Choose between present perfect and simple past — one of the most common grammar mistakes in English.
⏱ Average time
1 to 3 min
🎯 Difficulty
Single level — 8 questions per round.
🧠 Skills exercised
English grammar · Tense choice · Time awareness
How to play
Pick the correct tense (present perfect or simple past) to complete each sentence.
Example
"I ___ my keys — I can't find them anywhere." — the answer is have lost, because the consequence (can't find them) still matters now.
Tips & strategies
- 1.Simple past: the time is finished and specified. "I saw her yesterday." "She graduated in 2019."
- 2.Present perfect: the time is unfinished, unspecified, or the past event still matters now. "I have lost my keys." "She has worked here since 2018."
- 3.Signal words — past: yesterday, last week, in [year], ago. Present perfect: just, already, yet, ever, never, since, for, today (if today is not over).
💡 Did you know?
Portuguese "pretérito perfeito" is used like simple past but sounds identical to some present-perfect constructions — which is why Brazilian learners often say "I went to Paris last year" correctly but also say "I have gone there yesterday" (wrong).
Frequently asked questions
Why is this so hard for Portuguese speakers?
Portuguese uses the same past tense for both functions, so the present-perfect/past distinction doesn't exist natively — it must be learned explicitly.
Is there a time limit?
No — read each sentence carefully.