UNIT 12

GRAMMAR

Rewrite the following sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous. 

1. Jack is cooking.  He started to cook 4 hours ago.

Jack has been cooking for 4 hours.

2.  My brother drives.  He started to drive in 1968.

3.  Carol lives in Morocco.  She went there last month.

4.  Timothy takes a bus to school.  He started to take it when his car broke down.

5.  Ping plays tennis.  She started to play it when she was young.

6.  Mick Jagger sings rock music.  He started to sing 40 years ago with the Rolling Stones.

7.  James knows how to repair a computer.  He learned how to repair it a long time ago.

8.  Doctors and researchers look for a cure for cancer.  They started to look for it more than 100 years ago.

9.  Patients use anesthesia during childbirth.  They started to use it in the mid-1800s. 

10.  I am reading this book.  I started to read it 10 minutes ago.  

Fill in the blanks with the Present Simple, Present Perfect, Simple or Present Perfect
Continuous.

He had a difficult childhood, but this Canadian actor ………………………. (always /make)
people laugh. He …………………… (work) in comedy films since he was fifteen and he
…………………….. (perform) on the stage for many years. Since he moved to Los Angeles, he
…………………. (make) many successful comedy films, including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,
Dumb and Dumber and The Mask. However, he …………….( play) some serious roles too, such
as Truman in the Truman show. Lately, he ………………….. (practice) his singing for a new
film about the Beatles. He is, without doubt, a very talented man.

Fill in the blanks with time expressions: since, how long, for, always, ever, so far, just, all
morning ,already, yet. Use them only once.

1. The children have been playing loudly …………………………………………………

2. Simon hasn’t started school …………………………………………………………….
3. My mother has ………………………………… washed the clothes, so they haven’t dried yet.
4. Samuel has …………………………………….. wanted to go to East Africa.
5. My little brother has been ill …………………. a week.
6. …………………………….. has your sister been abroad?
7. It’s very early, but Donna has …………………………….. gone to work.
8. I’ve read fifty pages …………………………………….. .
9. I haven’t spoken to grandparents ………………………… last week.
10. Have you …………………….. been abroad?
MATCH COLUMN A WITH COLUMN B TO MAKE CORRECT SENTENCES.

A B
1. How long have you been waiting?
2. Alan is in the garden.
3. You’ve been studying all morning.
4. Ann’s been exercising a lot recently.
5. It’s cold outside.
6. Terry’s tired.
7. We’ve been training all afternoon.
8. What have you been doing since we last saw
each other?
A. He’s been planting trees all day.
B. That’s why she looks fit.
C. It’s been snowing all morning.
D. He’s been working hard all day.
E. For about half an hour.
F. Not much. Usual things.
G. I think you should stop now.
H. I think we should take a break now.

Say what these people have been doing.

Use the verbs “cook, read, argue, wait, drive, work.”

1. Samuel is really tired because ..…………………………………………………………

2. Tracy and Alan are upset because ……………………………………………….…….
3. Mike is hot because ……………………………………………………………………...
4. David feels very stiff because ……………………………………………………… all day.
5. Jack is annoyed because………………………………………………………..for nearly
thirty minutes.

Complete the dialogue using the Present Perfect Continuous form of the verbs
given in brackets.
Lynn: I’m sorry, I’m late.
Rob: It’s okay. I ………………………………………. (not / wait) for long. What
……………………………………………………………….. (you / do?)
Lynn: I‘ve been with Mrs. King . …………………………………………………. (she / help)
me with my English.
Rob: Your English is very good, you don’t need any lessons, surely. .
………………………………………………………….. English?(how long / you / study)
Lynn: Err, nine years now. But my accent wasn’t very good when I first came here.
…………………………………………………………… (I / try) to improve it. I think I have got
much better lately.
Rob: Your accent is fine Lynn, believe me.
Complete the sentences using the Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect
Continuous form of the verbs given in brackets. In some sentences, either form is
possible.

