TASK:Practice: Simple Past or Present Perfect?

Hi, people: As you have requested, I'm leaving you some exercises for extra practice.


Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

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.