The document provides examples and explanations for when to use the simple past tense versus the present perfect tense in English. It gives signal words that indicate each tense and provides sentences for learners to practice putting verbs in the correct tense. Key points covered include: - The present perfect tense is used with words like "already", "yet", and for actions that have unfinished time frames. - The simple past is used for completed actions, with words like "yesterday" or references to specific times in the past. - Examples are given for learners to practice putting verbs in sentences into the correct tense based on time frames and signal words.

1. PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT
Write down the correct form (pronoun + verb).
Simple Past Present Perfect Simple
I / open
he / write
they / do
you / swim
she / give
Use
When do we use which tense?
1. 'Already' is a signal word for ...
2. 'Just' is a signal word for ...
3. '2 years ago' is a signal word for ...
4. 'Yet' is a signal word for ...
5. 'Yesterday' is a signal word for ...
Positive Sentences. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect
simple).
1. Mary (win) _______________the lottery last year.
2. We (prepare / already) _______________dinner.
3. James (find) _______________your ring in the garden yesterday.
4. He (come / just) _______________home.
5. They (buy) _______________their car two years ago.
Negative Sentences. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect
simple).
1. I (see / not) _______________anyone yet.

2. 2. Phil (go / not) _______________to the cinema last night.
3. We (be / not) _______________to the zoo so far.
4. She (arrive / not) _______________yet.
5. Emily (visit / not) _______________me last week.
Questions. Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1. (you / read) _______________the book yet?
2. How many letters (they / write) _______________so far?
3. When (he / tell) _______________you that?
4. (you / be) _______________at home last night?
5. How often (you / travel) _______________abroad till now?
Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).
1. A: (you / taste / ever) _______________sushi?
2. B: Yes, I (eat) _______________sushi at least five times so far.
3. A: When (you / eat) _______________sushi for the first time?
4. B: I (eat) _______________sushi for the first time on my dad's 50th birthday. He (invite)
_______________the whole family to a Japanese restaurant.
5. A: (you / like) _______________it?
6. B: Absolutely. In fact, it (be) _______________so good that we (be) _______________to
that restaurant three times yet. And on my mum's birthday, we (order) _______________
some sushi and (have) _______________it at home.
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.

3. 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.
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.
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.

4. 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?