1. A: I’m tired. We (hike) ……………………………………………….. for more than an hour.

Let’s stop and rest for a while.
B: Okay.
2. A: Is the newsagent’s far from here?
B: Not at all. I (go) ……………………………………………………. there on foot many
times.
3. A: Do you like living here?
B: I (live) ………………………………………………………………here for only two
months. I don’t know yet.
4. A: I (read) ……………………………………………………………… this article on genes
four times and I still don’t understand it!
B: Maybe I can help you.
5. A: My eyes are getting tired. I (work) ………………………………….. on the computer for
two hours. I think I’ll take a break.
B: Why don’t you do some eye exercise?
6. A: Do you like the Holiday Inn?
B: A lot. I (stay)……………………………………………………….there at least five times.
It’s my favourite.
7. A: Who’s your son’s new teacher?
B: Mr. Connolly.
A: He’s one of the best teachers at the elementary school. He (teach)… …………………
………………………………… kindergarten for twenty years.
8. A: Sam (play)………………………………………….. tennis for almost 12 years but he still
doesn’t have a good back hand.
B: Neither do I, and guess what? I (be) …………………………………………………a tennis
player for twenty years.

Complete the sentences with the Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple form of
the verbs in the parentheses.

1. I …………………………… (meet) Jenny when she was a little girl, but I ……………………………
(not, see) her for many years. I ……………………………………….. (know) my best friend Tina for
over 25 years.

2. The landlord and I finally ……………………………………. (agree) on the rent of the house two
days ago. Since then, we …………………………………………(not, have) any other problems.

3. Sally …………………………………….. (take) a trip to Japan last September. He ………………

…………………. (have) many trips to the East, since he started his own company.

4. When she was in a boarding school, Susan ………………………………………. (write) to her family
at least once each week. Now she has a job and lives in Manchester. In the last three months, she
………………………………….. (write) only three letters to her parents.

5. My university ……………………………. (send) 90 students to study in other countries last year. It

………………………………………. (send) 852 students abroad over the last ten years.
6. Tom missed the Maths examination this morning because he…………………………………..
(oversleep). He …………………………………………….. (oversleep) a lot since the beginning of the
semester. He’d better buy a new alarm clock.

7. Your brother really needs to get in touch with you. Since this morning, he……………… …………
(call) six times trying to reach you.

8. Nancy………………………………………. (wear) her new blue dress only once since she bought it.
She …………………………………. (wear) it to her brother’s wedding in June.

9. The day has ended and the moon ………………………………………. (rise). It ……………
………… (rise) at 8:53.

10. Masaru is a pilot. During the last 24 years he ………………………………………… (fly) 9 million
miles. Last year, he ……………………………………….. (fly) 400,000 miles.

Use PRESENT PERFECT or PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS to answer

the questions about you.

1. What has happened in your life since you were fourteen years old?

2. How long have you been a student either at a school or at a private language course?

3. What are the some of the things you haven’t done yet, but want to do?

4. What are some of the places you have already visited?

5. How long have you been an inhabitant in Istanbul?

6. What are some of the places you have never visited in your city or country?

7. How long have you been studying since this morning?

8. How long have you been sitting on your chair in the classroom?

9. How long have you been awake?

10. How long have you been studying at your language school?
 Use Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous form of the verbs
given in brackets.

1. The two girls are in the park, they …………………………………………………( play) for
the last two hours, but they don’t look tired yet.

2. Alan: You look hot. What… …………… …………… you…………………………(do)?

Zoe: …………………………………………………………………………………… (run).
Alan: Running! In this weather ? How far ………………you……………………. (run) ?
Zoe: About five miles.

3. Sandra: What’s the matter? You look pretty worried.

Dave: Yes. I ……………………………………………. (be) worried about my daughter
recently.
Sandra: Why? Is there something wrong with her?
Dave: Well, she ………………………………………... (act) a little strange recently.
Sandra: In what way?
Dave: She …………………………………………….. (be) quite moody. We don’t know how
she is going to react. When she arrives home, we can see she
………………………………………(cry). She goes straight to her bedroom and never has a
word with us.
Sandra: ……………. you ever …………………………. (try) to talk to her about this?
Dave: Yes, my wife and I ……………………………………………………… (try) hard and
we……………………………………………(be) really friendly to her but she ………………….
never………………………. (want) to talk to us.
Sandra: Maybe I can try. You know, she takes me as a friend.
Dave: All right, I ………………. never ………………………(think) of this! Thank you for
your offer.

