In the table below reliable markers are in bold.

Past Indefinite (fact in the past)

Present Perfect (result for the present moment)

I saw Peter yesterday. I saw Peter at 5 o’clock today. (exact time) I saw Peter this morning. (It is evening now.) I saw Peter last month. I saw Peter a month ago. I saw Peter for 5 minutes only. I saw Peter just now. I last saw Peter in 2001. (exact time) When did you see Peter last? Where did you see Peter last? I saw Peter recently. I once saw Peter in our street. I saw Peter when he was coming out of the theatre. (exact time) I haven’t seen Peter since he changed his job. (conjunction ‘since’ + time clause) I didn’t see Peter for a time but then met him again. Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman…

I have seen Peter today. I have seen much of Peter lately. I have seen Peter this morning. (The morning is not over yet.) I have seen much of Peter in the past 2 months. I haven’t seen Peter so far. I haven’t seen Peter for the last three years. I have just seen Peter. I have seen Peter 3 times today. (repeated action) Have you ever seen Peter Brown? Have you seen Peter recently? I have seen Peter Brown before. I haven’t seen Peter since winter. (preposition ‘since’ + …) Peter changed his job and I haven’t seen him since then. (preposition ‘since’ + …) Peter moved house and I haven’t seen him since (ever since). (adverb ‘since’)

**TASK 34. Below there are video shop descriptions of 4 films.

Step 1. Imagine that you have already seen these films and are telling your friend about them. Use the past tense.

Film 1

The soldiers swear to rescue their comrades. They ride across deserts, cut their way through jungles and swim across flooded rivers. At last they come to the enemy fort. They creep past the sentries, burst into the enemy headquarters and blow up the prison!

Film 2

A spacecraft from Earth lands on a distant planet and a gang of robots meet it. The robots know that there are men and women in the spacecraft. They seek to enter it by any means. The whole spacecraft shakes as the robots strike it with rocks and beat on it with their metal claws. Then they begin to cut open the door with an electric torch, and the door gives way.

Film 3

Frank thinks that Emma no longer loves him. He decides to forget her. But then someone tells him that Emma is a prisoner in her uncle's house. The messenger brings a letter in which Emma begs Frank to help her. Frank drives to the village and makes enquiries. He hears that the house is well guarded.

Film 4

A wizard teaches magic to his apprentice, Hobo, for many years. But Hobo is secretly jealous of his master's powers. The wizard keeps a book of magic spells in his cupboard. One day Hobo steals the book while his master is asleep. The wizard wakes up and flies after Hobo on his magic carpet. Hobo is so frightened that he loses the book while crossing a river.

Step 2. Ask 5 questions about the continuation of each film.

Step 3. Write 7-10 sentences to finish each film.

*TASK 35. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Simple or Present Perfect. Each time explain what helped you to choose the tense form.

1. I ________ (to see) this film before. - Me too, but I love this actor. He ________ (to play) a lot of good roles lately.

2. Tom Cruise? I ________ (to meet) him, you know. – Really? When? – When I ________ (to be) in Los Angeles on holiday.

3. Who is that man? – He's an artist. He________ (to paint) a lot of beautiful pictures. – I agree, but I think Van Gogh ________ (to paint) the most beautiful pictures ever. But his life ________ (to be) miserable.

4. I ________ (just to hear) from an old friend of mine. – Oh, really? – Yes. Jim ________ (to write) to me. I ________ (to get) the letter this morning. – That's nice. When ________ (you/first/to meet) him? – He ________ (to live) next door to me for three years, but he ________ (to move) away last June and I ________ (not to see) him since.

5. _________ (you/ to see) the Bruce Lee film on TV last night? – No. But I________ ( to see) all of his films on video already this year.

6. I ________ (to live) in Germany for five years now. I ________ (to move) here in 2000. – And I ________ (to live) in Portugal for a time, but I live in Rome now.

7. My Uncle Tom ________ (to meet) Winston Churchill. – That's nothing! My mum________ (to meet) Prince Charles!

8. Where's Jane? – She ________ (to go) to America. She ________(to leave) last week. – Really? Why ________ (she/ to go) there? – On business.

9. My father ________ (to work) in that shop for twelve years. Then he ________ (to get) a job in a bank. – He ________ (to work) at the bank for quite a few years now, hasn't he?

10. How long ________ (you/to learn) Italian? – I ________ (to start) learning the language when I ________ (to be) twelve.