CHAPTER II SIMPLE PAST & PRESENT PERFECT

TENSE
In this section, students are able to:
1. Use the correct verb form in Simple Past Tense
2. Use the correct verb form in Present Perfect Tense
3. Differentiate the use of Simple Past and Present Perfect Tense

A. Simple Past Tense

Simple Past tense using be
Present time Past time
I am in class today. I was in class yesterday.
Alice is at the library today. Alice was at library yesterday.
My friends are at home today. My friends were at home yesterday.

Simple Past tense using V2

S + V2 + O
a. I walked to school yesterday. The simple past indicates that an
activity or situation began and
b. John lived in Paris for ten years, but
ended at a particular time in the
now he lives in Rome.
past.
c. I bought a new car three days ago.
d. Hernandez stood under a tree when it If a sentence contains when and
began to rain. has the simple past in both
e. When Mrs. Choy heard a strange clauses, the action in the when
noise, she got up to investigate. happens first. In (d): 1st: The rain
f. When I dropped my cup, the coffee began.
spilled on my lap. 2nd: She stood under a tree.

The simple past: Negative

The simple past: Yes/no questions
Did + subject + V1 Short answer + (long answer)
Did Jacob walk to school? Yes, he did. (He walked to school.)
No, he didn’t. (He didn’t walk to
school.)
Did you come to class? Yes, I did. (I came to class.)
No, I didn’t. (I didn’t come to class.)

The simple past: Using what, who, where, when what time, and why
What did Caroline buy? A car
What did they see? A giant truck
Who did they see? Jimmy (They saw Jimmy.)
Whom did they see? Madonna (Madonna came to the
party.)
Where did you go? Downtown
Where were you? Downtown
Why did you run? Because I was late.
When
What Did Juan come? At six
time
At six What time usually asks for
What time did Jane Seven o’clock specific time on a clock.
come? Around 10:30
When did Jane come? At six
Friday
The answer to when can be
June 20th
various expressions of time.
Last week
Eight days ago

Exercise 1
Fill the blanks using the correct past verb!
1. It ____________ (happen) very quickly. The car ____________ (come) out of the side

road and then the van ____________ (drive) into the back of it.

2. I ____________ (be) ill last week.

3. Emma ____________ (pass) her exam a few weeks ago.

4. When we ____________ (see) the spaceship we ____________ (stop) the car.

5. Claire ____________ (go) to Egypt last month.

6. It ____________ (be) cold when we ____________ (leave) the house that day.

7. When we ____________ (see) the spaceship we ____________ (stop) the car.

8. My friends ____________ (see) the prime minister last week.

9. He ____________ (call) on me last night.

10. Yesterday, I ____________ (go) to the market to buy a pen.

11. My maid ____________ (leave) me three weeks ago.

12. Her father ____________ (die) yesterday.

13. When I was younger, I ____________ (go) to cinema every week.

Exercise 2

Fill in the blanks using the correct verb!

Last Summer I ____________ (go) to Nice. It's a great place to have a holiday. People

are very friendly and hospitable. Especially, the port of Nice is a fantastic place to visit.

On the first day, we went to a restaurant with a terrace. It ____________ (have) a

wonderful view of the sea. Also, the dishes ____________ (be) absolutely delicious.

On the second day, we went to two museums. First, we went to an art museum. There

____________ (be, not) many pictures, but there were many contemporary art productions.

I ____________ (like, not) them a lot. Second, we went to a very unusual museum of bric-à-

brac. There ____________ (be) a lot of old bric-à-brac from different places in the World. It
 was really interesting to see. After visiting the museums, we ____________ (return) to our

hotel room as we were really tired.

Finally, we ____________ (spend) a whole day at the great beaches of Nice. We

____________ (swim), ____________ (sunbath) and had a great time on the beach of Nice.

It was a short but very entertaining and relaxing holiday. I definitely want to go to Nice

again.

Exercise 3
Fill in the table using the correct verb!
Base Form Past Tense Past Participle

Arise

Fed

Laid

Forgave

Hang

drew

Hidden

Smelt

Teach

Swore

Thrown

Lent

Shine

Cut

bled
B. Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect expresses the idea that something happened (or never happened) before
now, at unspecified time in the past. The exact time when it happened is not important.
If there is a specific mention of time, the simple past is used:
They moved into a new apartment last month.
Have/has + V3
They have moved into a new apartment. Notice in the examples: the adverbs
I have never seen snow. ever, never, already, yet, still, and
I have already seen that movie. Athena just are frequently used with the
feels bad. She has just heard some bad present perfect.
news.

We have had four tests so far this semester. The present perfect also expresses
I have written my wife a letter every other the repetition of an activity before
day for the last two weeks. now. The exact time of each
I have met many people since I came here repetition is not important. Notice
in June. the word ‘so far’ is frequently used
I have flown on an airplane many times. with the present perfect.

I have been here since seven o’clock. When used with for or since, also
We have been here for two weeks. I expresses a situation that began in
have had this same pair of shoes for the past and continues to the
three years. present.
I have liked cowboy movies ever since In the examples, notice the
I was a child. difference between since and for:
I have known him for many years. Since + a particular time
For + a duration of time
Haven’t/hasn’t + V3 I have not
Abigail hasn’t seen it yet. Kate We (haven’t)
started a letter to her parents You
last week, but she still hasn’t They
finished it. He
She Has
not (hasn’t)
It

Questions form
Yes / no questions
Have/has + S + V3 Short answer + (long answer)
 Have you visited Yes, I have. (I have visited London.)
London? No, I have not. (I haven’t visited London.)
Yes, I have. (I have been there for five times.)
Have you been there? No, I haven’t. (I haven’t been there even for
once.)
Yes, she has. (She has given me a gift.)
Has your wife given you No, she has not. (She has never given me a
a gift? gift.)
Questions with what, who, where, why, when, how
What e.g.
Who -What have you done? → I have done
Where have/has + S + V3 such a terrible mistake.
Why -Where has she parked her car? → She
When has parked her car near the cliff.
How long have you been here? I have been here since 1995.
I have been here for 22 years. I have
How far have you traveled this traveled this country for 297 miles.
country?
How long has she gone? She has gone since 10.25 p.m.
She has gone for 3 hours by now.
How far has he done his job? He has almost finished his job.

