in the past /before in present perfect and past simple

Question

Does "in the past" work well both in the past simple and present perfect? Does "before" work better in the present perfect than in the past simple? Here are four groups of sentences:

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Group A

I was terrified of the dark in the past, but I'm not any more.

I've been terrified of the dark in the past, but I'm not any more.

I was terrified of the dark before, but I'm not any more.

I've been terrified of the dark before, but I'm not any more.

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Group B

We didn't have a way to pay for any drugs in the past, but now we do.

We haven't had a way to pay for any drugs in the past, but now we do.

We didn't have a way to pay for any drugs before, but now we do.

We haven't had a way to pay for any drugs before, but now we do.

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Group C

She ate a lot of meat in the past, but now she doesn't.

She's eaten a lot of meat in the past, but now she doesn't.

She ate a lot of meat before, but now she doesn't.

She's eaten a lot of meat before, but now she doesn't.

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Group D

Molly often went to that library in the past, but now she doesn't any more.

Molly's often gone to that library in the past, but now she doesn't any more.

Molly often went to that library before, but now she doesn't any more.

Molly's often gone to that library before, but now she doesn't any more.

Answer 1

Stephen, I swear the exams you're setting us are getting harder! There may be rules of grammar involved here which are beyond my pay grade.

Group A: The 2nd and 4th ones ("I've been terrified") seem to need "...but not recently" or "...but I'm not at the moment", whereas 1 and 3 suggest the speaker had a phobia which has been cured.

Group B: The 2nd one ("Haven't had...in the past") is wrong and the 4th one should end "but now we have".

Group C: The 2nd and 4th don't work well. I think most native English speakers would find "She used to eat a lot of meat but now she doesn't" more natural than any of these.

Group D: now is redundant: "any more" implies "now". I would prefer them all to end "but she doesn't go any more", though even then the 4th one sounds awkward.