21 Present Perfect

^ Grammar Presentation
The present perfect describes past events that l/l/e have found chemicals all over the world.
are important in the present, but the specific (We found them sometime in the past,
time that the events happened is not important and this is still important now.)
or is unknown.

2.1 Statements
Have/Has Past
Subject (+ Not) Participle Contractions
1 1 have -► I've
have
You You have —► You've
have not
We We have —► We've
haven't
They visited 50 countries. They have -► They've
He has He has -► He's
She has not She has —► She's
It hasn't It has It's

2,2 Yes I No Questions and Short Answers

Past
Have/Has Subject Participle Short Answers
I Yes, I have. No, I haven't.
you Yes, you have. No, you haven't.
Have new
we found' Yes, we have. No, we haven't.
they medicines? Yes, they have. No, they haven't.
Has he/she/it Yes, he/she/it has. No, he/she/it hasn't.
*Found is an irregular past participle. Irregular Verbs: See page A3.

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 Present Perfect

2.3 Information Questions and Answers

Past
Wh- Word Have/Has Subject Participle Answers
You have traveled
Where have 1 traveled?
around the world.
to the 1 have gone to look
Why have you gone
Amazon? for medicines.
We've discovered
What have we discovered?
chemicals in plants.
life under They've studied it in
How have they studied
the sea? submarines.
in a He's traveled in a
How often has he/she/it traveled submarine? submarine many
times.

Past
Wh- Word Has Participle Answer
Who has been to Africa? Dr. Smith has been to Africa.

Using Present Perfect

a. Use the present perfect to talk about People have discovered medicines in the Amazon.
past events that are still important now. (This began in the past and is important now.)

b. Use the present perfect to describe She has traveled to Mexico.

actions or events that happened once She has traveled around the world many times.
or repeatedly at indefinite times in (We don't know exactly when she did these things.)
the past.

c. Use the present perfect to give the I've been to Africa twice.
number of times something happened (Before now, I went there two times.)
up to now.

d. Use the present perfect to give lists of I've been to France, Spain, and England.
past experiences.

You can also use the present perfect A Where have you been?
with "been" to mean "go and come & I've just been to the store.
back again." (I went to the store and have come back again.)

e. Use ever in present perfect questions to A Have you ever traveled to A frica?
ask if something happened at any time B Yes, I have./No, I haven't.
in the past.
A Have you ever been inside a volcano?
B Yes, I have./No, I haven't.

Discoveries 119
 Verbs that are often used with the Scientists have done experiments in space.
present perfect in speaking and writing Researchers have found useful chemicals under the sea.
include agree, be, do, experience, find, go, Research has shown there is water on Mars.
say, see, show, talk, and think.
Have you thought about that?

< Grammar Application

Exercise 2.1 Statements
Complete the sentences about a biotech company, a company that develops medicines.
Use the present perfect form of the verbs in parentheses.

A number of drug companies hcive found (find)

(1)
medicines in the rain forest. In fact, over 120 medicines

(come) from rain forest plants. Some

(2)
companies _ (get) information about
(3)
these plants from the local people. In many cases, the people

(live) there for hundreds of years, and they

(4)
know all about the plants. However, they
(5)
(not receive) money or other benefits for their help. Some drug companies

(not think) about the rights of the local people who help them.
(6)
Also, some companies (not take) care of the local environment.
(7)
One drug company. Rain Forest Biotech, (take) steps to
(8)
improve things. Rain Forest Biotech (develop) a new way to
(9)
find drugs and respect the people and land at the same time. Rain Forest Biotech

also (set) up programs to help the local people they work with.
(10)

Exercise 2.2 Questions and Answers

A M ‘i Complete the interview with the president of Rain Forest Biotech. Use the present
perfect form of the verbs in parentheses. Then listen and check your answers.

Chtis Green My guest today is Dr. Marty Robles. Dr. Robles is the president of Rain

Forest Biotech. Rain Forest Biotech has made some exciting discoveries in

the rain forests of the Amazon. Dr. Robles, you have an exciting company, and

120 Unit 10 Present Perfect

 Present Perfect

you ve had (have) an exciting life, too, I think. Tell us a

fi)
little bit about your life. How many times
(2)
you (be) to the Amazon?
(2)
Dr. Robles I (make) 100 trips to the Amazon
(3)
region.

Chris Green Who (go) with you?

(4)
Dr. Robles My team.

Chris Green And who else you (work)

(5) (5)
with there?

Dr. Robles Well, I (meet) many traditional healers on my trips.

