21 Review of present and past tenses 1 Introduction Study the verb forms. Present Continuous: Present Simple: Present Perfect: Present Perfect Continuous: Past Simple: Past Continuous: Past Perfect: Past Perfect Continuous: Claire is ready to go on safari. Slie is waiting for her guide. She goes on holiday a lot. She has bought a safari suit. She has been planning her trip for months. She bought the suit last week. She was going past Harrods when she saw it in the window. She had already decided that she needed a safari suit. She had been looking for one for a week or two. fŠÁFAf 1 M c__-— i i i- •' 2 I am doing or I do? (Unit 6) Present Continuous We use the Present Continuous for an action now, something we are in the middle of. I am writing a letter. Claire is wearing a safari suit. We're getting lunch now. We use the Present Continuous for a feeling over a short period of time. Vicky is liking her course much better this year. We use the Present Continuous for a temporary situation or routine. Vm very busy at the moment, so I'm getting up early this week. 3 I have done or I did? (Units 14-15) Present Perfect The Present Perfect tells us about the past and the present. They have locked the door. No one can get in. We use the Present Perfect for a state which has gone on up to the present. I've known him for ages. He's an old friend. We use the Present Perfect for actions in a period of time up to the present. / have seen the carnival several times. Present Simple We use the Present Simple for repeated actions, things that happen again and again. / write home every week. Tom never wears smart clothes. We usually get lunch at about one. We normally use the Present Simple for thoughts and feelings, and for states and permanent facts. Claire likes holidays. Four times twelve makes forty-eight. We use the Present Simple for a permanent situation or routine. / usually get up quite late. Past Simple The Past Simple tells us about the past, a time which is finished. They locked the door at ten o'clock last night. We use the Past Simple for a state in the past. I knew him when we were at college together. We use the Past Simple for actions in the past. / saw the carnival several times as a child. 4 I have been doing or I have done? (Unit 17) Present Perfect Continuous We use the Present Perfect Continuous for an action over a period of time leading up to the present. We are thinking of the action going on. Daniel's tired. He's been working. I've been reading all afternoon. We've been staying here for a week/since Thursday. 5 I was doing or I did? (Unit 10) Past Continuous We use the Past Continuous for an action that we were in the middle of. J was reading the paper at half past ten. Present Perfect We use the Present Perfect Simple for a complete action. We are thinking of the result. At least he's earned some money. I've read 200 pages. Past Simple We use the Past Simple for a complete action in the past or for a past state. / left the house at half past ten. Vicky had a headache. We often use the Past Continuous and Past Simple together when a shorter action (simple) comes in the middle of a longer one (continuous). We were looking for the coffee bar when we met Emma. But we use two Past Simple verbs for one action after another. When we saw Rachel, she waved to us. I did or I had done? (Units 18-19) We use the Past Simple to talk about a past situation and the Past Perfect for things that happened earlier. / threw the magazine away. I'd finished with it. When Sarah found the letter, someone had already opened it. When the new people moved in, the house had been empty for a year. We can use when ... had done to say that one thing finished and then something else happened. Wlien we'd paid the bill, we left the restaurant. But when one short action comes straight after another, we use the Past Simple for both. When the firework went off, the dog ran away. Compare these two sentences. When we arrived, the others all left. (We arrived and then they left.) When we arrived, the others had all left. (They left before we arrived.) 7 I had been doing or I had done? (Unit 20) We use these forms when we look back from a situation in the past. past perfect continuous We use the Past Perfect Continuous for an action over a period of time. We are thinking of the action going on. Emma's hand ached because she'd been using the computer. When I finally served the meal, I'd been cooking for hours. past Perfect We use the Past Perfect Simple for a complete action. We are thinking of the result. Her work looked really neat because she'd used the computer. I felt quite proud that I'd cooked a meal for eight people. p.\r,F 50 VERBS VERBS PAGE 51 Present tenses (1-4) Complete the sentences using the notes in brackets. The verbs can be Present Continuous (am doing), Present Simple (do) or Present Perfect (have done). We bought this picture a long time ago. Wa\e tad. it ..............(we/ have / it) for ages. Sarah finds her mobile phone very useful........................... (she / use / it) all the time. Vicky doesn't know where her watch is............................................. (she / lose / it). We're in the middle of decorating our kitchen, so we can't cook any meals. ....................................(we / get / them) from a take-away restaurant this week. 4 Claire is on a skiing holiday.............. (she / en\ow I it), she says on her postcard. 