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Question
Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
a. Explain the difference in the meaning of the following pairs of
sentences. You may like to use the given hints.
1. a. I have been a teacher for five years.
b. I was a teacher for five years.
(Hint: Is the speaker still a teacher?)
2. a. I always got good marks in English.
b. I have always got good marks in English.
(Hint: Is the speaker still studying?)
3. a. Geeta has never met her cousin.
b. Geeta never met her cousin.
(Hint: Is Geeta's cousin alive?)
4. a. I have never been to Timbuktu.
b. I never went to Timbuktu.
(Is the speaker talking about a particular journey or his travels so far?)
5. a. Jose has completed seven assignments today.
b. Jose completed seven assignments today.
(Hint: Is the day over? Has Jose more assignments to write?)
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Solution
1. (a) T has been a teacher for five years.
(b) Now he is not a teacher.
2. (a) T always got good marks in English.
(b) Now ‘I’ is not studying.
3. (a) Geeta never met her cousin in her life.
(b) Geeta’s cousin is not alive.
4. (a) T has never been to Timbuktu.
(b) T is talking about his travels so far to Timbuktu.
5. (a) Jose completed seven assignments today.
(b) Jose has completed seven assignments today. He still has more assignments to write.
Note :
(a) 1. Sentence (a) shows that the speaker is still a teacher, while sentence (b) shows that the speaker is no longer a teacher.
2. Sentence (a) shows that the speaker is not studying now, while sentence (b) shows that the speaker is still studying.
3. Sentence (a) shows that Geeta’s cousin is alive, while sentence (b) shows that her cousin is not alive.
4. In sentence (a) the speaker is talking about his travels in general, whereas in sentence (b) the speaker is talking about a particular travel.
5. In sentence (a) the day is not over and Jose has some more assignments to write, while in sentence (b) the day is over and Jose has no more assignments to write.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
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The first has been done as an example.
| Sentence | Tense | Time | |
| 1. | We are planning to go out for a picnic tomorrow. | Present | Future |
| 2. | India has made tremendous progress in the past few decades. |
||
| 3. | It has been raining since morning. | ||
| 4. | Could you please send your e-mail address as soon as possible? |
||
| 5. | The train must have reached Delhi by now. |
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| 6. | It always rains in July here. | ||
| 7. | Cold wave intensifies further. (A news headline) |
||
| 8. | He was playing here a minute ago. | ||
| 9. | She won the Student of the Year award last year. |
||
| 10. | All incomplete forms will be rejected. |
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1. Which sentence in each of the following pairs is acceptable and
why?
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Complete the following sentences with the appropriate forms of the given verbs.
1. Every day I(go) to school in a bus but today I (go) by car because the bus operators are on strike.
2. "Baichung Bhutia (pass) the ball to Bannerjee; Bannerjee (take) a shot at the goal but it (be) way above the goal post. The Indians (attack) much more now ... "
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Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
b. What conclusion can you draw from these sentences about the use of present perfect and simple past forms of verbs?
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Here is a letter Nikita wrote to her friend Susie who lives in Milan, Italy. What verb forms has she used in this letter? Bas she used a mix of verb forms? Is there any particular form that has been used more frequently?
Dear Susie
It's a beautiful Sunday morning. Rakesh is busy with some office work and the kids are playing in the park outside and I've time enough to write a quick letter to you.
So, how are you doing? How's your new novel coming along? I hear you're learning Bharatnatyam these days. Couldn't believe it when Sharon told me about it. Bhartnatyam in Milani Never knew there is an Indian Dance school in Italy. Interesting! By the way, who are you taking dance lessons from? I mean, who is your Guru? And why are you learning Bharatnatyam? Must you do everything that I do?
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Yours
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until now for many years
so far over the last few years
lately in the past few months
not yet since20xx
recently
in recent years
Choose five of these time expressions and make sentences about interesting
items of news concerning yourself.
------------------------------------------
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Now make groups of four, and tell (not read) each other your news.
Complete the following sentences correctly by using the simple past or
past perfect forms of the given verbs.
1) We ____ already (reach) home when Irlan __ (say) that he (forget) his books at school.
2) Wendy (wake up) late, then she ____ (miss) her school bus, so by the time she (reach) school, it already (start).
3) I ___ (visit) my town again ten years after I _____ (leave) it and ___ (find) thatit completely (change).
4) When Feroze and Mehr (meet) for the first time, they ___ _ (not like) each other but now they are married.
Now write short paragraphs to describe the trends in the other groups of visitors featured in the graph.
• Overseas Visitors
....................................................
....................................................
• Domestic Visitors
....................................................
....................................................
• Total Number ofVisitors
....................................................
....................................................
Use the correct tense form of the verb given in the bracket and rewrite the sentence.
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Change the Tense as instructed.
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Change the Tense as instructed.
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Present Participle: The form of a verb, ending in ‘ing’, which is used in forming continuous tenses. For example, He is sitting here.
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Now, find out the ‘ing’ forms from the story and classify them into the following table.
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| 1. | |
| 2. | |
| 3. | |
| 4. |
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Rewrite the sentence as per the instruction given along with it.
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| (1) He was kidnapped by an extremist militia. | (a) They forced the child to kill his friends and family. |
| (2) The child was forced to kill his friends and family. | (b) An extremist militia kidnapped him. |
