Grammar Exercises: Present Perfect

Have practice in using the Present Perfect Tense.

Exam in Mind Level A2 / B1

Exercise 1. Read the text and ask questions of different types (Yes/No questions, Or-questions, Wh-questions and tag questions).

Our teacher of geography is an old man. He has lived a very interesting and exciting life. I like to listen to his stories. I have never heard so many exciting tales from one old man. He says he has been everywhere and has done everything. He can speak English, French, Italian, German, Chinese and Japanese because he has learnt to speak all these languages. I think he has been to these countries several times. He has had some really exciting experiences there. He says he has ridden any kind of animal there. He has ridden camels, llamas, elephants, reindeer, and horses.

In his travels about the world he has eaten almost everything there is to eat. He says he has eaten llama meat, frog meat, tortoise eggs,  and many other things I can’t remember. He has met a lot of interesting people.

Sometimes I don’t know whether to believe him or not. I like to listen to his stories. All my classmates do, too.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions. To indicate completed activities in the past use the Present Perfect Tense with the adverb “just” as in the examples.

Examples: Where is Dan? – He has just gone out. What’s the time? – It has just struck twelve.

1. Where is the button from your blouse? (to lose)
2. Where’s your cap? (to take off)
3. What’s the time? (to strike)
4. Where is your coat? (to take off)
5. Why doesn’t this pencil write? (to break)
6. Why do you look so excited? (to play volleyball)
7. Why are the children so hot? (to play football)
8. Why is the floor wet? (to wash)
9. Where is your pen? (to lose)
10. Why are you writing with a pencil? (to lose)

Exercise 3. Complete the following sentences with the given alternatives:
since – from a point in the past till now;
for – length of time till now.

1. I haven’t seen you ____ (Sunday, four days).
2. We haven’t heard from her ____ (the holidays, about a month or so).
3. We`ve been here ____ (an hour and a half, two o’clock).
4. She hasn’t spoken to me ____ (more than a fortnight, last week).
5. Nobody has written to me ____ (some weeks, last summer).
6. They have lived in this street ____ (1996, the last ten years).
7. It hasn’t rained here ____ (more than a month, May).
8. We haven’t had a single rainy day ____ (the beginning of September, over two months).
9. They haven’t written an essay ____ (a very long time, the beginning of the term).
10. I haven’t read anything more thrilling ____ (childhood, years).
11. He hasn’t played football ____ (years, childhood).

Exercise 4. Answer the questions as in the examples:

Example 1: Have you seen Mary lately? – No, I haven’t seen her since May.
Example 2: Have you seen Mary lately? – No, I haven’t seen her for a whole  month.

1. Have you had rain here?
2. Have you got any news from your brother?
3. Have you often been here?
4. Have you been to the dentist?
5. Have they repaired the road?
6. Have you watered the flowers?
7. Have you been to the movies this week?
8. Have you been to the theatre lately?

Exercise 5. Answer the questions. Use already or yet in your answers.

Example: Have you had your dinner yet? – Yes, I’ve already had my dinner. No, I haven’t had my dinner yet.

1. Have you had your breakfast yet?
2. Have you written your exercise yet?
3. Have you seen this film yet?
4. Have you done your work at home yet?
5. Have you run your errands yet?
6. Have you read the magazine yet?
7. Have you taken your medicine yet?
8. Has he heard that story yet ?
9. Have you already worn your suit?
10. Has she already bought a new car?
11. Has your mother seen your report yet?

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences with the correct tense form of the verbs given in brackets.

1. I just (see) _______ the film “War and Peace”. You (see) _______ it? No, I _______. Is it like the book? I (not read)_______  the book. _______ you? I (read) _______ it lately again.
2. How long you (know) _______  your teacher of English? I (know) _______ her for three years. Where she (live) _______? She (live)  _______ here. She (live) _______ here since her childhood. How long she (teach) _______  English? For ten years by now.
3. Where you (be) _______? I (be) _______ on a hike. You (enjoy) _______ it? Yes, very much.

Exercise 7. Use been or gone in the sentences according to the situation.

1. Have you ever _______ to the Carpathians? – No, I haven`t. Has your father ever _______ there? – No, either, but he has _______ there now. And what about you? – I`ve _______ there many times.
2. Where’s mother? – She’s _______ to the baker’s. We`ve run out of bread. Where have you _______? – I’ve _______ to the dry cleaner’s and Mary has _______ to the university, she’ll come back after ten.
3. A policeman has _______ here. He has now _______ next door.
4. This is the first time I’ve _______ here. It is my first visit to Lviv, but I’ve _______ twice to Kyiv already.
5. Where is John? He has _______ home. He couldn’t wait for you any longer.

