The Present Perfect Tense

Exercise 1. Translate the sentences into Russian and comment on the use of the Present Perfect Tense.

1. I haven't seen him for several days.

2. Have you bought anything interesting lately?

3. I've never seen her in my life.

4. Who hasn't eaten his/her breakfast yet?

5. He has come here this morning, I think... But he has already gone.

6. I haven't seen him since the evening at Mr. Brown's.

7. She hasn't visited me since she was nine. But she hasn't forgotten me, no.

8. I've just mentioned it. Please be more attentive.

9. 'Sorry, I've left my book at home.' 'OK. Who else has left his or her books?'

10. They've just finished whitewashing the attic, haven't they?

11. She hasn't written to her mother for two months.

12. She hasn't been the same since he walked out on her.

Exercise 2. Make the following sentences negative & interrogative.

1. I've already posted the letter.

2. She has already started her new job.

3. He's gone to America.

4. They have visited India twice.

5. He has smoked five cigarettes today.

6. My mother has always worked hard.

7. I've seen a lot of my former classmates recently.

8. Tom has lost all his money.

9. Oh, I have forgotten about my Dad's birthday!

10. Mr. Jenkins has just retired from his job.

11. They've always been too strict with their children.

12. I have written ten postcards (and he has never answered).

Exercise 3. Give three forms of the following verbs.

Write, speak, read, make, teach, give, take, bring, buy, catch, sell, say, tell, do, go, come, put, send, spend, cost, fight, sit, stand, understand, forget, build, forgive, fly, cut, lead, become.

Exercise 4. Insert since or for into the appropriate sentences.

Example: Where is Kate? Oh, she's been in London since 1998.

1. I've known him ... a long time.

2. We've been on holiday ... three weeks.

3. He's been a student ... four years.

4. She hasn't been to work ... July.

5. She has been ill ... a fortnight.

6. They have been divorced ... last year.

7. We have been very busy ... Christmas.

8. My grandmother has been a pensioner ... five years.

9. He has been away ... a month.

Exercise 5. Insert already, ever, yet, just into the appropriate sentences.

1. Have you ... been to South Africa?

2. Have you ... finished writing your essay or did you finish it earlier? - I haven't finished it ... .

3. Shall I pay the waiter? - No, I've ... paid the bill.

4. Have you ... spoken to a famous person?

5. Ann, lay the table. I've ... cooked dinner.

6. They don't know what the problem is. They have ... arrived.

7. Is it a good film? - Yes, it's the best I have ... seen.

8. The post hasn't come ... .

9. She has ... explained the situation to me.

10. He hasn't invited me to the party ....

11. Nobody has found the lost city of Atlantis ….

Exercise 6. Imagine you are writing a letter to a friend giving news about people you both know. Make up sentences using the words given below.

Example: Mark/go to Canada

Mark has gone to Canada.

1. Ann/pass her exams

2. Mary/take up jogging

3. Larry and Monica/decide/to get divorced

4. Barry/go to England

5. Dinny/lose her job/find a new one

6. Margie/buy a new car

7. Antony/break his arm

8. Milly/fall in love

9. Tony/give up smoking

10. Lucy and Cavin/decide to get married.

Exercise 7. Supply the Present Perfect Tense of the verbs in brackets.

1. I (not get) the grant this year.

2. The settlers (leave) the bay forever.

3. He (not answer) my letter yet.

4. You ever (eat) caviar?

5. She recently (become) a student.

6. They (travel) all over the world.

7. How long you (be) here?

8. I saw her in May but I (not see) her this month.

9. My friend (buy) a new car.

10. I (lose) my gloves.

11. I never (ride) a camel.

12. They never (behave) like this before.

Exercise 8. Respond to the following commands and requests.

Example: Will you make some sandwiches, please?

But I have already made them.

