EXERCISES – PAST SIMPLE, PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE AND CONTINUOUS

1. Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or the Present Perfect of the verbs in brackets.

1. A: I (see) _______________ Karen yesterday. B: Oh really? I (not/see) ____________________________ her for weeks.

2. A: What (do) _________________ you ___________________ last Saturday? B: I (stay) _________________________ at home.

3. A: (write) _____________ you ______________ your essay yet? B: Yes, I (finish) ________________ it an hour ago.

4. A: (be) _______________ you ________________ in the United States? B: Yes, I (go) ___________________ to Miami last summer.

5. A: I (know) _______________________ Tony for three years. B: Really? When (meet) ______________ you _________________ him? A: We (meet) __________________ in college.

6. A: (eat) _____________ you _________________ at Mario’s restaurant? B: Yes, I _____________, I (eat) __________________ there last Saturday.

7. A: (ever, play) ________________ you _____________ football? B: Yes, I (play) ______________________ when I was a teenager.

8. A: (ask) _____________ you ____________ the teacher about your essay yet? B: Yes, I (talk) ___________________ to her yesterday.

2. Complete the questions with the Present Continuous or the Present Perfect Continuous of the verbs in brackets.

1. A: Who (wait) ______________ you ________________ for? B: I (wait) ________________________ for the manager. A: She (speak) ________________________ on the phone with a client for an hour. I’ll tell you when she’s free.

2. A: You look busy. What (do) ______________ you ___________________? B: I (write) ______________________ my essay. A: How long (work) _____________ you _____________________ on it? B: I (work) _____________________ on it for two weeks.

3. Write answers using the Present Perfect Continuous and a time expression with for or since.

1. How long have you been going to this school? 2. How long have you been learning English? 3. How long have you been using this book? 4. How long have you been learning the Present Perfect? 5. How long have you been doing this exercise?

4. Sally has made a lot of business trips in the la st few years. Say which cities she has visited. They say when she went ther e. Use the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.

2001 2003

May New York

September Bangkok

December Paris

February Boston

April Mexico City

October Istambul

2002 2004

January Tokyo

July Chicago

September Seoul

January Cairo

July Jakarta

September Rio de Janeiro

1. She has been to New York. She went there in May, 2001. 2. ______________________________________________ 3. ______________________________________________ 4. ______________________________________________ 5. ______________________________________________ 6. ______________________________________________ 7. ______________________________________________ 8. ______________________________________________ 9. ______________________________________________ 10. ______________________________________________ 11. ______________________________________________ 12. ______________________________________________

5. Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect or the Present Perfect Continuous of the verbs in brackets. 1. Carlos and Rosa are planning to buy a house. They (look)

____________________ for a house for a month. They (look) ____________________ at five houses, but they (not find) ____________________ one that they like yet.

2. My grandfather (paint) _________________ for ten years now. He (paint) ___________________ more than fifty paintings.

3. I (learn) _______________________ to drive for four months. I (take) _____________________ the driving test three times now and (not pass) _____________________ yet.

4. John (write) _________________________ on his computer for an hour. He (already send) ______________________ five email messages to his friends.

5. Karen (drive) _________________ for three hours now. She (drive) _____________________ almost 200 miles.

6. I (read) _________________________ this book for two weeks now, but I (not finish) ______________________ it yet.

7. Jerry (work) ________________________ on a maths problem for half an hour, and he (not find) ______________________ the answer yet.

8. I (cook) _____________________ for hours, and I (just burn) ____________________ the cake.

KEY:

1. Complete the sentences with the Past Simple or the Present Perfect of the verbs in brackets. 1. Saw, have not seen 2. Did do, stayed 3. Have written, finished 4. Have been, went 5. Have known, did meet, met 6. Have eaten, have, ate 7. Have ever played, played 8. Have asked, talked

2. Complete the questions with the Present Continuous or the Present

Perfect Continuous of the verbs in brackets. 1. Are waiting, am waiting, has been speaking 2. Have you been doing, have been writing, have been working, have been

working

3. Write answers using the Present Perfect Continuous and a time expression with for or since.

Answers will vary. Sample anwers. 1. I have been going to this school since September. 2. I have been learning English for five years. 3. I’ve been using this book since October. 4. I’ve been learning the Present Perfect for two years. 5. I’ve been doing this exercise for a few minutes.

4. Sally has made a lot of business trips in the la st few years. Say which

cities she has visited. They say when she went ther e. Use the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.

1. She has been to New York. She went there in May, 2001 2. She has been to Bangkok. She went there in September, 2001 3. She has been to Paris. She went there in December, 2001 4. She has been to Tokyo. She went there in March, 2002 5. She has been to Chicago. She went there in July, 2002 6. She has been to Seoul. She went there in September, 2002 7. She has been to Boston. She went there in February, 2003 8. She has been to Mexico City. She went there in April, 2003 9. She has been to Istanbul. She went there in October, 2003

10. She has been to Cairo. She went there in January, 2004 11. She has been to Jakarta. She went there in July, 2004 12. She has been to Rio de Janeiro. She went there in September, 2004

5. Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect or the Present

Perfect Continuous of the verbs in brackets. 1. Have been looking, have looked, haven’t found 2. Has been painting, has painted 3. Have been learning, have taken, have not passed 4. Has been writing, has alreay sent 5. Has been driving, has driven 6. Have been reading, have not finished 7. Has been working, has not found 8. Have been cooking, have just burnt