□ I have lost my English book. (Present Perfect)

Here I am not thinking of the past action; I am thinking of the present result of the action: I am without an English book now.

QI lost my English book yesterday. (Past Indefinite) Here I am thinking of the action in the past. I don't say whether I am still without a book.

b) Now compare these sentences: Present Perfect (I have done)

I've seen Margaret today. Today is a period of time which continues up to present. It is not a finished time. So we use the Present Perfect.

Past Indefinite (I did)

□ I saw Margaret yesterday. Yesterday is afinished time in the past. So we use the Past Indefinite.

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today
past....... (unfinished time)......... present

yesterday
past....... (finished time)....... present

 

□ I haven't had holidays this year.

О Have you spoken to Jill this morning? (It is still morning).

Have you been ill recently?

□ Brian has lived in Ireland for 6 years

(He still lives there). Q I have never ridden a horse (in my life).

GI didn't have holidays last year.

Did you speak to Jill this morning?

(It is afternoon now)

Were you ill last week?

□ Brian lived in Wales for 10 years (He no longer lives there).

□ I didn't ride when I was on holiday last summer.

 

The Present Pertect always has a connection with the present.

The Past Indefinite tells us only about the past.

EXERCISES

Ex. 16. (A, B) Read the situation and then write a sentence.

Example: Ten minutes ago Granny lost her glasses. Now she has them on her nose.

(lose/find) Granny lost her glasses but now she has found them. 1. Harry went to Egypt but now he is back in Ireland again.

(go/come back) Harry__________________ but now______________________

I lived in the centre but now I live in a new district. (live/move)

2.

I had long hair. Now I wear it short. (have/cut)

3.

Ten years ago I met Fran. We are great friends now.

(meet/become) I______________________ and we_____________

He travelled to the North last year. You can read about it in his book. (travel/write)

4.

5.

They bought a house three years ago. Now other people live in it.
(buy/sell)____________________________________________

6.

Ex. 17. (A, B) Read the sentences below and correct those which are wrong.

Example: Have you written to Barry Lane yet?

B. Shaw has written the play Pigmalion. Newton has been an English physicist.

Oh. vou have come just in time. We're beginning in a moment.
Who has invented telephone?_________________________

Have you heard? Paul bought a new car!____

Oh, I broke my pencil. Can you lend me yours? My great-grandfather travelled to India once. _

RIGHT WRONG - wrote.

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Ex. 18. (А, В) Put the verb in brackets into the correct form.

Example: A.: There's a cat in the room. Who has let (let) it in? В.: Well, it was (be) Ben, I'm sure.

1. A.: Your hedge is so trim now.__________________________________ (you/cut) it?

В.: Yes.

A.:_________________________________________________ (you/cut) it yourself?

В.: No, Mr Barry____________________________________________ (cut) it for me.

2. A.:____________________________________________ (you/speak) to Ellen yet?

В.: Yes. I__________________________ (phone/she) this morning. (It's evening now)

A.: What______________________________________ (she/tell) you about her trip?

Ex. 19. (A, B) Make sentences using the words given.

Examples: (l/write/letters/yesterday) I wrote five letters yesterday.

(Hpw many letters/you/write/today?) How many letters have vou written today?

1. (they/not/phone/so far/today)____________________________________________

2. (how many times/phone/you/him/yesterday?)_______________________________

3. (he/come/to see us/three times/this month)_________________________________

4. (it/not/rain/so far/this summer)

5. (how many shoes/you/buy/this season?)

Ex. 20. (A, B) Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form, the Present Perfect or the Past Indefinite.

Example: I first saw (see) him when he came to visit his aunt.

1. Mr Hayes_____________________________ (work) as a solicitor when he lived here.

2. The Darcies live in Shancarrig. They_________________ (live) there for 5 years now.

3. My grandparents are old. They_______________________ (be) married for 55 years.

4. When I last saw him, he__________________________________ (be) 10 years old.

5. The summer_____________________________ (be) very hot so far, don't you think?

6. Mr Blake died 10 years ago. I______________________________ (never/meet) him.

7. He doesn't know my husband. He___________________________ (never/meet) him.

Ex. 21. Put the verb in brackets into the correct form, the Present Perfect or the Past Indefinite.

I. (A, B)

1. A.: You ever (visit) Chicago?

В .: Yes, I (be) there several timec. C: Yes, I (be) there a few years ago.

