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The present perfect simple

Getting started
_ Read the newspaper interview with Andrew and Esther and answer the questions.
a) What animals have Andrew and Esther worked with? ........ " ................................................ .
b) Would they like to change jobs with each other? ................................................................ .

A ndrew

Hayton, 26, has worked at Longleat Safari

Park* for more than eight years. He is currently
an elephant keeper and has also looked after rhinos.

Why did you choose this job?

I had been doing various jobs here. I heard about the rhino
vacancy and I thought, 'This is the job for me' - I've always liked
animals.

a rhino

Have you ever thought of working in a zoo?

Zoos are very good and have a place, but not for larger animals.

sther Wenman, 30, has worked at London Zoo for

nearly seven years. She is head keeper of reptiles,

and before that was a bird keeper.

What made you choose this job?

I've always been interested in conservation and ecology.

Have you ever thought of working in a safari park?

You don't get such good collections of birds and reptiles in
safari parks.

a reptile

*a safari park is a park where wild animals are kept and in which they
can move freely

2 Underline seven examples of the present perfect simple in the text (have / has + past
participle).

Look at these sentences:

Esther has worked at London Zoo for seven years.

Elaine worked at London Zoo for seven years.

Who still works at London Zoo now: Esther or Elaine? ............... .

if

Looking at language
The present perfect simple
Use

We use the present perfect simple when we want to link the past with the present in some
way. Compare it with the past simple:
The past simple:

The present perfect simple:

talks about the past only:

I knew her when I was a child.

links the past with the present:

I've known her for ten years. (I met her ten
years ago, and I still know her now)

is concerned with a specific past time,

either mentioned or understood.
I went to London.

does not generally refer to a speCific past time.

I've been to London.

is used with time expressions to talk

about finished periods of time:
I saw Jeremy yesterday.

is used with time expressions to talk about

periods of time that are not finished:
Clare~ been a teacher for five years.

The chart below shows three ways in which the present perfect links the past and present.
Note the time expressions that often occur with these three uses.
Use

Time expressions

Examples

1 We use the present perfect

for + period of time

since + a moment in
time
always

Andrew has worked here for

eight years / since 2001.
(he still works here)
I've always liked animals.
(I still like animals)

2 We use the present perfect

simple to talk about
something that happened in
the past and is part of our
experience.

before
ever in questions = at
any time before now
never to form negatives

He has looked after rhinos

before.
Have you ever thought of
working in a zoo?
I've never thought of working
in a zoo.

3 We use the present perfect

simple to talk about
something that happened in
the past but the result is
important now. It is often
used to give news.

recently = not long ago

just = a short time
before now
already = before now
yet = not before now
but going to happen

I've hurt my arm. (and it's

painful now)
A rhino has escaped from the
zoo. (it's not in the zoo now)
I've seen her recently.
He's just returned from
abroad.
I've already seen that film.
Have you finished yet?

simple to talk about

something that started in
the past and is still
continuing now.

THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

Note that the meaning of the present perfect simple changes if there is no time expression.
Compare:
Shd lived in Mexico City for six years. (she still lives there now - Use 1)
She's lived in Mexico City. (at some time before now, but she doesn't live there now - Use 2)

, fill in the gaps in the phrases with for or since.

1 ................ a long time

7 ............... Wednesday

13 ................ years

2 .............. my last birthday

8 ............... 5 March 1999

14 ............... December

3 ............... ages

9 ................ a few hours

15 ................ a fortnight

4 ................ I last saw her

.. New Year's Eve

6 ............... half an hour

10 ................ yesterday

16 ................ two o'clock

11 ................ we were children

12 ................ six weeks

Form
The present perfect is formed with have / has and the the past participle. There are many
irregular past participles: go - gone, see - seen, become - become. See Appendix 1 for a list.
Positive statements

Negative statements

Wh- questions

I / you / we / they have eaten

Where have you eaten?

she / he / it has eaten

I / you / we / they have not

(haven't) eaten
she hasn't eaten

Yes / No questions

Positive short answers

Negative short answers

Have you eaten?

Has she eaten?

Yes, we have.
Yes, she has.

No, we haven't.
No, she hasn't.

Where has she eaten?