4. (on the phone)

Susie: Are you having a nice Sunday evening?
Tim: Well, I ……………………………………………….. (watch) this film on TV for the
last half an hour but I think I’ll turn it off. It’s stupid.

5. Dan: Oh my God! Nancy! What …………………you …………………. (do) to your hair?

Nancy: I……………………………………….. (change) the colour and ………………..
(have) a haircut. Don’t you like it?
Dan: No! It’s not that!! It’s because I ………………never ……………….. (see) you with
such short and crazy hair! But it looks great!
Nancy: Thank you.

Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tense (Present Simple, Present
Continuous, Past Simple, Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect
Continuous)

1. Who ………………………….(use) my toothbrush? It’s wet!

2. (Mike is shouting to his wife)
Mike: What …………. you ………………. (do) now? I …………………….. (wait) for
you here for ages.
 Jane: I ……………………….. (write) a note for the children.
3. Samantha …………………. (play) tennis with her friends every weekend.
4. Tim and Matilda ………………….. (be) married since 1991.
5. Uncle Bill ………………………… (just, decorate) the bathroom.
6. (on the phone)
Bob: Who ………… you ……………… (speak) to? I …………….. (call) you five times,
but your line ……......... (be) engaged.

7. Sarah is very happy. She ………………… (win) a poetry competition.

8. He ………………… (drink) two cups of coffee this morning.
9. My friend …………………. (live) in America at the moment.
10. Linda ……………………. (study) in the library for three hours.
11. We ……………………. (play) in a concert next weekend.
12. Who ……………………. (read) my diary?
13.…………… your mother ………………. (work) in a bank?
14. We …………………. (make) plans for our summer holidays right now.
15. A: Jane ……………… (look) great. …………. she …………….. (lose) weight?
B: Yes, she …………………… (exercise) a lot recently.
16. A: ……….. you ………….. (do) your homework yet?
B: Almost, I ……………. (do) it now.
17. We ………………… (live) in Athens when my father …………. (be) an Ambassador
there. Then we ………………… (move ) back to London when he retired. We
…………………… (live) here for over two years.
18. A: Where …………… you …………….. (be)?
B: I ……………………. ( go) to London recently. I ………………. (come) back
yesterday.

Dear Nicholas,

This is just a short note to tell you I ……………………. (arrive) at the airport at 3
p.m. on Saturday, 10th January. I ………………. (go) to the travel agency and
……………….. (buy) my plane ticket two days ago. I …………………. (be) very busy
recently, and that’s why I ……………………….. (not, write) to you for a while. I
……………………… (plan) this trip for months, so now I ………………………..
(look forward) to spending some time with you and your family. I …………….
(hope) you will be able to meet me at the airport. Please give my love to your wife.

See you soon,

Patricia.

VOCABULARY

Complete the sentences and dialogues with the correct form of the verbs “bring,
take, come, go”.

1. Sandra: When are you ………………… on holiday?

Sam: Next Friday.
Sandra: Where are you ……………….. ?
Sam: To Italy.
 Sandra: That sounds great. You must ……………….. a camera with you!
Sam: Yes, unfortunately mine is broken. Can I …………… yours?
Sandra: But don’t forget to …………………. it back with amazing photos!
Sam: Oh, don’t worry about that! Would you like me to get you a souvenir?
Sandra: No, thanks. Just ……………….. my camera back safe.

2. When you come to the class, please remember to …………………….. your dictionary
with you.

3. When we go to grandma's, let's …………………. the DVD player along with us to

watch a movie during the car ride.

4. Since Mary has just moved to the town, I’ll ………………….. her out for lunch on
Saturday.

5. When you …………….. to the meeting next Friday, please ……………….. your
department’s budget report.

6. I’ll …………………….. only one suitcase when I travel to Paris.

7. I have baked a dozen of brownies, which I will …………………. with me when I

…………….. to the family reunion.

8. (on the phone)

A: Hi, honey! I ……………..….. back home Do you need anything?
B: Actually, we don’t need anything, but if you can ………………. a bunch of flowers,
that would be great.

