Present Perfect And Simple Past Quiz Questions And Answers

Reviewed by Juliette Firla

Juliette Firla, MA |

K-12 English Expert

Review Board Member

Juliette is a middle school English teacher at Sacred Heart of Greenwich, Connecticut. Juliette earned a BA in English/Language Arts Teacher Education from Elon University (2016-2020) and an MA in Teaching Writing from Johns Hopkins University (Apr 2023-Dec 2025). She holds a Classroom Teacher license from the Connecticut State Department of Education, obtained in July 2021. Juliette possesses strong skills in English language arts, writing, editing, and literature study. She has a deep passion for working with young people and contributing to the education of America's youth in the classroom.

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| By Carmentorres

Carmentorres

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Quizzes Created: 3 | Total Attempts: 125,249

Questions: 10 | Attempts: 55,293 | Updated: Jan 12, 2024

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Attempt this challenging quiz to test your knowledge regarding tenses. Here, the quiz requires you to complete the sentences either using past simple or present perfect tense. Both of the tenses are used for defining past events or actions, some of which are still going on in the present. These are challenging, but we know you can do it! Let’s get started… and good luck!

Questions and Answers

1.

The teacher ____________ the instructions given on the blackboard at the beginning of class.
- A.
  
  Was explained
- B.
  
  Has explained
- C.
  
  Explained
- D.
  
  Is explaining
Correct Answer
C. Explained

Explanation
The correct answer is "explained" because it is the past tense of the verb "explain" and matches the subject "the teacher." This suggests that the teacher already provided the instructions at the beginning of the class in the past.

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0
2.

She _________ in this area for fifteen years.
- A.
  
  Was lived
- B.
  
  Have lived
- C.
  
  Has lived
- D.
  
  Lives
Correct Answer
C. Has lived

Explanation
The correct answer is "has lived" because it is the present perfect tense form of the verb "live." This tense is used to talk about an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. In this case, the person has been living in the area for fifteen years, indicating a continuous action that started in the past and is still ongoing.

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81
2
3.

You ____________ five letters already… Only three more to go!
- A.
  
  Write
- B.
  
  Have written
- C.
  
  Has written
- D.
  
  Were being
Correct Answer
B. Have written

Explanation
The correct answer is "have written" because it is the present perfect tense form of the verb "write" used with the subject "you." This tense is used to indicate an action that started in the past and is still relevant in the present, illustrated by “only three more to go.” In this case, it suggests that the person has completed the action of writing five letters in the past, but they still have to write more.

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49
0
4.

She __________ this computer program in 2005.
- A.
  
  Has learned
- B.
  
  Learned
- C.
  
  Have learned
- D.
  
  Has learning
Correct Answer
B. Learned

Explanation
The correct answer is "learned" because it is the past tense form of the verb "learn." Since the sentence is referring to an action that happened in 2005, the past tense is appropriate. "Has learned" and "have learned" are incorrect because they are present perfect tense forms, which indicate an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. "Has learning" is also incorrect because it is not a grammatically correct verb form.

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39
0
5.

She ________________ art history last year.
- A.
  
  Has studied
- B.
  
  Have studied
- C.
  
  Study
- D.
  
  Studied
Correct Answer
D. Studied

Explanation
The correct answer is "studied" because it is the past tense form of the verb "study." The sentence is referring to an action that was completed in the past, indicating that the subject (she) engaged in the activity of studying history last year.

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44
1
6.

They __________ chocolate as their cheat meal when they were on a diet.
- A.
  
  Ate
- B.
  
  Has eaten
- C.
  
  Have eaten
- D.
  
  Were eaten
Correct Answer
A. Ate

Explanation
The correct answer is "ate" because it is the past tense form of the verb "eat." The sentence is describing an action that happened in the past, indicating that the subject consumed chocolate while on a diet.

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38
1
7.

They ____________ anxious during their exam last September.
- A.
  
  Feel
- B.
  
  Was feeling
- C.
  
  Felt
- D.
  
  Have felt
Correct Answer
C. Felt

Explanation
In this sentence, the word "anxious" is used as an adjective to describe the state of the subject (they) during their exam last September. The correct verb form to use in this context is "felt," as it indicates a past-tense action or emotion. Therefore, the correct answer is "felt."

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27
0
8.

It ___________ the hottest summer in history, so far!
- A.
  
  Has been
- B.
  
  Was
- C.
  
  Have been
- D.
  
  Was being
Correct Answer
A. Has been

Explanation
The correct answer is "has been" because it indicates that the hottest summer in history started in the past and is still continuing in the present, illustrated by the use of “so far.”

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35
0
9.

We really ___________ the Halloween party last year.
- A.
  
  Have enjoyed
- B.
  
  Has enjoyed
- C.
  
  Were enjoyed
- D.
  
  Enjoyed
Correct Answer
D. Enjoyed

Explanation
The question asks for the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence. The subject "we" is plural, so the correct form of the verb should also be plural. "Have enjoyed" and "has enjoyed" are in the present perfect tense and do not match the past tense implied by "last year." "Were enjoyed" is in the passive voice and does not make sense in this context. Therefore, the correct answer is "enjoyed," which is the past tense form of the verb.

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26
0
10.

I _______________ a comic yesterday.
- A.
  
  Read
- B.
  
  Was reading
- C.
  
  Have read
- D.
  
  Was read
Correct Answer
A. Read

Explanation
The correct answer is "read" because the sentence is in the past tense and "read" is the simple past form of the verb "read".

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76
4

Juliette Firla |MA |

K-12 English Expert

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Current Version
Jan 12, 2024

Quiz Edited by
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Expert Reviewed by
Juliette Firla
Nov 22, 2009

Quiz Created by
Carmentorres

Present Perfect And Simple Past Quiz Questions And Answers

The teacher ____________ the instructions given on the blackboard at the beginning of class.

She _________ in this area for fifteen years.

You ____________ five letters already… Only three more to go!

She __________ this computer program in 2005.

She ________________ art history last year.

They __________ chocolate as their cheat meal when they were on a diet.

They ____________ anxious during their exam last September.

It ___________ the hottest summer in history, so far!

We really ___________ the Halloween party last year.

I _______________ a comic yesterday.