Other points

He's been to Mozambique means 'he isn't there now'; it's past experience (Use 2). He's gone
to Mozambique means 'he's there now'; it's news (Use 3).
Changes are often described using the present perfect (Use 3).
Inflation has risen again in the past few months.
News often starts with the present perfect (Use 3) but changes to the past simple for
details:
Have you heard about Sany? She's lost her job. She found out two days ago.
This tense change is also true for talking about past experience (Use 2):
A: Have you ever been to Japan?
B: Yes, twice actually. I first went in 1996, and then I returned last year.

Match each present perfect sentence to a use 0-3) from the boxes on page 36.
a) Quick! Get a cloth! I've spilt my coffee .. .
b) I love this watch. I've had it for years .... ..
c) I've been in a helicopter, but I've never been in a balloon ......
LOOKING AT LANGUAGE

Getting it right
.. Exercise 1 Thinking about meaning
In situations 1-10 below, tick (,.I') the best sentence, a) or b), for the speaker to use.
Example: The baby's a day old and is doing

well.

a) My sister's had a baby. . .t.

b) My sister had a baby. .....

1 It's 7.30 a.m. The postman usually

comes between 7.15 a.m. and 7.45 a.m.

a) The postman hasn't come yet. .....

b) The postman didn't come this morning ......

2 I'm talking about my trip around

Eastern Europe last year.

a) I haven't been to Prague ..... .

b) I didn't go to Prague ..... .

3 Alice is a good friend of mine.

a) She's known me since we were children ..... .

b) She knew me when we were children.

4 I'm telling you this just after I heard the

news.

a) A large shark has attacked a swimmer on

Australia's western coast. .....
b) A large shark attacked a swimmer on
Australia's western coast ..... .

5 He is back with his family now.

a) No one has seen him for ten days

b) No one saw him for ten days ......

6 My knee is much better now.

a) I've hurt my knee ..... .

b) I hurt my knee ..... .

7 I'm giving a friend recent news about

Alexander.

a) Alexander has given up smoking.

b) Alexander gave up smoking ..... .

8 Mike didn't get the job.

a) Mike's applied for a new job ..... .

b) Mike applied for a new job ..

9 I'm still studying maths with the same

teacher.

a) I've learnt a lot from my maths teacher.

b) I learnt a lot from my maths teacher......

10 The drug was never used because it was

dangerous.

I> Exercise 2

a) Scientists have found a new drug ..

b) Scientists found a new drug ......

Learning from learners

A learner completed a present perfect / past simple gap-fill exercise which is a conversation
between two old friends. Check the answers, and write right or correct them.
A: IJ!l-V~. you~e.?:-r1. (see)
, William recently? He ~~ (grow) a beard!
B: Yes, actually. I 1 Ve..s~l). (see) him last week in the supermarket.
I think the beard suits him.
A: Yes, it's OK. He 2 's .Io.st, (lose) a lot of hair in the past few years though.
B: Oh, poor William! All of us 3ch~ (change) quite a lot. Look at
Marsha. She 4 .I.o~t. (lose) so much weight since she was a teenager.

~"i,9.h.t .................. .

h0.5 .J.roUJ.n.......... ..
1 ......................... .

2 ......................... .

3 ........................ ..

4 ......................... .

III!!.

l'''1lT

THF PRF''f''1T PFRFECT Slll1Pl F

A: Yes. I 5 hlJ.:~~ never .~r. .Qk/E?, :1:0. (be able to) lose weight. Anyway, the
reason I 6 'YR--.~~?4, (ask) you about William was that he 7 :$d~c;(d.l;d.
(decide) to have a college reunion next month and we're all invited.
He's only inviting people he 8 ~~.~t (meet) at college.
B: That sounds fun. I 9 .1>lR--.{ (meet) William on my first day of college.
We were only 17 and he seemed really shy. He 10 ch~ (change) a
lot since then, that's for sure.
.\: Look, I'd better go. I'm going to a friend's house, but I 11 hO-YE?I')J*~1')
(not be) there before and I don't want to get lost and be late. She
12 j~t. !I':IOY~. (just move) house and is having a party to celebrate.

5 ........................ ..
6 ........................ ..
7
8 ......................... .

9 ........................ ..
10 ......................... .
II ........................ ..

12 ......................... .

