Simple Past or Present Perfect - Exercise

Choose the correct words or phrases.

1) Peter    played has played have played  football yesterday. 2) They    has cleaned have cleaned cleaned  the car. It looks new again. 3) Last year we    went goed have gone  to Italy. 4) John and Peggy    just have read have just read read  the book. Now they can watch the film. 5) I    met have met meeted  my friend two days ago. 6) We    has never visited visited have never visited  another country before. 7) She    has bought buyed bought  a new car in 2005. 8) I'm sorry, but I    forgot has forgotten have forgotten  my homework. 9)    Did you win Have you win Have you won  the game of chess? 10) The girls    did not eat have not eaten has not eaten  their lunch yet.

Past Perfect - Simple Past (Statements) - Exercise

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

Present Perfect Tense

Put the following words into a sentence in the present perfect tense.

1. they / last / since / marry / summer


2. never / along / they / each / get / with / other


3. recently / not / hear / from / I / her


4. teach / her / Maria / all / life / English


5. call / his / Tom / several / girlfriend / times


6. appear / not / he / since / on / TV / 2005


7.my / I / see / April / since / sister


8. five / Mike / read / summer / so / this / books / far


9. watch / for / TV / hours / Matt / two


10. visit / the / he / museum / month / times / this / three

Present perfect or past tense

1. _____ (you see) any good films recently?


2. When I _____ (was , am ) a kid my dad used to cook wonderful curries.


3. Who _____ (write) that lovely poem?


4. Have you ever written a letter for Valentine's Day? No, I _____.(didn't , haven't )


5. Jim ___ (has ) a fight with his girlfriend last week.

6. The population of India ___ (has/have increase) since 1992.


7. I ____ (has/have listen) to the new Tom Waits CD yet.


8. She _____ (study) Spanish and French when she was at university.

Simple past / past continuous

1. A: What (you, do)  when the accident occurred? 
B: I (try)  to change a light bulb that had burnt out. 

2. After I (find)  the wallet full of money, I (go, immediately)  to the police and (turn)  it in. 

3. The doctor (say)  that Tom (be)  too sick to go to work and that he (need)  to stay at home for a couple of days. 

4. Sebastian (arrive)  at Susan's house a little before 9:00 PM, but she (be, not)  there. She (study, at the library)  for her final examination in French. 

5. Sandy is in the living room watching television. At this time yesterday, she (watch, also)  television. That's all she ever does! 

6. A: I (call)  you last night after dinner, but you (be, not)  there. Where were you? 
B: I (work)  out at the fitness center. 

7. When I (walk)  into the busy office, the secretary (talk)  on the phone with a customer, several clerks (work, busily)  at their desks, and two managers (discuss, quietly)  methods to improve customer service. 

8. I (watch)  a mystery movie on TV when the electricity went out. Now I am never going to find out how the movie ends. 

9. Sharon (be)  in the room when John told me what happened, but she didn't hear anything because she (listen, not) . 

10. It's strange that you (call)  because I (think, just)  about you. 

11. The Titanic (cross)  the Atlantic when it (strike)  an iceberg. 

12. When I entered the bazaar, a couple of merchants (bargain, busily)  and (try)  to sell their goods to naive tourists who (hunt)  for souvenirs. Some young boys (lead)  their donkeys through the narrow streets on their way home. A couple of men (argue)  over the price of a leather belt. I (walk)  over to a man who (sell)  fruit and (buy)  a banana. 

13. The firemen (rescue)  the old woman who (be)  trapped on the third floor of the burning building. 

14. She was so annoying! She (leave, always)  her dirty dishes in the sink. I think she (expect, actually)  me to do them for her. 

15. Samantha (live)  in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live)  there when the Berlin Wall came down.

Present tense vs. present progressive(continuous)

Usually, Greg                  —                 eat                 eats                 is eating                  anything he                  —                 want                 wants                 is wanting                and                  —                 don't worry                 doesn't worry                 isn't worrying                about what it                 —                 do                 does                 is doing                to his body. However, now, he                  —                 compete                 competes                 is competing                in swimming and has to change his eating habits.

Present continuous Tense quiz

1	IsAreAm they coming over for dinner?	Click for answerAre
2	Maxwell isaream not sleeping on our sofa.	Click for answeris
3	My mother-in-law is staystayingbe staying at our house this week.	Click for answerstaying
4	I eateatingam eating my dinner right now.	Click for answeram eating
5	My sister learnis learninglearning Spanish.	Click for answeris learning
6	I workbe workingam working at the hair salon until September.	Click for answeram working
7	We eatare eatingeats at a fancy restaurant tonight. Jason decided this yesterday.	Click for answerare eating
8	When do you startstartingare starting your new art class?	Click for answerstart
9	They are openingopenningoppening a new record shop downtown.	Click for answeropening
10	Melissa is lieinglyingliying down on her bed.