Exercise 8. Make the sentences with the given verbs in the form of the Present Perfect Tense and use ever/never in them.

Example: Have you ever been down to a coal mine? – I’ve never been down to a coal mine.

1. to see a sputnik
2. to be to the North Pole
3. to be to the Antarctica
4. to eat mango fruit
5. to ride an elephant
6. to speak to an Englishman
7. fly a plane
8. to gather mushrooms
9. to be a dentist
10. to feed animals in the zoo
11. to win on a lottery ticket
12. to drive a lorry
13. to live in Siberia
14. to darn your socks
15. to cut grass
16. to pick up wild berries.

Exercise 9. Use the Present Perfect Tense of the verbs in the brackets.

1. Up to now I (visit) _______ twenty countries.
2. He (type) _______ six letters so far.
3. (You, ever, eat) _______ tortoise eggs?
4. They never (quarrel) _______ like this before.
5. I (not write) _______ to Michele  since 2010.
6. We (not be) _______  there since we were young.
7. I saw her in May, but (not see) _______ her since.
8. She (drive) _______ the same car for 15 years.
9. I (know) _______ them for many years.
10. She (not be) _______ in that shop for ages!

Exercise 10. Ask if the information is true using the word really as in the example.

Example: He has bought a pound of butter. – Has he really bought a pound of butter?

1. He has gone shopping this morning.
2. They have bought all the necessary foodstuffs at a large provision shop.
3. They have got a good choice of foodstuffs there.
4. He has put his purchases into his basket.
5. Helen has bought some bottles of  apple and grapes juice.
6. John has bought some vegetables and fruit.
7. He has met me at the grocer’s.
8. We had already bought foodstuffs for our lunch.
9. He has bought fish at the fishmonger’s.
10. We can buy sausage and ham at the supermarket.
11. He has switched the light on.
12. He has already arrived at the plant.
13. They have been to Kiev twice.
14. Dad has already listened to the latest news over the radio.
15. He has already had his dinner.

Exercise 11. Object to the following statements, using one of the following phrases: I don’t agree with you here. It’s impossible. It’s not quite so. I don’t think so.

Example: He has been to China. – I don’t think so. He hasn’t been to China.

1. They have bought a loaf of bread and a pound of butter.
2. They have gone to the greengrocer’s round the corner.
3. She has spent much money.
4. They have already bought milk.
5. They have read a few English books.
6. He has already read “The Citadel” by Cronin.
7. She has invited me to dinner.
8. They have gone shopping to the supermarket.
9. You can buy different kinds of meat at the butcher’s.
10. She has given two lectures on mathematics.

Exercise 12. Use the Present Perfect or Past Simple of the verbs in the brackets.

1. What (learn, you) _______ since you (come) _______ here? How many friends (make, you) _______? I hope you (meet) _______ already a lot of interesting people.
2. Since classes began, I (have, not) _______ much free time. I (have) _______ several big tests to study for.
3. Last night my roommate and I (have) _______  some free time, so we (go) _______ to a show.
4. I admit that I (get) _______ older since I last (see) _______  you, but with any luck at all, I (get) _______ also wiser.
5. The science of medicine (advance) _______ a great deal in the nineteenth century.
6. Since the beginning of twentieth, medical scientists (make) _______  many important discoveries.
7. Libraries today are different from those in the 1900s. For example, the contents of libraries (change) _______ greatly through the years. In 1900s, libraries (be) _______ simply collections of books. However, today most libraries (become) _______  multimedia centres that contain records, tapes, computers, CDs, films, magazines, music and paintings.
8. Hi, Judy. Welcome to the party. (Meet, you, ever) _______ my cousin? – No, I …
9. Do you like lobster? – I don’t know. I (eat, never) _______ it.
10. Do you do much travelling? – Yes, I like to travel. What countries (visit) _______ you? – Well, I (be)  _______ in India, Turkey, Afghanistan and Nepal among others. – I (be, never) _______ in any of those countries. When (be, you) _______ in India? – Two years ago. I (visit) _______ also many of the countries in Central America. I (take) _______  a tour of Central America about six years ago. – I (want) _______  always to travel to other countries, but I (have, not) _______  the opportunity to travel extensively. I (go) _______  to England six years ago, but I (go, not) _______ anywhere since then.