Grammar II

Simple Past versus Present Perfect

Use:

When do you use which tense?

1. If we want to express an action that happened at a particular time in the past…

2. If we want to tell whether or how often something happened until now…
3. If we want to emphasize the result of a past action in the present…
4. If we want to express an action that is over/completed…
5. If we want to describe an action that just recently ended…
6. If we want to describe an action that began in the past and continues until now…

Using the words in the parentheses, complete the following text in the correct tense.

1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars?"

B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie.

2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago.

3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together
once a week.

4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories this year. One
day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway.

5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid.

6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start)

working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we

(expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers.

7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off

into the forest and (be) bitten by a snake.

8. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never)
the ocean. He should come with us to Miami.

9. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it.

He (see, never) the ocean.

10. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In
Grammar II

the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered

wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a
great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a
matter of hours.

11. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see)

you.

12. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four
hundred years ago.

13. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try)

to reach the top over the years, but nobody (succeed, ever) .

14. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several times.

The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend)

two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly)

over the Nazca Lines.

Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change)

a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for

basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very

powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay)

thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be)

separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing

games.

Times (change) . Computers (become) powerful machines with very

practical applications. Programmers (create) a large selection of useful programs which

do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but

today's games (become) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer

users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other

computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online.

In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World
Wide Web of knowledge.
Grammar II

Present Perfect Simple versus Present Perfect Continuous

Use:

When do you use which tense?

7. If we want to emphasize the duration of an action, we use…

8. If we want to tell how often something has happened so far, we use…
9. If we want to emphasize the result of an action, we use…
10. If we want to emphasize that an action is completed now, we use…
11. If we want to emphasize how we have spent our time, we use…

Positive sentences:

Fill in the correct form (present perfect simple or present perfect continuous):

1. Sandy (cook) ______________________ dinner four times this week.

2. We (travel) ________________________ around Scotland for 8 days.
3. Why are your hands so dirty? – I (repair) ________________________ my bike.
4. I (read) _________________________________ the book, so you can have it back.
5. Paul (believe) ________________________________ in God since he was a child.

Negative sentences:

1. Sorry for being late. I hope you (wait / not) ____________________________ long.
2. My grandparents are coming to see us next weekend. They (visit / not)
_____________________________ us very often in the past two years.
3. She (be / not) __________________________________ on holiday for three years.
4. He (watch / not) ________________________________ TV all afternoon; he only switched
the television on ten minutes ago.

Questions:

1. How much money (Jack / spend) ______________________________________ in the

casino?
2. How long (she / sit) ___________________________________________ there?
3. How many short messages (send / you) ______________________________________ this
month?
4. (you / empty) _____________________________________________________ the bin yet?

Text:

1. Daughter: Mum, Jane (phone / just) __________________________________to ask it I

wanted to go with her to the movies. May I?
2. Mother: (you / do) _________________________________ your homework yet?
3. Daughter: Well, I (do) ____________________________________ it for about two hours
now, but I (finish) _______________________________________ it yet.
4. Mother: If you (complete / not) ____________________________________________ your
homework, you cannot go. School comes first.
5. Daughter: But mum, I (work) ________________________________________ really hard
this year and I (improve / already) ______________________________________ in math
and chemistry. And look, I (be / not) ______________________________________________
to the cinema for months. May I go? Just this once?
Grammar II

For or Since:

Decide if you need for or since with these time expressions

_____ last weekend

_____ ten seconds

_____ Christmas Eve

_____ a decade

_____ I finished school

_____ a couple of days

_____ my birthday

_____ a long time

_____ ten centuries

_____ the 70s

_____ I was a boy

_____ August

_____ the last month

_____ fifteen years

_____ the accident

_____ then

_____ last month

_____ I met you

Grammar II

Present Perfect Simple and Continuous; Past Perfect Simple and Continuous

Using the words in parenthesis, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

1. It is already 9:30 PM and I (wait) __________________ here for over an hour. If John does
not get here in the next five minutes, I am going to leave.

2. I was really angry at John yesterday. By the time he finally arrived, I (wait)
___________________ for over an hour. I almost left without him.

3. Did you hear that Ben was fired last month? He (work) __________________________ for
that import company for more than ten years and he (work) _________________________ in
almost every department. Nobody knew the company like he did.

4. I (see) ________________________ many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt.

5. Sarah (climb) _________________________ the Matterhorn, (sail) _____________________

around the world, and (go) _________________________ on safari in Kenya. She is such an
adventurous person.

6. When Melanie came into the office yesterday, her eyes were red and watery. I think she (cry)
______________________________.

7.
a. We (be) ________________________________ there for more than half an hour by
the time the show began.
b. We (wait) _______________________________ there for more than half an hour by
the time the show began.
8.
a. I (love) __________________________________ the circus ever since I was a child.
b. I (go) ___________________________________ to the circus ever since I was a
child.

9. I (have) __________________________________________________ the same car for more

than ten years. I’m thinking about buying a new one.

10. It (rain) __________________________________________ all week. I hope it stops by

Saturday.