Past Simple or Present Perfect Mishael Wright Simple Quiz

The hotel room was quite dirty. The cleaner __________ it for a long time.

• a) had clean

• b) hadn´t cleaned

• c) had cleaning

• d) hadn´t cleans

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'b) hadn't cleaned' because it correctly indicates that the cleaner did not clean the room for a long time, highlighting the past perfect tense.

Edward __________ a snack before he __________ home.

• a) had, go

• b) had had, went

• c) have had, go

• d) have, went

Answer explanation

The correct answer is b) had had, went because 'had had' is the past perfect form of 'have' and 'went' is the past tense of 'go', making the sentence grammatically correct.

Yesterday by 7 o’clock Luke __________ a delicious cake.

• a) baked

• b) had baked

• c) baking

• d) has baked

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'a) baked' because the sentence is in the past tense, and 'baked' is the simple past form of the verb 'bake' that fits the sentence structure.

Mila __________ better after she __________ some medicines.

• a) had felt, had taken

• b) felt, had taken

• c) felt, took

• d) felt, taken

Answer explanation

The correct answer is b) felt, had taken because 'felt' is the simple past tense and 'had taken' is the past perfect tense, indicating the sequence of events correctly.

When Dad’s birthday __________, Nora __________ a present for him.

• a) came, had already made

• b) has came, make

• c) had come, has made

• d) already come, made

Answer explanation

The correct answer is option a) came, had already made because the past perfect 'had already made' indicates the action was completed before Dad's birthday 'came'.

Lola and Molly __________ the dishes when their friends dropped in.

• a) did

• b) had done

• c) have done, dropped

• d)had dropped

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'b) had done' because the past perfect tense 'had done' is used to indicate that the action of doing the dishes occurred before their friends dropped in.

Why didn’t you want to go to the cinema? – I __________ the film.

• a) seen, already

• b) seen, see

• c) saw, already

• d) saw, see

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'c) saw, already' because the past tense 'saw' is needed, and 'already' indicates the action happened before.

I __________ out of the window and __________ that somebody __________ my bike.

• a) look, find, steal

• b) looked, find, stole

• c) looked, found, stole

• d) look, found, steal

Answer explanation

The correct answer is option c) looked, found, stole. The sentence is in the past tense, so 'looked' and 'found' are the correct verb forms. 'Stole' is the correct past tense form of the verb 'steal'.

You couldn’t speak to the boss because he __________ just __________ away.

• a) cannot, just, go

• b) cannot, just, gone

• c) could not, just, go

• d) could not, just, gone

Answer explanation

The correct choice is c) could not, just, go because 'could not' is the correct past tense form and 'go' is the correct verb to use in this context.

The teacher _______that Mira _________________ the poem by heart.

• understands- learnt

• understood had learnt

• understood -hadn´t learnt

• undestands- hasn´t learnt

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'understood -hadn´t learnt' because the sentence is in the past tense, indicating that the teacher understood that Mira had not learned the poem by heart.