1. Do the flat, will you? 2. Will you sweep the floor, please? 3. Please, give Peter this dictionary. 4. Will you send a telegram to Mary, please? 5. Write them a letter at once, please! 6. Go and tell Mother everything. 7. Will you show the children your new slides, please? 8. Make fresh tea, please! 9. Bring some more bread from the kitchen, please! 10. Read this article by all means. 11. Do exercise 5, please. 12. Will you wash up the dishes, please!

Exercise 9. Answer the questions saying yes and using the verb suggested in the Present Perfect Tense.

Example: Are the rooms clean? (do)

Yes, Mother has done them.

1. Does she know the song? (learn)

2. Is breakfast ready? (cook)

3. Do you know how tasty the pie is? (eat)

4. Is she at home? (come)

5. Are the papers ready? (type)

6. Do you know the melody? (hear many times)

7. Can you speak on the subject? (read about it)

8. Is Ann on holiday? (go to Italy)

9. Are you ready with the report? (write it)

10. Can you do this work? (finish it)

Exercise 10. Imagine that you are writing a letter to a friend. What news would you tell him/her about?

Exercise 11 Study the lists of things Jack and Jill have(*)/ haven't done.

Jack	Jill
1. repair the TV set	1. empty the bin*
2. wash the car*	2. start reading a new book*
3. watch football on TV	3. wash hair
4. paint the cellar *	4. post the letters*
5. phone the electrician*	5. visit the beauty parlour
6. fix the washing machine	6. watch video*

Exercise 12. Study the table of things Mary and her brother Antony have, or have not done, then make up questions and answer them according to the pattern.

	ride a horse	ride a motorbike	want to live in England	visit Paris	Like the same music
Mary	once	never	always	twice	never
Tony	a few times	often	never	once	never

	forget each other's birthday	meet celebrities	be to England	fight with classmates
Mary	never	several times	once	never
Tony	once or twice	never	once	many times

Exercise 13. Make up 15 questions from the following table. Then answer them using the words given in Exercise 6 (always, sometimes, never etc.)

Has Have

you your friend your parents your friends

ever

have win fly compose eat buy wash sell break see repair vacuum-clean lose make write

to London a flat a cat a carpet caviar money a cake a toothache a car Gone with the wind a prize pictures a TV set poetry music

Exercise 14. Answer the questions in the negative using the words in brackets.

Example: When did you see her last? (since autumn)

I haven't seen her since autumn.

1. When did it rain last? (since September)

2. When did you last eat caviar? (for ages)

3. When did you play chess last? (for a long time)

4. When did he last write to you? (since last summer)

5. When did you last go to Madrid? (never)

6. When did you last ride a horse? (for two months)

7. When did you last visit your cousine? (since last month)

8. When did your friend give you a present last? (since my birthday)

9. When did you buy fruits last? (for two days) 10. When did you speak to your German friends on the telephone last? (since New Year)

Exercise 15. Paraphrase the following sentences using the Present Perfect tense with ‘for’ or ‘since’.

Example: a) I saw Tom last on his wedding day.

I haven't seen Tom since his wedding day.

b) It's three years since I wrote her a letter.

I haven't written her a letter for three years.

1. It's ten years since I last was in Paris.

2. I last smoked three years ago.

3. It's years since I wrote any poetry.

4. He last drank wine at his wife's birthday.

5. He last ate caviar when he was in Russia.

6. It's years since Tony last spoke Chinese.

7. It's ages since I last had a good night's sleep.

8. They last paid me six month ago.

9. I was last abroad in winter 1983.

10. My father last took photographs in summer.

11. It's a year since I had my last holiday.

12. We had a family reunion five years ago.

Exercise 16. Ask questions to the underlined parts of the following sentences.

1. I have read that book twice.

2. I have known him for three years.

3. I have only received two letters from him since September.

4. He has finished his breakfast already.

5. She's typed two letters since morning.

6. I haven't heard from him since 1992.

7. He has gone to the USA.

8. He has been in the USA since spring.

9. She hasn't written to him for years.

10. I've been late several times this month, I think.

Exercise 17. Use the Present Perfect Simple instead of the infinitives in brackets.