[> Exercise 3 Getting the form right

Read the letter to a newspaper travel advice column and fill in the gaps with a verb from the
box in the present perfect tense.
be

be

give

go up

have

have

hear

like

read

return

visit

Dear Susie
I hqy!!. not hqd a holiday for a very long time, but this summer my company
1 ............... me four weeks' holiday, so I want to go somewhere really exciting.
I 2 ............... always .............. travelling and 3 ............... lots of
exciting trips in the past. This year I'm not sure where I want to go.
I4

already ................ to Africa and Asia but I 5 ............. ..

never

.... South America so maybe that's where I should go.

A friend of mine 6 ................ recently ............... from Brazil and she has some
wonderful photographs of the carnival in Rio. However, I 7 .............. ..
that a trip to Brazil is quite expensive and the cost of airfares 8 ............... .
just ................ .
Can you give me any advice about a good place to go? 19 .. ............. your travel
page every week for the past year, and really respect your advice. 10 ................ you
ever ........... .. ... to Brazil yourself?

GETTING IT RIGHT

t> Exercise 4

Writing a text from notes

Complete the profile of Sarah Murray, international chef, using the notes in italics and the
present perfect. What is the one factual mistake?
~~>Sarah Murray was born in 1962 in Canada and got her first job as a hotel chef in 1989.
.... ......... ...i.,,':.C??fLf.l.f'y<;r.5.in<;.C: (Career very successful 1989 to the present).

She 1 ............................................................................................................................ .
(has the experience of specialising in many different kinds of cuisine), but she always says her
favourite dishes are Indian and Italian. She 2 ............................. ... .................... ..
............. (has the experience of travelling all over the world), but she is unusual amongst top
chefs because she doesn't like staying in big hotels. She 3 ...
................... .
................ .... (has the experience of staying in small hotels) in places such as Calcutta because
she likes trying the local food.
~4

...................................................................................................... .

(married to Michael Whiteley 1992 to the present), and they have two sons. They 5 .............. .
............................................................................... (moved to Florida in '(993 and still live
there now), but they also have a home in Toronto.
6.
.. ..................... .... .................
.... .......................... (In the past she talked
about stopping cooking and she still talks about it now) when she stopped finding food
interesting but it hasn't happened yet. Recently she 7 ...............................

to bewme thci;

j;';'dd;;";",,)

8 ............................................................

(a~ oifcr fmm Bull Hotel, .

I
~~

.............
. .... (She has the experience of working in Bull Hotels in the past) and she always
I
stays at a Bull Hotel whenever she travels, so she is expected to accept. This is good news for ~
food lovers worldwide.
.....__ ;_~Jf
:4A , .

,,;J/II!:.

tillL

~".,

. . . . . . . . .-wlV..

' .........x;A'l4i4iiIIfI

It:" fI"'" '" ~

""'.-

,,~--

Classwork
1

Work in pairs to complete one of the unfinished questions below.

Example: Have you been abroad recently?

Have you ......................... recently?

Have you already ...... .

Have you just ......................... ?

Have you

................ yet?

Have you ever .......................... ?

2 Write your question on the board. Copy all the questions.

Go around the class and ask people the questions. Find someone who answers Yes to each
question. Write their name next to the question. The person who gets a name for all the
questions first is the winner.

Example:
Have you been abroad recently?
Where did you go?

lJNIT

THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

Yes, I have.
The States.

:he present perfect continuous

Getting started
1

Read the article about some unusual Christmas cards. Why are they unusual?

II

C ~ath'ri",

Wild b" b,,,,, ,,,civing

Christmas cards from the same family
for the past 17 years. This year the usual card
dropped through her letter box from 'Pat and
Roger and family' with an extra card they want
passed on to Auntie Muriel. Mrs Wild, aged 67,
has no idea who is sending the cards. She started
receiving the cards after she bought her home in
Worcester from a woman called Dawn. She spent
years trying to solve the Christmas card puzzle,
but now she has given up and puts the card up on
the wall every Christmas. 'If only I knew who it

ra:as from!' said Mrs Wild.

(adapted from an article by Richard Smith in The Independent, 21 December 1996)

look at examples a), b) and c) of different tenses from the text:

a) Catherine Wild has been receiving Christmas cards from the same family for the past 17 years.
b) She started receiving the cards after she bought her home in Worcester from a woman called

Dawn.
c) She spent years trying to solve the Christmas card puzzle, but now she has given up and puts the
card up on the wall every Christmas.
Match sentences a), b) and c) to the following tenses:
the past simple ..... the present perfect simple .... the present perfect continuous

Match the tenses in Exercise 2 to the following uses:

a) an action in the past which has a result in the present ......................................... ..
b) repeated actions which began in the past and are still continuing ................................... ..
c) a single past action
............................................................................................. ..

