Present Perfect versus Past Simple

The main difference between these two tenses is the reference of time:

• Present Perfect: no clear reference (twice in my lifetime) or anything referred to UP TO NOW.
• Past simple: this tense needs a reference to past (last summer, 3 week ago, in 2012, when I was young, etc.)

Exercises:  exercise 1    exercise 2     exercise 3

Surf on your own on the internet by using past simple versus present perfect and you'll find plenty of exercises. Enjoy your surfing!
If you want to practise present perfect/past simple orally you can use these sentences we saw in class:

• Have you seen a good film recently?
• Has a friend of yours ever been to Africa?
• Have you bought a present recently?
• Have you ever been abroad?

To solve the problem with GONE or BEEN go to these links: explanation and exercise
but if you need more help remember how to translate it: she has been to NY (ha visitado, ha estado en NY) she's gone to NY (se ha marchado a NY)