Grammar (Present Perfect and Past Simple)

^{“Philip __________ a new car. He _________ the keys to his Renault yesterday,” Kevin told his sister.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the first blank.}

• has bought

• bought

• is buying

• had bought

Answer explanation

We use the present perfect tense to tell up-to-date news.

Philip has bought a new car.

^{“Philip __________ a new car. He _________ the keys to his Renault yesterday,” Kevin told his sister.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the second blank.}

• getting

• gets

• got

• has got

Answer explanation

^{We use the past simple to talk about an action that happened in the past. Kevin is giving his sister additional information about an action that happened in the past.}

^{He got the keys to his Renault yesterday.}

^{“I ____ the film twice this month. Two days’ ago,}

^{I ____ it the second time with my friend, Nick,”}

^{I said.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the first blank.}

• have seen

• had seen

• see

• is seen

Answer explanation

^{The present perfect tense is used with unfinished time, such as this week, this month, this year, and today.}

^{I have seen the film twice this month.}

^{“I __________ the film twice this month. Two days’ ago, I _________ it the second time with my friend, Nick,” I said.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the second blank.}

• watched

• am watching

• watch

• watching

Answer explanation

^{We use the past simple to talk about an action that happened in the past. The speaker is giving additional information about an action that happened in the past.}

^{“Two days’ ago, I watched it the second time with my friend, Nick,” I said.}

“I __________ the science report yet. I _________ on sick leave yesterday. Anyway, I’ll finish it today,” says Richard.

Choose a, b, c or d to complete the first blank.

• didn't do

• haven't done

• not done

• hadn't done

Answer explanation

^{The present perfect tense is used with these words:}

^{just, yet already, since, for, ever, never}

^{“I haven’t done the science report yet.}

^{“I __________ the science report yet. I _________ on sick leave yesterday. Anyway, I’ll finish it today,” says Richard.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the second blank.}

• were

• am

• is

• was

Answer explanation

^{We use the past simple to talk about an action that happened in the past.}

^{I was on sick leave yesterday.}

^{“I __________ just __________ writing the short story. I __________ writing it a week ago,” says Karen.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the first and second blanks.}

• am , finished

• have , finished

• was , finished

• were , finished

Answer explanation

^{The present perfect tense is used with these words:}

^{just, yet already, since, for, ever, never}

^{I have just finished writing the short story.}

^{“I __________ just __________ writing the short story. I __________ writing it a week ago,” says Karen.}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the third blank.}

• started

• starting

• starts

• start

Answer explanation

^{We use the past simple to talk about an action that happened in the past. Karen is giving additional information about an action that happened in the past.}

^{“I started writing it a week ago,” says Karen.}

^{“We __________ already __________ out the experiment and __________ up the lab. Six students __________ the cleaning up. Now, we’re going back to our class.”}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the first and second blanks.}

• have , carried

• are , carrying

• are , carried

• had , carried

Answer explanation

The present perfect tense is used with these words: just, yet already, since, for, ever, never

We have already carried out the experiment...

^{“We __________ already __________ out the experiment and __________ up the lab. Six students __________ the cleaning up. Now, we’re going back to our class.”}

^{Choose a, b, c or d to complete the third blank.}

• clean

• cleaned

• cleans

• cleaning

Answer explanation

We use the present perfect tense to describe an action or event that happened in the past and continues to the present:

Two sentences gave been combined into one:

We have already carried out the experiment. We have already cleaned up the lab.

“We have already carried out the experiment and cleaned up the lab.”