Looking at language
The present perfect continuous
Use

The present perfect continuous describes activities happening in the period up to now. It can
be used:
1 to say how long an activity or situation has been in progress (usually with for and since).
The activity (or situation) began in the past and is still going on or it has just stopped:
Catherine Wild has been receiving Christmas cards from the same family for the past
17 years.
She has been living in Worcester since she bought the house.
2 to focus on an activity itself. The result of the activity is not important. It is either still
going on or it has just stopped:
A: What have you been doing? B: I've been cooking.
(the cooking is important; what you cooked is not)
Sometimes the past activity may have a present result:
A: You look tired. B: Yes, I've been sleeping badly.

Simple or continuous?

Compare the uses of the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous.
We use the present perfect simple:

We use the present perfect continuous:

to show that an action was repeated:

I've had interviews all year but I still
don't have a job.
or to say how many times it happened:
I've had six interviews but I still don't
have ajob.

to show that an action was repeated:

I've been having interviews all year but I
still don't have a job.
Note that we cannot say how many times it
happened using the continuous: I've ~eel1
/ottf~'tlt~ !jH< tltfel"1 te~~!j.

to focus on the result or completion of an

to talk about the activity itself:
A: What have you been doing this
activity:
afternoon?
A: What have you done this afternoon?
B: I've been watching the athletics. (my
B: I've watched some athletics and written
activity this afternoon, which is not
a letter. (completed activities this
necessarily completed)
afternoon)
(See Unit 7 for more uses.)

UNIT

THE PRESENT PrRHCT CONTINllOUS

We don't use adverbs like before and

already with the present perfect
continuous. We don't say: I've Hem !jeetJt~
/otel' ~~~I,. We say: I've seen her before.

Some verbs (see Stative verbs in Unit 3) are not often used in a continuous form. We use the
present perfect simple for these verbs:
We don't say: rYe Been kltB ,,.ing Her since 1 'Ii ti'S ti't cHBBl.
THey". e 8een Itti') ing thti't HBttse Jar) et/:/'j.
We say:
I've known her since I was at school.
They've had that house for years.
See Unit 7 for the difference between for and since.

1 Are the sentences below right or wrong? Write right or wrong.

1 Oh dear. I've been breaking the window..
2 They've scored three goals already and it's only half time ................ .
3 We've been having holidays in Spain for years ................ .
4 How many exercises have you been doing? ... .
S I haven't understood these questions ................ .
Form

The present perfect continuous is formed with have / has + been + -ing.
Positive statements

Negative statements

Wh- questions

I / you / we / they have been

working

1 have not (haven't)

been working

Where have they been

working?

she / he / it has been

working

she has not (hasn't) been

working

Where has he been

working?

Yes / No questions

Positive short answers

Negative short answers

Have they been working?

Yes, they have.

No, they haven't.

Has he been working?

Yes, he has.

No, he hasn't.

LOOKING AT LANGUAGE

Getting it right
.. Exercise 1 Understanding meaning
Tick (.I) the best statement for each response.
Statements

Responses

Example: I've been thinking about changing my job. .....

Oh really? What did you decide?

I've thought about changing my job .. ~

1 a) I've been writing a letter. .....

Oh. Have you posted it yet?

b) I've written a letter......

2 a) I think he's been working in a restaurant. .....

Yes, I think he was a waiter.

b) I think he's worked in a restaurant. .....

3 a) I've been thinking ....

Have you? What about?

b) I've thought of something.

4 a) They've been paying me too much ..... .

Lucky you! For how long?

b) They've paid me too much.

5 a) She's taken painkillers.

I know. I think she should stop.

b) She's been taking painkillers.

6 a) I've had a problem with the computer.

What's the matter with it?

b) I've been having problems with the

computer..... .
7 a) He's climbed Mont Blanc, you know..

Really? When did he do that?

b) He's been climbing Mont Blanc, you know......

8 a) I've been mending the roof. .....

I know. Have you nearly finished?

b) I've mended the roof.

Extension
Write a response for each statement you didn't tick.
Example: I've been thinking about changing my job.

~ UNIT 8 _

THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Response: Oh realhe Whit's that?

> Exercise 2

Matching

Complete each sentence, 1-11, with a suitable ending, a)-I). If two endings are possible,
write both letters. You can use endings more than once.

