1. Put the verbs in brackets into the Present Simple or Present Perfect tenses.

a) I __________ (know) Peter very well. Were in the same class.

b) We __________ (have) very bad luck this year. Our car was stolen and the flat
was robbed.
c) Mark is my best friend. We __________ (know) each other for ages.
d) My friend is ill. She __________ (be) in hospital since Saturday.
e) I cant work anymore. I __________ (have) a terrible cold.
f) I __________ (win) all the competitions I __________ (enter).
2. Match the sentences with the people.
I.
II.
III.

I work very hard.

Ive worked very hard all my life.
I worked very hard.
a) a retired businessman
b) a young businessman
c) a businessman who is about 60 years old

I.
II.
III.

Ive lived in London for a long time.

I lived in London for a long time.
I live in London.

a) a Londoner
b) a person who now lives in Paris
c) a person who is moving from London to Bristol
3. Read the sentences and answer the questions that follow each sentence.
a) Peters been unemployed for two years now. Has he got a job?
b) Ive just had a big dinner. Is the person hungry?
c) Marys wanted to be a doctor since she was six. Does she want to be a doctor
now?
4. Put the verbs in brackets into the Past Simple or Present Perfect.
a) The cat looks hungry. __________________ (you not feed) him yet?
b) Maris Sklodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie __________ (work) together almost all
their lives. (dead scientists)
c) Sting __________ (write) a lot of very popular songs. (alive pop and rock
musician)
d) My father __________ (work) for the same company since he left university.
e) Mozart __________ (write) a lot of interesting music. (dead composer and
pianist)
f) Where __________________ (you put) my dictionary? I cant see it on my desk.
5. Read the situations, and write sentences with just, already or yet.

a) After lunch you go to see your friend at her place. She asks you if youd like
to eat with her. You say: No, thanks. ____________________.
b) Joe goes out. Five minutes later the phone rings and the caller asks for Joe.
You say: Im afraid ____________________.
c) Youre eating in a restaurant this evening. The waiter thinks youve finished
and starts to take your plate away. You say: Wait a minute! I
____________________.
d) You know that a friend of yours is looking for a job. You want to know how
things are doing, and phone her to ask her if she ____________________.
e) Ann went to the bank, but a few minutes later she returned. Dad didnt hear
her return and asked you if she was still in the bank. You reply: No, she isnt
she ____________________.
f) Youre going to a restaurant this evening. You phone to reserve a table. Later
your friend asks you if he should phone to make a reservation. You say: No,
____________________.
6. Put the verbs in brackets into the correct tense, Present Perfect or Past Simple.
Karen Cookson ____________ (always be) interested in the sea. When she ____________
(be) ten, her mother ____________ (buy) her an aquarium and she ____________ (have)
collections of tropical fish ever since then. For the last twenty years, she
____________ (live) in a big house in Auckland where she has a huge aquarium. Last
year she ____________ (open) it to the public. Thousands of people ____________ (visit)
her collection. It is big, and includes several sharks which swim around looking very
dangerous. She says that people ____________ (never understand) sharks but that
she ____________ (never have) problems with them because sharks attack people
only when they feel threatened. Once a great white shark ____________ (try) to
attack her but Karen ____________ (hit) her on the nose with her camera and quickly
swam away. You have to say she ____________ (be) very lucky!
7. Present Perfect presentation of since and for
Look at these examples of the Present Perfect from the letter. Do the sentences talk
about: a) the present, b) the past or c) both the present and past?
The weathers been great since last Sunday.
Hes known her for a week.
Which of the underlined time expressions refers to: a) a period of time?
point in time?
8. Complete the sentences with either since or for.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

Weve been here _____ 5 July.

Marys been on holiday _____ six weeks.
Theyve known each other _____ many years.
Shes been a smoker _____ she left university.
Ive enjoyed playing football _____ I was at school.

B) a

f) Weve had our dog _____ the last eight years.