LIFE UPPER INTERMEDIATE

Unit 1
Present Tenses: Simple, Continuous and Perfect;
Past Simple and Present Perfect
Life Upper-Int Unit 1a
Present Tenses: Simple, Continuous and Perfect
Present Tenses- MEANING:
Match each sentence with an explanation:
1) Suryia lives with his keepers.
a) A past event that that has an impact or
2) This week we are looking at animal relevance in the present.
friendships.
b) A changing situation
3) His understanding of the dog is growing
day by day.
c) A permanent or unchanging situation

4) Four million viewers have watched them

since the video was put up on Youtube. d) An action happening at or around the
time of speaking

5) Recently, he has been spending time

with a local dog. e) An action that started in the past and
continues into the present
Present Tenses- USE

Simple Present: Present Continuous:

for permanent or for actions happening
unchanging at or around the time
situations, habits, of speaking; changing
routines situations

Present Perfect:
for connections
between the present
and the past
Present Tenses- FORM:
Read the sentences below and answer the following questions.
1) Suryia lives with his keepers.
- What form of the verb do we
use in simple present?
2) This week we are looking at
animal friendships.
- What form of the verb do we
use in present continuous?
3) Four million viewers have
watched them since the video
was put up on Youtube. - What are the TWO different
forms of the verb for present
perfect?
4) Recently, he has been
spending time with a local dog.
Present Tenses– FORM
Look at each sentence and see how present tenses are formed.
• Suryia lives with his keepers. (PRESENT SIMPLE)
Verb ( He/She/It Verb-(e)s)
• We are looking at animal friendships. (PRESENT CONTINUOUS)
am/is/are + Verb+ing

• Four million viewers have watched them. (PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE)

have(has) + Verb3(past participle)

• He has been spending time with a local dog. (PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS)
have(has) +been+Verb+ing

Do you remember how to form negatives and questions in theses

tenses?
+ - ?
Notes on Present Continuous
• We use the present continuous to express :

something at the time of speaking: I’m writing a report now-call me later.

something happening around the time of speaking: She’s trying to find a job.
a temporary situation: Juan is working for a bank but he wants to change career.
a changing situation: Some animals are becoming extint.

• We use time expressions such as :

now, at the moment
these days, nowadays
this year, this week

• We do NOT use STATIVE verbs:

 I don’t know my cousins very well. (I’m not knowing my cousins very well.)
Notes on Present Perfect
• We use Present Perfect (SIMPLE and CONTINUOUS) to express a connection between past and present:
 I have been at this school since last year. (action started in the past and now continues)
 She has broken her leg. (past action which has an effect at present)
 We’ve been working at the same office for five years.(action still continues)
 He has travelled to the States twice. (experience)
• We use present perfect simple and present perfect continuous to talk about the SAME time periods. We use
the continuous form when we want to emphasize the duration of the event:
 Past events that have an impact on the present:
She’s been working all day. (The event may or may not still be in progress now. )
 Repeated past events that have an impact on the present:
I’ve been exercising a lot recently.
 Prolonged events that started in the past and continue in the present:
We’ve been waiting for the bus for over an hour.
 Repeated events that started in the past and continue in the present:
I’ve been coming to this cafe for years.
Notes on Present Perfect
• We often have a choice whether to use present perfect simple or present perfect continuous. We choose
the present perfect continuous when we want to emphasize the duration or repetition.

 I’ve lived here for over ten years. (no emphasis)

 I’ve been living here for over ten yesrs. (emphasis on how long it has been)

• In some cases, there is a bigger difference in meaning.

 I’ve written a lot of emails this morning. (I’ve finished writing emails)
 I’ve been writing emails all morning. (I may still have more to write)
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercise 1a: Choose the correct tense to complete the sentences.
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercise 1b: Match the sentences from Exercise 1a with the uses a–h.

6
a fact
4
b routine
7
c something happening at the time of speaking
8
d something happening around the time of speaking
1
e changing situation
5
f temporary situation
2
g past event with relevance in the present
h past event that continues in the present 3
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercise 2: Complete the conversation with the present simple, present continuous or
present perfect of the verbs in brackets. Sometimes more than one form is possible.

are
A: You _________________________ (be) late!
B: I know, sorry! I was talking to Peter.
A: Oh, how is he?
goes / has been going
B: He’s looking very fit. But I’m not surprised – he _________________________ (go) to the gym everyday
after work.haven’t seen
A: I _________________________ (not see) him for a long time. Does he still work in his father’s company?
doesn’t like
B: Yes, but he _________________________(not like) working there. In fact, he
_______________________________(look)
is looking / has been looking for another job. He wants to go and live abroad.
have moved
A: Really? I know a lot of people who _________________________ (move) abroad recently.
B: Me too – it’s strange.
am
A: Right, I _________________________ (be) really hungry. Shall we order something to eat?
is ringing
B: Yes, of course. Oh sorry, my phone _________________________ (ring). It might be my boss, I have to
answer it … Sorry!
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercise 3: Complete the sentences with the present perfect simple or continuous of
the verbs in brackets. Sometimes both forms are possible.

