebody ________ my bicycle! Now I'll have to walk home.

<> stole
<> has stolen

4 Gerry ________ off his bike three times this month.

<> fell
<> has fallen

5 Chika ________ from university last July.

<> graduated
<> has graduated

6 I ________ the movie Titanic three times. I'm going to see it again tonight.
<> saw
<> have seen

7 I ________ to work every day for the last six weeks!

<> walked
<> have walked

8 When Young Hee was a child, she ________ in Seoul.

<> lived
<> has lived

9 Ouch! ________ my finger!

<> I cut
<> I've cut

10 I ________ my key yesterday, so I couldn't get into the house. Eventually, I found it in my
jacket pocket.
<> lost
<> have lost

Simple Past VS. Present Perfect - Lesson + Exercise 1

In this lesson, we'll learn one difference between simple past and present perfect:
 SIMPLE PAST: PRESENT PERFECT:
use simple past for FINISHED actions use present perfect for CONTINUING actions
Sam has played tennis since he was 15 years
Sam played tennis yesterday.
old.
Is the action finished?
Does Sam still play tennis?
1. Yes - it's finished.
1. Yes, he does. (He plays sometimes.)
2. No - it's continuing.
2. No, he doesn't. (He never plays anymore.)
Jeff lived in Hawaii two years ago.
Jeff has lived in California for two years.
Does Jeff live in Hawaii now?
Does Jeff still live in California?
1. Yes, he does. (The action is continuing.)
1. Yes, he does. (The action is continuing.)
2. No, he doesn't. (The action is finished.)
2. No, he doesn't. (The action is finished.)
Peter and Paul cleaned their room last
They have always cleaned their room on
Saturday.
Saturdays.
IS the action finished?
Do they still clean their room on Saturdays?
1. Yes - it's finished.
1. Yes, they do. (every Saturday!)
2. No - it's continuing.
2. No, they don't.
HINT: HINT:
Look for "past tense" key words: Look for "present perfect" key words:
last week, three days ago, yesterday, etc. since, for, already, yet, etc.

READ the sentence, CHOOSE the answer, and get your score instantly!

1) I ____ English two years ago.

studied have studied

2) Frank ____ English for a long time.

studied has studied

3) My father ____ in Korea during the war.

lived has lived

4) Lee ____ in Korea all his life. He's happy living in Seoul.
lived has lived

5) ____ you ___ your homework yet? It's getting late.

Did...did Have...finished
6) ____ you ever ___ in a limosine? When my sister got married, we rode in one.
Did...work Have...ridden

7) Sylvia and Mary ___ each other since they were children.
 knew have known

8) Sylvia ____ Mary at school. They were in the same class.

met has met

9) Mary ____ friends with Sylvia immediately.

made has made

10) Sylvia and Mary are old ladies now, but they ___ friends for all these years.
remained have remained

Present Perfect or Past Simple?

Put each of the following verbs into either the past simple or present perfect.

1. Jack ........................................(live) in Boston for the past 15 years.

2. Janet ........................................(work) for Smith and Brothers before she came to work for us.
3. Dad. ........................................ (you/finish) reading the paper yet?
4. I would love to visit Prague sometime. Unfortunately, I ........................................(be/never) there.
5. Peter ........................................(play) Tennis for five years when he .......................(be) at school.
6. Jane: Can you help me? I ........................................(finish) my homework, but I still don't understand number
7.
7. I ..........................................(work) in Italy for 5 years. I ….....................................(begin) work as soon as I
arrived.
8. I'm afraid I'm not hungry. I ….....................................(eat/already).
9. When Jack was at school, he ........................................(learn) to play the saxophone.
He .........................................(play) it ever since.
10. Could you give me some advice? I .........................................(buy) this sweater at Macy's. Do you think I
should take it back?
11. Ann lives in Boston. Before moving here, she ....................................(live) in Seattle for 3 years.
12. Peter ........................................(go) to Paris last year. That means that he ........................................(be) to
Paris 3 times!
13. Just a moment! I ........................................(think) of a good idea yet!
14. Maria .........................................(believe)in ghosts for ages!
15. How long ........................................(you/live) there before coming here?

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

The presentperfect is used when the time I have seen three
period has NOT finished: movies this week.
(This week has not finished yet.)

The simple
past is used when the time period I saw three movies last
HAS finished: week.
(Last week has finished.)

The present
perfect is often used when giving Martin has crashed
recent news: his car again.
(This is new information.)

The simplepast is used when giving older Martin crashed his

information: car last year.
(This is old information.)

The present perfect is used when the time is I have seen that movie
not specific: already.
(We don't know when.)

The simple past is used when the time is I saw that movie on
clear: Thursday.
(We know exactly when.)

The present perfect is used with for and I have lived in Victoria
since, when the actions have not finished for five years.
yet: (I still live in Victoria.)

The simple past is used with for and since, I lived in Victoria for
when the actions have already finished: five years.
(I don't live in Victoria now.)