Exercise 4
Fill in the blanks with the correct verb and the use of since and for!
1. I ____________ (live) in LG Metro City Apartments ____________ 2006.

2. They ____________ (own) that restaurant ____________ I was 10 years

old.

3. We ____________ (play) soccer on Sunday morning ____________ June.

4. American soldiers ____________ (be) in Korea ____________ 1950.
5. People in many countries enjoy ice swimming. It became popular several decades ago.
People ____________ (enjoy) ice swimming ____________ several decades.
6. The first Canadian Polar Bear Swim was in 1920. It is still an annual event. The
Canadian Polar Bear Swim ____________ (be) an annual event ____________ 1920.
 7. Our town had its first New Year’s Day swim in 2010. Our town still has this
swim. Our town ____________ (have) a New Year’s Day swim ____________ many
years.
8. I wanted to swim with the Polar Bears when I was 13. I’m 23 and I still want to do it.
I ____________ (want) to swim with the Polar Bears ____________ ten years.
9. The only sport my brother does is winter swimming. He ____________ (not play) any
other sport ____________ he was a teenager.
10. My father doesn’t participate anymore. His last winter swim was four years ago. My
father ____________ (not participate) ____________ four years.
11. My cousin always jumps into the water first. He did this last year and the year before.
My cousin ____________ (always / jump) into the water first ____________ he joined
the Polar Bears.
12. We all love winter swimming. We loved our first experience, and we still love it. We
____________ (love) winter swimming ____________ we first tried it.

Exercise 5
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of Simple Past or Present Perfect Tense!

Sara : How long (1) ____________ have you been (you / be) a snake catcher, Tim?
Tim : (2) ____________ (I / have) this job for over ten years.

Sara : When (3) ____________ (you / become) interested in snakes?

Tim : When (4) ____________ (I / be) a kid, and (5) ____________

(snakes / fascinate) me ever since then. When (6) ____________ (I / be) in middle school,

(7) ____________ (I / not read) much about any other subject. During my high school

years, (8) ____________ (I / often / volunteer) at the local zoo, and then in college (9)

____________ (I / major) in herpetology—the study of reptiles. Sara : And after college

(10) ____________ (you / spend) a few years in

Thailand. Isn’t that right?

Tim : Yes, I was working with Thai snake experts. (11) ____________

(I /

really enjoy) my time with them.

 Sara : (12) ____________ (you / ever / experience) any life-threatening situations

since you started working with snakes?

Tim : (13) ____________ (I / work) with many poisonous snakes over

the years, but (14) ____________ (only one / bite) me. That was scary! Since that time,

(15) ____________ (I / pay more attention) to the snakes’ behavior.

Sara : Why do you love your job?

Tim : (16) Because ____________ (I / be) able to live my childhood dream.

Exercise 6
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of Simple Past or Present Perfect Tense!
1. So far, Jill _________________ almost half of the book. (READ)

2. Do you know who _________________ the telephone? – It

______________ Alexander Graham Bell. (INVENT, BE)

3. On her trip across Asia, Mum _________________ three countries up to now. (VISIT)

4. How many books ____________________ in the last few years? (HE

WRITE)

5. Martha lives in Dublin. She's _________________ there her whole life, ever since her

dad _________________ a few years ago. (LIVE, DIE) 6. Paul and Gina

_________________ an hour ago. They

_________________ problems with their flight. (ARRIVE, HAVE)

7. Drugs _________________ a huge problem in the United States.

(BECOME)

8. Granddad _________________ in hospital since Monday. He

_________________ in hospital before. (BE, NEVER BE)

9. _______________________ the Queen in person? No, but I

_________________ Prince Andrew at a concert a few months ago. (YOU

EVER SEE, SEE)

10. Mozart _________________ over 600 pieces of music during his lifetime.
 (WRITE)

11. They _________________ to Spain on holiday last summer (GO)

12. I'm hungry. I _________________ anything for hours. (NOT EAT)

13. I _________________ my key and can't find it anywhere. (LOSE)

14. He _________________ as a war correspondent during the second Iraq war. (WORK)

15. I ____________ a huge meal for lunch and simply can't eat anything at the moment.

(HAVE)

16. It _________________ yet this week, but last week it really

_________________ a lot. (NOT RAIN, RAIN)

17. According to her statement, she _________________ at the Crown Hotel from last

Monday to Thursday. (STAY)

18. Who ____________________ at the cinema last night? (YOU MEET)

19. I don't need any new driving lessons. I _________________ the test.

(ALREADY PASS)

20. Fortunately, I ___________________ any bones. (NEVER BREAK)

21. My cousins _________________ in Dublin since their childhood. Marvin

_________________ to America when he was 16 but only _________________ there

for a few years. Then he _______________ back to Ireland. (BE, GO, STAY, COME)

22. I ___________________ the car. Now it looks great! (WASH)

23. She _______________ smoking a few months ago. (STOP)

24. Back in March, I __________________ enough money to buy a new car.

Now, I can afford one. (NOT HAVE)

25. Scientist ___________________ a major discovery in medicine. (JUST

MAKE)