English Practice exercises; text - present perfect / past simple: P2-17G

 

 

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In the following exercise, fill each gap with the verb in brackets, in either the past simple or present perfect form. Do not make any other changes.

 

A difficult week

I ………………….. (not / have) a very good week this week. On Monday I …………… (lose) my purse. It only ……………. (have) about £3 in it, but I …………. (be) upset, because I …………….. (love) that purse. It ……………. (be) like an old friend. It’s the first time I ……………….. (ever / lose) a purse.

            On Tuesday, I …………… (miss) the bus and …………. (be) late for work. That’s something I ……………… (not / do) since last winter, when there ……….. (be) lots of snow. Of course, when I ……………. (walk) in late, my boss ………… (give) me a good telling off.  What about you, ……………………. (you / ever / be) late for work?

            Which brings me to today: for a start, I ………………. (have) a headache all day, and I still have – it ………………… (not / go) away.  I’m leaving the office in a few minutes, and I can tell you, I ………………… (have) problems from the moment I …………….. (arrive). At 9.05 my word processor …………… (refuse) to work. I …………….. (call) one of the technicians, and she ………………. (manage) to sort it out – but that …………… (take) half the morning. They …………………. (promise) me a new one, but it …………….. (not arrive) yet.   At lunch, I ………….. (eat) something that ……………….. (not agree) with my stomach, and I …………….. (have) stomach ache all afternoon – it’s still not finished.

            So now it’s 5.25 on Wednesday evening and I’m feeling rather nervous – I ……………….. (have) enough trouble already this week, and I don’t need any more! I …………….. (not / leave) the office yet – I hope nothing else happens in the last five minutes!