Practice and Improve Your Grammar part 2

Vicky: Well, I tried to sound confident. (5) ….. (I / read) a book that said that's what you have to do in job interviews. But I don't know if I gave the right answers.

EXERCISE 31. Put in the correct form of the verbs.

Tom could hear shouts from the flat next door. His neighbours …were arguing… (argue) again.

1.Emma went into the sitting-room. It was empty, but the television was still on. Someone ….. (watch) it.

2.I ….. (play) tennis, so I had a shower. I was annoyed because I ….. (not win) a single game.

3.The walkers finally arrived at their destination. They ….. (walk) all day, and they certainly needed a rest. They ….. (walk) thirty miles.

4.When I saw Nick last week, he said he ….. (stop) smoking. But when I saw him two days later, he ….. (smoke) a cigarette. He looked rather ashamed.

5.I really must go and see the dentist. One of my teeth ….. ache) for weeks.

6.When Melanie arrived at David's place, he ….. (lie) on the sofa reading a detective novel. He ….. (buy) it at the second-hand bookshop, and he ….. (read) it for most of the afternoon.

Past Perfect – Past Simple

• We use the Past Simple for actions in the past and the Past Perfect for actions even further in the past:

The sportsman won his first gold medal in 2000. he had won three silver medals in previous Olympics, but this was his first gold.

31

•With the Past Simple in a when-clause, we use the Past Perfect in the main clause for an earlier action and the Past Simple for a later action.

When I arrived in the morning, my colleagues had started work. (=My colleagues started work before I arrived.)

When I arrived in the morning, my colleagues started work. (=My colleagues started work after I arrived.)

•In conditionals we use the Past Perfect for something that didn’t happen and the Past Simple for something that might happen.

If I had known, I would have helped you. If you came, you could stay with us.

•We usually use the Past Perfect with some adverbs (already, just, etc.):

The children had just left the room when their mother told them to come back.

EXERCISE 32. Put each verb in brackets into the Past Perfect or Past Perfect Continuous.

1.John … (need) the money last week, so we … (give) it to him.

2.You … (say) during our meeting that you … (talk) about that already.

3.When their mother … (come back) later, they still … (not/finish) doing their homework.

4.I could have done much better, if I … (work) harder.

5.We were hungry because we … (not/eat) all day.

6.In those days I … (always/get up) early in the morning.

7.I felt awful after dinner. I … (eat) too much.

8.Harry … (buy) a house in 2007.

9.No one bothered to tell me that the school … (decide) to have a special holiday on Friday.

32

EXERCISE 33. Write the two sentences as one. Use when and the past perfect in either the first or the second part of the sentence.

I took the book back to the library. I read it.

I took the book back to the library when I'd read it.

The students did the experiment. They wrote a report on it.

When the students had done the experiment, they wrote a report on it.

1.Nick saved enough money. He bought a motor bike.

2.Mark put all the dishes away. He dried them.

3.I looked both ways. I pulled out into the road.

4.The golfers went into the clubhouse. They played the last hole.

	Present Perfect – Present Perfect Continuous
Formation:		affirmative		negative		interrogative
		sentences		sentences		sentences
						have/has + subject +
Present Perfect		have/has +		have/has + not +
		participle II		participle II		participle II?
		(He has read this		(He has not read		(Has he read this
		book.)		this book.)		book?)
						have/has + subject +
Present Perfect		have/has + been +		have/has + not +
Continuous		participle I		been + participle I		been + participle I?
		(We have been		(We have not been		(Have we been
		working here for		working here for		working here for
		twelve years.)		twelve years.)		twelve years?)

33

Use

The Present Perfect is used for:

• the present result of an earlier action:

We have made chicken soup. Would you like some?

•an event connected to the present, without a definite past time:

I have just had an idea.

•a series of separate actions:

He has called three times and he has asked for you each time.

The Present Perfect Continuous is used for:

• an activity in progress up to the present:

We have been repairing our house and it has been causing many traffic problems.

•an action which goes on over a period of time up to the present:

Have you been waiting long?

