FIEStiic perieut (it Nave Uune) du pasoinipie (i did) (2) We use the present perfect when we talk about something that happened in a period of time up to the present. We use the past simple to talk about something that happened at a particular, finished ‘time in the past. Compare: ‘= Science has made many major advances this century. and ‘+ Scientists made some fundamental discoveries in the 18th century, ‘© He puts to good use things that other people have thrown away. and © Tthrew away most of my old books when I moved house. ‘When we report chat someone has recently invented, produced, discovered or written something ‘we use the present perfect. When we talk about something that was invented, ete, in the moze distant past we use the past simple. Compare: Q * Scientist have discovered that, all over the world, millions of frogs and toads are dying, © + tis often said that Herndn Cortés ‘discovered! Mexico in 1519. + Two schoolchildren have invented a device for moving lange objects up flights of stirs. * Chinese craftsmen invented both paper and printing. ‘Sometimes it makes very Lite difference to the main sense of the seatence if we think of something hhappening in 2 period of time up to the present or ata particular. finished time in the past: ‘The researc is now complete and the experiment was for has been) @ success. + Does it concern you that you failed (or have failed) the tes.? + Tim sure Tread for T have read) somevhere that he died in a plane crash, ‘We can use either the present perfect or the past simple to talk about repeated actions or events. If ‘we use the present perfect, we offen suggest that the action of event might happen again. Sometimes we emphasise this with phrases such as so far and up to now (see Unit 5). If we use the past simple, it suggests that it is finished and won't happea again, Compare: g 7 Limsom has made 13 Fs and think hor atest isthe Best and + Timson made 13 films before she was tragically killed in a car accident + Lee has represented his country on many occasions, and hopes to go on to compete in the next Olympics. and ‘© Lee represented his country on many occasions, but was forced to retire after an injury. ‘We can use both the present perfect and the past simple to talk about staes. We use the present perfect to talk about a state that existed in the past and sill exists now, and we use the past simple ifthe state no longer exists. Compare: + Thave known him most of my working life. (I am still working) and + Tkmew him when we were both working in Rome. ‘+ We have belonged to the tennis club since we maved here. (We sil belong to it) and © We belonged to the tennis club in the village we used to live in. In news reports, you will often read or hear events introduced with the present perfect, and then the past simple Is sed to give the details: ¢ “The fm ser im Coopers ded of _ career. eves Berdivedin Tews. demotexsnore (reba nme neat 7 custefrtacatre |. retrmed sid beh. des \_crssing with er cag tea, _inFowaths morning.” /EXERCISES 41 Complete thesesentenceswith the verb given. Choose the presentperfectorpastsimple. (A) | According to yesterday's newspapers, astronomers in Australi lose to our own. (discover) 2 To help today’s customers make a choice, a company in New York. a supermarket trolley with a video screen to display advertisements and price information, (Gevelop) 3-Atthe sar of is carer, Cousteau selentsts, and leisure divers. (ivent) 4+ He proudly told reporters that the company. Jncomputer crime (produce) 5 John Grigg century. (€seover) 42 Complete thesentences with appropriate verbs. Use thesame verb foreach sentence inthe pair. the aqualung, opening the occans to explorers, software to prevent the recent increase the comet now called Grigg-Skjellerup, atthe beginning of the 20th Use either the present perfect or the pastsimple. (B &C) 1 @ Alot of people. about the painting, and I alvays say i's not for sale. The police _me several questions about my ear before they let me go. 2 a Until she retired last month, she in the customer complaints department, Sulivan ‘hard to change the rules and says that the campaign will go on. gal “skiing ever since [lived in Switzerland She once, the support of the majority of the Democratic Pury. 4a His finer 0 many complaints about the noise that he told Chis to sell his, crams » We. ‘over 50 letters of support in the last 10 days. Sa The Bible ‘more copies than any other book. ‘> When it became clear that we would be moving to Austria, we she house to my brother. 6al ‘moving to London fiom the day I arrived. I'd lave to go back to Rome, b Avfine | ‘inviting them to stay, but we soon became great friends. 43, Hereare some parts ofa newspaper article. Study the underlined verbs. Correct them Ifnecessary, = orputa S. (A-C) ‘New cyele routes (I) have been builtin and aroun thecenlreof Birmingham and speed lini (2) have been reduced on selected roads..The scheme (3) was now in operation fora yearand (4) has boen hailed as a great sucess, Sine the ‘new speed limits (5) were inmoxduced, the number ‘ofaccidens in the area (6 el dramatically..It (7) as taken only six months to draw up the plans and mark the routes. This (8) hasbeen done in consultation with groups representing city CYCLE ROUTE SUCCESS IN BIRMINGHAM cyclists. Jane Wills, a keen cyclist who works inthe city centre, told ux: "When the new routes (9) have een inirodused I (10 have sold my caranlT T)bougdu abil (12) gyledto work eversince. I's thebest thing the councl (13) id foreyelss and pedestrars inthe time Fve been tiving in Birmingham. ‘The suevess ofthe scheme (14) has la to proposals fr similar schemes nother, ee re a planet in a galaxy a Video trolley ~