English Grammar Drills

Verb Tenses 137
past
tense
present perfect
Last year, John had an accident that has totally changed his life.
The accident was a one-time only event in the past. The accident is over and done with, so it was
reported in the past tense. However, the consequences of the accident are not tied to that past
moment of time; they have continued on to the present. Therefore, the present perfect is appropriate
to describe the ongoing nature of the consequences.
Exercise 9.3
Select either the past tense or the present perfect form in the following sentences.
The children behaved/have behaved well since they stopped watching so much TV.
1. Mr. Brown left/has left last week for a business trip.
2. Sam lost/has lost his car keys and can’t get home.
3. The choir sang/has sung that song a hundred times.
4. The garage had/has had my car for a week now, and it still isn’t fixed.
5. We moved/have moved there ten years ago.
6. We lived/have lived there ever since.
7. We lost/have lost the power about noon.
8. Let’s go to the arrival section—the plane landed/has landed a few minutes ago.
9. I went/have gone to Duke University a few years ago.
10. The city permitted/has permitted parking on that street for years.
11. After the interview, the personnel director showed/has shown me the cafeteria.
12. I complained/have complained about that problem a dozen times.
13. Last winter, my grandmother fell/has fallen and broke her hip.
14. Since the train strike began, I drove/have driven to work every day.
15. I drove/have driven my wife’s car to work this morning.