REVIEW OF PRESENT PERFECT & PAST TENSES

1. The use of present perfect tense:

 Something happened before now, at an unspecified time in the time in the past.

The exact time ISN’T IMPORTANT.

If there is a specific time, use SIMPLE PAST.

Compare:

 I have seen that box-office movie.

 I saw that box-office movie last night.

 Repetition of an activity before now.

The exact time of each repetition ISN’T IMPORTANT.

e.g : We have had four tests for this semester.

 A situation that began in the past an continues to the present

Use FOR + A DURATION TIME

SINCE + A PARTICULAR TIME

Compare:

 I have been here since two hours ago.

 I have been here for two hours.

2. Simple past indicates that an activity or situation began and ended at a particular time in the past. If a

sentence contains WHEN and has simple past in both clauses, the action after WHEN (WHEN

clause) happens first.

e.g : She stood under a tree when it began to rain.

3. Past continuous tense gives the idea that an action is in progress during a particular time in the past.

Sometimes past continuous is used in both parts of a sentence when two actions are in progress

simultaneously.

e.g :

 At 8 o’clock last night, I was studying.

 While I was studying in one room of this apartment, my roommate was having a party in the other

room.

4. The past perfect expresses an activity that was completed before another activity in the past. If

BEFORE or AFTER is used in the sentence, the past perfect is not necessary because the time

relationship is already clear. The simple past is used.

 Compare:

 Sam had already left by the time Ann got there.

 Sam left before Ann got there.

5. Past perfect continuous emphasizes the duration of an activity that was in progress before another

activity in the past.

e.g : The police had been looking for the criminal for two years.

Use SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

1. Try not to be absent from the class again for the rest of this term. You (miss, already)
………………………………………….too many classes.
2. In my whole lifetime, I (see, never)…………………………………………… snow.
3. So far this week, we (have)………………………………………..two tests and a quiz.
4. Last night, my roommate and I (have)……………………………..some free time, so we (go)
……………………………to a show.
5. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, medical scientists (make)………………….
……………………many important discoveries.
6. A : Do you like lobster?
B : I don’t know. I (eat, never)…………………………………………………………it.
7. C : What (learn, you)……………………………………………………since you (come)
…………………………here?
D : A lot.
8. Uncle Bill (be)………………………………….here since 22nd Dec.
9. Last December, Tom (see)……………………..snow for the first time in his life.
10. We (go)…………………………………………to a party last Saturday night.

Use any appropriate tense for the verb in parentheses.

Carolyn is my best friend. I remember very well the first time we (1. meet)………………………

It was our first day at high school and we (2. sit)…………………….next to each other for the first lesson.

We (3. not know)……………………………any other students in our class, and so we (4. become)……...

…………………friends. We found that we liked the same things, especially music, sport, and so we (5.

spend)…………………….a lot of time together.

We (6. leave)…………………………school five years ago, but we (7. meet)…………………….

as often we can. For the last six months, Carolyn (7. be)…………………….in Mexico – at the moment

she (8. work)………………………..in a school as a teaching assistant. She will come back to England

next month, and when she comes back, we will have lots of things to talk about. It will be really nice to

see her again