A.

1. - 'Where's your father?'

-'I don't know. He just (to go out).'

2. - 'Do you want to watch this film?'

- 'Oh, no. I already (to see) it.'

3. - 'What are you looking for? You (to lose) your glasses? Let me help you.'

- 'Oh, thanks. I (to find) them already.'

4. She (to be) here several times, but she never (to buy) anything.

5. I (to know) you for many years, but I never (to hear) you speak like that before. What (to happen)?

6. He (to come back)? How long he (to be) away?

7. - 'Do you remember this story well?'

- 'Yes, I just (to read) it.'

8. She ever (conceal) anything from you?

9. She never (to lose) her temper.

10. The news (to spread) like fire.

11. - 'Jack (to move) into his new house yet?'

-'I don't know. I (not to see) him lately.'

12. I (to send) him three letters, but he (to answer) me yet.

13. - 'You (to finish) those letters yet?'

- 'I (to do) the first letter already, and now I'm doing the sec­ond, but I (not to start) the one to Mr. Brown yet.'

14. - 'Where you (to be)?'

- 'I (to be) shopping.'

B.

1. Don't spoil one good thing I (to do) in my life. (O. Wilde)

2. There are lots of people who say I never really (to do) anything wrong in the whole course of my life. Of course they only say it behind my back. (0. Wilde)

3. He (to have) a very interesting and brilliant career. And he (to marry) a most admirable wife. (0. Wilde)

4. I (to enjoy) my talk with him immensely. (O. Wilde)

5. Jack: I (not to hear) anyone call me.

Algernon: Your duty as a gentleman calls you back.

Jack: My duty as a gentleman never (to interfere) with my pleasures in the smallest degree. (0. Wilde)

Exercise 19. Ask in English, using the Present Perfect Tense.

1. Вы когда-нибудь были в Лондоне?

2. Он когда-нибудь рассказывал вам о своей жене?

3. Они когда-нибудь ссорились со своими соседями?

4. Вы когда-нибудь болели гриппом?

5. Он когда-нибудь дарил вам цветы?

6. Вы когда-нибудь летали на Дальний Восток?

7. Вы когда-нибудь видели такую красивую девушку?

8. Вы когда-нибудь учили французский?

9. Вы когда-нибудь пробовали спаржу (asparagus)?

10. Вы были влюблены когда-нибудь?

Exercise 20. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Я знаю его очень хорошо, мы знакомы всю жизнь.

2. Жаль, что ты не видела этот фильм. Он очень смешной.

3. Мы не можем поехать за город, мы еще не сдали последний экзамен.

4. Последнее время они виделись очень редко.

5. Я никогда не слышала такой лжи.

6. На этой неделе он часто встречает ее по дороге на работу.

7. Она на пенсии уже три года.

8. Сколько лет замужем твоя сестра?

9. Вы когда-нибудь видели восход солнца в горах?

10. Туристы уже осмотрели многие достопримечательности нашего города.

11. Сегодня я испекла твой любимый пирог.

12. Моя дочь уже закончила институт и осенью начнет работать.

The Present Perfect Simple – The Present Simple - The Present Continuous –

The Past Indefinite

Exercise 1. Supply either the Present Indefinite or the Present Perfect in the following sentences.

1. I can't speak about the book. I (not read) it yet.

2. Every day I (wind up) my watch at 7 o'clock in the morning.

3. It's Friday. ... you (see) him this week?

4. Students usually (buy) books at the House of Books.

5. It's a pity, but I (not buy) this dictionary yet.

6. As a rule we (do) many exercises in class.

7. He (tell) this joke many times.

8. Something (go) wrong with my watch.

9. I already (translate) these sentences into French. 10. They (have) their English many hours a week.

11. She (work) much and usually (get) many good marks.

12. We (buy) a new TV set this year.