English Grammar Exercises for B1- Past simple and present perfect contrast

1. Choose the correct answer.

1   The coach isn’t here. It has already gone / went.

2   Rosie broke / has broken her leg three months ago.

3   The Olympic Games started / have started last week.

4   They’re cheering because their best player has just scored / scored just a goal.

5   I didn’t do / haven’t done my homework yet.

6   Fernando Alonso has become / became the world motor racing champion when he was aged only 24.

7   We have been / were at the top of the league since the start of the season.

8   Did the match finish / Has the match finished yet?

2. Some of the sentences are incorrect. Rewrite them correctly if necessary.

1   I didn’t hear this band before. Who are they?

     ……………………………………….

2   Callum’s still of school. He was ill for over a week.

     ……………………………………….

3   Have you finished your homework last night?

     ……………………………………….

4   Hannah got a new laptop for her last birthday.

     ……………………………………….

5   I’ve sprained my wrist so I can’t do my exams.

     ……………………………………….

6   Did you take your driving test yet?

     ……………………………………….

7   Leon has broken his leg while he was playing rugby.

     ……………………………………….

8   We’re hungry! We didn’t eat since breakfast.

     ……………………………………….

3. Complete the sentences with the present perfect form of the verbs in brackets and just, already or yet.

1   It’s not a good idea to go swimming when you ……………………… (eat) dinner.

2   Our team ……………………… (win) twelve matches this season. We could win the league!

3   We’re going to lose the match. We ……………………… a point ……………………… (not score).

4   ……………………… any football boots ……………………… (buy)?

     You’ll need them for training on Monday.

5   We’ve got a spare ticket now. Kim ……………………… (call) me to say she’s ill.

6   I’m not going to the concert. I ……………………… (see) that band twice.

4. Complete the text with the past simple or the present perfect form of the verbs in brackets.

Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt is one of the fastest men on Earth.

He 1……………………… (break) the world 100m and 200m records several times and he also holds the record for the 4 x 100m relay with his team mates. However, Usain 2……………………… (not be) a runner all his life. When he was a child, he 3……………………… (spend) his time playing football and cricket in the street with his brother.

It wasn’t until the age of 12 that anybody 4……………………… (realise) how fast he could run. He 5……………………… (win) his first gold medal at the 2002 World Championships, where he was so nervous that he actually 6……………………… (put) his running shoes on the wrong feet. Since then, however, he 7……………………… (learn) to deal with his pre-race nerves and they no longer affect him.

More importantly, Bolt is loyal to his country. A number of American clubs 8……………………… (offer) him a contract over the years, but so far he 9……………………… (say) that he doesn’t want to leave Jamaica.