Language Skills I

EXTRA PRACTICE Present Perfect and Simple Past ANSWERS

1. I have been playing football since I was five years old.

Have you played since you came to England?
Oh yes. I played* quite a lot. I joined a club the day after I arrived. *play is also possible
2. Have you placed any matches?
We (have) played about ten. We have to more to place. We have been having a very good
season, we have won all our matches so far, though we didn’t really deserve to win the last
one.
3. I played football when I was at school but when I left school I dropped it and took up golf.
4. Hello, Jack! I haven’t seen you for ages! Where have you been?
I was in Switzerland. I meant to send you a postcard but I didn’t have you address with me.
Never mind. Did you have a good time in Switzerland? How long were you there?
I was there for a month. I only just got back. Yes, I enjoy it thoroughly. I skied all day and
danced all night.
5. I skied when I was at the university, but I broke a leg five years ago and since then have not
done any (skiing).
6. When I first came to this house, it was a very quiet area. But since then a lot of houses have
been built and it has become very noisy.
7. My son has not started work yet. He’s still at the High School.
How long has he been at school?
He has been at High School for six years; before that he spent five years at the primary
school in Windmill Street.
8. I (have) just heard that Peter is in Australia.
Oh, you didn’t know? He flew out at the beginning of the month.
Have you heard from him? Does he like the life?
Yes, I got a letter last week. He told me about his job.
But he didn’t say whether he liked the life or not. Perhaps it’s too soon to say. He has only
been there three weeks.
9. I didn’t know you were left-handed.
I’m not left handed; but my oil-heater exploded yesterday and I burned my right hand, so I
have to use my left.
10. This bicycle has been in our family for fourteen years. My father used it for the first five
years, my brother rode it for the next five, and I have had it for the last four.
11. I hear that your M.P., Mr. Moon made a very clever speech last night. How long has he been
your M.P.?
Oh, we have only had him since January. His predecessor Mr. Sun resigned suddenly
because of ill-health and there was a by-election.
12. I hear that Mr. Jones (has) left.
Yes, he left last week.
Has anybody been appointed to take his place?
I believe several men (have) applied for the job but so far nothing has been decided.
13. Hello Ann. Did you have a good trip?
The actual flight was lovely, one of the best I have ever had, but it took ages to get into the
place. First they said that one of us was hijacker and they searched us all for firearms; then
they announced that one of the engines was faulty. We finally took off an hour later.
14. How did you spend this extra hour before take-off?
Oh, they took us to the restaurant and fed us and we walked about and bought things we
did not need. The time passed all right.
15. Have you booked your hotel room yet?
Well, I wrote to the hotel last week but have not answered yet.
Language Skills I
EXTRA PRACTICE Present Perfect and Simple Past ANSWERS

16. Hello, Paul! I didn’t know you were here.

Oh, I have been here nearly two months. I arrived on the 6th of January.
17. When we last met you said that nothing would induce you to come to England. What made
you change your mind?
I found that I needed English for my work and this seemed the quickest way of learning it.
18. Did you know any English when you first arrived here?
No, I didn’t know a word.
19. How long have you been learning English?
I have been learning off and on for about five and a half years.
20. I began English at secondary school and did it for three years. Then I dropped it for a year
and forgot most of it. Then I spent two years at a secretarial college, where I studied
commercial English, and for the last six months I have been studying in London.
21. At 4:00pm my neighbor rang up and said, “Is Tom with you?” Tom, her son, spent most of
his time in my garden playing with my children, so whenever she was not able to find him
she rang me. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen him today,” I said. “But my children went to the
beach this morning and have not come back yet. Perhaps he went with them.”
22. I have just had my first driving lesson. *also just had
How did it go? Did you enjoy it?
Well, I didn’t actually hit anything, but I made every other possible mistake.
23. Old Ben sold newspapers just inside the station entrance, and my father always bought his
evening paper from him as he left the station on his way home. But yesterday, my father
arrived home without his paper. “Ben was not there this evening,” he said. “I hope he has
not (been) taken ill.”
24. On Saturday afternoon I saw Frederick sitting in his garden.
“I though you worked on Saturdays,” I said.
“I worked this morning,” explained Frederick, “but at lunch time the boss went off to play
golf and told us all to go home. It’s about time he gave us a whole Saturday off actually. I
have worked practically every Saturday since the beginning of the year.
25. Have you been to Hampton Court?
Yes, I went there last week. The tulips were wonderful.
Did you go by car?
No, I went with my English class. We hired a coach.
26. Where else have you been since you came to England?
Oh, I have been to Stratford and Coventry and Oxford and Canterbury.
27. You have seen a lot. When did you go to Stratford?
I went last week. The people I work for took me.
28. Did you see a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre when you were in Stratford?
Yes, we saw Macbeth. We were very lucky. We just walked in and asked if they had any
returned tickets and the girl at the box-office said, “Yes, a man (has) just returned three
stalls.”
29. Have you been to Wales?
No. I have been to Scotland but I haven’t been to Wales. I’d like to go.
30. Have you seen any good films lately?
Yes, I went to the National Film Theatre last week and saw a Japanese film.
Did you like it?
Yes, I loved it but of course I didn’t understand a word.
31. I hear that Mr Benson (has) just died. You knew him quite well, didn’t you?
Yes, we worked for the same company for ten years. I didn’t see him so much after he left
the company but we kept in touch.
Language Skills I
EXTRA PRACTICE Present Perfect and Simple Past ANSWERS

32. Ann thought the garage was empty, and turned off the lights.
“Hey!” shouted Paul from under the car. “I’m sorry Paul,” said Ann, “I didn’t know you were
there.”
33. Tom hasn’t come back yet?
Yes, he came in an hour ago. We went straight to bed.
Funny. I didn’t hear him.
34. That’s a live wire. It just gave/has just given me a shock!
Nonsense! I just touched it and I didn’t feel anything!
35. When Paul came into the room, Ann was sitting in an armchair just behind the door. Paul,
not noticing Ann, went to the window and looked out. Ann coughed and Paul spun around.
“Hello, Ann!” he exclaimed, “I didn’t see you.”
36. You (have) just agreed to go, so why aren’t you getting ready?
But I didn’t realize that you wanted me to start at once!

Section 8

1. I bought a new house last year, but I haven’t sold my old house yet, so at the moment we
have two houses.
2. When Ann was on her way to the station it began to rain. Ann ran back to her flat for her
umbrella, but made her late for her train.
3. She caught the next train but it did not get in till 9:00 so she arrived at her office ten minutes
late.
4. Her boss looked up as she came in. “You have been late every morning this week,” he
growled.
5. At 7 am Charles rang Peter and said, “I’m going fishing, Peter. Would you like to come?”
“But it’s so early,” said Peter. “I haven’t had breakfast yet. Why didn’t you tell me last
night?”