Past Simple-Present Perfect

Ex. 72. Fill in Past Simple or Present Perfect.

My best friend is called Alison. We 1) nave known (know) each other since we 2)………….(be) five years old. We 3)…………..(always / share) our problems and our troubles, but we 4) ……………….(also / enjoy) good times together and 5) …………………(spend) many hours laughing together. We 6)……………… (live) next door to each other before Alison…………….7) (move) to London. I 8) ……………(visit) her many times since then. She 9) ………….(just / buy) a new house but I 10) …………………(not / see) it yet.

Ex. 73. Put the verbs in brackets into Past Simple or Present Perfect.

1. A: Last night I…saw…(see) "The Bodyguard" at the cinema.

B: Oh, I………………(already/see) it twice.

2. A: Do you know that Mrs Jones………….(work) here for sixteen years?

B: I thought she……………(start) working here ten years ago.

3. A: ………………..(you / ever / meet) anyone famous?

B: I…………….. (see) Jane Fonda.

A: Really? I………….(meet) her father, Henry Fonda, once. But he is dead now.

4. A: Yesterday I …………(leave) the house and (catch) the train. Then I …………(realize) that my keys………….(be) in the house.

B: Oh no! That………(happen) to me before. What ……...(you/do)?

A: I ………. (call) the locksmith.

5. A: I ……………….(already / make) the beds and I ………….(just/sweep) the floor, but I ……………(not / start) the ironing yet.

B: Don’t worry. I…………..(do) it yesterday.

6. A: How long ago……………….(you / begin) painting?

B: Ten years ago. I …………(recently/complete) a painting that the National Gallery…………. (ask) me to do a year ago.

7. A: Why are you so happy?

B: I……………(just/pass) my driving test!

8. A: ………….(you/always/have) long hair, Julie?

B: No, when I was young my hair …………….(be) very short.

Ex. 74. Put the verbs into Past Simple or Present Perfect

Mr Briggs is away on business and he is phoning his wife to see how she is.

Mr Briggs: Hello, darling. How are you? Is everything OK?

Mrs Briggs: I’m fine. I….’ve been .. very busy since you……..(leave).

Mr Briggs: What ………..(you/do)so far?

Mrs Briggs: I………..(do )the shopping, I…………(wash) and ………(iron) all the clothes, …………(clean ) the house and I …….(go) to the dentist’s. Oh, and yesterday I ………(speak) to a builder about the garage.

Mr Briggs: A builder? The garage? What………(happen) to the garage?

Mrs Briggs: Well, the garage wall……….(fall) down two days ago.

Mr Briggs: What???

Mrs Briggs: I..I ………(not/finish) yet. We, well, …………….(have) a little accident… But I …….(take) the car to the garage to be rapaired.

Mr Briggs: Accident? Car? Oh no! You……….(not/crash) my new car into the garage wall?

Mrs Briggs: Er, well, yes. I ………….(not/want) to tell you, but that’s exactly what ……….(happen).

Unit 9

Present Perfect Continuous

Present Perfect Continuous is used:
1.for actions which started in the past and continue up to the present.	2.for continuous past actions which have visible results or effect in the present
I've been packing my case all morning. (I'm still packing.)	They have been walking in the rain. (They are wet.)
3. to express irritation, anger, annoyance, explanation or criticism.	4. to put emphasis on duration, usually with for, since or how long. I've been typing letters since 9 o'clock.
	Non-continuous verbs are not used in Present Perfect Cont. (know, believe, see, like, love, taste, understand, want etc.) I've known her since 1985.
Has the dog been chewing on my slippers? (showing anger)	(NOT: I've been knowing her since 1985)

With the verbs live, feel and work we can use either Present Perfect or Present Perf. Cont. with no difference in meaning.

I've been living in London for a year.

or I've lived in London for a year.

Time adverbs used with Present Perfect Continuous:

for, since, how long.

Ex. 75. Put the verbs into Present Perfect Cont.

Tim: Hello Joe. What 1)...have you been doing..(you/do)?