9. Mum: Where has your brother ………………..?

Daughter: He has ……………………... the garbage out.

10. When you …………………… camping, you should ………………… your own tents.

READING

ARE YOU A PROCRASTINATOR?

1. Do you ever put off studying or doing assignments, or do you usually do things right
away?

2. Look at the TITLE of the reading; what do you understand?

3. Do you ever procrastinate? When? Why do you procrastinate?

4. Look at the following words that can be found in the reading; look them up in the
dictionary if they are new to you.

put off (verb) overwhelmed (adj) chronic (adj)

priority (noun) avoid (verb) anxiety (noun)

Following a schedule and doing things on time is extremely important in today’s world.
Using time effectively is a valuable skill that everyone must master. Catching a bus,
getting to work or school on time, and even meeting friends
requires managing time. Unfortunately, not everyone is very good at doing this. Many
people are procrastinators; they put off doing things that they need to until it’s too late.

We all procrastinate sometimes. Statistics show that 90 percent of university students

will often put off studying for a test or writing an important paper until the night before.
Twenty-five percent of university students can be defined as chronic procrastinators.
This more serious form of procrastination can result in a students dropping out of school.
Students who persistently delay doing their assignments get further and further behind
their studies.
Before long, they feel overwhelmed. For the chronic procrastinator, often the only way to
solve this problem is to quit school.

The recent studies show that, there are three main reasons why students procrastinate.
First, many have poor-time management skills. They often tend to do too much in too little
time. In the end, they feel overwhelmed.
Another reason is that they feel a subject is boring or because they have difficulty
concentrating on an assignment. These students will often avoid something because they
don’t like it. A third reason that many students procrastinate is because they are very
anxious about doing assignments well enough. These students often worry that their work
will never be as good as it should be and fear failure of any kind. Unfortunately, trying to
do everything perfectly can often cause these students to put off doing any work at all.

Do you recognize any of these signs in yourself? If so, you may want to do something about
your tendency to procrastinate. The following five tips may be helpful.

FIRST list the things in life that are important to you.

NEXT, list the reasons that you are at school or university. Look at the two lists and see
where they match. Is there something you need to do in order to achieve a life coal?

SECOND, choose realistic goals for yourself; don’t try to do more than you can. Decide
how hard you can work and what you can do.

THIRD, once you have identified your goals, list them in order of priority. If you have
three things to do, ask yourself “ Which should I do first?” as you become more aware of
what you need to do and when you need to do it, you will feel more in control and will be
able to complete tasks on time.
FOURTH, budget your time wisely. Create a schedule that allows adequate time to
accomplish a goal; for example, your schedule should give you enough time to study for and
pass a test, as well as time to relax. Finally, take the time to reward yourself .When you
are all alone in your flat or room, tell yourself all the good things that you are doing to
reach your goals. When you accomplish a goal, do something good for yourself like going to
the cinema or hanging out with friends.

If you believe that you are a chronic procrastinator, you should try to get help before it’s
too late. Talk to a counsellor or friend, and discuss the problem. If you are a mild
procrastinator, be sure to keep yourself motivated, but don’t worry too much. Remember
― we all procrastinate at times.

GLOSSARY

drop out (of): to quit and leave a programme or school course

persistently: constantly , continuously
concentrating: giving all of your attention or focusing on something.
avoid: to try not to do something , to keep away from something or someone
identify: to name or recognize something
budget your time: an expression meaning to plan or organize your time so that you use it
well
accomplishing: finishing, achieving or reaching something
counsellor: a person who gives professional help and advice
mild: not serious, minor

DECIDE IF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ARE TRUE OR FALSE.

……………1. A procrastinator will often know how to use his or her time effectively.
……………2. Almost all university students are chronic procrastinators.
……………3. Chronic procrastinators usually drop out of school.
……………4. The reading lists 3 main reasons procrastinate; boredom, worry about
failure, and trying to do too much.
…………..5. The reading lists four tips that can help students stop procrastinating.
…………..6. The tips for overcoming procrastination suggest that a person should make
time to study and have fun.
…………..7. The reading says that chronic procrastinators should talk to a teacher.

The words in italics are from the reading. Read each statement and
choose the correct answer.

