simple present tense & simple past tense - ESL worksheet by ... - Free Printable
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Step-by-step solution for: simple present tense & simple past tense - ESL worksheet by ...
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: simple present tense & simple past tense - ESL worksheet by ...
Let’s go through each sentence one by one. We need to choose between Simple Present Tense (for habits, routines, general truths) and Simple Past Tense (for actions that happened at a specific time in the past).
Look for clue words like:
- “yesterday”, “last week”, “two years ago” → use past tense
- “always”, “often”, “usually”, “every day” → use present tense
Also, remember how to form negatives and questions.
---
1. I ______ (see) a very interesting film yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → saw
2. We always ______ (play) volleyball at school.
→ “always” = habit → present → play
3. They ______ (visit) London two years ago.
→ “two years ago” = past → visited
4. She often ______ (help) her mother at home.
→ “often” = habit → present → helps (she = third person singular)
5. Tom ______ (win) the championship last week.
→ “last week” = past → won
6. Lana, you always ______ (come) in time!
→ “always” = habit → present → come (you = base verb)
7. We ______ (write) the test yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → wrote
8. I always ______ (send) SMS to my friends.
→ “always” = habit → present → send
9. My mother usually ______ (come) home at 5 o’clock.
→ “usually” = habit → present → comes (mother = third person singular)
10. The girls ______ (find) that game yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → found
11. I often ______ (listen) to this wonderful song.
→ “often” = habit → present → listen
12. He ______ (not help) me with the text yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not help or didn’t help
13. Liz ______ (not want) to go to the disco club today.
→ “today” can be present → but “want” is stative verb, and if it’s about now → present → does not want or doesn’t want
Wait — let’s check: “today” doesn’t automatically mean past. If she doesn’t want to go *now*, it’s present. So → doesn’t want
14. We ______ (not take part) in the performance yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not take part or didn’t take part
15. Ben ______ (not often use) his vocabulary in the test.
→ “in the test” — could be past? But “often” suggests habit. Wait — “in the test” might refer to a specific test (past), but “often” contradicts that. Let’s read again: “Ben ___ (not often use) his vocabulary in the test.” Hmm — probably means during tests in general → habit → present → does not often use or doesn’t often use
But wait — maybe it’s “in the test” as in a specific test? Then it would be past. But “often” doesn’t fit with a single test. So likely general → present → doesn’t often use
Actually, looking at context — other sentences mix past and present based on time clues. Here, no clear past time word. “Often” implies habit → present → doesn’t often use
16. The boys ______ (not play) football last Sunday.
→ “last Sunday” = past + negative → did not play or didn’t play
17. The girls ______ (not want) to stay in the gym today.
→ “today” = present → do not want or don’t want
18. We ______ (not often read) books.
→ “often” = habit → present → do not often read or don’t often read
19. We ______ (not go) to Madrid last Saturday.
→ “last Saturday” = past + negative → did not go or didn’t go
20. Pam ______ (not like) to run at all.
→ No time clue → general truth → present → does not like or doesn’t like
21. Mona ______ (not do) her homework yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not do or didn’t do
22. ______ you ______ (go) to the gym every day?
→ “every day” = habit → present → question → Do you go
---
Now let’s write all answers clearly:
1. saw
2. play
3. visited
4. helps
5. won
6. come
7. wrote
8. send
9. comes
10. found
11. listen
12. didn’t help
13. doesn’t want
14. didn’t take part
15. doesn’t often use
16. didn’t play
17. don’t want
18. don’t often read
19. didn’t go
20. doesn’t like
21. didn’t do
22. Do ... go
Final Answer:
1. saw
2. play
3. visited
4. helps
5. won
6. come
7. wrote
8. send
9. comes
10. found
11. listen
12. didn’t help
13. doesn’t want
14. didn’t take part
15. doesn’t often use
16. didn’t play
17. don’t want
18. don’t often read
19. didn’t go
20. doesn’t like
21. didn’t do
22. Do, go
Look for clue words like:
- “yesterday”, “last week”, “two years ago” → use past tense
- “always”, “often”, “usually”, “every day” → use present tense
Also, remember how to form negatives and questions.
---
1. I ______ (see) a very interesting film yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → saw
2. We always ______ (play) volleyball at school.
→ “always” = habit → present → play
3. They ______ (visit) London two years ago.
→ “two years ago” = past → visited
4. She often ______ (help) her mother at home.
→ “often” = habit → present → helps (she = third person singular)
5. Tom ______ (win) the championship last week.
→ “last week” = past → won
6. Lana, you always ______ (come) in time!
→ “always” = habit → present → come (you = base verb)
7. We ______ (write) the test yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → wrote
8. I always ______ (send) SMS to my friends.
→ “always” = habit → present → send
9. My mother usually ______ (come) home at 5 o’clock.
→ “usually” = habit → present → comes (mother = third person singular)
10. The girls ______ (find) that game yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past → found
11. I often ______ (listen) to this wonderful song.
→ “often” = habit → present → listen
12. He ______ (not help) me with the text yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not help or didn’t help
13. Liz ______ (not want) to go to the disco club today.
→ “today” can be present → but “want” is stative verb, and if it’s about now → present → does not want or doesn’t want
Wait — let’s check: “today” doesn’t automatically mean past. If she doesn’t want to go *now*, it’s present. So → doesn’t want
14. We ______ (not take part) in the performance yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not take part or didn’t take part
15. Ben ______ (not often use) his vocabulary in the test.
→ “in the test” — could be past? But “often” suggests habit. Wait — “in the test” might refer to a specific test (past), but “often” contradicts that. Let’s read again: “Ben ___ (not often use) his vocabulary in the test.” Hmm — probably means during tests in general → habit → present → does not often use or doesn’t often use
But wait — maybe it’s “in the test” as in a specific test? Then it would be past. But “often” doesn’t fit with a single test. So likely general → present → doesn’t often use
Actually, looking at context — other sentences mix past and present based on time clues. Here, no clear past time word. “Often” implies habit → present → doesn’t often use
16. The boys ______ (not play) football last Sunday.
→ “last Sunday” = past + negative → did not play or didn’t play
17. The girls ______ (not want) to stay in the gym today.
→ “today” = present → do not want or don’t want
18. We ______ (not often read) books.
→ “often” = habit → present → do not often read or don’t often read
19. We ______ (not go) to Madrid last Saturday.
→ “last Saturday” = past + negative → did not go or didn’t go
20. Pam ______ (not like) to run at all.
→ No time clue → general truth → present → does not like or doesn’t like
21. Mona ______ (not do) her homework yesterday.
→ “yesterday” = past + negative → did not do or didn’t do
22. ______ you ______ (go) to the gym every day?
→ “every day” = habit → present → question → Do you go
---
Now let’s write all answers clearly:
1. saw
2. play
3. visited
4. helps
5. won
6. come
7. wrote
8. send
9. comes
10. found
11. listen
12. didn’t help
13. doesn’t want
14. didn’t take part
15. doesn’t often use
16. didn’t play
17. don’t want
18. don’t often read
19. didn’t go
20. doesn’t like
21. didn’t do
22. Do ... go
Final Answer:
1. saw
2. play
3. visited
4. helps
5. won
6. come
7. wrote
8. send
9. comes
10. found
11. listen
12. didn’t help
13. doesn’t want
14. didn’t take part
15. doesn’t often use
16. didn’t play
17. don’t want
18. don’t often read
19. didn’t go
20. doesn’t like
21. didn’t do
22. Do, go
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of past and present tense worksheet.
