Unit 7

Recent Events

A. Conversation
How long have you been here?
Clerk : How long have you been in London, Mrs. Soemardi?
Tourist : For nearly two weeks.
Clerk : And are you enjoying it?
Tourist : Yes, very much.
Clerk : Have you been to the Tower of London yet?
Tourist : No, not yet.
Clerk : You should. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

How long have you been studying English?

Linda : Your English is very good, Farida. How long have you been studying it?
Farida : For about six years.
Linda : Really? And is this your first visit to England?
Farida : Yes, I’ve never been out of Malaysia before.

Have you ever…….

Jill: Oh, I love this car! It’s so much fun to drive.
Have you ever driven a sport car?

Ted: No, I haven’t, but please slow down a little,

Jill. You’re doing nearly 80!

Jill: Am I? Oh, sorry, but I don’t worry. I’ve never

gotten a speeding ticket.

Ted: Um, how long till we get there? You know,

I’ve never been to Disneyland before.

Jill: Oh, we’ll be there in about an hour

Ways to Say It
1. A How long have you been there?
Have you been here for long?
B Since Monday.
For two weeks.
2. A Have you been to the Tower of London yet?
B No, not yet.
Yes, I’ve been there already
3. A Where have you been so far?
B Well, I’ve been to the museum and the art gallery, but I haven’t been to the zoo yet.

On the Telephone
Norman : Would you like to go to the movies tonight?
Joe : Sure. What’s on?
Norman : Well, Black September is on at the Ritz.
Joe : Oh, I’ve seen it already.
Norman : Well. What about the Bug? It’s at the Orient.
Joe : No, I haven’t seen that. What is it about?

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Norman : It’s a horror film. It’s about some giant insects that take over New York.

At the Library
Gill : I’d like to borrow a book for the weekend, please. What can you recommend?
Librarian: This one is very good-Murder on the Orient Express. Have you read it?
Gill : No, I haven’t.
Librarian: It’s a detective story. It’s by Agatha Christie.
Gill : It sounds interesting. I’d like to take it, thanks.

Ways to Say It
1. A Have you seen any good movies lately?
read any good books lately?
B Yes, I have, I saw Star Wars 2 last weekend.
Yes, I’ve just finished reading Diary of a President.
2. A What sort of movie is it?
book
B it’s a love story.
It’s a horror film/story.
It’s a science fiction film/story.
It’s an adventure film/story.
It’s a police film/story.
It’s a comedy film.
It’s about Russia.
3. A How is/was it?
B It is/was quite good.
not very good.
4. A Who is in it?
B Charlton Heston.
5. A Who is the book by?
B It’s by Agatha Christie.
Extension Activities
1. Role Play

Student A

 You are talking to a visitor to your country. Find out:

- How long he has been in the country.
- If he has been here before.
- What places he has visited so far.
- Whether he has tried any local food (if yes, find out how he liked it).

2. Students work in pairs and find out if they have ever done of the things below. (You may
Student
add B first or modify it, if necessary.). If the answer is ‘Yes’, they should give more
to the
information, such as when they did it, what it was like, etc. They should begin: Have you
ever…? You are a foreign visitor to the country.
- traveled
 Youbyare air/ship/train.
talking to a local person.
- been to a circus.
 You have been in the country for a week.
- seen a ghost.
- been camping.
It’s not your first visit. You have been here twice before.
- tried
 any of thesome
Mention following: waterskiing,
of the places you haveskiing, sailing.
visited on this trip.
 You have tried a lot of local food.
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 Mention a particular local dish which you have tried and enjoyed.
3. Talk to your partner about films that are presently showing in your town. Practice these
questions:
- Have you seen any good films lately?
- What’s it like?
- What sort of film is it?
- Who is in it?
4. Practice this dialogue about books you and your partner have read recently.
A: Have you read any good books lately?
B: Yes, I’ve just finished reading……
A: How was it?
B: …..
A: What sort of book is it?
B:……
A: And who is it by?
B: ……

B. Vocabulary: Confusing Words

Choose the correct word in each of the following sentences.