1. Which one might you put off doing?

 a. waking up in the morning b. visiting the dentist

2. A chronic cold is one that you might have for one …………………………………..

a. week b. month

3. Hiroko has mastered playing the violin. In other words, she ………………… it very well.

a. plays b. doesn’t play

4. It’s 9:00 and you are at home. Your plane leaves at 9:15. you probably
……………………………… have adequate time to catch your flight.
a. do b. don’t

5. A person who has a tendency to gain weight easily …………………………………..eat fatty

food.

a. should b. shouldn’t

6. The teacher didn’t explain the story very effectively. As a result, many students
…………………………………….

a. were confused b. passed the test

7. Which might make you feel overwhelmed?

a. meeting classmates during a break b. doing three things at once

8. Raquel has to study for a test and write a paper. The paper is her priority.
Which will she do first?

a. study for the test b. write the paper

9. During ……………………………, many students are usually very anxious.

a. final exams b. summer holiday
 WRITING

Put the linking words below in the appropriate blanks.

Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi, the Italian physicist, who was born in Bologna in 1874, is famous
(1) ………… the inventor of a system of radio telegraphy and for his later work on
shortwave wireless communication, which forms the basis of most modern radio
transmission.
Marconi, whose mother was Irish, studied in Italy and began his experiments on his
father’s estate in 1894, (2) ………………….. in 1896 went to England, where he was
assisted by the chief engineer of the post Office, Sir William Preece. He was (3)
…………………. able to send signals several kilometres, and three years (4) ……………., set
up a wireless station capable of transmitting across the English Channel.
His greatest achievement, (5)………………… came in 1901, when he succeeded
transmitting signals across the Atlantic, which disproved the theory that the
Earth being curved would limit radio communication to a few hundred kilometres.
Marconi (6) …………………………, perfected his system in the following years (7)
………………. he was able to send the first radio message from England to Australia in
1918.
…………………………….. (8), he also carried out research on shortwave wireless
communication that led to the establishment of radio stations in the 1920’s, and
…………………… (9), in 1932, he installed the first radio telephone between Vatican
city and the Pope’s palace at Castel Gandolfo.
Marconi, who received many honours during his life, among them the Nobel Prize
for Physics, was also the Italian delegate to the Versailles Peace Conference in
1919, …………………. (10) he signed the peace treaties with Austria and Bulgaria. He
died in Rome in 1937 at the age of 73.

1 a. meanwhile b. soon c. as
2 a. where b. but c. and
3 a. near b. and c. soon
4 a. after b. later c. before
5 a. however b. but c. because
6 a. soon b. meanwhile c. gradually
7 a. later b. soon c. until
8 a. Meanwhile b. Until c. Although
9 a. soon b. again c. later
10 a. where b. when c. at that time

PRACTICE
Read the information given below about Ernest Hemingway, and use it to write a
biographical account.
Use Marconi’s biography as a model to order the paragraphs.
Be careful! You will have to re-order some of the information.

Ernest Hemingway, born Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, July 21, 1899
Father a doctor, fond of hunting and fishing, like Hemingway; mother good at arts.
Outstanding student at high school, writes stories.
Leaves school, 1917, becomes a journalist in Kansas City.
Works as ambulance driver in American Red Cross,
Gets badly wounded in Italy in 1918,
Gets decorated as a war hero.
Marries four times.
Lives and works as a journalist and writer in Paris in 1920s,
makes frequent visits to Spain, war correspondent during Spanish Civil War (1936-
1939),
active supporter of Republican side.
Goes to live in Cuba 1939), and lives there till 1960, but war correspondent in
Second World War.
Novels reflect on own experiences and interests:
The Sun Also Rises (1926), about expatriates in Spain,
A Farewell to Arms (1929)
First World War in Italy,
For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), Spanish Civil War,
The Old Man and the Sea (1952), deep-sea fishing in Cuba.
Also writes books about bullfighting, big-game hunting, and memorable short
stories .
Wins the Nobel Prize for Literature (1954).
Commits suicide by shooting himself, gets depressed by knowledge that he has the
cancer, at his house in Ketchum, Idaho, July 2 nd, 1961.