•explaining a present situation:

I have been repairing my car – that’s why my clothes are dirty.

Adverbs (Present Perfect)

just	ever	never	lately	recently
already (positive sentences)			yet (negative and interrogative sentences)
before	so far	for	since	…
		Adverbs (Present Perfect Continuous)
for	since	lately	every (morning)		recently
all (day)	…

34

EXERCISE 34. Put each verb in brackets into the Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.

1.How long … (you/know) each other? – We … (be) friends since school.

2.Jack … (learn) Spanish since he came from Spain.

3.I … (lose) my mobile phone.

4.Why is Mark’s hair wet? – He … (swim).

5.… (you/ever/be) to America?

6.… (you/show) Kate your report yet? – Yes, she … (read) it for several hours.

7.What … (you/do) since I left the room?

8.I can’t believe that you … (eat) three bars of chocolate already!

9.I feel really tired. I … (weed) my garden for the last four hours and I … (not/rest) for a single moment.

10.I’m having problems with Jim. He … (call) me up in the middle of the night and … (tell) me his troubles.

11.The price of petrol … (rise) by 20% over the past year.

12.I think there’s something wrong with my car. It … (make) very funny noises.

13.George … (ask) for a pay-rise four times this year.

14.No wonder you are overweight! You … (eat) sweets all day long!

15.We … (phone) Dorothy all evening, but there’s no reply.

EXERCISE 35. Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

1.It’s a long time since/when we last saw you.

2.I’ve seen Sam very often lately/from time to time.

3.Jim hasn’t finished this work already/yet.

4.They have bought a new car two months ago/since then.

35

EXERICSE 36. Add a sentence. Use the present perfect.

I'm tired. (I / walk / miles) I've walked miles.

1.Emma's computer is working now. (she / repair / it)

2.It's cooler in here now. (I / open / the window)

3.The visitors are here at last, (they / arrive)

4.Mark's car isn't blocking us in now. (he / move / it)

5.We haven't got any new videos, (we / watch / all these)

EXERCISE 37. Trevor and Laura are decorating their house. Put in the verbs. Use the present perfect.

Laura:	How is the painting going? …Have you finished…? (you / finish)
Trevor:	No, I haven't. Painting the ceiling is really difficult, you know. (1) …..
	(I / not / do) very much. And it looks just the same as before. This new
	paint (2) ….. (not / make) any difference.
Laura:	(3) ….. (you / not / put) enough on.
Trevor:	(4) ….. (1 / hurt) my back. It feels bad.
Laura:	Oh, you and your back. You mean (5) ….. (you / have) enough of
	decorating. Well, I'll do it. Where (6) ….. (you / put) the brush?
Trevor:	I don't know. (7) ….. (it / disappear). (8) ….. (I / look) for it, but I
	can't find it.
Laura:	You're hopeless, aren't you? How much (9) ….. (you / do) in here?
	Nothing! (10) ….. (I / paint) two doors.
Trevor:	(11) ….. (I / clean) all this old paint around the window. It looks much
	better now, doesn't it?
Laura:	(12) ….. (we / make) some progress, I suppose. Now, where (13) …..
	(that brush /go)? Oh, (14) ….. (you / leave) it on the ladder, look.
	36

EXERCISE 38. Put in the verbs. Use the present perfect continuous.

Ilona:	Sorry I'm late.
Emma:	It's OK. …I haven't been waiting… (I / not / wait) long. What (l)
	….. (you/do)?
Ilona:	I've been with Mrs King. (2) ….. (she / help) me with my English.
Emma:	Your English is very good. You don't need lessons, surely. How
	long (3) ….. (you / study) English?
Ilona:	Er, eight years now. But my accent wasn't so good before I came to
	England. (4) ….. (I / try) to improve it. I think (5) ….. (it / get)
	better lately.
Emma:	Your accent is fine, Ilona. Honestly.

EXERCISE 39. What could you say in these situations? Write sentences with the present perfect continuous and a phrase with for.

Use these verbs: play, read, swim, talk, travel, work

A video is on. It began two hours ago, and it hasn't finished yet.