Example: I've cut s},...;:)

a) another accident.

1 I've been cutting .........

b) Brunei twice in the last year.

2 We've talked ....

c) some pictures out of magazines.

3 We've been talking ........ .

d) football in the park since lunchtime.

4 The foreign minister has been visiting.

e) a lot of arguments recently

5 The foreign minister has visited ........ .

D about you.

6 He's been having ........ .

g) my finger, and it hurts!

7 He's had
8 The kids have played .........

h) my wedding dress. It's going to look

wonderful when it's finished.

9 The kids have been playing

i)

two games of cards already.

j) about getting a dog before, and the

answer is 'No'!

10 My mother's made.
11 My mother's been making

k) my wedding dress. It's wonderful.

1) MalaYSia, Brunei and the Philippines.
~ Exercise

3 Choosing the right tense

In this conversation, fill in the gaps using the verb in brackets in the past simple or the
present perfect simple or continuous.

A: I'm exhausted. I :v~ &!,pnhqpp.i.t:zf3. (shop) all afternoon and I don't seem to have found
anything.
B: What 1 ...... .................. (you / look) for?
A: Oh,2 I

'" ... (try) to find Suzie a birthday present.

B: Well, what does she like?

A: She loves clothes, so I've been to about ten clothes shops but I 3 .......................... (not find)
anything suitable yet. 14................

.. (go) to about five others yesterday too!

B: She 5 .......................... (read) a lot recently; hasn't she? 6 ....................... (you / think) of a
book? I 7 ....................... (just / look) at some really good new novels at that bookshop in
the shopping centre.
A: Good idea - I'll have a look. What about you? Have you had a good day?
B: Well, I 8 .............

......... (look) for weeks for a bag to match this jacket, and at last I

9 ......................... (find) one. Here it is!

GETTING IT RIGHT

. .

t> Exercise 4

Learning from learners

A student has asked her teacher to check an e-mail to a friend. The teacher has underlined
the mistakes. Rewrite the mistakes using the past simple, present perfect simple or present
perfect continuous.
Hi Kyoko
I'm sorry I didn't write for such a long time. How are you? 1 What you do since 2 I have last
seen you in Tokyo last Christmas? I remember you weren't feeling too good. 3 Did you meet
the man of your dreams yet? As for me, for the last two months 4 I am trying to do two things
at once - preparing for my final exams in June, and looking for a job. 5 I've been having three
interviews with different magazine companies, but 6 I don't have any luck yet. Did you know
that 7 I wrote short weekly articles for the local newspaper since April? 8 I've been writing ten
or twelve already. E-mail me soon and tell me your news.
Bye!

Example: .. !. hl1.Yfn: t. wr.it.kn ............... ............... .

1

....................................................... .

5 .................................................................. .

3 ........................................................... .

7 ................ .

8 ................................................................. .

Classwork
1

Sometimes we can tell what people have been doing by the way they look or how they say
they feel. For example, working on the computer can give you sore eyes. Think of an activity
and its effect. Then get into groups of three or four.

:2 Imagine you have been doing this activity.

Don't tell your group the activity but tell them, or

show them, the effect.

Example:
You could rub your eyes to show that you've got sore eyes.
The group asks you questions, using the present perfect continuous, to find out what the
activity was.

Example:
Have you been chopping onions?
Have you been watching television?
Have you been using a computer?

No, I haven't.
No, I haven't.
Yes, I have. Now

Continue until everyone in the group has had a turn.

D....

UNIT

THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

its your tum.

Explanations
Recent events

Present perfect simple

The present perfect simple is used to describe recent events.
I've left my shopping bag behind.
The event happened in the past, but there is a result in the present.
I've broken my arm, as you can see.
No definite time is given for the event, but to emphasise the idea of recentness
we can use just.
I've just broken my watch.
We can also describe events that have not happened.
/ haven't found her phone number yet.

Indefinite events

Present perfect simple

No definite time is given for the events. They are a series of actions in our
life up to now.
I've been to France three times.
After It's/This is the first/second time we use the present perfect. It also refers
to our life up to now.
This is the first time I have eaten Japanese food.

Compared with past simple

Events described using the past simple have definite times.
/ went to France last year.
I ate at a Japanese restaurant on Saturday.
If we think of a definite place for an event, this may suggest a definite time.
/ left my shopping bag on the train.

