01Finished past times
Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
I called her yesterday.A2
Present Perfect or past Simple Exercises
About this lesson
Present perfect or past simple · A2. Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
Practise Present perfect or past simple in short situations. Read the clue, choose or write a form, then check the reason. The level is an editorial guide.
12 items
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Knowledge map
Start practisingPresent perfect or past simple
02Experience up to now
Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named.
Have you ever seen a whale?03Continuing or finished situations
Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over.
He has known me since school.Illustrated guide
01 / 12D01Save it to find it in My collection.
I ___ that film last Saturday. (see)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
Your learning route
01
Step 1 · Warm-up
0/3Warm-up
02
Step 2 · Build the skill
0/2Finished past times
Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
I called her yesterday.03
Step 3 · Build the skill
0/1Experience up to now
Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named.
Have you ever seen a whale?04
Step 4 · Build the skill
0/1Continuing or finished situations
Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over.
He has known me since school.05
Step 5 · New contexts
0/3New contexts
06
Step 6 · A fresh challenge
0/2A fresh challenge
Practice notes in this unit
0Make mistakes useful.
Keep the first try. Understand the change. Check it in a fresh situation.
No practice notes yet. Try a short warm-up.
Lesson map
A2Present perfect or past simple
Lesson points
Finished past times
Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
I called her yesterday.Experience up to now
Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named.
Have you ever seen a whale?Continuing or finished situations
Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over.
He has known me since school.Questions & answers
Opening an answer records help for that question.
I ___ that film last Saturday. (see)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- seen
- have seen
- saw
- has seen
Answer & explanation
saw
Look at “I ___ that film last Saturday. (see)”. Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019. Complete sentence: “I saw that film last Saturday. (see)”.
In her life up to now, Lea ___ three novels. (write)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- has wrote
- has written
- writes yesterday
- have written
Answer & explanation
has written
Look at “In her life up to now, Lea ___ three novels. (write)”. Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named. Complete sentence: “In her life up to now, Lea has written three novels. (write)”.
We moved here in 2020 and still live here. We ___ here since 2020. (live)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- lived last year
- has lived
- live yesterday
- have lived
Answer & explanation
have lived
Look at “We moved here in 2020 and still live here. We ___ here since 2020. (live)”. Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over. Complete sentence: “We moved here in 2020 and still live here. We have lived here since 2020. (live)”.
They ___ the museum yesterday. (visit)
Complete the gap. Write only the missing word or words.
Answer & explanation
visited
Reference completion: “They visited the museum yesterday. (visit)”. Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
I ___ sushi before in my life. (never eat)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- has never eaten
- have never eaten
- have never ate
- never eating
Answer & explanation
have never eaten
Look at “I ___ sushi before in my life. (never eat)”. Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named. Complete sentence: “I have never eaten sushi before in my life. (never eat)”.
She worked at the café from 2018 to 2020, then left. She ___ there for two years. (work)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- has worked
- worked
- have worked
- working
Answer & explanation
worked
Look at “She worked at the café from 2018 to 2020, then left. She ___ there for two years. (work)”. Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over. Complete sentence: “She worked at the café from 2018 to 2020, then left. She worked there for two years. (work)”.
Ben ___ his driving test in 2022. (pass)
Complete the gap. Write only the missing word or words.
Answer & explanation
passed
Reference completion: “Ben passed his driving test in 2022. (pass)”. Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019.
Our train ___ an hour ago. (arrive)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- arrived
- arriving
- have arrived
- has arrived
Answer & explanation
arrived
Look at “Our train ___ an hour ago. (arrive)”. Use the past simple with a definite finished past time such as yesterday, last week or in 2019. Complete sentence: “Our train arrived an hour ago. (arrive)”.
Up to now, we ___ to Iceland. (never be)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- has never been
- never being
- have never went
- have never been
Answer & explanation
have never been
Look at “Up to now, we ___ to Iceland. (never be)”. Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named. Complete sentence: “Up to now, we have never been to Iceland. (never be)”.
I still own this bike. I ___ it for five years. (have)
Complete the gap. Write only the missing word or words.
Answer & explanation
have had
Reference completion: “I still own this bike. I have had it for five years. (have)”. Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over. Also accepted in this task: 've had. These are reviewed alternatives, not an exhaustive list of all possible English.
Other accepted versions
- 've had
Has he ever ___ a mountain? (climb)
Choose the option that completes the gap in this situation.
- climbed
- climbing
- climb
- climbs
Answer & explanation
climbed
Look at “Has he ever ___ a mountain? (climb)”. Use have/has + past participle for life experience up to now when no finished time is named. Complete sentence: “Has he ever climbed a mountain? (climb)”.
They left Paris in 2021 after a three-year stay. They ___ there for three years. (live)
Complete the gap. Write only the missing word or words.
Answer & explanation
lived
Reference completion: “They left Paris in 2021 after a three-year stay. They lived there for three years. (live)”. Use the present perfect for a situation continuing to now, often with for or since; use the past simple when it is explicitly over.
Other accepted versions
- had lived