(6)
These people (teach) me how they use local plants to
(7)
cure diseases. I (learn) a great deal about their lives and
(8)
about their land, too.

Chris Green you (be) to Africa?

(9) (9)
Dr. Robles No, I (not be) to Africa, but my team
(10) (11)
(visited) New Guinea, and I (do) research in Australia.
(12)

B ® ' Tisten again. What else do you learn about Dr. Robles? Circle the correct words.
1. Dr. Robles has traveled to rain forests in Central America / Central Asia.
2. His team has discovered medicines for heart / brain disease.
3. He’s brought his children with him on some / all of his expeditions.

Exercise 2.3 More Questions

A Unscramble the words to make questions.
1. lived / have / How many / places / different / you / ?
How many different places have you lived?
2. Chicago / you / in / lived / Have / ?

3. Where / traveled / you / have / ?

4. Have / New York City / visited / you / ever / ?

Discoveries 121
 5. with / Who / you / traveled / have / ?

6. your family / you / helped / has / How /?

7. Has / advice / you / your family / life / given / about / ?

8. learned / have / this class / in / you / What / ?

B Pair Work Ask and answer the questions in A with a partner. Give true answers
about yourself Ask follow-up questions and add extra information.
A How many different places have you lived?
B Two.
A Where have you lived?
B Tve lived in El Salvador and the United States.
A Have you ever visited...?

Present Perfect or Simple Past?

V Grammar Presentation
The present perfect describes events that happened
at an indefinite time in the past and may still be
happening in the present. These events are still She has visited the rain forest many
important or still have an effect in the present. The times. She went there last year.
simple past is for finished events that happened at a
specific time in the past.
i <

3.1 Present Perfect or Simple Past?

a. Use the present perfect for things that She has been to Costa Rica.
happened at an indefinite time (or times) Scientists have discovered medicines in the
in the past. Amazon.

Use the simple past for things that She went to Costa Rica in 2010.
happened at a specific time (or times) Scientists discovered a new medicine in the
in the past. Amazon last year.

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 Present Perfect

3.1 Present Perfect or Simple Past? (continued)

b. Use the present perfect for things that He has traveled to Africa twice this year.
have happened in an unfinished time (This year is not finished. He may travel
period (e.g., today, this morning, this year). there again.)
/have visited three cities for my current job.
(My job is not finished. I may visit more cities
for it.)

Use the simple past for things that He traveled to Indonesia twice last year.
happened in a time period that is finished (Last year is finished. He cannot go to Indonesia
(e.g., yesterday, last night, a year ago). again in that time period.)
/visited three cities for my old job.
(That job is finished. I can't travel for it again.)

c. Use the present perfect to introduce a We've had a lot of exciting experiences. For
topic, and then use the simple past to give example, we took a submarine into an underwater
the details. volcano last year.

^ Grammar Application
Exercise 3.1 Present Perfect or Simple
A Complete the article about Amanda Lewis, an astronaut. Circle the correct verbs.
“

She has wanted A wanted to be an astronaut when she

(1)
was a child. She has grown up / grew up in Texas and
(2)
has studied / studied biology and engineering at the University
(3)
of Texas. After college, she has heen / was a pilot in the Navy. ■
(4)
She has joined / joined NASA in 1999 and has become / became
(5) (U
an astronaut. Since then, sh^ has orbited / orbited the Earth
(7)
230 times and has gone 4 wenf on three spacewalks in the last
mission. She also participates in science experiments as part
of her job, and she kas studied/studied the effects of radiation on
plant^^jfhe past six months. The most exciting thing she

/ nas seen 4saw as a pilot is the Northern Lights. She has seen// saw
them on a mission last year.

Discoveries 123
 B Poit Work Compare your answers with a partner. Discuss the time that the
actions in each sentence happened. Decide if the time is definite or indefinite,
finished or unfinished.
h In number 1, the time is definite. It's when she was a child.
B Right. That's why the verb is in the simple past. And in number 2,
the time is in the past, but it's finished.
A Right. She isn't growing up anymore.

Exercise 3.2 More Present Perfect and Simple Past

A Complete the text with the present perfect or simple past form of the verbs
in parentheses.

SCIENCE TALK
Three scientists answer the question, "'What is the most interesting or exciting
thing you have seen or done in your work?"

ERICA SALAZAR^ Marine Archaeologist

I have seen (see) a lot of amazing things under
the sea. For example, in the 1990s, my team

(discover) some Roman ships

(2)
in the Mediterranean. The ships probably

(sink) around 100 BCE.