Present perfect simple

The present perfect simple describes a state which lasts up to the present.
I've lived in this house for five years.
The present perfect simple can describe a habitual action in a period of time
up to the present.
I've never worn a tie to work, and I refuse to start now!

Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous can also describe a state which lasts up to the
present moment.
I've been living in this house for five years.
There is little difference in meaning between simple and continuous in this
case, or with How long questions.
How long have you lived/been living in this house?
The verbs wait, sit, lie, stay prefer the present perfect continuous.
I've been waiting for ages.

Extended or
repeated events

FIRST C E R T I F I C A T E L A N G U A G E P R A C T I C E

For, since, ago

See Grammar 14 for contrast between these time expressions.

Present perfect
simple or
continuous?

Completed action
The present perfect simple can show that an action is complete.
I've finished my homework!
If we say how many or how much we use the simple form. A certain amount
has been completed.
I've written ten pages of my homework!

Not completed
The present perfect continuous can show that an action is not completed, or
that it has finished recently.
We've been walking for hours! Let's have a rest.
I've been digging the garden. That's why I'm so dirty!

Present result or action in progress

We use the present perfect simple if our attention is on the present result.
I've written my homework. Now I can watch the television.
We use the present perfect continuous if our attention is on the action in
progress.
I've been writing my homework all evening! I didn't know it would take so
long.

GRAMMAR 2

P R E S E N T PERFECT

Choose a suitable description for each picture.

a)
l) Did you enjoy the match?
2) Have you enjoyed the match?

b)
1) What have you been doing?
2) What have you done?

C)
1) He was married six times.
2) He has been married six times.

d)
1) How long have you been here?
2) How long are you here for?

e)
1) I've been waiting for two hours.
2) I waited for two hours.

f)
1) Where did Wendy go?
2) Where has Wendy been?

FIRST C E R T I F I C A T E L A N G U A G E P R A C T I C E

2.

Underline the most suitable verb form in each sentence.

a) Did you see/Have you seen my bag anywhere? I can't find it.
b) Larry is writing/has been writing/has written his novel for the last two years.
c) From the minute he got up this morning Gary asked/has asked/has been asking
silly questions!
d) Have you given/Did you give Helen my message when you have seen/saw her?
e) Sorry, could you say that again? I didn't listen/haven't listened/haven't been
listening to you.
f) The police think that they found/have found your wallet, so call this number.
g) Did you two meet/Have you two met before? Eric, this is Amanda,
h) Did you meet/Have you met anyone interesting at the reception?
3

Put each verb in brackets into a suitable verb f o r m .

a) I'm sorry about not coming last week. I (have)

cold and so I (stay)

had.

at home.

b) Wait a minute! I (have)

an idea. Let's go and see

Roger. We last (see)

him a long time ago.

c) It's nice to be back here in London. This is the second time I (come)
here.
d) I'm phoning about your bicycle for sale, which I (see)
in the local paper. (you sell)

it? Or is it still available?

e) This place is in a terrible mess! What on earth (you do)

f) And now for an item of local news. Hampshire police (find)

the dangerous snake which (go)
missing earlier in the week.
g) This tooth (kill)

me lately! So I (make)
an appointment with the dentist for next Tuesday.

h) I can't give you the report I (promise)

because I (not finish)
4

it.

Underline the most suitable time expression.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
.j)
10

for today

I haven't seen Gerry for/since a long time. How is he?

It's ages ago/since I last went to a football match.
I've written to Deborah last week/recently.
What have you been doing today/yesterday?
Have you eaten Italian food before/already?
I've been living here in/since the end of last year.
Actually I had dinner with Sue last night/lately.
I've been trying to get in touch with David for ages/for the last time.
Terry hasn't been to Edinburgh since/when we went there together.
I can't remember how long/when I've had this watch.

GRAMMAR 2

P R E S E N T PERFECT

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the w o r d given. Do not change the w o r d given. You must use
between t w o and five words, including the w o r d given.

a) Steve started learning the violin a month ago.

learning
Steve

has

been

learning

the violin for a month.

b) I haven't been to an Indian restaurant for ages.

since
It's ages

an Indian restaurant.

c) When she heard the results, Mary began to feel more confident.
become
Since hearing the results

more

confident.
d) The last time Nancy came here was in 1986.
since
Nancy hasn't

1986.

e) This is my first visit to Japan.

time
This is the first

to Japan.

f) How long have Helen and Robert been married?

get
When

married?

g) Jack bought those trousers last month, and has been wearing them ever
since.
for
Jack has

a month.

h) It's a long time since our last conversation.

spoken
We

long time.

i) Thanks, but I had something to eat earlier.

already
Thanks, but I've

eat.

j) This is my first game of water-polo.

played
I

before.

