Verbs Exercise 4   Present perfect / past simple contrasted   Return

It is often difficult to understand why the present perfect may be used rather than the past simple. We use the present perfect to show that the effect, influence or result of something that happened is experienced now. These forms are frequently used in association with adverbs which also indicate the time reference. Do not use the present perfect with adverbs such as ago or yesterday, which only indicate the past.

XX I have been there yesterday.

Present perfect
eg   I have lived in Hong Kong for 4 years ( = I still live here now)
    I have lived in Hong Kong since 1995 ( = I still live here now)
Past simple
eg   I lived in London for 4 years ( = I dont't live there now)
    I lived in London when I was a student ( = I don't live there now)

The table below shows this contrast:

now  
--------------| I have studied English for 9 years.
--------------| I have been studying English for 9 years.
then
|-------------|
I studied English for 9 years at school.

Now try the exercise by filling in the present perfect or the past simple form of the verb in the blanks.

Your Name:

1. I can't find my wallet - I think I (lose) it.

2. I (study) Spanish at school but now I (forget) most of it.

3. Where's Mary? She (go) shopping.

4. They (build) the bridge last year.

5. The dinner last night (taste) delicious.

6. The Chinese (invent) gunpowder 2000 years ago.

7. They (start) the bridge last year but they (not finish) it yet.

8. The newspaper says he (invent) a new kind of plastic that is totally heatproof.

9. Is David there? No sorry, he (leave) 10 minutes ago.

10. She claims she (abduct) by aliens when she was 16.

11. Recently there (be) many reports of alien abductions.

12. He (see) her, on and off, for the past few years.

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