When do we use the present perfect?

Are these people dead or alive??

Shakespeare wrote 20 books.

Stephen King has written 20 books.

John Lennon went to Canada two times.

Michael Jackson was to Canada two times.

Tony Blair has been the Prime Minister for 4 years.

Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister for 8 years.

When did these things happen? Do you know?

I went to Paris in 1997

My mother has been to America twice.

I've worked in eleven countries.

Last year, I visited my uncle in Switzerland.

In the summer, we bought a new house.

I've lost my new watch!!

"For" and "Since"

Fill in the spaces in these sentences with either for or since.

1. ____________________ the dentist took out that tooth of mine, it's been really painful. I should go back to her.
2. You have worked really well ____________________ the morning coffee break. Well done!
3. You've been eating chips ____________________ the whole of this film. Are you a little hungry?
4. I've been coming to this swimming pool ____________________ over ten years.
5. Those two have been married ____________________ 1985. They are the happiest couple I know.
6. I've had this diamond necklace ____________________ a very long time.
7. Are you still unemployed? You've been without a job ____________________ you decided to resign from that
accountancy firm.
8. Mr. Gomez has been the Prime Minister ____________________ Mrs. Gonzalez-Panis resigned in the spring.
9. Your sister has studied ____________________ longer than any other student in her class for this exam.
10. ____________________ I was born, I have always had one arm longer than the other. The doctors can't explain
it!

Just, Yet, Already

Fill in the spaces below using either JUST, YET or ALREADY. Sometimes, there are two possible answers.

1. Don't come in here with those muddy shoes! I've ____________________ cleaned this floor.
2. Have you finished that composition for History class ____________________?
3. I don't want to go to see "Alien 9" at the cinema again. I've ____________________ seen it twice!
4. I'm sorry. You have ____________________ missed Katie. She went out to get some milk at the supermarket two
minutes ago.
5. Nothing for me. I've ____________________ eaten.
6. You can't have ____________________ finished your dinner. You must be starving!
7. "Have you called Yasmin to wish her luck for the exam today?" "No, not ____________________. I'll do it
now!"
8. I haven't been waiting long. Don't worry! I have ____________________ arrived myself.
9. Yes, I know David. We have ____________________ been introduced. It was at a party last week.
10. Kathy knows all about pizza and pasta, don't you Kathy. You've ____________________ returned from a month
in Umbria.

George Richards

Complete the text. Use the present perfect or the past simple.

Film maker George Richards has been (be) interested in the cinema since he ___________________ (be) a small
child. He ___________________ (make) his first film when he ____________________ (be) just twelve years old.
He is now almost forty and he ________________________ (make) thirty films. George loves travelling. His work
_________________ (take) him all over the world. He ____________________ (be) to Africa, India, Australia,
China, the USA and South America. Last year, he _____________________ (visit) Russia for the first time. George
is married to the singer Kathy Burke. They ______________________ (be) married for ten years. They live with
their two children on the Greek island of Kos. They ____________________ (buy) a house on the island in 1987
and they ____________________ (live) there since then.

Complete these questions and answers.

How long has George been interested in the cinema?

- Since he was a small child

When ________________________ his first film?

- When he was 12.

How many films ______________________?

- 30

________________________________________ to Russia?
- Yes, he has.

When _________________________ there?

- He went there last year.

When ______ George and Kathy ______ married?

- Ten years ago.

How long _______________________ on Kos?

- since 1987.
Past Simple or Present Perfect?
1. How many times ____________________ you _____________________ to the cinema this
month? (be)
2. How many times ____________________ you _____________________ to the cinema last
month? (go)
3. I ____________________ my primary school. (like)
4. _____________________ you ever _________ to Russia? (be)
5. _____________________ you ____________________ to Moscow when you were in Russia?
(go)
6. Freddie Mercury (RIP) _________ an interesting life. (have)
7. Clint Eastwood _____________________ an interesting life. (have)
8. I _________ John today. (not see)
9. But I _________ him yesterday. (see)
10. _____________________ John Lennon ever (RIP) _______ to Japan? (go)
11. _____________________ Paul McCartney ever ________ to Japan? (be)
12. _____________________ you ____________________ your homework yet? (do)
13. No, I still __________________________ it. (not finish)
14. ____________________ you ever _____________________ football when you were
younger? (play)
15. ______________________ you ever _________ baseball? (play)
16. My life ______________________ very sad because I _____________________ never
____________________ in love. (be; be)
17. Life _________ very difficult for me when I was a child. (be)

Past Simple or Present Perfect?

1. 'This is my house.' 'How long ______________you ______________ (live) here?' 'I

______________ (live) here since 1997.'
2. He ______________ (live) in London for two years and then he ______________ (go) to
Edinburgh.
3. When I ______________ (leave) school, I ______________ (cut) my hair and
______________ (wear) it short ever since.
4. Shakespeare ______________ (write) a lot of plays.
5. My brother ______________ (write) several plays. He has just finished his latest.
6. I ______________ (not see) him for three years. I wonder where he is.
7. He ______________ (not smoke) for two weeks. He is trying to give it up.
8. Chopin ______________ (compose) some of his music in Majorca.
9. 'When _________he ______________ (arrive)?' 'He ______________ (arrive) at 2 o´clock.'
10. I ______________ (read) his books when I was at school. I ______________ (enjoy) them
very much.
11. I can't go out because I ______________ (not finish) my work yet.
12. 'I never ______________ (drink) whiskey.' 'Well, have some now!'
13. Here are your shoes. I _____________just ______________ (clean) them.
14. I ______________ (leave) home at 8.00a.m. and ______________ (get) here at 12.00p.m.
15. I ______________ (meet) him last June.
16. You ______________ (see) the moon last night?
17. The actors ______________ (arrive) yesterday and ______________ (start) practising early
this morning.
18. Cervantes ______________ (write) Don Quixote.
19. He ______________ (break) his leg in a skiing accident last year.
20. You ______________ (be) here before?
Yes, I ______________ (spend) my holidays here last year.
You ______________ (have) a good time?
No, it never ______________ (stop) raining.

