Simple Past vs Present Perfect (1–25) | Interactive MY HTML

Simple Past vs Present Perfect (1–25)

SIMPLE PAST → use it for a finished time in the past.
Example: I saw the news yesterday.

PRESENT PERFECT → use it when the past connects to now.
Example: I have lost my keys.

Simple Past often goes with:
yesterday, last week, ago, in 2020, on Monday

Present Perfect often goes with:
already, yet, just, since, for, recently

Important:
If the time is finished, we usually use simple past.
If the time is not finished, not stated, or the result matters now, we usually use present perfect.

Kurz erklärt auf Deutsch:

Das Simple Past benutzen wir bei einer abgeschlossenen Zeit in der Vergangenheit.
Zum Beispiel: yesterday, last week, two days ago, in 2020

Das Present Perfect benutzen wir, wenn etwas von der Vergangenheit bis jetzt wichtig ist.
Oft mit: already, yet, just, since, for, recently

Finished time = Simple Past
Past until now / result now = Present Perfect

Click the correct verb form (A or B) to complete each sentence — focus on finished time words (yesterday, last week, ago) versus “up to now” words (already, yet, just, since, for) and results that matter now.

Correct = 0 | Incorrect = 0

1. I ______ the news yesterday.
(past time expression = yesterday)
([Ich sah gestern die Nachrichten.])
a) have seen ([habe gesehen])
b) saw ([sah])

2. She ______ the report already.
(signal word = already)
([Sie hat den Bericht schon fertiggestellt.])
a) has finished ([hat fertiggestellt])
b) finished ([fertigstellte])

3. We ______ him last week.
(past time expression = last week)
([Wir haben ihn letzte Woche getroffen.])
a) have met ([haben getroffen])
b) met ([trafen])

4. I ______ sushi before.
(life experience = before (from when she was born = before unitil now)
([Ich habe noch nie Sushi probiert.])
a) never tried ([probierte nie])
b) have never tried ([habe noch nie probiert])

5. They ______ to Berlin in 2020.
(finished time = in 2020)
([Sie sind 2020 nach Berlin umgezogen.])
a) have moved ([sind umgezogen])
b) moved ([zogen um])

6. I ______ my keys! I can’t find them.
(result now = I can’t find them (i.e. I had then in the past but now they are not there = past to now)
([Ich habe meine Schlüssel verloren! Ich kann sie nicht finden.])
a) have lost ([habe verloren])
b) lost ([verlor])

7. He ______ me two hours ago.
(past time expression = two hours ago)
([Er hat mich vor zwei Stunden angerufen.])
a) has called ([hat angerufen])
b) called ([rief an])

8. We ______ here since 2018.
(signal word = since 2018)
([Wir wohnen seit 2018 hier.])
a) have lived ([haben gewohnt])
b) lived ([wohnten])

9. I ______ the email this morning.
(past time expression = this morning (it's now afternoon so this morning is in the past)
([Ich habe heute Morgen die E-Mail geschickt.])
a) have sent ([habe geschickt])
b) sent ([schickte])

10. She ______ at the office. She’s here now.
(result now = she’s here now)
([Sie ist im Büro angekommen. Sie ist jetzt hier.])
a) has arrived ([ist angekommen])
b) arrived ([kam an])

11. We ______ the tickets on Monday.
(past time expression = on Monday in the past)
([Wir haben die Tickets am Montag gebucht.])
a) have booked ([haben gebucht])
b) booked ([buchten])

12. I ______ that book three times.
(time not stated = three times)
([Ich habe dieses Buch dreimal gelesen.])
a) have read ([habe gelesen])
b) read ([las])

13. He ______ the job in January.
(finished time = in January. It's now February)
([Er hat im Januar mit dem Job angefangen.])
a) has started ([hat angefangen])
b) started ([fing an])

14. I ______ her for ten years.
(signal word = for ten years)
([Ich kenne sie seit zehn Jahren.])
a) have known ([kenne / habe gekannt])
b) knew ([kannte])

15. They ______ the meeting yesterday afternoon.
(past time expression = yesterday afternoon)
([Sie haben das Meeting gestern Nachmittag abgesagt.])
a) have canceled ([haben abgesagt])
b) canceled ([sagten ab])

16. We ______ this topic already.
(signal word = already)
([Wir haben dieses Thema schon besprochen.])
a) have discussed ([haben besprochen])
b) discussed ([besprachen])

17. I ______ a new laptop last month.
(past time expression = last month)
([Ich habe letzten Monat einen neuen Laptop gekauft.])
a) have bought ([habe gekauft])
b) bought ([kaufte])

18. She ______ yet.
(signal word = yet / bis jetzt)
([Sie hat noch nicht geantwortet.])
a) hasn't replied ([hat noch nicht geantwortet])
b) didn't reply ([antwortete nicht])

19. We ______ them two days ago.
(past time expression = two days ago)
([Wir haben sie vor zwei Tagen gesehen.])
a) have seen ([haben gesehen])
b) saw ([sahen])

20. I ______ my password recently.
(time not specific = recently)
([Ich habe mein Passwort kürzlich geändert.])
a) have changed ([habe geändert])
b) changed ([änderte])

21. He ______ London in 2015.
(finished time = in 2015)
([Er hat London 2015 besucht.])
a) has visited ([hat besucht])
b) visited ([besuchte])

22. We ______ with this client since May.
(signal word = since May)
([Wir arbeiten seit Mai mit diesem Kunden.])
a) have worked ([haben gearbeitet])
b) worked ([arbeiteten])

23. I ______ to her on Tuesday.
(finished time = on Tuesday)
([Ich habe am Dienstag mit ihr gesprochen.])
a) have spoken ([habe gesprochen])
b) spoke ([sprach])

24. She ______ her English a lot.
(result from a time in the past until now = improvement)
([Sie hat ihr Englisch sehr verbessert.])
a) improved ([verbesserte])
b) has improved ([hat verbessert])

25. They ______ the contract last Friday.
(past time expression = last Friday)
([Sie haben den Vertrag letzten Freitag unterschrieben.])
a) have signed ([haben unterschrieben])
b) signed ([unterschrieben])

26. I ______ that film several times.
(time not stated = several times)
([Ich habe diesen Film mehrmals gesehen.])
a) have seen ([habe gesehen])
b) saw ([sah])

27. She ______ this question before.
(time not stated = before)
([Sie hat diese Frage schon einmal gestellt.])
a) asked ([fragte])
b) has asked ([hat gestellt])

28. We ______ that restaurant many times.
(time not stated = many times)
([Wir haben dieses Restaurant oft besucht.])
a) have visited ([haben besucht])
b) visited ([besuchten])

29. He ______ that mistake before.
(time not stated = before)
([Er hat diesen Fehler schon einmal gemacht.])
a) made ([machte])
b) has made ([hat gemacht])

30. They ______ this problem several times.
(time not stated = several times)
([Sie haben dieses Problem schon mehrmals besprochen.])
a) have discussed ([haben besprochen])
b) discussed ([besprachen])

Simple Past vs Present Perfect – Score & Review

Extra description: If the sentence contains a finished time (yesterday, last week, in 2020, ago), choose Simple Past. If the time is not finished or not given (already, yet, just, since, for), choose Present Perfect — it connects the past to “now”.

Correct = 0 | Incorrect = 0