Unit 14: Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)

English Grammar in Use With Answers » Unit 14: Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)

Do not use the present perfect (I have done) when you talk about a finished time (for example, yesterday / ten minutes ago / in 2005 / when I was a child).

Use a past tense:

It was very cold yesterday. (not has been)
Paul and Lucy arrived ten minutes ago. (not have arrived)
Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child? (not have you eaten)
I got home late last night. I was very tired and went straight to bed.

Use the past to ask When ... ? or What time ... ?:

When did your friends arrive? (not have ... arrived)
What time did you finish work?

Compare:

Present perfect	Past simple
- Tom has lost his key. He can't get into the house.	- Tom lost his key yesterday. He couldn't get into the house.
- Is Carla here or has she left?	- When did cart a leave ?

Compare:

Present perfect (have done)	Past simple (did)
- I've done a lot of work today. We use the present perfect for a period of time that continues until now. For example: today / this week / since 2007.	- I did a lot of work yesterday. We use the past simple for a finished time in the past. For example: yesterday / last week / from 2007 to 2010.
- It hasn't rained this week.	- It didn't rain last week.
- Have you seen Anna this morning? (it is still morning)	- Did you see Anna this morning? (it is now afternoon or evening)
- Have you seen Tim recently?	- Did you see Tim on Sunday?
- I don't know where Lisa is. I haven't seen her. (= I haven't seen her recently)	A: Was Lisa at the party on Sunday? B: I don't think so. I didn't see her.
- We've been waiting for an hour. (we a re still waiting now)	- We waited (or were waiting) for an hour. (we are no longer waiting)
- Jack lives in Los Angeles. He has lived there for seven years.	- Jack lived in New York for ten years. Now he lives in Los Angeles.
- I have never played golf. (in my life)	- I didn't play golf last summer.
- It's the last day of your holiday. You say: It's been a really good holiday. I've really enjoyed it.	- After you come back from holiday you say: It was a really good holiday. I really enjoyed it.

14.1 Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct them where necessary .

_____ I've lost my key. I can't find it anywhere.
__________
_____ Have you eaten a lot of sweets when you were a child?
__________
_____ I've bought a new car. You must come and see it.
__________
_____ I've bought a new car last week.
__________
_____ Where have you been yesterday evening?
__________
_____ Lucy has left school in 1999.
__________
_____ I'm looking for Mike. Have you seen him?
__________
_____ 'Have you been to Paris?' 'Yes, many times.'
__________
_____ I'm very hungry. I haven't eaten much today.
__________
_____ When has this book been published?
__________

14.2 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use the present perfect or past simple.

(it / not / rain / this week) .
(the weather / be / cold / recently) The weather __________ .
(it / cold / last week) It __________ .
(I / not / read / a newspaper yesterday) I __________ .
(I / not / read / a newspaper today) __________ .
(Emily / earn / a lot of money / this year) __________ .
(she / not / earn / so much / last year) __________ .
(you / have / a holiday recently?) __________ ?

14.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

'What's Madrid like?, 'I don't know ⁽¹⁾ (I / not / be) there.'
When ⁽²⁾ __________ (I / get) home last night, ⁽³⁾ __________ (I / be) very tired and ⁽⁴⁾ __________ (I / go) straight to bed.
A: ⁽⁵⁾ __________ (you / see) Lisa recently?
B: Yes, ⁽⁶⁾ __________ (I / saw) her a few days ago.
I'm tired. ⁽⁷⁾ __________ (I / not / sleep) well last night.
The bus drivers were on strike last week. ⁽⁸⁾ __________ (there / be) no buses.
Mr Lee ⁽⁹⁾ __________ (work) in a bank for 15 years. Then ⁽¹⁰⁾ __________ (he / give) it up. Now he works as a gardener.
Mary lives in Dublin. ⁽¹¹⁾ __________ (she / live) there all her life.
A: ⁽¹²⁾ __________ (you / go) to the cinema last night?
B: Yes, but ⁽¹³⁾ __________ (it / be) a mistake. The film ⁽¹⁴⁾ __________ (be) awful.
My grandfather ⁽¹⁵⁾ __________ (die) before I was born. ⁽¹⁶⁾ __________ (I / never / meet) him.
I don't know Karen's husband. ⁽¹⁷⁾ __________ (I / never / meet) him.
It's nearly lunchtime, and ⁽¹⁸⁾ __________ (I / not / see) Martin all morning. I wonder where he is.
'Where do you live?' 'In Boston.'
'How long ⁽¹⁹⁾ __________ (you / live) there?' 'Five years.'
'Where ⁽²⁰⁾ __________ (you / live) before that?' 'In Chicago.'
'And how long ⁽²¹⁾ __________ (you / live) in Chicago?' 'Two years.'

14.4 Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.

(something you haven't done today)
.
(something you haven't done today)
__________ .
(something you didn't do yesterday)
__________ .
(something you did yesterday evening)
__________ .
(something you haven't done recently)
__________ .
(something you've done a lot recently)
__________ .

Answer Key

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