I. The Present Perfect Tense

Exercise 1

Translate 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.'

’OК. 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).

89

Exercise 3

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

> Pattern: 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 4

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

Exercise 5

Study the lists of things Jack and Jill have(*)/haven^’t done. Complete their conversation.

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

> Pattern: a) — Jack, have you washed the car?

—Yes, I have.

b) — Jill, have you washed your hair?

• No, I haven't.

90

Exercise 6

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

Pattern: a) — Mary, have you ever been to Paris?

—Yes, I've been there twice.

b) — Tony, have you ever wanted to live in England?

• Oh, never!

Exercise 7

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

			have	to London
			win	a flat
			fly	a cat
			compose	a carpet
			eat	caviar
Has	you		buy	money
	your friend	ever	wash	a cake
Have	your parents		sell	a toothache
			break	a car
			see	Gone with the Wind
			repair	a prize
			vacuum-clean	pictures
			lose	a TV set
			make	poetry
			write	Music

91

Exercise 8

Paraphrase the following sentences using the Present Perfect with FOR or SINCE.

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

I haven't seen Tom since his wedding day.

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

I haven ^ft 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 9

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 timesthis month, I think.

92

Exercise 10

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.'

2. '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?'

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

9. She ever (conceal) anything from you?

10. She never (to lose) her temper.

11. The news (to spread) like fire.

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

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

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

11. 'You (to finish) those letters yet?'

'I (to do) the first letter already, and now I'm doing the second, but 1 (not to start) the one to Mr. Brown yet.'

10. 'Where you (to be)?'

'I (to be) shopping.'

В

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. (O. Wilde)

3. He (to have) a very interesting and brilliant career. And he (to many) a most admirable wife. (O. 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.

93

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

Exercise 11

Use the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tense instead of the infinitives in brackets.

A

1. 'Where you (to be) since you (to come) to Britain?'

'I (to be) to London, Oxford and Brighton.'

'When you (to go) to Brighton?'

'Yesterday.'

2. 'How long you (to know) Jack?'

'I (to know) him for two years.'

'Where you (to see) him first?'

'At his sister's wedding.'

2. '1 just (to have) my first French lesson.'

'How it (to go)? You (to enjoy) it?'

'Yes, I...'

2. 'Father (to come) back yet?

'Yes. He (to go) straight to his room.'

'Oh, I (not to hear) him.'

5. I (to buy) a new car last summer, but I (not to sell) my old car yet, so now I've got two cars.

6. 'I (not to see) your brother for some time.'

'He (to be) ill. He (to collapse) a week ago. He (not to come) back to work yet, but he (to recover) already.'

7. 'I just (to buy) a copy of The Dangerous Corner You (to read) it?'

'Oh no, I even (not to see) the film.'

8. 'I can't find my pen. You (to see) it?'

'Yes, you (to leave) it in the study. I (to put) it back on your table.'

B

1. ‘It’s just phase… He’ll grow out of it by the time he’s fourteen’.

‘He (to be) in this phase from the age of two’.

(G. Durrell)

94

2. 'Culture and corruption', echoed Dorian.

4 (to know) something of both... I am going to alter. I think I (to alter).'

'You (not to tell) me yet what your good action (to be).'

(O. Wilde)

3. ‘I (to ask) a few people out for a week or so', Larry (to say) casually to Mother one morning...

... 'Let the Pension Suisse know...', Mother (to remark).

'But I (to invite) them to stay here', Larry (to point out).

... 'Why on earth you (not t£ tell) me before? ... There's no room in the villa... How many you (to invite)?' (to ask) Mother.

'Oh, just a few... two or three... Let's move to a larger villa...'

'But it's absurd, Larry...'

'I (to offer) you a perfectly sensible solution.'

'We are not moving to another villa', (to say) Mother firmly; 'I (to make up) my mind about that.'

(G. Durrell)

Exercise 12

Translate into English using the Present Perfect or the Past Simple Tense.

A

1. Мы познакомились месяц назад, но с тех пор я ничего о нём не слышал.

1. Я не смотрела этот фильм, как окончила школу.

2. Я ещё не говорил с ним об этом. Я не видел его с утра.

3. Мы только что познакомились.

4. — Вы когда-нибудь были в Австралии?

— Heт, но я всегда мечтала там побывать.

6. Вы опаздываете уже третий раз за эту неделю.

7. Том ещё никогда не бывал в Нью-Йорке.

8. — Кто разбил эту чашку?

— Не знаю, я с утра не был на кухне.

9. Вы уже попробовали этот пирог?

10. Она уже сообщила родителям о своем отъезде?

11. — Сколько Ваш племянник пробыл в Англии?

• Он пробыл там два года.

95

12. — Сколько лет они женаты?

— Десять или одиннадцать, не помню точно.

13. — Концерт уже начался?

— Да, десять минут назад.

14. — Ты уже дал им наш новый номер телефона?

• Да, неделю назад.

• Почему же они нам ещё не позвонили?

15. —' Статья уже готова?

— Да. Она была готова ещё вчера, но я забыл отдать её Вам.

16. — Ты уже пропылесосил ковер в гостиной?

— Да, почти.

16. — Где твой велосипед?

• Я его продал.

• Кому?

• Фреду. Он купил его ещё в пятницу.

18. — Ты уже купил все новогодние подарки?

• Да, почти все.

• А на Рождество?

• Ещё нет. Я ходил покупать подарки вчера и позавчера.

• А кому ты ещё не купил подарки?

— Родителям и двоюродной сестре.

19. Почему вы все собрались здесь? Что-нибудь случилось?

20. Спасибо Вам за всё, что Вы для меня сделали.

21. — Почему ты ещё не ушел?

— Я ещё не допил чай.

В

1. Всегда тяжело расставаться с людьми, с которыми только что познакомился. (О. Уайльд)

2. Алан, наверху, в запертой комнате, куда, кроме меня, никто не может войти, сидит у стола мертвец. Он мертв уже десять часов. (О. Уайльд)

3. Правду Вы сказали или нет — мне это безразлично. (О. Уайльд)

Я знаю его почти восемнадцать лет. Он почти не изменился. А я — изменилась. (О. Уайлд)

96