VERB TENSES IN CONTEXT EXERCISE 2 (ESL)
level: Intermediate (B1/B2)
✓ Useful for TOEFL
✓ Useful for TOEIC
This second mixed tenses exercise focuses primarily on one of the most important and most tested grammar points at B1/B2 level: the distinction between the simple past and the present perfect. A few questions also include the past continuous. Read each sentence carefully for time clues — they will point you to the right answer.
Need a refresher? Jump to the grammar review ↓
Need a refresher? Jump to the grammar review ↓
Choose the correct verb tense to complete each sentence.
GRAMMAR REVIEW! Simple past vs present perfect — the key distinction
Despite the “mixed tenses” label, this exercise is primarily about one distinction: simple past vs present perfect. Getting this right is one of the most important skills at B1/B2 level. The past continuous appears in a couple of questions too.
The single most reliable test: Is the situation still true now, or is it over? If it’s over and the time is clear → simple past. If it connects to now → present perfect.
Despite the “mixed tenses” label, this exercise is primarily about one distinction: simple past vs present perfect. Getting this right is one of the most important skills at B1/B2 level. The past continuous appears in a couple of questions too.
| Tense | Use when… | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple past | The action is finished and the time is specified or clearly in the past | I lived in Paris for two years. (I no longer live there) |
| Present perfect | The action connects to the present; time is unfinished; the result matters now | I have lived here for two years. (I still live here) |
| Past continuous | An action was in progress at a specific past moment | She was reading when the phone rang. |
The single most reliable test: Is the situation still true now, or is it over? If it’s over and the time is clear → simple past. If it connects to now → present perfect.
CHECK OUT OUR OTHER VERB TENSE EXERCISES:
Mixed verb tenses 1 (B1/B2)
Mixed verb tenses 3 (B1/B2)
Simple past or present perfect? 1 (I)
Simple past or present perfect? 2 (I)
Simple past or present perfect? 3 (I)
Past continuous 1 (B)
Past continuous 2 (B)
Simple past or past continuous? 1 (B1/B2)
Simple past or past continuous? 2 (A1/A2)
Present perfect continuous 1 (B1/B2)
Present perfect continuous 2 (A1/A2)
Past perfect 1 (I)
Past perfect 2 (B1/B2)
Mixed verb tenses 1 (B1/B2)
Mixed verb tenses 3 (B1/B2)
Simple past or present perfect? 1 (I)
Simple past or present perfect? 2 (I)
Simple past or present perfect? 3 (I)
Past continuous 1 (B)
Past continuous 2 (B)
Simple past or past continuous? 1 (B1/B2)
Simple past or past continuous? 2 (A1/A2)
Present perfect continuous 1 (B1/B2)
Present perfect continuous 2 (A1/A2)
Past perfect 1 (I)
Past perfect 2 (B1/B2)
