Presente perfecto o pasado simple

El pasado simple se utiliza para referirse a estados o acciones que se completaron en el pasado.

I lived in Albacete when I was six years old. (I don´t live in Albacete now.)

Cuando tenía seis años viví en Albacete (Ya no vivo allí.)

El pretérito perfecto se utiliza para hablar de estados o acciones que comenzaron en el pasado y siguen en el presente.

I´ve lived in Albacete since 2004. (I still live in Albacete.)

Llevo viviendo en Albacete desde 2004. (Sigo viviendo allí.)

El pasado simple se utiliza para especificar el momento en el que sucedió algo. Lo hacemos mediante una expresión de tiempo.

I visited London last weekend.

El fin de semana pasado estuve in Londres.

El pretérito perfecto se utiliza cuando no es necesario especificar en qué momento sucedió la acción.

Have you ever been to London? (it doesn´t matter when.)

¿Has estado alguna vez en Londres? (No importa cuándo.)

Ejercicios

A. Complete the sentences with the correct forms of the verbs in the list. Use the past simple or the present perfect. (want, catch, not do, leave, know, meet, read, go, not go, watch)

1) I …………………… a good book when I was on holiday.

2) My Mum …………………… to New York twice, but she …………………… to Miami.

3) I …………………… to be a teacher since I was 5 years old.

4) My brother …………………… his homework yet but he …………………… TV.

5) They …………………… the train at 10 o´clock last night.

6) …………………… you …………………… school when you were sixteen?

7) Santi …………………… Linda three days ago. They …………………… each other for three days.

A. Las respuestas correctas.

1) I´ve read a good book when I was on holiday.

2) My Mum has been to New York twice, but she has left to Miami.

3) I wanted to be a teacher since I was 5 years old.

4) My brother hasn´t done his homework yet but he watched TV.

5) They caught the train at 10 o´clock last night.

6) Haven´t you gone to school when you were sixteen?

7) Santi met Linda three days ago. They have known each other for three days.

B. Choose the correct tense.

1) David Beckham (was / has been) famous since 1995.

2) Olga (has done / did) a lot of work today.

3) My Dad (didn´t go / hasn´t gone) to university when he was eighteen.

4) Lisa and George (have made / made) dinner yesterday.

5) When I (was / have been) young, I lived in Amsterdam.

6) You (haven´t phoned / didn´t phoned) me for ages – is everything OK?

7) She´s (spoken / spoke) Dutch since she was three.

8) (did you go / Have you been) to the library last Saturday?

B. Las respuestas correctas.

1) David Beckham has been famous since 1995.

2) Olga has done a lot of work today.

3) My Dad didn´t go to university when he was eighteen.

4) Lisa and George made dinner yesterday.

5) When I was young, I lived in Amsterdam.

6) You haven´t phoned me for ages – is everything OK?

7) She´s spoken Dutch since she was three.

8) Did you go to the library last Saturday?

C. Choose the correct tense.

1) I (was born / have been born) in 1990.

2) (Did you live / Have you lived) in Den Helder all your life?

3) That was the best concert I (ever went / ´ve ever been) to.

4) He (started / ´s started) playing the piano in the last year.

5) When ( did you start / have you started) school?

6) When I was four we (went / have been) to Norway.

7) This month (I saw / ´ve seen) many good films.

8) You (changed / ´ve changed) your email address recently.

9) Tat (saw / have seen) Mary last week.

10) I (saw / have seen) John this morning.

C. Las respuestas correctas.

1) I was born in 1990.

2) Have you lived in Den Helder all your life?

3) That was the best concert I´ve ever been to.

4) He´s started playing the piano in the last year.

5) When did you start school?

6) When I was four we went to Norway.

7) This month I´ve seen many good films.

8) You´ve changed your email address recently.

9) Tat saw Mary last week.

10) I have seen John this morning.

D. Complete the diagrams. Use the present perfect and the past simple forms of the verbs.

1)

a. …………………… a text today? (you / send) b. Yes, I …………………… a. Who …………………… it to? a. I sent it to you!

2)

a. …………………… any new computer games this week? (your brother / buy) b. Yes, he …………………… a. Which one …………………… ? b. He bought the new Mario Bros game.

3)

a. …………………… recently? (you and your friends / go ice-skating) b. Yes we …………………… a. When …………………… b. We went on Sunday morning.

4)

a. …………………… Indian food? (they / eat) b. Yes, they …………………… a. Where …………………… it? b. They ate it at the Indian restaurant.

