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Grammar in Use Unit 20

This document is a chapter from the book "Essential Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy. It discusses the difference between using the past simple tense (e.g. saw, was) and the present perfect tense (e.g. have seen, have been) in English. Specifically, it explains that the past simple tense is used to talk about actions or states that occurred and finished at a specific time in the past, such as "yesterday" or "last week." Meanwhile, the present perfect tense is used to talk about actions or states that began in the past but have relevance in the present, or when the specific time is unknown. The chapter provides examples of correct and incorrect usage of these tenses and includes exercises

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Morteza Barzegarzadegan
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325 views

Grammar in Use Unit 20

This document is a chapter from the book "Essential Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy. It discusses the difference between using the past simple tense (e.g. saw, was) and the present perfect tense (e.g. have seen, have been) in English. Specifically, it explains that the past simple tense is used to talk about actions or states that occurred and finished at a specific time in the past, such as "yesterday" or "last week." Meanwhile, the present perfect tense is used to talk about actions or states that began in the past but have relevance in the present, or when the specific time is unknown. The chapter provides examples of correct and incorrect usage of these tenses and includes exercises

Uploaded by

Morteza Barzegarzadegan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Cam b r id g e

Essentiat
Grammar
in Use
A self-study reference and practice book
for elementary learners of English

Fourth Edition
with answers

Raymond Murphy
Unit
20 I have done (present perfect) and I did (past)
W ith a finished time (yesterday / last week etc.), we use the past (arrived/saw/was etc.):

past + finished time


yesterday.
yesterday
last week.
last week
We arrived at 3 o'clock.
six months ago
in 2002.
finished time
six months ago.

past now

Do not use the present perfect (have arrived / have done / have been etc.) with a finished time:
O I saw Paula yesterday.
(not I have seen)
O Where were you on Sunday afternoon?
(not Where have you been)
O We didn't have a holiday last year
(not We haven't had)
O 'W hat did you do last night?' 'I stayed at home.'
O William Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616. He was a writer. He wrote many plays
and poems.

Use the past to ask When ... ? or W hat time ... ?:


O When did you buy your computer? (not When have you bought)
O W hat tim e did Andy go out? (not W hat time has Andy gone out)

Compare:

present perfect past


O I have lost my key. O I lost my key last week.
(= I can't find it now)

O Ben has gone home. O Ben went home ten minutes ago.
(= he isn't here now)

O Have you seen Kate? O Did you see Kate on Saturday?


(= where is she now?)

time until now finished time ....................

past now past now

O Have you ever been to Spain? O Did you go to Spain last year?
(= in your life, until now)

O M y friend is a writer. He has written O Shakespeare wrote many plays and


many books. poems.

O Sam hasn't phoned me yet. O Sam didn't phone me yesterday.

O We've lived in Singapore for six years. O We lived in Glasgow for six years, but
(= we live there now) now we live in Singapore.

( past simple ^ Units 11-12 present perfect ^ Units 15-18


www.languagecentre.ir
Exercises
Q ) Complete the answers to the questions.

Are these sentences OK? Correct the verbs that are wrong. (The verbs are underlined.)
1 JVeJost my key. I can't find it. OK................
2 Have you seen Kate yesterday? ..Qidyousee..
3 I've finished my work at 2 o'clock.
4 I'm ready now. I've finished my work.
5 W hat time have you finished your work?
6 Sue isn't here. She's gone out.
7 Steve's grandmother has died two years ago.
8 Where have you been last night?

£ £ } Put the verb in the present perfect or past.


1 My friend is a writer. H e has w ritte n (write) many books.
2 We didn’t have (not/have) a holiday last year.
3 I .............................................................. (play) tennis yesterday afternoon.
4 W hat tim e .............................................................. (you/go) to bed last night?
5 ................................................................ (you ever meet) a famous person?
6 The w eather.............................................................. (not/be) very good yesterday.
7 Kathy travels a lot. S h e (visit) many countries.
8 I .............................................................. (switch) off the light before going out this morning.
9 I live in New York now, but I (live) in Mexico for many years.
10 'What's Canada like? Is it beautiful?' 'I don't know. I ................................................................(not/be) there.'

^ut t^ie verk *n t^ie Present perfect or past.

1 a : tta y e y m .e y e r been, (you/ever/be) to Florida?


b: Yes, w e w ent (go) there on holiday two years ago.
a: (you/have) a good time?
b: Yes, i t (be) great.

2 a: Where's Alan? .............................................................. (you/see) him?


b: Yes, h e ................................................................(go) out a few minutes ago.
a: And Rachel?
b: I don't know. I .............................................................. (not/see) her.

3 Rose works in a factory. S h e ................................................................ (work) there for six months.


Before that sh e (be) a waitress in a restaurant. She
(work) there for two years, but sh e ...................................................
(not/enjoy) it very much.

4 a : D o you know Mark's sister?


b: I ...........................................................(see) her a few times, but.I ...........................................................
(never/speak) to her. ........................................................................................ (you/ever/speak) to her?
a: Yes. I (m eet) her at a party last week. She's very nice.

Additional exercises 19-23, 29-31 (pages 260-62, 265-67)

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