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Interactive Grammar: Present and Past Simple Review

Consolidate and contrast the present simple and past simple tenses through focused review exercises.

Grammar Explanation · Authentic Examples · Practice Exercises

Lesson progressNot started
Duration
~64 min
Exercises
43
Level
Elementary

Overview

Consolidate and contrast the present simple and past simple tenses through focused review exercises.

Present simple vs. Past simple

  • present simpleHabits / facts: She travels to work by train every day.
  • past simpleCompleted past: They visited Paris last summer.
  • negativesPresent: He doesn't like coffee. / Past: He didn't come.
  • questionsPresent: Does she work here? / Past: Did she call?

Time signals

  • Present simple: every day, always, usually, often, never, on Mondays.
  • Past simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, ago, when I was young.
  • Irregular past forms: go → went / see → saw / buy → bought.

Common Mistakes

  • She go to school every day. → ✅ She goes to school every day.
  • He didn't went. → ✅ He didn't go.
  • Did she finished? → ✅ Did she finish?

When to use

Routines

I walk to work every morning.

Past events

She moved to London two years ago.

Facts

The sun rises in the east.

Biography writing

He was born in 1990 and studied law.

Multiple Choice

Choose the correct tense — present simple or past simple

Multiple Choice15 questions
1She to work by train every day.
2They Paris last summer.
3He usually coffee in the morning.
4We the project two weeks ago.
5She very well when she was a child.
6The match at 7:30 every Saturday.
7Did they the presentation yesterday?
8He an interesting article in the paper this morning.
9Water at 100 degrees Celsius.
10She the exam because she revised thoroughly.
11Where you for your holidays last year?
12He in this company for twelve years before he retired.
13 she speak any languages other than English?
14I always breakfast before I leave the house.
15The war in 1945.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete with the correct form of the verb

Fill in the Blanks10 questions
1She(doesn't like/didn't like/not like)coffee — she prefers tea.
2He(bought/buys/buy)a new car last month.
3The museum(opens/opened/is opening)at nine every morning.
4They(met/meet/meeting)at university and have been friends since.
5I(don't/didn't/not)understand the question — could you repeat it?
6She(won/wins/winning)three gold medals at the last Olympics.
7He(studies/studied/is study)law at university two years ago.
8The company(was founded/is founded/founded)in 1998 by two students.
9I(get up/got up/getting up)at six every weekday morning.
10Did you(see/saw/seen)the documentary last night?

Transform the Sentences

Change the tense or form as instructed

Transform8 questions

1She visits the gym regularly. → Change to past (last year)

2He worked very hard. → Change to present

3They travel every summer. → Make negative (past)

4Did she call you? → Change to present question

5I don't understand this. → Change to past (yesterday)

6He finished the report. → Make a question

7She doesn't eat meat. → Change to past (last year)

8The museum opens at nine. → Change to past

Fix the Errors

Correct the tense mistake

Error Fix10 questions

1She go to school every day.

2He didn't went to the party.

3Did she finished her homework?

4They buyed a new house last year.

5He don't like spicy food.

6She singed at the concert last night.

7The sun rise in the east.

8I seen a great film last weekend.

9Does she went to the gym yesterday?

10He works at that company since 2015.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this lesson on tenses cover?

Consolidate and contrast the present simple and past simple tenses through focused review exercises.

Which CEFR level is this lesson designed for?

This lesson is designed for Elementary (A2) learners and forms part of the Tenses section on Grammartier.

What is the best approach for studying this grammar topic?

Start with the definition, then study the examples carefully to understand how the pattern works in context. Practise identifying the structure in authentic sentences before producing your own — this recognition-first approach builds a strong foundation for accurate, confident use.

Your Grammar Learning Path

Follow the CEFR progression for this topic cluster.

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