Grammar Practice Exercises , Upper Intermediate [ 8 ]

8 - ] Grammar Practice Exercises

Upper Intermediate

 Contrast : Present Perfect Simple Versus Past Simple

1 -] Put the verbs in brackets into the past simple , present perfect pr present perfect continuous

Jake and Michael , two friends , are talking

Example

J : Hello , I haven’t seen (not see) you for ages .

M : No , it must be about two years since we last -----------------------(meet) . What -------------

(you /do) with yourself ?

J : I ---------------------(do) all sorts of things . Life ------------------(be) very busy lately . I ------

(start) a new job at the sailing center .

M
: Really ! Doing what ?

J : Well , I ---------------------(teach) beginners’ courses to school groups this term but when those ----------------(finish) , I’ll be teaching more advanced groups on holiday courses .

M : That sounds great . What about your old job at the tourist office then ?

J : Well , I ---------------------(work) there for ten years and I quite --------------(enjoy) the job but I -------------------(want) to do something different . I -----------------------(always/enjoy) sailing in my spare time so I -----------------(think) it would be nice to do it for a job .

M: So how long --------------------------(you/be) at the sailing center ?

J : For about two months now . I’m sure I ---------------------(do) the right thing . It’s a really enjoyable job . And what about you ?

M : Well , I’m still at the Hilton Hotel . I ------------------(work) there for fifteen years now . But I -----------------------(have) a promotion so that’s good . They ----------------( give) me the job of head receptionist .

J : Oh , that’s good news .

M : Yes , it -----------------------(make) me feel much better about work . I mean ----------------(do) a lot of different jobs at the hotel but I ----------------(never have) a job with this much responsibility before I --------------------(work) on the reception desk for four years when

 I ----------------(start) at the hotel - that was before they --------------------(move) me into the office - but I ----------------------(be) only a junior receptionist then so I just -------------(do) what I --------------------(be told) to do .

J : So when --------------------(you / get) the new job ?

M : A month ago , after I ------------------(pass) my intermediate exams in Spanish and German at the college . Did you know I ------------------(do) language evening classes at the college for a while now ?

J : No , I didn’t realize .

M : Yes , I ------------------------(decide) that I -----------------(cannot get) any further at work without learning some languages .

A : And so you did ! What a good idea .

2 - ] Put the verbs into the present perfect simple or past simple in the following passages

Example

1 - ] News has just come in (just come in) that there ---------------------(be) an air crash somewhere off the south coast of England . There --------------------(be) 120 passengers and crew on the plane and it is understood that no survivors -----------------(be found) . Apparently the plane ----------------(go) mysteriously out of control and -----------(plunge) into the sea . Relatives of most of the passengers and crew -----------------(now be informed) and many of them -----------------------(set off) for the sea rescue base , but they -----------------

(not be given) much hope . Most of the passengers --------------------(be) on business .  

2 - ] Despite the problems that the government --------------(have) in the last two years , it

----------------------(somehow manage) to stay in power . There -------------------(be) a number of scandals involving government ministers , including one rumor about the Prime Minister himself . It is said that he ---------------(promise) gifts to certain Members of Parliament in exchange for their vote before he -------------(be elected) leader . In spite of all this , the government -----------------(Maintain) its position in Parliament and --------(claim) that this ------------------(be) the most successful term of office that a government --------------

(ever have) . This is rather surprising as they ---------------(come) to power with only a small majority .