Past simple or present perfect?

This exercise will help you understand the difference between the past simple and the present perfect. The past simple is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past, while the present perfect is used for experiences, recent actions, or when the exact time is not important. You'll choose the correct verb form based on the context of each sentence. This activity is ideal for B1 learners who want to use these two tenses more accurately in everyday situations.

1. _____ sushi?

Did you ever try

Have you ever tried

Were you trying

2. _____ my homework.

I already finished

I’ve already finished

I had already finished

3. She _____ Rome two years ago.

has visited

visited

was visiting

4. We _____ that movie yet.

didn’t see

haven’t seen

weren’t seeing

5. I _____ a new phone last weekend.

have bought

bought

was buying

6. _____ to Asia.

They’ve never traveled

They never traveled

They weren’t traveling

7. _____ the concert last night?

Have you enjoyed

Did you enjoy

Were you enjoying

8. She _____ the office.

just left

has just left

had just left

9. We _____ in Canada for five years.

have lived

lived

were living

10. _____ your report yet?

Did you finish

Have you finished

Were you finishing

11. _____ him since school.

I’ve known

I knew

I was knowing

12. They _____ the house yesterday afternoon.

cleaned

have cleaned

had cleaned