A1+ ENGLISHTENSE REVIEW · 80 MIN
A1+ · PERFECT TENSE CHALLENGE

Past or
present?

Review two perfect tenses and choose the right one by finding the point of view first.

Present Perfect · past → connected to nowPast Perfect · earlier past → later past
PAST SIMPLEUse it for a finished past action or a specific finished time.

9 short stages · 80 minutes · answer keys included

Two timelines: Present Perfect connects a past action to now; Past Perfect places an earlier action before a later past event
Look for the reference point before you choose the form.
STAGE 1 · 8 MIN

Make your first decision

Read the situation. Choose a sentence before you look at the explanation.

01

The kitchen is clean now.

02

You are talking about last Sunday.

03

Dinner was ready before the guests arrived.

Notice: A present result points to now. “Last Sunday” is a finished time. Dinner was ready before another past event.
STAGE 2 · 8 MIN

Find the reference point

Both perfect tenses talk about an earlier action. The difference is the point of view.

Decision guide: use Present Perfect when the reference point is now; Past Perfect when it is a later moment in the past; use Past Simple with a finished past time
Use the decision guide. Say the reference point aloud before you name the tense.
REFERENCE POINT · NOW

Present Perfect

I have lost my keys.

I lost them before now. I don’t have them now.

PASTlost keys ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━● NOW
REFERENCE POINT · A LATER PAST MOMENT

Past Perfect

I had lost my keys, so I couldn’t open the door.

I lost them before I arrived at the door. The first event explains the later past problem.

PASTlost keys ━●━━━━ arrived ━●━━ NOW
REFERENCE POINT · FINISHED TIME

Past Simple

I lost my keys yesterday.

“Yesterday” tells us when the finished action happened.

Quick memory rulePresent Perfect: before now, connected to now.Past Perfect: before another moment in the past.Past Simple: a finished past action or time.
STAGE 3 · 10 MIN

Present Perfect: past → now

The action happened before now, and the experience, result, or situation matters now.

PRESENT PERFECT
subject + have / has + past participle (V3)

Affirmative

subject + have / has + V3

I have visited Mexico City.She has finished her homework.

Negative

subject + haven’t / hasn’t + V3

I haven’t visited Mexico City.She hasn’t finished yet.

Question

Have / Has + subject + V3?

Have you ever tried sushi?Has she called yet?Short: Yes, I have. · No, she hasn’t.
EXPERIENCE

Have you ever traveled alone?

I have never traveled alone.

RESULT NOW

She has lost her phone.

Now, she doesn’t have it.

RECENT / NOT YET

I have just arrived.

Have you finished yet?

We have already eaten.

For or since? for + a period: for five yearssince + a starting point: since 2021I have lived here for five years / since 2021. (I still live here.)
QUICK CHECK

Complete: We ______ lived here since 2021.   (have / had)

STAGE 4 · 10 MIN

Past Perfect: earlier past → later past

Use this tense when you want to show that one action was already complete before a later past moment.

Timeline: dinner was finished first, then a friend called; Past Perfect marks the earlier action
Earlier: dinner was finished. Later: the friend called.
PAST PERFECT
subject + had + past participle (V3)
“Had” is the same with I, you, he, she, we, and they.

Affirmative

subject + had + V3

They had eaten before we arrived.

Negative

subject + hadn’t + V3

He hadn’t saved his work.

Question

Had + subject + V3?

Had you eaten before the movie?Short: Yes, I had. · No, I hadn’t.
FIRST · PAST PERFECT

The movie had started

SECOND · PAST SIMPLE

we arrived

The movie had started before we arrived.
Common connectorsbefore The plane had left before we arrived.when When I arrived, they had already eaten.by the time By the time police arrived, the thief had escaped.after After I had finished, I washed the dishes.
Important: Don’t use Past Perfect for every past event. Use Past Simple for the later event, and use Past Perfect to make the earlier event clear when the order matters.
STAGE 5 · 10 MIN

Choose the tense

Complete each sentence. Use Present Perfect, Past Perfect, or Past Simple.

First ask: Is the reference point now, another past moment, or a finished past time?
1

We ______ to Oaxaca last year. (go)

2

She ______ her phone, so she can’t call us. (lose)

3

Ana couldn’t enter because she ______ her keys. (lose)

4

He ______ the email two hours ago. (send)

5

Before she went to Canada, she ______ never ______. (fly)

6

They ______ here since 2020, and they still live here. (live)

7

When we arrived, the restaurant ______. (close)

8

“Have you ever seen snow?” “Yes. I ______ it in 2024.” (see)

Choose an answer in each row to get feedback.
STAGE 6 · 8 MIN

One trip, three tenses

Read for the timeline. Which sentences connect to now? Which event happened first?

LAURA'S FIRST SOLO TRIP

Laura has traveled to several places with her family, but until last month she had never traveled alone. Last month, she traveled to Guadalajara for a friend’s wedding. Before the trip, she had bought her ticket, had reserved a room, and had packed her suitcase. When she arrived at the airport, she realized she had left her passport at home. Luckily, her flight was delayed. Her brother brought the passport, and Laura caught the flight. Since then, she has felt more confident. She has already planned another trip, but she hasn’t bought the ticket yet.

Present Perfect · connected to nowPast Perfect · before a past momentPast Simple · finished past event

Check what you understood

  1. Had Laura traveled alone before last month?
  2. What had she prepared before the trip?
  3. What had she left at home?
  4. Why could she still catch the flight?
  5. How has she felt since the trip?
STAGE 7 · 12 MIN

Tell what had happened

Choose any three scenes. For each one, name the earlier action, the later event, and the result.

Six illustrated sequences: a plane leaves before a traveler arrives; dinner is prepared before guests arrive; a computer fails after unsaved work; a movie starts before a couple arrives; a thief escapes before police arrive; a storm damages a car before a family sees it
Use the image clues to build a two-event story. Say the later event in Past Simple.
Use this 3-step speaking frame
1 · Earlier action: The plane had left ...2 · Later event: ... before Sofia arrived.3 · Result or feeling: She missed her flight.
STAGE 8 · 10 MIN

Your story across three time points

Choose one topic: travel, food, a lost object, a film, or learning English. Build a short story.

1 · EXPERIENCE OR RESULT NOW

Present Perfect

Have you ever…? / I have… / I haven’t… yet.

Example: I have traveled to another city.
2 · WHAT HAPPENED THEN?

Past Simple

Say when, where, and what happened.

Example: I went there last year.
3 · WHAT HAD HAPPENED BEFORE?

Past Perfect + Past Simple

Join an earlier action to a later past event.

Example: I had booked the hotel before I arrived.
Partner / teacher promptsAsk one “Have you ever…?” question.Ask a Past Simple follow-up: “When did you…?”Ask what happened before a past moment: “Had you… before…?”
STAGE 9 · 4 MIN

Exit check: explain your choice

Answer without looking back. Then check the key.

01

“I ______ my homework, so it’s ready now.” (finish)

02

“The guests arrived after we ______ dinner.” (prepare)

03

“I ______ my grandmother last weekend.” (visit)

Before you choose, find your reference point:
NOW → have / has + V3LATER PAST → had + V3FINISHED TIME → Past Simple

Good work.

You can now connect a past action to now, place an action before a past moment, and use Past Simple for finished past time.