Present Perfect or Past Simple?
| The past simple tense | The present perfect tense |
| The past simple tense may describe completed activities and past situations | The present perfect tense may describe activities or situations which began in the past and are still continuing |
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| The past simple may describe activities without linking them to the present | The present perfect may describe completed activities whose impact is felt in the present |
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| With past simple verbs, the time may be specified | With present perfect verbs, indefinite time expressions may be used |
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Put verbs into Past Simple or Present Perfect.
a. Last night I _____ (lose) my keys – I had to call my flatmate to let me in.
b. I ________ (lose) my keys - can you help me look for them?
c. I ________ (visit) Paris three times.
d. Last year I _________ (visit) Paris.
e. I _________ (know) my great grandmother for a few years - she died when I was eight.
f. I _________ (know) Julie for three years - we still meet once a month..
g. I _________ (play) Hockey since I was a child - I'm pretty good!.
h. She _________ (play) hockey at school but she didn't like it.
i. Sorry, I __________ (miss) the bus - I'm going to be late.
j. I _________ (miss) the bus and then I _______(miss) the aeroplane as well!.
k. Last month I ________(go) to Scotland.
l. I'm sorry, John isn't here now. He _________ (go) to the shops.
m. We __________ (finish) this room last week.
n. I __________ (finish) my exams finally - I'm so happy!.
o. Yesterday, I _________(go) to the library, the post office and the supermarket..
p. I __________ (go) to the supermarket three times this week.
q. She _________ (live) in London since 1994.
r. She ___________ (live) in London when she was a child.
s. I ___________(drink) three cups of coffee today.
t. I __________ (drink) three cups of coffee yesterday.
Read the text and make questions with verbs with Present Perfect or Past Simple.
I think I have had a very interesting life. I'm 73 now and I don't work anymore. I was in the army for 51 years. I retired when I was 69. I have been to so many countries that I can't remember all of them. I've been to Australia six or seven times and to South Africa three times. I have also been once to Russia but I didn't like it at all: much too cold for me!
They say that love is the greatest thing and I agree. I've been married four times but never for more than five years. I don't think women really understand me!
I've never been on television, but I've been on the radio once. It was a programme about life in the military about twenty years ago. I met the Prime Minister on the same day. Actually, I've met a lot of famous people: members of the royal family, famous politicians and also famous cinema and television personalities. I've never met the American President though which is a pity.
Because I've travelled a lot, I've seen a lot of wonderful things and have also eaten and drunk some strange foods and drinks. I ate cat and rat in India and drank something called Mirto on a little island in Italy many years ago.
1. What job ______ before retiring?
He worked in the army.
2. ________ he in the army?
For 51 years.
3. How many ________ been to Australia?
Six or seven times.
4. ________ like Russia?
No, it was too cold.
5. _________ married so many times?
Because women don't understand him.
6. Has he ever _________ ?
Yes, he has. But never on TV.
7. When_________ the prime minister?
When he was on the radio.
8. Has __________ American president?
No, he hasn't but he wants to.
9. Where ________ cat and rat?
In India.
10. _______ drunk Mirto?
Yes, he has. In Italy.
Choose the proper option.
1. I ________ to work every day for the last six weeks!
a) walked
b) have walked
2. Gerry ________ off his bike three times this month.
a) fell
b) has fallen
3. Joji ________ in Tokyo for five years, but he left in 1993.
a) lived
b) have lived
4. The Titanic ________ in 1912.
a) sank
b) has sunk
5. Ouch! ________ my finger!
a) I cut
b) I've cut
6. I ________ the movie Titanic three times. I'm going to see it again tonight.
a) saw
b) have seen
7. Chika ________ from university last July.
a) graduated
b) has graduated
8. Somebody ________ my bicycle! Now I'll have to walk home.
a) stole
b) has stolen
9. When Young Hee was a child, she ________ in Seoul.
a) lived
b) has lived
10. I ________ my key yesterday, so I couldn't get into the house. Eventually, I found it in my jacket pocket.
a) lost
b) have lost
№ 4 Translate the following sentences using Present Perfect or Past Simple.
1. Она была одна, когда вошел ее муж. Он с удивлением оглядел комнату. «Что это?» - спросил он. – «Я переехала». Она улыбнулась ему. – «Дом еще не готов. Ты не можешь этого сделать». – «Я уже сделала это».
2. Когда Молли вошла в комнату, я сказа : «я принес мой старый альбом с марками. Вашего мужа я встретил на крыльце. Он попросил оставить его вам».
3. Где он? Я должен его увидеть. – Он ушел в лес.
4. Это самый лучший футболист, который когда-либо играл в этой команде.
5. Вы давно играете на сцене, мисс? Простите, я забыл ваше имя.
6. Когда они уехали? - Точно не знаю, меня не было дома.
7. Я вам так благодарна за все, что вы для меня сделали.
8. Я закончила картину. Взгляните на нее.
9. Утро было холодное и дождливое, но с девяти часов погода изменилась, солнце ярко сияет.
10. Вы хорошо знаете город? - Нет, я никогда здесь раньше не была.
11. Лена дала мне очень интересный фильм на прошлой неделе, но я еще его не посмотрела.
12. Вы давно знаете Майю? - Я знаю её всю свою жизнь.
13. Сколько раз вы уже были в Лондоне? - Я знаю, что вы ездили в Лондон в прошлом году.
14. Сегодня я еще не читал газеты.
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Past Perfect
Past Perfect употребляется для выражения действий, которые произошли до указанного момента в прошлом. Момент в прошлом чаще всего бывает обозначен другим действием в прошлом или точным указа-нием на время с помощью предлога by.
She had translated the text by 7 o'clock yesterday. Она перевела текст к 7 часам вчера.
When I came she had already translated the text. Когда я пришел, она уже перевела текст.
Если говорится о двух действиях в прошлом, то действие, совершившееся ранее другого действия, выражается формой Past Perfect, а действие за ним формой Past Simple.
Past Perfect фактически является предпрошедшим временем.
The manager had left the office before I came. Управляющий ушел до то-го, как я пришел.
В сложноподчиненных предложениях времени с союзами before и after употребление Past Perfect зависит от того, есть ли необходимость подчеркивать предшествование одного действия другому. Если такой необходимости нет, употребляется простое прошедшее время, так как слова before и after сами показывают последовательность действий.
I turned off the light before I left the room. Я выключил свет, прежде чем вышел из комнаты.
After the host (had) introduced the guests to each other, they all went to the dining room and sat down to table. После того как хозяин представил гостей друг другу, все прошли в столовую и сели к столу.
Past Perfect может не употребляться, когда время совершения действия выражено точной датой.
We found out that they (had) started a joint venture in 1989. – Мы выяснили, что они основали совместное предприятие в 1989 году.
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Past Perfect Tense
ü A completed action before something else in the past.
When we arrived, the film had started. (= first the film started, then later we arrived)
ü To explain or give a reason for something in the past.
I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.
It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.
ü Stative verbs only: something that started in the past and continued up to another action in the past.
When he graduated, he had been in London for six years.
(= he arrived in London six years before he graduated and lived there continuously until he graduated, or even longer)
ü As part of the third conditional.
If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.
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Exercises