Past Simple Time Expressions Exercise

Time expressions are words and phrases that signal when a past action happened. The most common ones used with past simple include yesterday, last (last week, last month, last year), ago (two days ago, a year ago), and in with a specific year (in 2019). These time markers help the listener or reader understand exactly when the action took place. They usually appear at the end of a sentence: "I visited Paris last summer," or at the beginning for emphasis: "Yesterday, we had a wonderful day."

Knowing which time expressions go with past simple — rather than present perfect — is one of the most important grammar skills at A2 level and above. If a sentence contains "yesterday," "last week," or "two hours ago," you must use past simple, not present perfect. Compare: "I saw her yesterday" (past simple — finished time) with "I have seen her today" (present perfect — unfinished time). This distinction is heavily tested in Cambridge B1 Preliminary and B2 First exams, so practising these time markers will improve both your grammar accuracy and your exam scores.