5 The colour of this paint is absolutely awful................................................ (I / hate / it). 6 These figures certainly should add up.................(I / check / them) several times already. 7 Trevor and Laura like Scrabble.......................................(they / play / it) most evenings. 8 These flowers are dying.........................................(you / not water / them) for ages. B Present tenses (1-4) Read about each situation. What else do you say? Use the verb in brackets. ► You can't go out with a friend because you have a Saturday job. (work) I'm sorry. .1.. worK m.4A"fcwrc!&y£,. 1 You have just met a friend you last saw months ago. (not see) Hello! How are you? ............................................................................... 2 Someone has arranged to phone you at this time, and you're ready for the call, (wait) I have to stay by the phone......................................... 3 Your friend is wearing a very nice jacket you haven't seen before, (like) Oh, that's nice..................................................... ......... 4 You are watching the snow fall. It started yesterday and is still failing, (snow) I can't believe it......................................................................... C Present and past tenses (1-6) Read about each situation and then tick the right answer. ► When we were talking, Tom left the room. Which took longer, a) [/} our conversation, or b) [_j Tom's departure? 1 Mark has been a member of the golf club for two years. a) [__] He joined the club two years ago and is still a member. b) ED He was a member of the club for two years but is not a member now. 2 Vicky is watching the weather forecast. The weather forecast a) [j hasn't started yet, b) •;) Q is over. 've switched off the burglar alarm. Do I think that the alarm a) [J is off, b) is on, or c) Q may be on or off? 've been studying all afternoon, and I've got a headache. Am I thinking of a) Q how much I have learned, or b) i__] the action going on for a long time? We had already travelled some distance when the sun rose. Did our journey start a) [__] before sunrise, b) Q at sunrise, or c) Q after sunrise? I'm going to work by bus this week. a) Q I always go to work by bus. b) [j My routine is different for this week. has started but not finished, or 3 I 4 I 6 I D Present and past tenses (3-6) Put in a pronoun and the correct form of the verb. Use the Past Continuous [was doing), the Past Simple (did) or the Present Perfect Continuous (have been doing). ► Mark: I rang at one, but you weren't in your office. Sarah: No, I .was? h&v.i^. (have) lunch. 1 David: You look tired. Melanie: Yes, I expect I do....................... (work) all day. 2 Sarah: Is Laura at home? Trevor: No, ........................... (go) out about half an hour ago. 3 Vicky: I haven't finished this letter yet. Rachel: It must be a long letter. ............................(write) it since lunch-time. 4 Harriet: I see you've got some new neighbours. Tom Yes, a young couple. . ... ......... (move) in last month. 5 David: Did Tom drive you home? Melanie: Yes, ............... (stop) and offered me a lift while .......................(wait) for a bus outside the town hall. E Present and past tenses (1-7) Complete the conversation. Choose the correct form. Melanie: How (►) are you getting/do you pet on in your new job, Nick? Nick: Oh, so (1) you know/you're knowing about my job as a car salesman. Melanie: (2) David's told/David told me yesterday. Nick: Well, I (3) haven't been/wasn't in the job long. (4) I started/I've started on Monday. Melanie: And how many cars (5) have you been selling/have you sold so far? Nick: Well, none yet. Give me a chance. Up to now (6) I've been learning/I've learned all the time. Melanie: David says you (7) had/were having a sports car once. Nick: I've still got it. (8) I had/I've had it for about five years. (9) I don't often drive/I'm not often driving it because (10) I don't like/I'm not liking getting it dirty. Normally (11) I ride/I'm riding my motorbike. And the car is expensive to run. I (12) bought/had bought it on impulse. I (13) was working/worked on a building site at the time. For several months before I bought it, (14) I'd done/I'd been doing overtime, and when (15) I'd been earning/I'd earned enough to buy a car, it was a really magical moment. Maybe you'd like a ride in it some time? Melanie: Oh, yes please. That would be lovely. F Present and past tenses (1-7) Complete the radio news report. Put in the correct forms of the verbs. Hello. This (►).!?.......(be) Kitty Beamish. (1)................... (I / speak) to you from Oxford, where the finals of the World Quiz Championships will be held tomorrow. The favourite is Claude Jennings of Cornwall, the man who (2)...........................................(know) everything. Twelve months ago no one (3)............................... (hear) of Claude Jennings, although (4)............................... (he / take) part in quiz competitions for years. Now suddenly he is a big star. So far this year (5)..... (he / answer) every single question correctly. And he is popular, too. When (6).......................................... (he / arrive) here two days ago, hundreds of fans (7) .................... (wait) at the station to welcome him. Since his arrival Claude (8) .................. (read) encyclopedias in his hotel bedroom. He is clearly the man to watch. And now back to the news desk. VERBS • PACE 53