Ex.123 The present perfect and the simple past
Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense: present perfect or simple past. (In some cases the present perfect continuous is also possible. This is noted in the Key.)
1 Paul: I (play) football since I was five years old. Tom: You (play) since you (come) to England? Paul: Oh yes. I (play) quite a lot. I (join) a club the day after I (arrive).
2 Tom: You (play) any matches?
Paul: We (play) about ten. We have two more to play. We (have) a very good season, we (win) all our matches so far, though we (not really deserve) to win the last one.
3 Tom: I (play) football when I (be) at school but when I (leave) school I (drop) it and (take) up golf.
4 Ann: Hello, Jack! I (not see) you for ages! Where you (be)?
Jack: I (be) in Switzerland. I (mean) to send you a postcard but I (not
have) your address with me.
Ann: Never mind. You (have) a good time in Switzerland? How long
you (be) there?
Jack: I (be) there for a month. I only just (get) back. Yes, I (enjoy) it
thoroughly. I (ski) all day and (dance) all night.
5 Ann: I (ski) when I (be) at the university, but I (break) a leg five years ago and since then I (not do) any.
6 When I first (come) to this house, it (be) a very quiet area. But since then a new housing estate (be) built and it (become) very noisy.
7 My son (not start) work yet. He's still at the High School. ~ How long he (be) at school? ~
He (be) at the High School for six years; before that he (spend) five years at the Primary School in Windmill Street.
8 I just (hear) that Peter is in Australia. ~
Oh, you (not know)? He (fly) out at the beginning of the month. ~ You (hear) from him? Does he like the life? ~ Yes, I (get) a letter last week. He (tell) me about his job. But he (not say) whether he (like) the life or not. Perhaps it's too soon to say. He only (be) there three weeks.
9 I (not know) you (be) left-handed. ~
I'm not left-handed; but my oil-heater (explode) yesterday and I
(bum) my right hand, so I have to use my left.
10 This bicycle (be) in our family for fourteen years. My father (use) it for the first five years, my brother (ride) it for the next five, and I (have) it for the last four.
11 I hear that your MP, Mr Simpson, (make) a very clever speech last night. How long he (be) your MP? ~
Oh, we only (have) him since January. His predecessor Mr Alien (resign) suddenly because of ill-health and there (be) a by-election.
12 I hear that Mr Jones (leave). ~ Yes, he (leave) last week. ~ Anybody (be) appointed to take his place? ~ I believe several men (apply) for the job but so far nothing (be) decided.
13 Peter (meeting Ann at the airport): Hello, Ann. You (have) a good trip?
Ann: The actual flight (be) lovely, one of the best I (have) ever, but it (take) ages to get into the plane. First they (think) that one of us (be) a hijacker and they (search) us all for firearms; then they (announce) that one of the engines (be) faulty. We finally (take off) an hour later.
14 Peter: How you (spend) this extra hour before take-off)?
Ann: Oh, they (take) us to the restaurant and (feed) us and we (walk) about and (buy) things we (not need). The time (pass) all right.
15 You (book) your hotel room yet? ~
Well, I (write) to the hotel last week but they (not answer) yet.
16 Peter (meeting Paul unexpectedly in London): Hello, Paul! I (not know) you (be) here.
Paul: Oh, I (be) here nearly two months. I (arrive) on the 6th of January.
17 Peter: When we last (meet) you (say) that nothing would induce you to come to England. What (make) you change your mind? Paul: I (find) that I (need) English for my work and this (seem) the quickest way of learning it.
18 Peter: You (know) any English when you first (arrive) here? Paul: No, I (not know) a word.
19 Ann (to Yvonne, who is going to English classes): How long you (learn) English?
Yvonne: I (learn) off and on for about five and a half years. (Use the continuous form.)
20 I (begin) English at secondary school and (do) it for three years. Then I (drop) it for a year and (forget) most of it. Then I (spend) two years at a secretarial college, where I (study) commercial English, and for the last six months I (study) in London.
21 At 4 p.m. my neighbour (ring) up and (say), 'Is Tom with you?' Tom, her son, (spend) most of his time in my garden playing with my children, so whenever she (not be able) to find him she (ring) me. 'I'm afraid I (not see) him today,' I (say). 'But my children (go) to the beach this morning and (not come) back yet. Perhaps he (go) with them.'
22 I just (have) my first driving lesson. ~ How it (go)? You (enjoy) it? ~
Well, I not actually (hit) anything but I (make) every other possible mistake.
23 Old Ben (sell) newspapers just inside the station entrance, and my father always (buy) his evening paper from him as he (leave) the station on his way home. But one day my father (arrive) home without his paper. "Ben (not be) there this evening,' he (say). 'I hope he (not be taken) ill.'
24 On Saturday afternoon I (see) Frederick sitting in his garden. 'I (think) you (work) on Saturdays,' I (say). 'I (work) this morning,' (explain) Frederick, 'but at lunch time the boss (go) off to play golf and (tell) us all to go home. It's about time he (give) us a whole Saturday off actually. I (work) practically every Saturday since the beginning of the year.'
25 Ann: You (be) to Hampton Court?
Jane: Yes, I (go) there last week. The tulips (be) wonderful.
Ann: You (go) by car?
Jane: No, I (go) with my English class. We (hire) a coach.
26 Ann: Where else you (be) to since you (come) to England? Jane: Oh, I (be) to Stratford and Coventry and Oxford and Canterbury.
27 Ann: You (see) a lot. When you (go) to Stratford?
Jane: I (go) last week. The people I work for (take) me.
28 Ann: You (see) a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre when you (be) at Stratford?
Jane: Yes, we (see) Macbeth. We were very lucky. We just (walk) in and (ask) if they (have) any returned tickets, and the girl at the box office (say), 'Yes, a man just (return) three stalls.'
29 Ann: You (be) to Wales?
Jane: No, I (be) to Scotland but I (not be) to Wales. I'd like to go.
30 Peter: You (see) any good films lately?
Ann: Yes, I (go) to the National Film Theatre last week and (see) a
Japanese film.
Peter: You (like) it?
Ann: Yes, I (love) it, but of course I (not understand) a word.
31 Tom: I hear that Mr Benson just (die). You (know) him quite well, didn't you?
Jack: Yes. We (work) for the same company for ten years. I (not see) so much of him after he (leave) the company but we (keep) in touch.
32 Ann (think) the garage (be) empty, and (turn) off the lights. 'Hey!' (shout) Paul from under the car. 'I'm sorry, Paul,' (say) Ann, 'I (not know) you (be) there.'
33 Father: Tom (not come) back yet?
Mother: Yes, he (come) in an hour ago. He (go) straight to bed. Father: Funny. I (not hear) him.
34 Paul: That's a live wire. It just (give) me a shock!
Ann: Nonsense! I just (touch) it and I (not feel) anything!
35 When Paul (come) into the room, Ann was sitting in an armchair just behind the door. Paul, not noticing Ann, (go) to the window and (look) out. Ann (cough) and Paul (spin) round. 'Hello, Ann!' he (exclaim), 'I (not see) you!'
36 Jack: You just (agree) to go, so why aren't you getting ready? Peter: But I (not realize) that you (want) me to start at once!