5)

a. …………………… for your French exam? (you / revise) b. Yes I …………………… a. When ……………………? b. I revised last night!

6)

a. …………………… Sonia this morning? (you / see) b. Yes, I …………………… a. What time ……………………? b. I saw her at eight o´clock.

D. Las respuestas correctas.

1)

a. Have you sent a text today?

b. Yes, I did. a. Who did you send it to? b. I sent it to you!

2)

a. Has your brother bought any new computer games this week? b. Yes, he did. a. Which one did he buy? b. He bought the new Mario Bros game.

3)

a. Have you and your friends gone ice-skating recently? b. Yes we did. a. When did you go?

b. We went on Sunday morning.

4)

a. Have they eaten Indian food? b. Yes, they did. a. Where did they eat it? b. They ate it at the Indian restaurant.

5)

a. Have you revised for your French exam? b. Yes I did. a. When did you revise? b. I revised last night!

6)

a. Have you seen Sonia this morning? b. Yes, I did. a. What time did you see her? b. I saw her at eight o´clock.

E. Complete the text with the past simple or the present perfect of the verbs.

So far this year, the Spanish tennis star, Rafael Nadal, …………………… (win) 11 singles titles and …………………… (earn) nearly € 4,000,000.

He …………………… (win) his first Grand Slam in May, 2005, three days after his nineteenth birthday. Only 6 teenagers before him …………………… ever …………………… (take) home a Grand Slam trophy.

He …………………… always …………………… (wear) colourful fashionable clothes on court and this …………………… (make) him very popular with young fans.

Nadal …………………… (start) to play tennis when he was five years old, and he …………………… (play) his first professional match in 2001.

He is now preparing for his next tournament of the year with Tony Nadal, his uncle and coach.

E. Las respuestas correctas.

So far this year, the Spanish tennis star, Rafael Nadal, has won 11 singles titles and has earned nearly € 4,000,000.

He won his first Grand Slam in May, 2005, three days after his nineteenth birthday. Only 6 teenagers before him have ever taken home a Grand Slam trophy.

He has always worn colourful fashionable clothes on court and this has made him very popular with young fans.

Nadal started to play tennis when he was five years old, and he played his first professional match in 2001.

He is now preparing for his next tournament of the year with Tony Nadal, his uncle and coach.

F. Complete the dialogues.

1)

a. What´s the biggest sport event …………………… to? b. I went to the woman´s 300 meter final at the Olympic Games in London. a. …………………… it exciting b. Yes, it was

2)

a. …………………… your mother …………………… The Lion King musical when he was in London?

b. Yes, she saw it twice. She says it was the best musical she´s ever …………………… .

3)

a. Have you ever been to Sydney? b. Yes, I …………………… there last summer. a. Who …………………… you with? b. I …………………… with my brother.

4)

a. …………………… you ever …………………… a famous singer? b. Yes, I met Usher in a restaurant in Puerto Banus.

F. Las respuestas correctas.

1)

a. What´s the biggest sport event you´ve been to? b. I went to the woman´s 300 meter final at the Olympic Games in London. a. Was it exciting b. Yes, it was

2)

a. Has your mother seen The Lion King musical when he was in London? b. Yes, she saw it twice. She says it was the best musical she´s ever seen.

3)

a. Have you ever been to Sydney? b. Yes, I´ve been there last summer. a. Who were you with? b. I was with my brother.

4)

a. Have you ever met a famous singer? b. Yes, I met Usher in a restaurant in Puerto Banus.

G. Choose the correct options to complete the sentences

1) I (live / have lived) in the USA all of my life.

2) My parents (moved / have moved) here from Spain after they (got / have got) married.

3) They (taught / have taught) me Spanish when I was younger.

4) I (stopped / have stopped) speaking Spanish when I (was / have been ) twelve.

5) My parents (didn´t understand / haven´t understood) why I (decided / have decided) to stop speaking Spanish.

6) I (didn´t speak / haven´t spoken) it since then.

7) I (forgot / have forgotten) a lot of the grammar and vocabulary too.

8) Last week I (decided / have decided) to go to Spain on holiday. It will be nice to speak Spanish again.

G. Las respuestas correctas.

1) I have lived in the USA all of my life.

2) My parents moved here from Spain after they got married.

3) They taught me Spanish when I was younger.

4) I stopped speaking Spanish when I was twelve.

5) My parents didn´t understand why I decided to stop speaking Spanish.

6) I haven´t spoken it since then.

7) I have forgotten a lot of the grammar and vocabulary too.

8) Last week I decided to go to Spain on holiday. It will be nice to speak Spanish again.