LEVEL 4 GRAMMAR

PRESENT PERFECT AND PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (UNIT 2)

• Please look at announcements for information on the test

• Check Web Links / Resources for Powerpoint links and flashcards for irregular past tense and past participles
• Were you able to access the textbook audio?
REVIEW
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.

When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.
IRREGULAR PAST TENSE FLASHCARDS

A good way to review the irregular verbs!

Try a few now with your whiteboards…

PRESENT PERFECT
Form
Subject + have/has (not) + past participle
• I have seen the movie.
• She hasn’t seen the movie.

Questions:

Yes/No Have you visited Toronto?

Wh- Who has he met?

Who/What as Subject Who has completed the

assignment?
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

Form
Subject + have/has (not) + been + Verb + -ing
• I have been eating a lot of vegetables.
• I haven’t been eating a lot of junk food.

Questions:

Yes/No Have you been watching the news?

Wh- What has she been reading lately?

Who/What as Subject What has been happening at the

restaurant?
PRESENT PERFECT

Use the present perfect to connect the past to the present.

She has taught school for 20 years. Now she wants to write a book.

Uses of PP Examples
• Actions or events that started in the past We have lived in Canada a long time.
and continue in the present
• An action or event that happened at an He has travelled to many countries.
indefinite time in the past
• Recently completed actions or events (“just” He has just become an airline pilot.
is common with this use of present perfect) She has just heard some bad news.
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

Emphasizes that something is repeated.

Uses of PPP Examples
• ongoing actions that started in past and I’ve been working on my research paper.
continue in present
• with “for” or “since” They have been studying English for many years.

• without “for” or ”since” to emphasize that He’s been trying hard to keep the kitchen clean.
the action happened recently or is (but his new roommates are messy)
temporary
• with repeated actions that started in the past I have been calling the office all day. (but there is no
and continue in the present answer)
“FOR” AND “SINCE”

For + amount of time

She has been working here for 3 years.
She has worked her for 3 years.

Since + a specific past time

She has been working here since 2019.
She has worked her since 2019.

Use a past time clause with since..

She has been working here since Tom left.
She has worked here since Tom left.
LET’S PRACTICE USING FOR AND SINCE
ASK YOUR CLASSMATES A QUESTION
ANSWER WITH A FULL SENTENCE

How long have you studied English?

How long have you had a cell phone?

How long have you been a student?

How long have you lived in your house/apartment?

How long have you been awake today?

 TAKE NOTE…

Why do we use different tenses?

a) to make things really difficult and frustrating.
b) to make the timeline clear.

Placement of adverbs

Already, always, ever, just and never usually go before the past participle.
Yet and so far are common at the end of a sentence.

Where is everyone? The employees have already left work.

Is it a good thrift store? I haven’t found anything nice yet.
 MAKE SOME SENTENCES
EVER, NEVER, ALREADY, ALWAYS, JUST

Ever (question) – never (answer)

…eaten escargot
…climbed a mountain
…played hockey

Habits – always
What things have you always done a certain way? Ask someone else if they do them that way too.
Since I was a child I have always….

Do you like completing things early?

Try finishing this sentence. I have already…..
“I’ve already eaten my lunch.”

What’s something you’ve completed recently?

I have just…
”I’ve just opened a new bank account.”
LET’S TRY COMPARING 2 CHARTS AND SEE WHAT WE NOTICE

https://ellii.com/blog/present-perfect-vs-present-perfect-progressive

Boss to secretary: What have you been doing all morning?

Secretary: l've been typing those letters you told me to type. (continuing action)
Boss: How many have you typed?
Secretary: l've typed ten already! (Completed action)
FRIDAY, MAY 26

Take up test
Take up homework
Review Present Perfect vs.
Present Perfect Progressive
Compare Present Perfect and
Simple Past
TEST REVIEW

PART A – #1 Weighs, #5 don’t need

PART B #7 How long did you have the flu?

PART D 1. Why isn’t he going to the CN tower? Why is he not going? NOT
Why is not he going?

PART E – timeline – Pat was washing the dishes – the dog started barking
PRESENT PERFECT VS. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Present Perfect Present Perfect Progressive
Focuses on the result Focuses on the activity
You’ve cleaned the bathroom! It looks You’ve been cleaning the bathroom for 5
great! minutes.You can’t be done yet!
Says ”how many” Says ”how long”
She’s read 10 books this summer. She’s been reading that book all day.
Describes a completed action Describes an activity which may
continue
I’ve sent you 3 emails. I’ve been sending you emails for a few
months.
Suggests a limited number of times Emphasizes repetition
I’ve gone to the pool since we moved into I’ve been going to the pool since we
the neighbourhood. (once or twice) moved into the neighbourhood. Photo by John McArthur on Unsplash
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/b1-b2-grammar/present-perfect-simple-and-continuous
TENSES THAT GET MIXED UP SOMETIMES…

Present Perfect and Simple Past

Try making a sentence for each:

Eat/cake
Play/volleyball
Be/in Toronto

Now try turning them into questions…

Any ideas about when to use which one?

SIMPLE PAST AND PRESENT PERFECT – WHEN TO USE?
Simple Past
Express finished time
I worked in the music industry from 2010 to 2020.
Refer to definite (specific) time
I saw Justin Bieber in concert in 2022.
Finished events with no (obvious) impact/results
in present
Did you see him? (when you were there)
Used with finished time words (yesterday, last
week, last year)
They didn’t call him yesterday.
Present Perfect
Describe unfinished time
I’ve worked in the music industry for 20 years.
Refer to general (unspecific) time
I have seen Justin Bieber in concert.
Finished events in past – impact/result of events
continue in present
Have you seen him? (Recently? I am looking for him)
Used with unfinished time words (today, this
week, this year)
I have already called him this week.