Simple Past vs. Present Perfect Tense | Class 10 Grammar Worksheets

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Complete the following sentences.

1. They --------------------- the work 2 weeks ago.

a) finished
b) have finished
c) had finished

2. I ----------------------- my work just now.

a) finished
b) have finished

3. He ------------------ his mobile phone shortly after he -------------------- it.

a) had lost; bought
b) lost; had bought
c) had lost; had bought

4. He -------------------- for murder.

a) was hung
b) was hanged

5. He --------------------- the pictures on the wall.

a) hanged
b) hung

6. The hen ------------------------ six eggs.

a) has laid
b) was lain

7. He --------------------- under the tree.

a) lay
b) laid

8. Death ------------------------- his icy hand on all.

a) lay
b) lays

9. I ---------------------- about it a moment ago.

a) thought
b) have thought

10. He reached the station after the train --------------------

a) left
b) had left
c) has left

11. When I reached home, my brother --------------------- his dinner.

a) took
b) was taking

12. My friend ----------------------- ill for about one month.

a) is
b) has been

Answers

1. They finished the work 2 weeks ago.

2. I have finished my work just now. (In British English, we use the present perfect tense with recently completed actions and events. In American English, the simple past tense is also possible here.)

3. He lost his mobile phone shortly after he had bought. it. (When you talk about two past events, use the past perfect tense for the earlier of the two.)

4. He was hanged for murder.

5. He hung the pictures on the wall.

6. The hen has laid six eggs. (Hen lays eggs. Laid is the past participle form of lay.)

7. He lay under the tree. (Lay is the past tense of lie; lie - lay - lain)

8. Death lays his icy hand on all. (Lay means 'put down carefully' or 'put down flat'.)

9. I thought about it a moment ago. (We do not use the present perfect tense with adverbs referring to the past.)

10. He reached the station after the train had left. (We use the past perfect tense for the earlier of two past actions.)

11. When I reached home, my brother was taking his dinner. (To talk about an activity that was in progress while another action occurred, we use the present continuous tense.)

12. My friend has been ill for about one month.

See also

Tenses exercises and worksheets

Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 1
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 2
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 3
Mistakes with verbs | Exercise 4