1. You haven’t (lent/borrowed) my rubber, have you, Paul?

2. He sat down (besides/beside) an old man with a white beard who looked and smelt as
though he hadn’t washed for weeks.
3. See that large (building/house) over there? Well, that’s where I work. I’ve got an office
on the sixth floor.
4. Was it (funny/fun) at the party on Friday?
5. The (nature/countryside) around this town is very flat and uninspiring.
6. The injured man was (laying/lying) on the road close to the wreckage of his car.
7. Who (taught/learnt) you to play the guitar, Fred?
8. Those of you who wish to come to the Zoo this afternoon, please (raise/rise) your hands.
9. When I heard that I’d been given the job I felt very (lucky/happy) indeed.
10. I usually (go up/get up) at 7.30 every morning.
11. Why don’t you (take/bring) your girlfriend with you next time? We’d love to meet her.
12. Is it all right if I (go with/follow) you to the concert on Friday, Pam?
13. Sussex is my favourite (landscape/county) in England.
14. I didn’t have time to (do/make) the beds this morning.
15. Amsterdam is a city full of (channels/canals).
16. I’ve been (sparing/saving) for years to buy a horse.
17. Would you (check/control) these figures, Mr Brown – just to make sure they’re correct.
18. It’s a lot of (job/work) looking after children.
19. I prefer to (hire/rent) a television than buy one.
20. The answer to the crossword is on the (backside/back).
21. I thought you said you (were going to/should) give up smoking?
22. Our new neighbours invited me in for a cup of tea this morning. I must say they seem a
very (nice/sympathetic) couple.
23. Was it Bell who (invented/discovered) the telephone?
24. I wonder if I might have a (recipe/receipt) for the things I’ve bought?
25. Oh, Jan, could you (remember/remind) me to phone the dentist this afternoon to make
an appointment for Sally?
26. I wonder if you’d mind (bringing/fetching) John from next door? He’s wanted on the
telephone.
27. What (more/else) did you do in Spain, apart from swimming and sun-bathing?

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28. I’ve just bought a record of Beethoven’s Fifth symphony (conducted/directed) by
Kerajaan.
29. When we moved into our new flat I had to sell my (grand/wing) piano because there
wasn’t enough room for it.
30. We’ll have to change the curtains, darling. They don’t (pass/match) the new suite.
They’re the wrong colour altogether.

C. Grammar Practice: Present Perfect

Study this example situation.

Tom is looking for his key. He can’t find it.

He has lost his key.

‘He has lost his key’ means that he lost it a short time ago
and he still hasn’t got it.

This is the present perfect tense:

I/we/they/you have (= I’ve, etc.) lost.

he/she has (=he’s, etc.) lost.

I (etc.) haven’t lost. Have you (etc.) lost?

He/she hasn’t lost. Has he/she lost?

We form the present perfect with have/has + the past principle. The past principle often
ends in –ed (opened, decided) but many other verbs are irregular (lost, written, done,
etc.).
When we use the present perfect there is a connection with the present.
- I’ve lost my key. (=I haven’t got it now).
- Jim has gone to Canada. (=He is in Canada or ob his way there now).
- Oh dear, I’ve forgotten her name. (=I can’t remember it now).
- Have you washed your hair? (=Is it clean now?).
We often use the present perfect to give new information or to announce a recent
happening.
- I’ve lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
- Do you know about Jim? He’s gone to Canada.
- Ow! I’ve burnt myself.
You can use the present perfect with just (=a short time ago):
- ‘Would you like something to eat?’ ‘No, thanks. I’ve just had lunch.’
- Hello, have you just arrived?

You can use the present perfect with already to say that something has happened sooner
than expected:

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 - ‘Don’t forget to post the letter, will you?’ ‘I’ve already posted it.’
- ‘When is Tom going to start this new job?’ ‘He has already started.’
Study the difference between gone to and been to:
- Ann is on holiday. She has gone to Italy. (=She is there now or she is on her way
there.)
- Tom is back in England now. He has been to Italy. (=He was there but now he has
come back).

Study the example conversation:

Dave: Have you traveled a lot, Nora?
Nora: Yes, I’ve been to 47 different countries.
Dave: Really? Have you ever been to China?
Nora: Yes, I’ve visited China twice.
Dave: What about India?
Nora: No, I’ve never been to India.
When we talk about a period that continues up to the present, we use the present
perfect. Nora and Dave are talking about the places Nora has visited in her life (which is
a period continuing up to the present).
Here are some more examples:
- ‘Have you read Hamlet?’ ‘No, I haven’t read any of Shakespeare’s plays.’
- How many times have you been to the United States?
- Susan really loves that film, she’s seen it eight times.
- Sam has lived in Belfast all his life. (or Sam has always lived in Belfast).
We often use ever and never with the present perfect:
- Have you ever eaten caviar?
- We have never had a car.
We often use the present perfect after a superlative:
- What a boring film! It’s the most boring film I’ve ever seen.
You have to use the present perfect with This is the first time……., It’s the first
time…….., etc.
Study this example situation :
Ron is driving a car. He is very nervous and unsure because it’s his first time behind the
wheel of a car. You can say:
This is the first time he has driven a car. (not ‘drives’)
Or: He has never driven a car before.
Here are some more examples:
- Tom has lost his passport again. It’s the second time he has lost it.
- Is this the first time you’ve been in hospital?
Use the present perfect to say that you have never done something or that you haven’t
done something during a period of time which continues up to the present:
- I have never smoked.
- I haven’t smoked for three years. (not ‘I don’t smoke for…..’)
- I haven’t smoked since September. (not ‘ I don’t smoke since..’)
- Jill hasn’t written to me for nearly a month.
- Jill has never driven a car.
Exercises
 You are writing a letter to a friend and giving news about people you both know. Use
the words given to make sentences and put the verb into the correct form.
Example: Phil / find a job Phil has found a job.
Dear Chris,
Lots of things have happened since I last wrote to you.
1. Charles / go / Brazil. Charles __________________________________

