English for Kids Step by Step: Present Perfect Tense Reading ... - Free Printable

Let's solve this step by step. The task is to fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in the present perfect tense.

The present perfect tense is formed using:
> have/has + past participle

We use it for actions that happened at an unspecified time before now, or actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

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1. Emily Thompson’s chickens _________ fresh eggs in the nesting boxes today.

Verb: *lay* → past participle: laid
- "Today" suggests a recent action connected to now.
- Chickens are plural → use have
✔ have laid

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2. Olivia Young’s sheep _________ birth to lambs, increasing the flock on the farm.

Verb: *give* → past participle: given
- "Sheep" is plural → use have
✔ have given

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3. Ava Mitchell _________ her pet hamster for a few months now.

Verb: *have* → past participle: had
- This is about ownership over a period of time ("for a few months now").
- Subject is singular (Ava) → use has
✔ has had

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4. Mia Campbell _________ her goats for over 5 years.

Verb: *own* → past participle: owned
- "For over 5 years" shows duration from past to present.
- Subject is singular → use has
✔ has owned

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5. Dr. Williams _________ several cats over the past few years, giving them a loving home.

Verb: *adopt* → past participle: adopted
- "Over the past few years" = ongoing action from past to now.
- Dr. Williams is singular → use has
✔ has adopted

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6. Mia Campbell _________ to own a pet snake since she was a child.

Verb: *want* → past participle: wanted
- "Since she was a child" = action started in the past and continues now.
- Singular subject → has
✔ has wanted

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7. Ethan Parker _________ his sick parrot to Dr. Williams’ vet clinic three times for medical assistance this week.

Verb: *bring* → past participle: brought
- "Three times this week" = repeated action in a period up to now.
- Ethan is singular → has
✔ has brought

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8. Liam Wilson’s puppy ______ just ________ and is stretching its little paws, ready to start the day.

Verb: *wake up* → past participle: woken up
- "Just" indicates a very recent action.
- Puppy is singular → has
✔ has just woken up

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✔ Final Answers:

| Sentence | Correct Form |
|--------|--------------|
| Emily Thompson’s chickens have laid fresh eggs... | have laid |
| Olivia Young’s sheep have given birth to lambs... | have given |
| Ava Mitchell has had her pet hamster for a few months now. | has had |
| Mia Campbell has owned her goats for over 5 years. | has owned |
| Dr. Williams has adopted several cats... | has adopted |
| Mia Campbell has wanted to own a pet snake since she was a child. | has wanted |
| Ethan Parker has brought his sick parrot... | has brought |
| Liam Wilson’s puppy has just woken up... | has just woken up |

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📝 Explanation Summary:

- Present perfect tense = have/has + past participle
- Use has with singular subjects; have with plural
- Time expressions like *today*, *this week*, *for a few months*, *since childhood*, *over the past years* often signal present perfect
- Irregular verbs need special attention (e.g., lay → laid, give → given, wake up → woken up)

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