have been waiting

1 I’m really fed up! I___________________________ (wait) for the bus for over an hour!
have had
2 A: Is that a new car? B: No, I ___________________________(have) it for three years now.
3 He ___________________________
has been
(go) to Japan five times. He loves it there!
4 A: Why are you so red? B: I ___________________________(work)
have been working
outside in the sun all
morning.
5 How long ___________________________(they
have they been / be) married for?
6 My eyes hurt. I ___________________________
have been looking
(look) at a computer screen for too long.
7 A: Do you want to watch The Martian? B: No, I ___________________________(see)
have seen already.
Work on the following exercises from your book Page 11:
Exercise 8: Choose the correct options to complete the text.
Work on the following exercises from your book Page 11:
Exercise 9: Complete the sentences. Use the correct present tense of the verbs. Use
contracted forms where possible.
am living
• 1 I _______________________ (live) with my friend Ezra at the moment, but each of us _______________________(have)
has of friends that we hang out with.
our own group
have just been learning / learn) French at the same evening class for
• 2 We’re not close friends – we ____________________________(just
the past year.
have been
• 3 Lara and I went on a trip to Peru ten years ago and we _______________________ (be) friends ever since. We
keep up with each other through social media.
Do you know have known
• 4 Oh, _______________________ (you / know) Tom too? He and I _______________________(know) each other since
primary school.often
We should
hangs all meet up some time.
• 5 Jacob _______________________(often / hang) around when he’s bored, but he _______________________(never /
never comes
come) round if he's got something better to do.
has always stood
• 6 Kate is a really dependable friend. She _______________________ (always / stand) by me when I’ve needed help.
• 7 Colin and I _______________________(teach)
have been teaching at the same school for years. We _______________________(write) a book
togetherareat the moment.
writing
• 8 I get on very well with Marco, even though we _______________________(never
never see / see) each other socially. I
think I’ve been round to his house once.
Life Upper-Int Unit 1b
Past Simple and Present Perfect
Past Simple and Present Perfect- MEANING:
Read the sentences below and answer the following questions.

1) When she was little, she

agreed with all my opinions.
2) She has already learned much
more than they have.
3) She has been studying English
for five years.
4) They gave up helping with her
homework some time ago.
- Which sentences talk about past
time?
- Which sentences talk about a
connection between past and
the present?
- How about the time expressions
in each sentece?
Past Simple and Present Perfect- - USE

Past Simple: Present Perfect:

to refer to something at a to express a connection
specific time in the past. between the past and the
present

• I lived with my parents until

I was 25. • I’ve lived with my parents since I graduated.
(I don’t live with them now.) (started in the past and continues now.)
• Aaron’s lost his phone.
(past action which has an effect in the present)
Notes on Simple Past and Present Perfect
Time Expressions:
We normally use adverbs of finished time periods with the past simple. With the present perfect simple or
continuous, we normally use adverbs of unfinished time periods. Common time expressions include:
Past simple: last week, in the past, in 2016, yesterday, a few days ago, when I was a child
Ex: I started work there a year ago.
Present perfect simple: ever, so far, this year, just, over the past three months, this year, since I was a
child, yet, before, already, until now
Ex: I have never worked abroad before.
Present perfect continuous: just, over the past three months, this year, since I was a child
Ex: I’ve been working here since last year.
Some time adverbials can be used with both past simple and present perfect, e.g. for hours, all day
Ex: I waited all morning. (= I’m not waiting now.)
I’ve been waiting all morning. (= It’s still morning and I’m still waiting
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercises 4: Choose the best time phrase to complete the sentences.

1 I lived there since 2015 / from 2012 to 2014.

2 She’s eaten out twice this week / last week.
3 We met in 1998 / since 1998.
4 I’ve been feeling sick a few days ago / for a few days.
5 I’ve had this watch since / when I was a teenager.
6 We’ve become better friends over the last few months / a few months
ago.
7 They’ve been living in the same house since / for twenty years.
Exercise: Grammar Summary: Page 157
Exercises 5: Complete the emails with the most appropriate form of the verb in
brackets. Use the past simple, present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.
Dear Jeanne
have been arguing
My daughter and I 1 ___________________ (argue) a lot recently and it’s making me really sad. We argue
about a lot of things but it’s mainly because she never helps around the house. I come home late from work
have tried
and the house is a mess. 2 ___________________ (try) speaking to her lots of times, but she won’t listen to
hasn’t spoken
us. She 3 ___________________(not speak) to me since our last argument and that was three days ago! When
I was young, I always 4 ___________________(help)
helped my parents at home but she just doesn’t care. What can I
do?
Clara

Dear Clara
have given
I’m sorry to hear about your problems. In my opinion, many parents 5 ___________________ (give) their
children too much freedom and now they’re living with the consequences. Why does your daughter think she
didn’t teach
doesn’t need to help? Probably because you 6 ___________________ (not teach) her to respect you when she
was little. Now she’s nearly an adult and it may be too late. I can only advise you to keep talking and
have been working
explaining. Tell her: ‘When I 7 ___________________(work) all day, you need to help me clean up in the
evening’. Give her reasons, not rules – it might help.
Work on the following exercises from the book.

Page 13: Exercises 7-14