The video has been playing for two hours.

1.Matthew went into the water an hour ago. He doesn't want to come out yet.

2.Your friends started their journey around the world three months ago. They've gone about halfway now.

3.Mark got to the office early this morning. Ten hours later he's still there.

4.Melanie rang Rita forty minutes ago, and they're still on the phone.

5.Trevor has got an interesting book. He started it quite a long time ago. Ask him how long.

37

EXERCISE 40. Tell your interlocutor about your achievements using the Present Perfect.

EXERCISE 41. Make up a dialogue using the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous.

EXERCISE 42. Find several examples of the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous in any English book and explain them.

Present Perfect – Past Simple

•We use the Past Simple for a period of time which is over (an action is not connected to the present) and the Present Perfect for a period of time which is not over yet (an action is connected to the present):

We lived there for ten years. (=We are not there now.)

We have lived here for ten years. (=We are still here.)

Shakespeare wrote a lot of comedies. (He is dead and can’t write any more.)

Darya Dontsova has written many books. (She is alive and can write new books.)

I read three articles this morning. (It is already afternoon or evening.)

I have read three articles this morning. (It is still morning.)

•We use the Past Simple for actions which refer to definite times (the time may be stated or understood) and the Present Perfect for actions without a definite time given:

I bought the book after all. (implied definite: the book we are talking about)

I have bought an interesting book. (indefinite)

We saw Jane in the theatre. (implied definite: when we were at the theatre) We have seen Mark. (indefinite)

38

•We use the Past Simple and the Present Perfect with different time expressions:

Helen watched two films yesterday. Helen has already watched two films.

Many time expressions are not associated with a specific verb form, since they refer both to finished time or time up to the present, depending on the speaker’s perspective (for, never, before, all my life, for a long time, today, recently, all day, every day, etc.):

I saw Jack recently.

I haven’t seen Bobby recently.

•We use the Past Simple for completed actions in the past and the Present Perfect for completed actions in the future in clauses beginning with after, as soon as and when:

As soon as Kate made her copies, I did mine. (=Kate made her copies first, then I made mine.)

After/As soon as/When Kate has made her copies, I will do mine. (=Kate hasn’t made her copies yet. Neither have I.)

EXERCISE 43. Put each verb in brackets into the Present Perfect or Past Simple.

1.Why on earth … (you/tell) me about that loose floorboard. I … (trip) over it just now.

2.It’s a long time since I … (see) your sister Helen.

3.I can’t believe that you … (eat) two cakes already! I … (only/bring) them in twenty minutes ago!

4.What … (think) of London? … (you/stay) there long?

5.I … (never/eat) Chinese food.

39

6.It’s the first time Kate … (be) to Moscow.

7.So far I … (write) six pages of this letter.

8.We … (not/see) Mary since 1997.

9.Lately your work … (definitely/improve).

10.This is the third time they … (visit) Washington.

11.They … (move) to Madrid two months ago.

12.I … (know) Max since we both … (enter) school in 1987. He is one of the smartest people I … (ever/meet).

13.… (you/hear) the good news yet? Jane and Mark … (just/become) parents! Jane … (give) birth to a baby girl last night.

14.He … (spend) much of his childhood abroad as his father was an army officer.

15.Her novel … (win) the Whitbread Novel Award in 1995.

16.My mother … (get) two letters the other day.

17.Diana … (study) English literature at the university of Sussex.

EXERCISE 44. Put in the correct verb form. I have done or I did?

I've done (I / do) all the housework. The flat is really clean now.

A young couple bought (buy) the house next door. But they didn't live there long.

1.Our visitors ….. (arrive). They're sitting in the garden.

2.There's still a problem with the television. Someone ….. (repair) it, but then it broke down again.

3.….. (I / lose) my bank card. I can't find it anywhere.

4.The match ….. (start). United are playing well.

5.My sister ….. (run) away from home. But she came back two days later.

6.Daniel ….. (earn) some money last week. But I'm afraid he's already spent it all.

7.….. (we / plant) an apple tree in the garden. Unfortunately it died.

40