Exercise 1
Choose the best option.
a He’s gone/He’d gone/He was going shopping. He’ll be back soon.
b We were late and the match started/had started/has started.
c Teresa has never seen/never saw/w as never seeing this film before.
d They were having/had/have had a picnic when it started to rain.
e Did you do/Have you done/Were you doing the washing-up yet?
f He’s wet because he swam/he’s been swimming/he’d swum.
g I crashed/I’d crashed/I’ve crashed your car last night. I’m really sorry.
h Had you met/Have you met/Did you meet Jim Ward yesterday?
i I’m/I was/I’ve been in Rome since June.
j The dogs were barking and the kids had laughed/were laughing/have laughed as I walked into the room.
Exercise 2
Write the correct past tense form of the verbs in brackets.
a Charlie (drive) when the accident happened.
b What on earth (you / do)? You’re covered in mud!
c Marta (not / ride) a camel before and she was terrified.
d (you / ever / see) the Taj Mahal? I hear it’s incredibly beautiful.
e How long (you / learn) English?
f Our hamster (die) last week.
g Shakespeare (write) poems as well as plays.
h I (just / speak) to Jan. She told me the news.
i The jury (not / agree) with the judge’s decision.
j I (read) a book when she called me.
Exercise 3
Find the correct sentence in each pair.
a A I’m tired because I’ve trained for the marathon since six o’clock.
B I’m tired because I’ve been training for the marathon since six o’clock.
b A I’m sorry. Jill’s not here. She’s been out.
B I’m sorry. Jill’s not here. She’s gone out.
c A Sidney never met his father. He died just before he was born.
B Sidney has never met his father. He died just before he was born.
d A Finally we found the shop but it had already closed.
B Finally we found the shop but it already closed.
e A It was a hot summer’s day and the birds sang.
B It was a hot summer’s day and the birds were singing.
f A Did you pay the gas bill last month?
B Have you paid the gas bill last month?
g A I was playing the piano till I was twenty, then I gave it up.
B I played the piano till I was twenty, then I gave it up.
h A Tara didn’t believe a word Henry said.
B Tara wasn’t believing a word Henry said.
i A I was sure I’d met James before.
B I was sure I met James before.
Answers
Read the note to find out why.
1
a He’s gone -> A
b had started -> G
c has never seen -> C
d were having -> B
e Have you done -> D
f he’s been swimming -> F
g I crashed -> A
h Did you meet -> A
i I’ve been -> E
j were laughing -> B
2
a was driving -> B
b have you been doing -> F
c hadn’t ridden -> G
d Have you ever seen -> C
e have you been learning -> F
f died -> A
g wrote -> A
h ‘ve just spoken -> D
i didn’t agree -> A
j was reading -> B
3
a B b B c A d A e B
f A g B h A i A
Notes
A
Use the past simple for completed actions in the past.
B
Use the past continuous to talk about past actions which weren’t finished at a past time or to describe what was happening at a particular time in the past.
C
Use the present perfect simple (not the past simple) to talk about general experiences, especially when it isn’t important when something happened.
D
Use the present perfect simple (not the past simple) to talk about recent past events that have a result in the present.
E
Use the present perfect simple to talk about an action that began in the past but is still going on now.
F
Use the present perfect continuous when the activity is important, or still happening now.
G
Use the past perfect (not the past simple) when one past action happened before another past action.
Review
Past tenses
Past simple and continuous
– You use the past simple for completed actions in the past, often with a time expression.
We met in June 1998. He didn’t go to school yesterday.
– You use the past continuous to talk about past actions which weren’t finished at a past time or to describe what was happening at a particular time in the past. You use the past simple and past continuous together when one action interrupts another longer action in the past.
What were they doing last night? The sun was shining and a band was playing.
As I was driving along, a cat ran into the road.
Present perfect simple and continuous
– You use the present perfect to talk about general experiences. It isn’t usually important when something happened.
I’ve been to some wonderful places. Have you ever used this software?
Note: There’s a difference in meaning between the participles been and gone.
Yoichi has been to the States. Yoichi has gone to the States.
(He went to the States and now he’s back.) (He’s in the States now.)
– You use the present perfect (not the past simple) to talk about recent past events that have a result in the present.
The plane has just landed at Heathrow. Hasn’t she finished that painting yet?
– You use the present perfect to talk about an action that began in the past but is still going on now.
We’ve lived in Singapore for a month. (We still live here.)
– You use the present perfect continuous when you want to focus on the activity. The activity may still be going on now, or it may recently have finished.
I’ve been writing emails all day.
Past perfect
– You use the past perfect (not the past simple) when one past action happened before another past action.
By the time we arrived, the plane had taken off.
(First the plane took off, then we arrived.)