Seminar LMA

1.

Translate into English, paying attention to the combination between Simple or Perfect tenses
and time adverbials:

1. De cnd am cunoscut-o pe mama lui Alex, am neles de ce e Alex a a de morocnos. S-a purtat tare
nepoliticos cu mine i, tot timpul ct am stat la ei, s-a prefcut c nu tie cum m cheam.
2. De dou zile nu-i mai tace gura, ma ciclete ncontinuu! I-am spus s m lase n pace. I-am spus i c n
viaa mea n-am vzut femeie mai ciclitoare, dar degeaba!
3. Ieri, pe la ora trei, o main a trecut n vitez pe strad i a lovit cinele vecinilor. Vecinii nu erau acas,
aa c-a trebuit eu s m duc cu el la veterinar. I-au pus trei copci i i-au dat calmante. De cnd s-a ntmplat
nenorocirea, nu mai sunt om.
4. L-au prins pe banditul Sullivan Tom, un beivan i un ticlos notoriu. Umbl vorba c a omort cel pu in
douzeci de oameni nevinovai!
5. Nu m-am prea simit bine n ultima vreme, cred c e din cauza faptului c m-am uitat cam mult la
televizor. / Las drag, eu nu m-am uitat la televizor i tot m simt ru. O fi de vin vremea.
6. Cine a umblat cu umbrela mea? Are mnerul stricat! De o sut de ori v-am spus s nu mai umbla i cu
lucrurile mele! Cine are urechi de auzit s aud!
7. Ai fost vreodat n parc de Crciun? Eu am fost de multe ori, i-am fcut mul i oameni de zpad i mam btut cu bulgri cu copiii vecinilor. E tare frumos!
8. De treizeci de ani, de cnd sunt vecini cu noi, o dat nu i-am auzit s spun un cuvnt bun despre noi!
Mereu ne-au brfit i ne-au invidiat!
9. Ori de cte ori am ntrebat pe cineva dac e fericit, mi-a rspuns c nu. Oare s nu mai existe i oameni
fericii pe lumea asta?
10. Nimeni n-a venit s l vad Tom la spital, dei, cnd colegii lui au fost bolnavi, el s-a dus i i-a vizitat pe
rnd pe toi. Cred c, sracul de el, e singur i suprat.
11. Cred c mi-am scrntit o glezn, vd c am nceput s chioptez. Data trecut cnd mi-am scrntit
glezna, a trebuit s stau cu comprese reci o zi ntreag pn mi-am revenit ct de ct.
12. Cnd am strigat-o, ea tocmai terminase de repetat colindele i rgu ise ru, a a c nu mi-a putut
rspunde.
13. De trei ore ningea i aleea se acoperise de troiene. Btrnii i-au dat seama c n-aveau cum s mai ias
din cas pn nu ddeau deoparte zpada de pe alee. Dar, cum erau btrni i neputincioi, riscau s rmn
nzpezii.
14. Pn acum, nimeni n-a reuit s l conving pe Thomas s o lase mai moale cu butura. Tu ai ncercat
vreodat s convingi un beivan s se lase de but? E dificil, dac nu imposibil! /Mda, ai dreptate. Am avut
eu un prieten care s-a lsat, dup care s-a luat din nou de but. Mi-a pretextat c nu suport realitatea dac
nu bea un pahar, dou. I-am spus la revedere i nici c l-am mai vzut de atunci.
15. De but, am mai but i eu lichioruri, dar nu ca sta. De care e, de portocale? Beau de trei ore i nu m
pot opri, iar maic-ta bea i ea de tot atta vreme. Dar, ea ine la butur, are capul tare, nu ca mine, care m
mbt uor.
2.

Correct the underlined tense forms:

1. I am reading this book for three hours and I still cant tell what subject it is about.
2. They have been married for 20 years, but now they are divorced.
3. When I had written the article, I will mail it to a newspaper.
4. He has come to work with that company in his 40th year of life and has been with them ever since.
5. I had graduated from college and then I had got a job as an evaluator. Then I had to resign and start all
over.
6. They have been living there for quite some time but they still werent used to the customs of the country.
7. Go away! he has told her and she left.
8. I have been knowing her all my life and, let me tell you, Ive never met a finer woman than she!
9. How long is she sleeping here? When have you found her?

10. She had been a fighter since she has been eight.
11. He has watched her for five hours now.
12. We are lucky that we had met you.
13. It is ages since I have last seen her, she looks great!
14. It is years since I havent been writing a novel.
15. I have been friends with Princess Diana.
3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Fill in the blanks,, using the correct tense form:

Last time we went to the movies, we (meet) Susans brother.
As soon as they told us the news, we (rush) home to tell mother about it.
So far, my husband and I (be interested) in our sons progress.
How long (be) it since you started this business?
Ever since we (be) together, people (gossip) about us.
Ever since we (get married), people (gossip) about us.
For some time now, I (wonder) whether to resign.
When (you visit) Paris for the first time?
(you ever) listened to this music?
He (be) a colonel for more than ten years, but now hes retired.
They have been playing this game for two months and (fight) for as long a time.