Joe: I ………….(play) tennis with Helen.

Tim: Who is Helen?

Joe: She's my new girlfriend. I 3)..............go) out with her for two weeks.

Tim: Does she live here?

Joe: Yes, she 4)……………(live) here for two months

Tim: Why haven’t you met her?

Joe: Because she 5)………….leave home early and she 6)…………(come) back late every day for the last six weeks.

Tim: Why 7)………………..(she/do) that?

Joe: Because she 8)……………..(look for) a job.

Tim: I must meet her some time.

Joe: Well, let's all go out together tomorrow then.

Ex. 76. Fill in the blanks with for or since

Tom and Mary have been building a house 1) for two years. They have been dreaming of finishing it 2) last summer but they have been having problems 3) few months because of the weather. In fact, it has been raining and snowing 4) October so they haven't been able to put the roof on yet. This weekend they are trying to put in the windows. They have only been working 5) 8 o'clock but they feel like they've been doing it 6) hours because it is very difficult. They have been saving up 7) a long time but they haven't been able to hire any workmen yet. Tom has been looking for an evening job 8) a week and Mary has been working overtime 9) Christmas, so they will have enough money soon. They haven't been going out 10) they started saving - but when the house is finished they are going to have a big party to celebrate.

Ex. 77. Underline the errors in these sentences. Rewrite each sentence.

a) My penfriend is writing to me for years.

My penfriend has been writing to me for years.

b) We have started this course three weeks ago.

c) 'What have you been doing all day?' 'I've been written letters.'

d) When have you arrived in this city?

e) You have ever been to India?

f) Paula has been stayed in a hotel by the sea.

g) I've been feeling ill three weeks ago.

h) I live in this city since I was born.

i) I wait here for ages. Where have you been?

j) Tony has leaved his books on the bus.

Ex. 78. Team work

The teacher divides the class into two teams. Students look at the picture and the teacher introduces Mr May.( Mr May is a strange old man. He doesn't like changes. He has been doing the same things for years.) Then, looking at the list of verbs and using the picture as a stimulus, students, in turn, suggest what Mr May has been doing. The team which cannot give a sentence or makes a mistake doesn't get a point. The team with the most points is the winner. List of verbs: read, wear, collect, drink, play, live, etc.

Ex. 79. Put the verbs in brackets into Present Perfect Continuous.

1. I (make) cakes. That is why my hands are all covered with flour.

2 Her phone (ring) for ten minutes. I wonder why she doesn't answer it.

3 He (overwork). That is why he looks so tired.

4 There is sawdust in your hair. ~ I'm not surprised. I (cut) down a tree.

5 Have you seen my bag anywhere? I (look) for it for ages.

6 What you (do)? ~

I (work) in the laboratory.

7 He (study) Russian for two years and doesn't even know the alphabet yet.

8 How long you (wait) for me? ~ I (wait) about half an hour.

9 It (rain) for two days now. There'll be a flood soon.

10 We (argue) about this for two hours now. Perhaps we should stop!

11 I (bathe). That's why my hair is all wet.

12 You (drive) all day. Let me drive now.

Ex. 80. Fill the spaces in the following sentences by using for or since.

1. We've been fishing . . . two hours.

2. I've been working in this office ... a month.

3. They've been living in France . . . 1970,

4. He has been in prison ... a year.

5. I've known that... a long time.

6. That man has been standing there ... six o'clock.

7. She has driven the same car ... 1975.

8. Things have changed ... I was a girl.

9. The kettle has been boiling ... a quarter of an hour.

10. The central heating has been on ... October.

11. That trunk has been in the hall ... a year.

12. He has been very ill ... the last month.

13. I've been using this machine . . . twelve years.

14. We've been waiting . . . half an hour.

15. Mr Pitt has been in hospital . . . his accident.

16. He hasn't spoken to me ... the last committee meeting.

17. I have been very patient with you . . . several years.

18. They have been on strike . . . November.

19. The strike has lasted ... six months.

20. It has been very foggy . . . early morning.

Unit 10