Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Hi! I’m Sue and that’s my husband, Peter. We (1) ___________ (decide) to make a 15-day trip to New Zealand.

• decide

• have decided

• decided

• are deciding

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'have decided' because it indicates a completed action relevant to the present. The phrase suggests that Sue and Peter made the decision recently, which aligns with the context of planning their trip.

We (2) ___________ (prepared) our holiday carefully, and now we’re at Heathrow Airport, waiting to leave England.

• prepared

• are preparing

• have prepared

• prepare

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'have prepared' because it indicates a completed action relevant to the present situation at the airport, emphasizing the careful planning of the holiday.

I’m going to tell you about the first 10 days of our holiday. On 24th October we (3) ___________ (leave) London, flying Air France.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'left' because the sentence describes a completed action in the past. The verb 'leave' should be in the past tense to match the context of the holiday starting on 24th October.

We (4) ___________ (have) a short stop in Hong Kong.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'have' because the sentence indicates a present situation. 'Had' is the past tense and does not fit the context of a current short stop in Hong Kong.

And then we (5) ___________ (arrive) at Auckland Airport on the 25th, in the evening.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'arrived' because the sentence refers to a completed action in the past, indicated by 'on the 25th, in the evening'. Therefore, the past tense form 'arrived' is appropriate.

The flight (6) ___________ (take) 24 hours, but New Zealand is 12 hours ahead of us.

Answer explanation

The correct form is 'takes' because the subject 'the flight' is singular. The sentence should read: 'The flight takes 24 hours...' indicating the duration of the flight.

On our first day  in Auckland we (8) ___________ (visit) the Auckland Museum, well-known for its impressive collection of Maori and Polynesian artefacts.

• have visited

• have been visiting

• visit

• visited

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'visited' because it indicates a completed action on the first day in Auckland. 'Have visited' and 'have been visiting' suggest ongoing or recent actions, which do not fit the context.

Is the underlined verb correctly used?

Sir Edmund Hillary, the most adventurous Kiwi, conquered Mount Everest in 1953.

• Yes

• No

Is the underlined verb correctly used?

Kiwis have developed a passion for the outdoors.

• Yes.

• No.

Is the underlined verb correctly used?

The Maori have been the first to arrive in New Zealand about 1,000 years ago.

• Yes.

• No.