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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
Now compare your answers with those of your partner and discuss the
following questions and write your observations in the given space.
a. Is the time referred to in the sentences always the same as the tense of
the verb? What conclusion can you draw from your observation? Write
your observation below.
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b. How have you found the tense of the verbs in the sentences above? Are
there any indicators or markers that reveal the tense of the verb? Write
your observation below.
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c. Did you find any verb form that could be called 'future form'? (You will
learn more about the different ways of talking about future later in this
unit.)
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d. Why do you think verb forms are often labelled as 'simple' or 'indefinite', 'progressive' or 'continuous', 'perfect' and 'perfect continuous'?
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As Susie, write a reply to Nikita's letter. Do take care to answer all the
questions Nikita has asked you. What verb forms would you like to use?
Milan
25th October, 2011
Dear Nikita
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Yours
Susie
The present perfect is often used with the following time expressions:
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.
What has been the situation of your village/town/city five to ten years ago and how has it changed since then? Write a short paragraph describing the changes in its size, population, traftlc, buildings, lifestyle etc. Which verb forms would you mainly use to describe the changes? (Hint: Simple Past and Present Perfect forms.)
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.
Carefully study each of the following events or situations described in a set of three sentences/phrases. Then, write a short paragraph to describe each event/situation as shown in the example. Your paragraph should begin with the description of the second event in each case. Use the verb form had+ past participle to describe the earliest of the past events.
|
• Somebody burgled the office on Sunday night. • Our arrival at work on Monday morning . • Police informed |
We arrived at work on Monday and found that somebody had burgled the office the previous night. So, we immediately informed the police. |
|
• (I) Mayank went out with his family. (ii) I tried to phone him this morning. (iii) His servant answered. |
I tried to phone Mayank this morning but the servant ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (i) Rohit returned from holiday.(ii) Jayanti met Rohit. |
Jayanti met Rohit, who ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (I) All the arrangements were finalised for the seminar. (ii) The seminar participants arrived in Gangtok. (iii) Met the professors from the UK the same evening. |
The participants arrived in Gangtok. They found ........................................... ........................................... |
Working with the same partner, use the information given below and
discuss the reasons for choosing a particular verb form in F .1. Then match
the information in the bubbles below with the sentences, and put the
sentence number in the space provided, as shown in the example.
| 1. e.g. Something is expected to happen before a particular time in the future. (Sentence No 2) |
2.Statement of a universal truth or fact. ( ) |
|
3.Something is expected to ( ) |
4.Simple statement of future ( ) |
|
5.Sure to happen at a particular time in the future, as arrangements for it ( ) |
6.Statement of a planned event expected. ( } |
Use the correct tense form of the verb given in the bracket and rewrite the sentence.
All this ________ destroyed in a few years.
Name the Tense of the Verb underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future) and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous).
You haven’t found it.
Name the Tense of the Verb underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future) and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous).
I am fine, now.
Name the Tense of the Verb underlined to include Time (Past/Present/Future) and Aspect (Simple/Continuous/Perfect/Perfect Continuous).
I have been facing death.
Change the Tense as instructed.
I got fired. (Future Perfect)
Spot the error and correct the following sentences.
- My grandparents laid down for an afternoon nap.
- A stranger were knocking at our door.
- My sister and I shares a study room.
- One of my friend, is leaving school.
- A flock of birds were flying overhead.
Rewrite the sentence as per the instruction given along with it.
She simply sat there quietly.
(Rewrite the sentence in the Present Continuous Tense)
Underline the verb and choose the correct option from the options.
Today Sanjay found a new book.
Underline the verb and choose the correct option from the options.
Preeti was scornful.
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
Still they took no notice of him.
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
He just felt dizzy.
Match the sentences given in part ‘A’ with the sentences given in part ‘B’. Note the differences in structure.
| ‘A’ Part | B’ Part |
| (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. |
Observe the following underlined phrases. Here ‘have /has’ are followed by the past participle form of the verb. This construction indicates the perfect present tense. Find more such sentences from the speech.
- We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
- We have prevented millions of child deaths.
- It has happened.
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
