- •Present Tenses The Present Indefinite
- •The Forms of the Present Indefinite Tense:
- •The Present Continuous Tense
- •Spelling Rules
- •The Forms of the Present Continuous Tense:
- •Interrogative
- •Present Continuous and Present Simple
- •See hear smell taste
- •Present Tenses (I am doing / I do) for the future
- •To be going to do something
- •The Present Perfect Tense
- •The Forms of the Present Perfect Tense:
- •The Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- •The forms of the Present Perfect Continuous
- •Interrogative
- •Revision Exercises on Present Tenses
- •Past Tenses The Past Indefinite Tense
- •The forms of the Past Indefinite Tense:
- •Spelling Rules of Past Form of Regular Verbs:
- •The Past Continuous Tense
- •The Forms of the Past Continuous (Progressive)
- •Past Perfect Tense
- •The Forms of the Past Perfect
- •Past Perfect Continuous
- •The forms of the Past Perfect Continuous
- •Comparing the Past Indefinite and the Present Perfect Tenses
- •The Structure “Used to do”
- •The Forms of the Structure “used to”
- •The Future in the Past
- •The Forms of the Future in the Past
- •Revision Exercises on Past Tenses:
- •Future Tenses The Future Indefinite Tense
- •The Forms of the Future Indefinite Tense:
- •The Future Continuous Tense
- •The Forms of the Future Continuous Tense:
- •The Future Perfect Tense
- •The Forms of the Future Perfect Tense:
- •The Future Perfect Continuous Tense.
- •Revision Exercises on Future Tenses:
- •Revision Exercises on all the Tenses
Comparing the Past Indefinite and the Present Perfect Tenses
Sometimes it is rather difficult to tell The Past Indefinite from the Present Perfect Tense, but it is necessary to remember that there are essential differences in the use of the tenses.
Read the material, given in the table and give your own examples to each point.
Past Indefinite |
Present Perfect |
1. Past Indefinite describes the action, referred to the past, and it isn’t connected with the present. Markers: ago (a month ago, three days ago), the other day, yesterday, last week (year, month), in July, in 1949
|
1. Present Perfect shows a) that the action has just taken place: I have just read the book. b) the result of the action is important for the running moment I have lost my key (I do not have it now) Markers: this week (month, year…), today, since 1998, just, recently, lately, already, yet We use the tense to show the action, happening at a period of time, that continues from the past until now (today, this week) |
Example: I wrote several letters yesterday. (the action is referred to the past) |
Example: I have written several letters today (the day is still running) |
Example: I saw the film 7 days ago (the concrete moment is shown, we know even the date of the event)
|
Example: I have seen the film, so I can tell you about the plot and the main personages. (the moment, when the film was seen is not shown as it is not so important. We are interested in the result of the action.) |
2. The Past Indefinite tense is used in special questions with when, as asking and answering such questions we are interested in the moment the action took place. |
2. The Present Perfect tense is used with the verb “to be” (meaning “to travel”, “to go”, “to visit”). In this case it is necessary to use the preposition “to” |
When were you in England? I was in England 3 years ago. |
I was there in 1985. (. Past Indefinite is used here as the concrete date is shown here) |
Exercise 1. Use the verbs given in brackets in the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect. Explain your use this or that form, opening the brackets:
I (to meet) two of my friends today. I (to meet) them on my way to school.
A month ago my uncle (to build) a new house in the country. We (to visit) it recently and (enjoy) ourselves very much.
He (to forget) to close the window when he (to leave) the house.
He (to write) several letters this week.
Where Helen (to go)? I don’t see her here. – She (to go) home an hour ago.
When the concert (to begin)?
I do not think I ever (to see) such a beautiful garden as this one.
Jack London (to be born) in San Francisco in an extremely poor family.
You (to read) many books by Jack London?
How careless you are! You (to break) your mother’s favorite cup.
Exercise 2. Use the verbs given in brackets in the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect. Ask questions to the underlined words.
I never (to hear) the story from my father.
He (to be) a reader of this magazine for years.
She (to be) ill last week.
I cannot tell you whether I like this book, as I not (to read) it.
My mother not (to come) home yet.
I cannot give you this book as (to give) it to Ann.
The child (to be) quite all right for the last two weeks.
It is cold today. The weather (to change) since yesterday.
You ever (to visit) this picture gallery?
I (to lose) my textbook and cannot remember when I last (to see) it.
Exercise 3. Make up mini-dialogues: ask your partner, if he has done some exiting and interesting activities. Ask him to tell about the experience in detail:
Model: to watch films with Charlie Chaplin
Have you ever watched films with Charlie Chaplin?
Yes, I have. I have watched the films with Charlie Chaplin.
When did you watch the film?
I saw the film when I was 7 years old.
Did you enjoy it?
Yes, I did. I loved the film. Have you watched any films by Charlie Chaplin?
Exercise 4. Speak about your experience:
to travel abroad,
to read English book in the original,
to taste any exotic dish,
to buy an evening gown,
to change your style in clothes,
to travel alone,
to cook a festive dinner yourself,
to furnish your room independently,
change your style in makeup,
to dine at an expensive restaurant,
to spend summer at the seaside,