UNIT 1: LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Present continuous or present perfect?

1 A trainer is giving some advice to her students on a communication skills course. Choose the best form of the verb in brackets. This could be the present continuous or present perfect. Sometimes both may be possible. Then identify the reason for your choice from the boxes below. Look at the Language reference for Unit 1 if you need help. The first one is done as an example. Present continuous 1 2 3 4 5 6 An action which is in progress An unfinished action A temporary action A trend, changing action or situation Repeated actions which are happening around now Future arrangements 8 Present perfect 7 A state that started in the past and is still continuing A completed action in the past which has some relevance in the present Finished actions in a period of time that is still continuing Actions in the past which may happen again

9 10

1 2 3

Over the last two weeks, your appearance has improved (improve) a great deal. This is very important if you want to make a good impression. Reason 7 Every time you stand up to talk in front of the other students, you (not make) enough eye contact with them. You mustnt forget that actions speak louder than words. You (not develop) your body language skills at all in the last few days. If you dont work on this, you are not going to make a good impression. (make) some really good progress this week. I think you are all We working very hard at this. Today you (show) that you can control your nerves. This is clearly going to help you when you speak in public. I think you on this some more. (learn) to use your sense of humour but we still need to work

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

On this course, we (practise) how to speak in public and tomorrow we will spend the morning looking at strategies to help you do this. So, most of you work. I imagine that you (follow) this course while you are on holiday from (have) this problem with nerves before in the past?

These days, public speaking (become) more and more important for people who want to be successful in their careers. At the start of the course, the pace of your presentations was way too fast. Today you (show) us that you can control that now. Congratulations! You (pass) the course so now you are ready to make an impression on everyone you meet!

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