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Intermediate grammar exercise: past simple or present perfect (2)

English grammar practice exercise, for pre-intermediate and intermediate level.

This exercise gives you practice using the past simple and present perfect tenses.

Instructions: Use the words in brackets to put each of the following into either the past simple or present perfect:

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Structure of past simple
positive negative question
I arrived yesterday.
You arrived yesterday.
He/she/it arrived.
We arrived.
They arrived.
 I didn't (did not) arrive.
You didn't (did not) arrive.
He/she/it didn't arrive.
We didn't arrive.
They didn't arrive.
 Did I arrive yesterday?
Did you arrive?
Did he/she/it arrive?
Did we arrive?
Did they arrive?

Structure of present perfect simple
positive negative question
I've (I have) seen him.
You've done it. 
We've been there. 
They've eaten it.  		I haven't (have not) seen him. 
You haven't done it. 
We haven't been there. 
They haven't eaten it.  		Have I seen him?
Have you done it?
Have we been there?
Have they eaten it?
He's (he has) gone.
She's (she has) finished.
It's (it has) gone. 		He hasn't (has not) gone.
She hasn't finished.
It hasn't gone. 		Has he gone?
Has she finished?
Has it gone?

Past simple - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
I was work in London. I worked in London. In positive sentences, a helping verb such as 'was' or 'did' is not used.
He worked in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Worked he in London? Did he work in London? The helping verb 'did' is used in past simple questions.
Did he wrote a letter? Did he write a letter? The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives.
He didn't wrote a letter. He didn't write a letter. The main verb is used in the infinitive form in questions and negatives.

Present perfect simple - common mistakes
Common mistakes Correct version Why?
Steven has wrote a new book. Steven has written a new book. The past participle of the verb must be used - wrote is past simple, written is the past participle.
Did you have seen him before? Have you seen him before? The helping verb 'have' is used in the present perfect- it is inverted with the person (you have becomes have you).
I didn't have seen him before. I haven't seen him before. The helping verb 'have' is used in the present perfect- to make it negative we simply add not (n't).
I am here since last week. I have been here since last week. The present perfect is used to show an action which continues to the present (an unfinished action).
I've been knowing him for 5 years. I've known him for 5 years. Verbs such as know, want, like, etc. (stative verbs) suggest permanent states, not actions, so are used in the simple form, NOT the -ing form.