Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. 1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?" B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie. 2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago. 3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week. 4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway. 5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid. 6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start) working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers. 7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off into the forest and (be) bitten by a snake. 8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired! 9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never) the ocean. He should come with us to Miami. 10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never) the ocean. 11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours. 12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see) you. You (grow) at least a foot! 13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago. 14. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try) to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever). The climb is extremely difficult and many people (die) trying to reach the summit. 15. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several times. The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend) two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly) over the Nazca Lines. Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses, then click the "Check" button to check your answers. Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be) separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games. Times (change). Computers (become) powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World Wide Web of knowledge. Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. 1. He_______________ (live) in London for two years and then _______________ (go) to Edinburgh. 2. When I left school I_______________ (cut) my hair and_______________ (wear) it short ever since. 3. My brother_______________ (write) several plays. He_______________ (just/finish) his second tragedy. 4. I_______________ (not see) him for three years, I wonder where he is. 5. He_______________ (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give up. 6. I_______________ (do) this sort of work when I_______________ (be) an apprentice. 7. I_______________ (write) the letter but I can't find a stamp. 8. _______________ you_______________ (see) the moon last night? 9. The clock isn't slow, it_______________ (stop). 10. A: Who_______________ (you/vote) for in the last election? B: I_______________ (vote) for Mr. Pitt. A: He_______________ (not/be) elected, _______________ (be) he? B: No, he_______________ (lose) his deposit. 11. A: _______________ (you/like) your last job? B: I_______________ (like) it at first but then I_______________ (quarrel) with my employer and he_______________ (dismiss) me. A: How long_______________ you there? B: I_______________ there for two weeks. 12. A: _______________ (Mary/feed) the cat? B: Yes, she_______________ (feed) him before lunch. A: What_______________ (she/give) him? B: She_______________ (give) him some fish. 13. A: I_______________ (not see) your aunt recently. B: No, she_______________ (not be) out of the house since she_______________ (buy) her colour TV. 14. A: How_______________ (you/get) that scar? B: I_______________ (got) it in a car accident a year ago. 15. She_______________ (say) she'd ring me this morning, but it's now 12.30 and she_______________ (not/ring) yet. 16. It_______________ (rain) for two hours and the ground is too wet to play on, so the match _______________ (be) postponed. 17. A: Why_______________ (you/make) such a horrible noise? B: I_______________ (lose) my key and I_______________ (try) to wake up my wife by throwing stones at her window. A: You_______________ (throw) stones at the wrong window. You live next door. 18. He_______________ (not/stop) since he arrived. 19. He_______________ (ride), that's why he's wearing a riding hat. 20. A: How long_______________ (you/drive)? B: I_______________ (drive) for ten years. 21. _______________ (you/lock) the house before you left? 22. I can't go out because I_______________ (not/finish) my homework yet. 23. A: Where_______________ (you/be or go) B: I_______________ (be or go) to the dentist. A: _______________ (he/take) out your bad tooth? B: Yes, he_______________ . A: _______________ (it/hurt)? 24. I_______________ (ride) all the horses in this stable. 25. A: What_______________ (you/do)? B: We_______________ (pick) apples. A: How many_______________ (you/pick)? B: We_______________ (pick) ten basketfuls. 26. The car_______________ (make) a very funny noise ever since it _______________ (run out) of petrol. 27. Originally, horses used in bull fights_______________ (not/wear) any protection, but for some time now they_______________ (wear) special padding. 28. That pipe_______________ (leak) for ages. We must get it fixed. 29. A: _______________ (you/ever/try) to give up smoking? B: Yes, I_______________ (try) last year, but then I_______________ (find) that I was getting fat so I_______________ (start) again. 30. A: _______________ (be) the plumber here yet? B: Yes, but he_______________ (only/stay) for an hour. A: What_______________ (he/do) in that time. B: He_______________ (turn off) the water and_______________ (empty) the tank. Exercise 7 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. A: (you / play / already) the new computer game? 2. B: No, not yet. I only (buy) it yesterday and I (have / not) the time yet. 3. A: (you / go) to the cinema last night? 4. B: Yes. I (be) there with Sue and Louis. (you / be) to the cinema recently? 5. A: I last (go) to the cinema two weeks ago. 6. B: So you (see / not) the new action film yet. 7. A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy) it? 8. B: Oh, I really (love) it. But Sue (like / not) it - too much action! 9. A: But why (you / take) her with you? She (tell) me last week that she (hate) action films. 10. B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try) to flirt with him all the time. So he (can / concentrate / not) on the film. Exercise 8 Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple). 1. I (just / finish) my homework. 2. Mary (already / write) five letters. 3. Tom (move) to this town in 1994. 4. My friend (be) in Canada two years ago. 5. I (not / be) to Canada so far. 6. But I (already / travel) to London a couple of times. 7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go) to the cinema. 8. I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy) a new film yet. 9. (they / spend) their holiday in New Zealand last summer? 10. (you / ever / see) a whale?