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2. Jack and Jill / decide / to get married. _________________________________
3. Suzanne / have / a baby. ________________________________
4. Monica / give up / smoking. ______________________________
5. George / pass / his driving-test. ________________________________
 In this exercise you have to read the situation and then write a suitable sentence.
Use the verb again.
Example: Tom is looking for his key. He can’t find it. (lose) He has lost his key.
1. Ann’s hair is dirty. Now it is clean. (wash) She _____________________.
2. Tom was 80 kilograms. Now he weighs 70. (lose weight) _____________________
3. The car has just stopped because there isn’t any more petrol in the tank. (run out of
petrol) ____________________________________
4. Yesterday Bill was playing football. Now he can’t walk and his leg is in plaster.
(break) ______________________________
 This time you have to use just. Answer the questions using the words given.
Example: Would you like something to eat? (no thank you / I / just / have / dinner )
No, thank you. I’ve just had dinner.
1. Have you seen John anywhere? (yes / I / just / see / him.)
____________________________
2. Has Ann phoned yet? (yes / she / just / phone)
____________________________-
3. Would you like a cigarette? (no thanks / just / put / one out)
________________________
 In this exercise you have to write sentences with already.
Example: Don’t forget to post that letter. I’ve already posted it.

1. Don’t forget to phone Tom. I ____________________________

2. Why don’t you read the paper? ______________________________
3. Shall I pay the waiter? _______________________________
 This time you have to put in been or gone.
Example: ‘Where’s Ann?’ ‘She’s on holiday. She has gone to Italy.’

1. Hello! I’ve just _______________to the shops. Look! I’ve bought lots of things.
2. Jim isn’t here at the moment. He’s _____to the shops.
3. ‘Are you going to the bank?’ ‘No, I’ve already __________to the bank.
 You are asking someone about things he has done in his life. Use the words in
brackets to make your questions.
Example: (you ever / be / to Italy ) Have you ever been to Italy?

1. ( you ever / be / to South America?)

2. ( you / read / any English books?)
3. (you / live / in this town all your life?)
4. (how many times / you / be /in love?)
5. (what’s the most beautiful country you / ever / visit?)
6. (you ever / speak / to a famous person?

 Complete the answers to these questions. Use the verb in brackets.

Example: Is it a beautiful painting? (see). Yes, it’s the most beautiful painting I’ve
ever seen.
1. Is it a good film? (see). Yes, it’s the best ________________________
2. Is it a long book? (read) Yes, it’s the _______________________
3. Is she an interesting person? (meet) Yes, she’s the most ___________________

 Now you have to write questions and answers as shown in the example.

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 Example: Jack is driving a car but he’s very nervous and not sure what to do.
You ask : Is this the first time you’ve driven a car?
Jack : Yes, I’ve never driven a car before.
1. Len is playing tennis. He’s not very good and doesn’t know the rules.
You ask: Is this the first time _______________________
Len : Yes, I’ve __________________________
2. Sue is riding a horse. She doesn’t look very confident or comfortable.
You ask: __________________________
Sue :______________________________________
3. Maria is in England. She’s just arrived and it’s very new to her.
You ask: ______________________________
Maria : _________________________________

 Answer these questions using the words in brackets.

Example: When did you last smoke? (for two years) I haven’t smoked for two years.

1. When did it last rain? (for ages)

2. When did they last visit you? (since June)
3. When did you last play tennis? (for a long time)
4. When did you last eat caviar? (never)
5. When did you last drive? (for six months)
6. When did you last go to Spain? (never)
7. When did she last write to you? (since last summer)

D. Pronunciation : Linking Sounds

We often link consonants at the end of a word with the vowel at the beginning of the next
word.
Listen and practice.
Have you ever been in a traffic accident?
Have you ever eaten Indian food?
Has your brother ever asked you for a loan?
Now practice the following conversations. Pay attention to the linking sounds.
a. A: Have you ever gotten a traffic ticket?
B: Yes, I have. Once I got a ticket that cost me $50!

b. A: Have you ever been late for an important appointment?