11

FIRST C E R T I F I C A T E L A N G U A G E P R A C T I C E

Put each verb in brackets into either the present perfect simple or the present
perfect continuous.

a) Someone (eat)

has

eaten

all the cakes. I'll have to buy some more.

b) What (you buy)

your sister for her birthday?

c) My throat is really sore. I (sing)

all evening.

d) Brenda (learn)

Russian, but she finds it difficult.

e) How many people (you invite)

to your party?

f) Those two cats (sit)

on that branch for the last hour.

g) It (rain)

all day! Why can't it stop?

h) Diana (wear)

twelve different dresses in the past week!

i) I (do)

everything you asked. What should I do now?

j) Graham and Pauline (try)

to find a house for ages,

but they can't find one they can afford.

7

Put each verb in brackets into either the past simple, the present perfect simple,
or the present perfect continuous.

It was announced in London this morning that the British Oil Corporation
(1)

...has

discovered

(discover) oil under the sea near the Welsh coast.

The company, which (2)

(drill) for oil in the area since

2001, (3)

(find) small amounts of oil near Swansea last

month, and since then (4)

(discover) larger amounts

under the seabed nearby. Last year the government (5)

(lend) over 50,000,000 to BOC, and (6)

(give)

permission for the company to build an oil refinery and other facilities in South
Wales.
The reaction of local people to today's news (7)
(be) mixed so far. Local MPs (8)

(already welcome) the

news, pointing out that the oil industry will bring badly needed jobs to the
area. But local residents are worried about the danger of pollution. 'Nobody
(9)

(ask) us yet what we want,' said Ann Griffiths,

leader of the Keep Out The Oil Campaign. 'Look what

(10)

(happen) when they (11)

(find) oil in Scotland in the 1960s. The oil companies

(12)

(get) rich, not the local people. BOC

(13)

(not tell) us the truth about what this is going to

mean for our people.' A BOC spokesman later (14)

(refuse) to comment. Meanwhile local campaigners
(15)

12

(ask) the government to hold an inquiry.

GRAMMAR 2

P R E S E N T PERFECT

8 Look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a w o r d
which should not be there. Tick each correct line. If a line has a w o r d which
should not be there, write the w o r d in the space.

A letter from the builders

Dear Mrs Sangster,
Just a quick note to explain what we have been done
so far this month. The work on the kitchen has gone
well so far, although we haven't already finished
knocking down the outside wall yet. So I wrote
to you last week and have explained that two of
my workmen were ill. They have quite recovered
now, I am glad to say, and they have came back
to work yesterday. As the weather has been bad
we have been work inside most of the time, and
all the painting is now been finished. We have
also put in a new window in the kitchen, as you
have instructed in your last letter. As you
have not been visiting here for two weeks
we have not had the chance to discuss the walls.
When we checked them we have discovered
that they are in a dangerous condition. I'll
let you know what we have do to them.
Best wishes,
Andrew Turner, Builder

13

FIRST C E R T I F I C A T E L A N G U A G E P R A C T I C E

Key p o i n t s

2
3

14

The present perfect simple describes events without a definite time. Either these
events take place in a period of time leading up to the present moment, or the
result of the event is still evident.
The choice between the present perfect simple and the past simple can depend
on how the speaker thinks. Compare:
A: What's the matter?
A: What's the matter?
B: I've had an accident.
B: / had an accident.
In the second example, the speaker thinks of the event as finished rather than
still connected with the present.
Events described with the present perfect simple may be recent, or not.
The present perfect continuous is used for an action in progress. It suggests that
the action is unfinished, or recently finished. Compare:
I've read this book.
(completion of the action is emphasised)
I've been reading this book. (the action itself is emphasised - it may not be
complete)
The present perfect continuous can also emphasise the length of time of the action.
For refers to a finished or unfinished period of time.
/ waited for three hours.
He's been sitting there for ages.
Since refers to the point at which an unfinished period of time began.
He's been sitting there since two o'clock.
Ago refers to the time of a finished event.
Jill arrived a week ago.