Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
At A2 level you learned the Past Simple for finished actions (I worked, she went, they didn't come). Now, at B1, you meet a second past tense: the Present Perfect (I have worked, she has gone). The two tenses look similar, but English speakers choose between them very carefully, and this choice is one of the most important skills at B1.
Here is the core idea in one line: the Past Simple talks about a finished time (yesterday, in 2019, last week), while the Present Perfect connects the past to now — an experience in your life, or an action whose result we still feel today.
We build the Present Perfect with have or has plus the past participle (the "third form", V3). Regular verbs simply add -ed (worked, lived, played). Irregular verbs have a special V3 that you must learn (go → gone, see → seen, be → been, do → done, write → written).
| Subject | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | have worked | haven't worked | Have you worked? |
| he / she / it | has worked | hasn't worked | Has she worked? |
This is the heart of the unit. Read every row twice and notice why each tense is chosen.
| Idea | Present Perfect | Past Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Life experience (when? not important) | I have eaten sushi. | I ate sushi last Friday. |
| Finished, specific time | ✗ not used | She arrived at 9 o'clock. |
| Started in the past, still true now | We have lived here since 2015. | We lived there for two years (and then moved). |
| Result matters now | I have lost my keys (I can't get in now). | I lost my keys yesterday. |
| News / recent action | The team has won the prize! | The team won the prize in May. |
The time words in a sentence usually tell you which tense to choose. Learn these two groups well — they decide the answer in most exam questions.
| Signals Past Simple | Signals Present Perfect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| yesterday, ago | just, already | I saw her yesterday. / I have just seen her. |
| last week / month / year | yet (?/−) | We met last week. / Have they arrived yet? |
| in 2019, at 8 o'clock | ever, never | She left in 2019. / I have never flown. |
| when I was a child | for, since, so far | I lived there when I was young. / for two years so far. |
With the Present Perfect we often say how long a situation has continued. We use two little words — and students mix them up all the time, so make the difference automatic.
| Word | Answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| for | a length of time (a duration) | for two years, for a week, for ten minutes |
| since | a point when it started | since 2015, since Monday, since I was a child |
Both are past participles of movement verbs, but they tell a different story:
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| has / have been to | went there and came back (an experience) | She has been to Japan. (She is here now.) |
| has / have gone to | went there and is still there | She has gone to Japan. (She is in Japan now.) |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with these two tenses. Check your own writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| I have seen him yesterday. | I saw him yesterday. | "yesterday" is a finished time → Past Simple. |
| She has been to Paris in 2019. | She went to Paris in 2019. | "in 2019" is finished → Past Simple. |
| I have lived here since two years. | I have lived here for two years. | a duration takes "for", not "since". |
| Did you ever been to Rome? | Have you ever been to Rome? | experience question → have + been. |
| He has gone to the shop and he is back. | He has been to the shop. | back now → been, not gone. |
Two friends talk about the fun things they have done. Read it twice and notice how they switch between the two tenses. The Present Perfect opens a topic (an experience); the Past Simple adds the finished details.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them in your own sentences about your life.
Write 8 sentences about your experiences and achievements. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): experience · achievement · achieve · skill · improve · challenge · abroad · goal
Mia is ten years old, and she lives in a small house in Izmir with her family and her dog, Pamuk. She has had Pamuk for two years, and she loves him a lot. Mia has had many happy adventures, and she always wants to try new things. Her friends often say that she is one of the bravest girls in her class.
Every morning, Mia wakes up early and gets ready for school. She loves art class the best, and she has drawn hundreds of pictures of animals, trees and the sea. 'I love drawing because I can make my own little world,' she often tells her friends. Her teacher has put three of her pictures on the classroom wall. When new pupils join the class, Mia is always the first to smile and help them.
Mia grew up with two younger cousins, and her parents always told her to read a lot, ask questions and be kind. She often says that she owes her happy days to them. 'They taught me that trying is more important than winning,' she explains. 'You do not need to be the best; you just need to have fun and keep going.'
Mia did not always love the water. Two years ago, when she went to the swimming pool for the first time, she was really afraid. However, last summer she went to a summer camp near the sea, and everything changed. While she was there, she loved the sun and the sand, so she decided to be brave and learn to swim.
That first week at camp was harder than she expected. At the start, Mia held onto the side of the pool and did not want to let go. She swallowed a lot of water, and one day she even cried. Although it was hard, she practised every day, and she learned quickly. 'Nobody could swim for me,' she remembers. 'I just tried again and again.' By the end of the week, she had learned to swim, and she won a small race. That little medal is now her favourite thing.
Since then, Mia has done a lot of exciting things. She has learned to ride a bike, she has started guitar lessons, and she has visited three different cities to see her grandparents. Last year she travelled to Bodrum by bus, where she saw the sea from an old castle. 'That trip taught me so much,' she says. 'I have never felt so happy.'
Mia has also had sad days. Last year, she entered a drawing competition, but she did not win, and she felt very disappointed. However, Mia did not give up. She has always believed that we learn from our mistakes, so she practised even more. A few months later, she entered the competition again, and this time she won first prize!
These days, Mia loves to help younger children. Every weekend she teaches her little cousin how to ride a bike. She tells him that a good day is full of surprises, small mistakes and second tries. 'Set a goal,' she says, 'but stay curious, and never stop trying new things.'
Mia has already done many wonderful things, but she says that her best adventure has not happened yet.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the tense (Present Perfect or Past Simple).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. Why did Mia decide to learn to swim?
2. How did Mia react when she did not win the drawing competition?
3. What do you think Mia means when she says her best adventure "has not happened yet"?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, because, when, while, however, although, also. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd and Katie take an "international test" and talk about their experiences.
You will hear two friends, Todd and Katie, asking each other "Have you ever...?" questions about food, languages and people. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add four more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you show contrast, background events and extra information like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | I have travelled a lot, and I have made many friends. |
| but | show a small contrast | It was hard, but I did not give up. |
| so | show a result | I love music, so I started guitar lessons. |
| because | give a reason | I was happy because I passed the exam. |
| also | add an extra point | I have learned to swim. I have also learned to ride a bike. |
| when | say at what past time | When I was six, I learned to read. |
| while | two things at the same time | While I was at camp, I learned to swim. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although I made mistakes, I learned a lot. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | I failed the first time. However, I tried again. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I went to camp. I could not swim. I had a great time. I have tried many new things. I want to try more. | When I went to camp, I could not swim, but I had a great time. Since then, I have tried many new things. However, I still want to try more. |
An experience paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | A general topic sentence in the Present Perfect | I have done many fun things in my life. |
| 2. Body | Specific experiences and achievements. Open with the Present Perfect, add finished details in the Past Simple, and link with connectors. | Two years ago, I started guitar lessons. Although it was hard, I have learned a lot since then. |
| 3. Closing | A final comment about now or the future | I have not reached my main goal yet, but I am proud of my progress. |
Write about your experiences and achievements. Mix the Present Perfect and the Past Simple.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
İşaretlemediğin madde varsa ilgili bölüme dönüp tekrar çalış — soldaki menüden her bölüme geri dönebilirsin.
Oturum kontrol ediliyor...