4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Finish each sentence in such a way that it means exactly the same as the sentence above it:
We started this business two years ago. / We have.
They appointed her chairman in 1998./ She has..
Mary learned to play chess when she was five. / She has..
How long have you been smoking?/ When..
He stopped smoking five years ago. / He hasnt..
I have been skating since the age of ten./ I learned.
I havent been to Bucharest for ten years./ The last time..
We havent eaten caviar in ages. / Its ..
I havent seen her for two years now./ It
When did you get this job? / How long
RESULTATIVE PRESENT PERFECT
The event presented has visible results at the moment of speaking:
e.g. Ive broken my glasses (I cant read)./ I have turned on the heat (it will
warm up). / Hes been shot! (He is dead)
This use also includes the so-called Hot News Present Perfect (an instance
of Present Perfect by means of which some piece of recent news is stated. The
news is then reported with the help of past tense forms):
e.g. President Jones has been assassinated. He was killed last night in the
presidential residence. The assassin was arrested soon after the incident.
CONTINUATIVE PRESENT PERFECT
The event started in the past but continues up to the moment of speaking:
e.g. Hes been sleeping for two hours./ Ive known him all my life./ It has been
snowing since noon./ Ever since the house has been occupied the poltergeist
have been acting up.
Modes of occurrence: a) continuous continuative
e.g. I have been sitting in all day.
b) discontinuous continuative
e.g. He has been building the house for the last five
years. (i.e. on and off)
EXPERIENTIAL PRESENT PERFECT
The Present Perfect of experience lays emphasis on the occurrence of some
past experience for a person/ group of persons. No mention is made of the
time when this experience took place.

e.g. I have definitely met him before. / They have seen The Silence of the
Lambs. / My mother has never met my boyfriend.
If the definite time when the experience occurred is mentioned, the speaker
shifts from Present Perfect to Past Tense:
e.g. A: Have you been to Edinburgh?
B: Yes, I have.
A: When did you go?
B: Oh, last April, thats when I did.
A: And did you visit many places while you were there?
B: Yes, I went to Hollyrood Palace.
Modes of occurrence: a) general experiential
e.g. He has never liked heavy metal./ A: Have you ever
in your life seen anyone so entirely delightful? B: Only
when Ive looked in the mirror.
b) limited experiential
e.g. Have you had a letter to type today?/ She has
already had three proposals this morning.
5.

Consider the following instances of Present Perfect. Try to identify the values of Present
Perfect used in each of these sentences:
1. I have loved him all my life. 2. Where have I seen him before? 3. For all that youve suffered I beg
your pardon most humbly. 4. I hope I have made enough tuna salad. 5. I have fixed the fuse, so there
wont be any more light problems. 6. I have fixed the fuse at least twice these days. 7. She has cooked a
lavish meal for the newly weds. 8. The steak has been cooking for an hour. 9. She has never cooked a
meal like that before. 10. I have called her my dear auntie since I was a little boy.
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Try to explain the difference in meaning between the following pairs of sentences:
Sorry about the mess, I have been painting the house. / I have painted two rooms since lunchtime.
Who has slept in my bed? / Whos been sleeping in my bed?
My parents have lived here ever since they got married./ We have been living here for six days.
I have used the corkscrew to make holes in this skin./ Ive been using the corkscrew to make holes
in this skin.
Everybody has worked bloody hard this morning./ Everybody has been working bloody hard this
morning.

7 State the values of the Past Tenses in the sentences below:

1.

Samuel Johnson wrote his Dictionary in 1755. 2. Did you want me? Ill be right with you. 3.In those
days, he often played tennis
4. I was wondering whether you could help me. 5. He visited her last year. 6. He visited her every day. 7. He addressed and sealed the
envelope 8. He used to love her then. 9. * He would love her then. 10. I didnt know him at the time 11. I knew this for a lie at once.
12. My father was forever getting into trouble with the law. He was always falling in love. 13. He thought he was seeing her at the
opera that evening. 14. When I entered the house, he was making some coffee. 15. When I entered the house, he made some coffee.
8. .Explain the ungrammaticality of the starred sentences:
Ive been thinking for several minutes now//*Ive thought for several minutes now 2. Ive been lying here for
hours.//??? I have lain here for hours. 3. I have been building this house for the last two years.//*Ive built this house
for the last two years.4. Youve both been hiding this all along//*Youve both hidden this all along. 5. He has always
smoked in the morning// *He has smoked in the morning. 6. I havent seen him recently/I didnt see him recently// I
havent seen him lately//* I didnt see him lately.7. I havent understood that so far.//*I didnt understand that so far. 8.
I certainly have had my share of happiness during these five years past.//* I certainly had my share of happiness
during these five years past. It was a cathedral once//*It has been a cathedral once. 10. I have seen it once.

9 Discuss the use of the present perfect and past tense in the examples below. Discuss the tenses in relation to the
time adverbials they co-occur with/:
1) I havent seen her since she left town. 2. Shes been a teacher for five years and for two years she also attended the
Art School in her hometown. 3.She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at M; she saw
him one morning at his own house, and has since dined in his company four times. 4. I have worked hard today/ I saw
him today engaged in an animated contest. 5. Im very glad you came tonight. You have seen for yourself. Yes, I
have, Harold, there have been moments this evening when I could have screamed. 6. I never saw such an important
person before I met him./I have never seen her before./ I never learned how to swim in my youth. 7. I certainly have
had my share of happiness during these five years past. I always said he would end up in jail, and so he did. 8. I lived
in Italy for 10 years, then I came to Bucharest. 9. Once, this town was a beauty spot./ I have been there once. 10. For
years, after it occurred, I dreamt of it often. 11. He dropped the letter before he went away. 12. Did you want to see me
now? / I thought I might come and see you later this evening. 13. Few people passed. The man out of the last house
passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps along the concrete pavement. 14. Joan has received a proposal of
marriage. It took us completely by surprise.. 15. London is not what it was. 16.Last week, I open the window, look out
into the garden and what do I see but a man wearing a pink shirt and a policeman helmet.