Present Simple Negative Verbs

1. Tom ___ like chocolate ice cream.
a. doesn't
b. don't

2. I ___ understand, do you?
a. doesn't
b. don't

3. Dr. Watson ___ smoke, does he?

a. doesn't
b. don't

4.We ___ like classical music very much.

a. doesn't
b. don't

5. Sally said she ___ want it anymore.

a. doesn't
b. don't

6. Mr. Hill ___ live in New York. He lives in Boston.

a. doesn't
b. don't

7. Rice ___ grow in cold climates.

a. doesn't
b. don't

8. They like cofee, they ___ like tea.

a. doesn't
b. don't

9. We are new here. We ___ know him.

a. doesn't
b. don't

10. Harry has bad breath because he ___ brush his teeth very often.

a. doesn't
b. don't

11. We are rich so we ___ have to work.

a. doesn't
b. don't

12. Dave speaks English, French, and German, but he ___ speak Italian.

a. doesn't
b. don't

13. They ___ sell that brand anymore.

a. doesn't
b. don't

14. It is really a cheap restaurant, it ___ cost much to eat there.

a. doesn't
b. don't

15. I have a televison, but I ___ watch it often.

a. doesn't
b. don't

16. That kind of earthquake ___ happen often.

a. doesn't
b. don't

17. We live close to the sea, but we ___ go often.

a. doesn't
b. don't

18. I love sumo, but I ___ like boxing.

a. doesn't
b. don't

19. You ___ like me very much, do you?

a. doesn't
b. don't

20. My son ___ like skiing. He likes snowboarding now.

a. doesn't
b. don't

( past -to be)

Charles Darwin 1) Charles Darwin [was were] born on February 12, 1809.

2) He [was were] a British naturalist who became famous for his theories of evolution and natural selection.

3) In South America, Darwin found that fossils of extinct animals  [was were]  similar to modern species.

4) Many people  [was were]  strongly opposed to the idea of evolution because it conflicted with their religious beliefs.

5) Throughout his life, Darwin [was were] a reserved, thorough, hard working scholar.

Albert Einstein 6) When Albert Einstein [waswere]  young, his parents worried about him.

7) Einstein's parents [was were]  concerned that Albert was "slow."

8) Albert  [was were]  a terrible student who didn't want to attend classes regularly and take exams.

9) Einstein's best-known work, the theory of relativity,  [was were]  published in 1905.

10) Unfortunately, the theory of relativity [was were] used to create the atomic bomb.

"am", "is" or "are"

Hello. My name (1) Stephen.

I (2) from England.

I (3) twenty years old.

I have one brother and two sisters.

My brother (4) sixteen.

Both of my sisters (5) older than me.

One of my sisters (6) twenty-three.

The other one (7) twenty-five.

How about you? What (8) your name?

How old (9) you?

Where (10) you from?

Simple Present tense

1.She ___ four languages.
a. speak
b. speaks

2.Jane is a teacher. She ___ French.
a. teach
b. teaches

3.When the kettle ___, will you make some tea?

a. boil
b. boils

4.I always ___ the window at night because it is cold.

a. close
b. closes

5.Those shoes ___ too much.

a. cost
b. costs

6The food in Japan is expensive. It ___ a lot to live there.

a. cost
b. costs

7.His job is great because he ___ a lot of people.

a. meet
b. meets

8.He always ___ his car on Sundays.
a. wash
b. washes

9.My watch is broken and it ___ to be fixed again.
a. need

b. needs

10 .I ___ to watch movies.

a. love
b. loves

11. I ___ to the cinema at least once a week.
a. go
b. goes

12.They never ___ tea in the morning.

a. drink
b. drinks

13.We both ___ to the radio in the morning.

a. listen
b. listens

14.The earth ___ round the sun, doesn't it?

a. go
b. goes

15.The post office ___ at 5:30 pm.

a. close
b. closes

personal pronouns

Choose the correct personal pronoun.

1)    I They You  am sitting on the sofa. 2)    He We It  are watching TV. 3) Are    he she you  from England? 4)    I He We  is going home. 5)    They I She  are playing football. 6)    He We It  is a wonderful day today. 7)    She We I  are speaking English. 8) Is    she he you  Kevin's sister? 9)    I She You  are swimming in the pool. 10)    Is Am Are  they in the cinema?

this these that those (pronouns) here there

Complete the sentences using this, that, these, those, here and there. 

1. Could you bring me that chair over _____?
2. Here are _____ pictures.
3. Can you see _____ building next to the bank?
4. Is _____ piece of pie over there for me?
5. _____ are three boys sitting on the bench.
6. I would like some of _____ cookies on that shelf.
7. _____ bicycles over there are expensive.
8. These dolls on the table _____ are very old.

A, an , the (article)

	1. ______ River Thames flows right through the middle of London.
	The
	An
	A 2.   I want ______ new printer for Christmas.          a          the          an 3.   I was four the first time I saw ______ elephant.          the          an          a 4.   My students like to do their activity books lying on ______ floor.          the          an          a 5.   It's such ______ nice day that I think I'll go and read my book in the park.          the          an          a 6.   She had ______ boiled egg for breakfast.          a          the          an 7.   I saw ______ eagle hovering high above the valley.          a          an          the 8.   Have ______ nice day.          an          the          a 9.   It was ______ exciting movie.          a          the          an 10.   ______ apple a day keeps the doctor away.          The          A          An