B: Yes, I have. I was 30 minutes late for my wedding.

c. A: Have you ever lost your keys?

B: Yes, I have. I lost them twice last month.

d. A: Have you ever seen a house on fire?

B: No, I haven’t. But I saw a car on fire the other day.

e. A: Have you ever forgotten where you parked your car?

B: No, I haven’t, but my brother always does. It drives him crazy.
Look at the following passage. Listen and mark the word linking.
Most people’s picture of a typical Englishman is a man in a suit, with an
umbrella, a copy of the Times, and a bowler hat. Not everyone knows, however, that this
hard, low, round-brimmed hat was invented in the nineteenth century, or that it was named
after a pair of British hat makers, Thomas and William Bowler.

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 The first example of a bowler hat was ordered by a country gentleman,
Thomas Coke, who lived in Norfolk. He wanted a strong and practical hat that he could wear
when he went out shooting.

E. Reading
Read this advertisement.

In this completely new edition the emphasis is on clarity and quick retrieval of information. More
than 49,000 words and phrases are dealt with in 900 pages. Definitions are arranged in order of
comparative familiarity and importance, and pronunciations are given in the International Phonetic
Alphabet. This dictionary is a bestseller world-wide.

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of Dicken’s novel Nicholas Nickleby was
acclaimed in both London and New York, and enjoyed by even wider audiences on television. This
paperback edition contains all the original illustrations by ‘Phiz’ and an introduction by Dame Sybil
Thorndike.

1. Write TRUE or FALSE beside each sentence.

Jan1.Morris
Jan is
Morris
one ofis the
an best
authority on British
descriptive writersarchitecture
of our times, in Britain.
and her account of the extraordinary
2. Students can learn about stage production from reading The Taming of Shrew.
range of British architecture that remains in India prompted one reviewer to say that this book
3. Every summer Robinpage writes a book about the British Isles.
‘explained
4. Dame more to me
Sybil about the texture
Thorndike is well of Britishfor
known lifeher
in India than any in
illustrations other work ofNickleby.
Nicholas non-fiction’.
5. The Pocket Oxford Dictionary contains both definitions and pronunciations.

2. Which book or books would you recommend these people to buy?

This
1.is Tony
one oflikes
the first five on
books plays to appear in the Oxford Shakespeare. In these new and authoritative
travel.
editions of the plays
2. Angela enjoysearly printings
reading havethe
about been scrupulously
British in India.re-examined and interpreted on freshly
considered
3. Helena principles.
hopes Detailed
to entercommentaries
drama school pay particular
when attention
she leaves to language
high school. and staging. The
4. Paul is the editor of his college
series is specially recommended for students. magazine.
5. Jill enjoys reading books once she has seen the stories on television.

3. Match these words with their definitions.

Every summer Robin Page travels through the British Isles. In this book he reveals much of the
natural splendor as well as the unusual characters that can be found in Britain, but also shows that
1. edition a. a book that has a soft paper cover.
there are continuing pressures on the last unspoilt wild places.
2. bestseller b. a person who writes an account of new books, etc.

3. paperback c. a collection of continuous comments, e.g. on a book.

4. reviewer d. the form in which a book is published.

4. Complete the table with the correct form of the words.
5. non-fiction e. a number of things (e.g. TV programmes) each complete in itself.
Noun Verb Adjective
Emphatic
6. commentaries f. a book that is sold in very large numbers.
Familiarize
Description
7. series g. pictures, diagrams.
Retrieve
8. illustration h. books which are about true events and people.
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 Adaptable
Authority

F. Writing
Read the following postcard Bill sent to a friend while he is visiting Tokyo

Dear Jeanette,
I’m now in Japan. I arrived here on Sunday
from Hongkong. I’m having a wonderful time
here. I’m staying at the Grand Palace Hotel,
which is very comfortable and right in the
middle of the city. I’ve been pretty busy since I
arrived. Tokyo is a grand city for sightseeing.
I’ve been on several fascinating tours. So far,
I’ve seen the Imperial Palace, the National
Museum, and some beautiful temples. I’ve also Jeanette Jacobs
been to Tokyo Disneyland which is a fantastic 1521 Sunset Rise
place I haven’t had a chance to go down to Mt. Honolulu 96833
Fuji yet. I’m planning to take a trip there this Hawaii U.S.A.
weekend. Shopping is very good in Tokyo and I
have bought some very good clothes.

See you soon

Bill

Now, imagine that you are away on vacation to a fascinating place. Write a postcard like the
one above to a friend.

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