2. A; You (be) at the Ryan's lately?

В .: Yes, I_________________

C: Yes, I (go) there last night.

3. A: He (speak) to you about his plans recently?
В .: No, he_________________

C: No, he (go) to Vilnius last week and (not / arrive) yet.

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4. А .: You (see) your brother this morning?
В .: Yes, I_________________

C: No, I (not / see) him since last Monday.

5. A; You (be) here before?

R; Yes, I________________

C: Yes, I (be) here last year.

6. A; You (go) to the theatre last week?

В .: Yes, I_________________ . I (go) to the Bolshoi Theatre.

7. A; You (see) the new monument in that street?

В .: No, I________________________ (not / see) it yet.

C" No, I___________ (be) there on Friday but I__________ (not / see) the monument.

8. A; You ever (show) your water-colours to anybody?
В .: Yes, I_________________

C: Yes, I__________________ (show) them to my friends a few days ago.

II. (A, B)

1.1 just (call) him. 2.1 (not/call) him yesterday, I was busy. 3. My parents just (go) away. 4. She already (answer) the letter. 5. She (answer) it on Tuesday. 6. My friends (go) away five minutes ago. 7.1 (read) that book during the summer holidays. 8. The fisherman (sell) all his fish now. 9. He (sell) the last one half an hour ago. 10.1 (not / see) him for three years. 11.1 (meet) him last week. 12. The newspaper (come)? - Yes, Ann is reading it now. 13. You (wear) your hair long when you were at school? - Yes, my mother (insist) on it. 14. He (not / smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give it up. 15. When he (arrive)? - He (arrive) at 2.00.16. You (shut) the window? 17.1 (read) his books when I was at school. I (enjoy) them very much. 18. You (be) here before? - Yes, I (spend) my holidays here last year. - You (have) a good time? - Yes, the sun never (stop) shining. 19. The clock is slow. - It isn't slow, it (stop). 20. Here is your dress; I just (mend) it. 21.1 (leave) home at 8.00 and (get) here at twelve. 22. You (have) breakfast yet? - Yes, I (have) it at 8.00. 23. You (see) the stars last night? 24. We (miss) the bus. Now we'll have to walk. 25. The lecture just (begin). You are a little late. 26. He (break) his leg in a skiing accident last year. 27.1 can't go out because I (not /finish) my work.

III. (B, C)

1. He showed her inside the house. "Oh! How lovely!" she exclaimed. "And you (do) it all by yourself? When you (buy) the house?" 2.1 understand you (have) an unpleasant experi­ence at the week-end? What (happen) exactly? 3. You remember the shell you (find) on the beach? 4. "How many children you (teach) in that family?" the girl asked her new governess. 5. "What is going on here?" Mel sighed, "We (have) a storm for three days. It (ruin) everything here." 6. "Can we get dinner here?" - "Of course, we can. Have you got enough money? I (spend) my last dollar on the taxi." 7. As we got into the taxi my brother asked, "Well, you (speak) to Harry?" - "I (speak) to him for a moment." 8. "Hello", the little girl said to her mother and looked at her companion. "Come and say 'How do you do' to Mr Zappa." - "I (see) him already." - "You can't have done, dear. He only just (arrive) here." - "I (see) him in the hall this afternoon." - "I'm sure you didn't. You (see) my little daughter yet, Mr Zappa?" 9. "I say, your cheek is like a grater (терка)! You (not/shave) today."10. You (not/hear) what the pilot (say)? 11. At school I (be) never good at lan­guages, but here I (pick) up a bit of French. 12. "Good night. It (be) nice to meet you," he (say) and (go) off to his car.

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Ex. 22. (А, В) Open the brackets using the Present Indefinite, the Present Continuous, the Past Indefinite or the Present Perfect Tense.

1. In the morning, coming downstairs, Rosemary (see) Tony lying in the sitting room: What you (do) here? -1 (sleep) here. -1 am sorry we (take)your room. 2. He's a night watchman. He works at night and (sleep) in the daytime. It's noon now, and he still (sleep). 3.1 first (meet) Richard a month ago, and I (meet) him several times since then. 4.1 usually (go) to bed before midnight. 5. I (sit) here all night and I swear I (not/doze) for a moment.

6. What's your brother doing? - He (play) tennis with our neighbour, they (play) it every day.