(3)

JOE COSTA, Biologist

(have) some very exciting

(4)
experiences in the Amazon rain forest. On a trip last
year, a local person (tell) us about a plant for treating stomach
(5)
problems. My stomach (be) upset, and I
(6) (7)
(try) a traditional healer’s plant. I (feel) better immediately!
(8)

124 Unit 10 Present Perfect

 Present Perfect

JENNY LEE, Astronaut

We (see) many wonderful sights
(9)
from the International Space Station. On our last

mission, we (look) out a window

(10)
and (see) a meteor shower.
(11)
Some of the meteors (hit) the
(12)
station. It (be) spectacular!
(13)

B Over to You What is one exciting or interesting thing you have seen or done in
your life? Tell your partner. Use the present perfect to begin, and give the details in
the simple past.

A I've had a lot of exciting adventures. For example, last summer I climbed
Mount Whitney.
B The most interesting thing Tve seen is an eclipse. I saw it when I was a child.

4 Avoid Common Mistakes A

1. Use the correct word order in present perfect information questions.
has he
Where he has gone?
2. Use the correct form of the past participle in the present perfect.
found
I have finded many useful plants in the Amazon.

3. Use the simple past for finished actions or events.

graduated
She has graduated from the University of Texas in 2011.
4. Use the simple past to say exactly when something happened.
went
They have gone on an expedition last year.

5. Use the present perfect for actions or events in the indefinite past that are still
important now.
have gone
I went to three different countries on my trip so far.

Discoveries 125
 Editing Task
Find and correct nine more mistakes in this interview with a rain forest explorer.
Claire Smith How did you decide to become a rain forest explorer?
was
Bettie Silva I have been interested in the rain forest when I was a child. I haveffrownj
up in Brazil, and I heard many stories about the rain forest regions in my
country as a child.
5 Claire Smith When did you go dnj^our first expedition?

Bettie Silva I have^ne on my first expedition in the 1980s. I have seen a lot of amazing
aP
f

sights on that firs| trij|.

I r
(? -iO
Claire Smith Where have you gone on your fir^t trip?
Bettie Silva 1 went to rain forests in the Amazon and in Asia.
10 Claire Smith Who yoiplwe traveled with? ^ ^
Bettie Silva I’ve traveled with teams of scientists and other explorers at different times.
Claire Smith Have you ever had any dangerous experiences in the rain forest?
Bettie Silva Yes. Sadl^^^have loosed team members. For example, last year, a poisonous
snake has bitten one of my group members. But 1 had many wonderful
15 experiences on trips so far, too. 1 have helped scientists discover new
medicines, and I have meeted many interesting local people.

51 Grammar for Writing

Using Present Perfect and Simple Past Together
Writers often use the present perfect to introduce a topic about the past. Then they
change to the simple past to talk about specific events and experiences.
The present perfect is used in writing about a person's experiences and accomplishments
over a period of time.
Remember:

• Use the present perfect when exact dates are not important or are unknown
or for actions and events that have happened over time and up to now.
/ hove learned a lot of new vocabulary words this year.
• Use the simple past when the action or event was completed at a definite time or
times in the past, or the time of the action is important.
Marcela took five classes last semester. It was very stressful.

126 Unit 10 Present Perfect

 Present Perfect

Pre-writing Task
1 Read the journal entry below. What are some things the writer has done recently?
My Trips to Nearby Places

I do not have time to take long trips, but my family and I have visited some

interesting places this_year. We have tgf^mthree trips to Rivertown. We went last

wee^^d by car. My sister lives there. We went fishing and had a picnic. We havej^^

to the aquarium twice. We went there two months ago by bus. We took a tour, and we

irnedm lot about the anhnals. My children loved the sea lions. We. have-baen-to the

park many times, k^ahtnigpt there was a concert. We d^^ced^d sang. It^^^ lot of

fun. I like to take small trips to nearby places with my family.

2 Read the paragraph again. Underline the verbs in the simple past and circle the verbs in
the present perfect. What time expressions (last weekend, etc.) does the writer use with
the simple past? What time expressions (thisyear, etc.) does the writer use with the
present perfect?

Writing Task
1 Write Use the paragraph in the Pre-writing Task to help you write about places you
have visited. Where have you been? What did you do there?

2 Self-Edit Use the editing tips to improve your paragraph. Make any
necessary changes.
1. Did you use the present perfect when exact dates are not important or are
unknown, or for actions that have happened over time and up to now?
2. Did you use the simple past when the action is finished or the time
of the action is important?
3. Did you avoid the mistakes in the Avoid Common Mistakes chart on page 125?

Discoveries 127