Present perfect simple and past simple

Present perfect simple

We use the present perfect simple: to talk about an experience in somebody’s life. (We don’t say when it happened.) He’s had a mobile phone for a long time. with for and since to talk about an action that started in the past and continues to the present. Tim’s known Kate since he was ten. with just, yet and already for a past action with a result in the present. I’ve just bought a new mountain bike.

Past simple

We use the past simple to talk about a finished action that happened at a definite time in the past. We saw John at the weekend.

1 Choose the correct words.

1 They’ve already / yet visited Venice.

2 Have you ever / never seen a ghost?

3 Has she finished work just / yet?

4 They’ve been married for / since October.

5 Lucy has worked in the circus since / for she was a child.

6. David has just / yet got back from holiday.
   
   

2 Complete the newspaper extracts. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past simple.

Last night a massive tidal wave 1……………… (hit) the coast of Mexico. Over 5,000 people 2……………… (already / lose) their homes.

Yesterday a girl 3……………… (hand in) a briefcase containing £100,000 to the police. The girl found the briefcase at Euston railway station.

The cost of living in Britain 4……………… (rise) again. Last year prices in British supermarkets 5……………… (increase) by more than five per cent.

3 Complete the text. Use the correct form of the present perfect simple or past simple.

¹…………… you …………… (ever / dream) of being a film star? Leonardo DiCaprio was only five years old when he ²………….…(star) in his first TV show, and just thirteen when he ³……………… (appear) in his first film. Since then he ⁴……………… (not stop) working. He ⁵……………… (be) in over fifteen films and he ⁶……………… (work) with stars such as Robert De Niro and Johnny Depp.

  Leonardo ⁷……………… (be) born in Los Angeles in 1974. After appearing in TV shows,

he ⁸……………… (get) his first film role in Critters 3, then he starred in Romeo and Juliet.

But it ⁹……………… (not be) until Titanic that he ¹⁰……………… (become) a world-famous

teen idol. It was then that Leonardo ¹¹……………… (begin) to appear on magazine

covers around the world.

  Since Titanic, Leonardo ¹²……………… (be) very busy. He ¹³……………… (already / make)

three more films and ¹⁴…………… (just / start) work on another.

4. Write questions about Leonardo. Use the present perfect simple or past simple.

1 How old / when / first appear / on TV? ………………………………………………

2 ever / meet / Robert De Niro? ………………………………………………

3 How long / be / an actor? ………………………………………………

4 famous / before Titanic? ………………………………………………

5 How many / films / make / since Titanic?  ………………………………………………