EXERCISES

14.1 Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are
wrong.
1. _I've lost_ my key. I can't find it anywhere. RIGHT
2. _Have you seen_ the news on television last night? WRONG: Did you see
3. _I've bought_ a new car. Do you want to see it? _________________________
4. _I've bought_ a new car last week. _________________________
5. Where _have you been_ yesterday evening? _________________________
6. Jenny _has left_ school in 1991. _________________________
7. I'm looking for Mike. _Have you seen_ him? _________________________
8. I'm very hungry. _I haven't eaten_ anything today. _________________________
9. Diane _hasn't been_ at work yesterday. _________________________
10. When _has this book been_ published? _________________________

14.2 Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use the present perfect or past simple.
1. (it/not/rain/this week) It hasn't rained this week.
2. (the weather/be/cold/recently) The weather _________________________
3. (it cold/last week) It _________________________
4. (I not/read/a newspaper yesterday) I _________________________
5. (I not/read/a newspaper today)
6. (Ann/earn/a lot of money/this year)
7. (she not/earn/so much/last year)
8. (you have/a holiday recently?)

14.3 Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.
1. I don't know where Amy is. Have you seen (you/see) her?
2. When I _________________________ (get) home last night, I ______________________ (be) very
tired and I _________________________ (go) straight to bed.
3. Your car looks very clean _________________________ (you/wash) it?
4. George _________________________ (not/be) very well last week.
5. Mr Clark _________________________ (work) in a bank for 15 years. Then he gave it up.
6. Molly lives in Dublin. She _________________________ (live) there all her life.
7 _________________________ (you/go) to the cinema last night?' 'Yes, but it
_________________________ (be) a mistake. The film (be) awful.
8. My grandfather _________________________ (die) 30 years ago. I _________________________
(never/meet) him.
9. I don't know Carol's husband. I _________________________ (never/meet/him).
10. A: Is your father at home?
B: No, I'm afraid he _________________________ (go) out.
A: When exactly _________________________ (he/go) out? B: About ten minutes ago.
 11. A: Where do you live?
B: In Boston.
A: How long _________________________ (you/live) there?
B: Five years.
A: Where _________________________ (you/live) before that?
B: In Chicago.
A: And how long _________________________ (you/live) in Chicago?
B: Two years.

14.4 Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.

1. (something you haven't done today)
I haven't eaten any fruit today.
2. (something you haven't done today)
3. (something you didn't do yesterday)
4. (something you did yesterday evening)
5. (something you haven't done recently)
6. (something you've done a lot recently)

11.1 Are the underlined verbs right or wrong? Correct them if they are wrong.

1. Bob is a friend of mine. _I know him_ very well. RIGHT

2. Bob is a friend of mine. _I know him_ for a long time. WRONG: I've known him.
3. Sue and Alan _are married_ since July. _________________________
4. The weather is awful. _It's raining_ again. _________________________
5. The weather is awful. _It's raining_ all day. _________________________
6. I like your house. How long _are you living_ there? _________________________
7. Graham _is working_ in a shop for the last few months. ______________________
8. I'm going to Paris tomorrow. _I'm staying_ there until next Friday. ________________________
9. 'Do you still smoke?' 'No, I gave it up. _I don't smoke_ for years.' ________________________
10. That's a very old bicycle. How long _do you have_ it? _________________________

13.2 Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

1. 'Where's your key?' 'I don't know. I've lost it.' (lose)
2. I was very tired, so I lay down on the bed and went to sleep. (be)
3. Mary _________________________ to Australia for a while but she's back again now. (go)
4. 'Where's Ken?' 'He _________________________ out. He'll be back in about an hour.' (go)
5. I did German at school but I _________________________ most of it. (forget)
6. I meant to phone Diane last night but I _________________________ (forget)
7. I _________________________ a headache earlier but I feel fine now. (have)
8. Look! There's an ambulance over there. There _________________________ an accident. (be)
9. They're still building the new road. They _________________________ it. (not/finish)
10. 'Is Helen still here?' 'No, she _________________________ out.' (just/go)
11. The police _________________________ three people but later they let them go. (arrest)
12. Ann _________________________ me her address but I'm afraid I _________________________
it. (give, lose)
13. Where's my bike? It _________________________ outside the house. It
_________________________ (be, disappear)
14. What do you think of my English? Do you think I _________________________? (improve)

13.3 Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones that are wrong.

1. Do you know about Sue? _She's given up_ her job. RIGHT
2. The Chinese _have invented_ printing. WRONG: The Chinese invented
3. How many plays _has Shakespeare written?_ _________________________
4. _Have you read_ any of Shakespeare's plays? _________________________
5. Aristotle _has been_ a Greek philosopher. _________________________
6. Ow! _I've cut_ my finger. It's bleeding. _________________________
7. My grandparents _have got_ married in London. _________________________
8. Where _have you been born?_ _________________________
9. Mary isn't at home. _She's gone shopping._ _________________________
 10. Albert Einstein has been the scientist who _has developed_ the theory of relativity.
_________________________