Present Perfect Stories

Grammar Stories

Planning Our Next Vacation

A. Reading

My husband and I have never taken a holiday together. We’ve wanted to

take a holiday for a long time, but we have never had the same holiday
schedule. Next month, we both have two weeks off work, so we’re trying
to plan a vacation. I wanted to go to Hawaii, but my husband has already
been to Hawaii. He wants to go skiing in Vermont. He’s never skied before.
I don’t like skiing. I’ve skied three times in my life, but I don’t think I want
to do it again. I’m afraid of heights and don’t want to ride the gondola.

My husband also wants to go camping, but I’ve already gone camping

twice this year. He grew up in the city and has never spent much time
in the woods. I grew up in the country and have gone camping every
year since I was 12 years old. I want to go somewhere I’ve never been
before. We both want to go on a cruise. My husband has been on a cruise
before. He went to the Caribbean. He had a good time, but we want to
go somewhere unusual. Neither of us has been to Alaska, so we thought
of taking a cruise in Glacier Bay. That is definitely an unusual vacation!
There are so many unusual things to see. I have never seen whales before,
and my husband has never seen icebergs. We have never hiked along
glaciers. We have both decided that an Alaskan cruise is the best idea
for our vacation.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 1
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Planning Our Next Vacation cont.

B. Questions

1. Have they ever taken a holiday together?

2. When do they plan to go on a vacation together?

3. Which of them has already been to Hawaii?

4. Has her husband ever skied before?

5. Does she want to go camping? Why or why not?

6. Has her husband ever been on a cruise?

7. Has either of them been to Alaska?

8. Why do they want to go to Glacier Bay?

9. Has she ever seen whales before?

10. Has her husband ever seen icebergs before?

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 2
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

I’m Very Stressed

A. Reading

I’m very stressed. It has been a very busy week, and I’ve fallen behind schedule
at work. I was supposed to have finished typing a letter for my boss by this
morning, but I haven’t even started it yet. I have a meeting this afternoon
with an important client, but I haven’t prepared for it yet. I have to give a
speech at our annual conference tomorrow, but I haven’t started writing it
yet. I haven’t even decided what to write about. I have come up with a few
ideas, but I’m scared it will be too similar to the speech that was given last
year. Each time I start to write, the phone rings. Now I have stopped answering
the phone because I can’t get any work done with the interruptions. I haven’t
even eaten my lunch yet, but I haven’t got time to go buy a sandwich. I have
already canceled two meetings for tomorrow because I’m so behind in my
work. I have to reschedule those meetings for later in the week. Even when I go
home this evening, I will still have work to do. I have to buy groceries because
we have eaten almost everything in the house. Also, for the last three days,
I have forgotten to mail a very important letter. I will have to mail it tonight.
I will be glad when this week is over!

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 3
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

I’m Very Stressed cont.

B. Questions

1. Why is he so stressed?

2. Has he started typing the letter for his boss yet?

3. Has he prepared for his meeting yet?

4. Has he started writing his speech for the conference tomorrow?

5. Why is it taking him so long to write his speech?

6. Has he eaten his lunch yet?

7. Why does he have to reschedule some meetings for later in the week?

8. Can he relax at home this evening? Why or why not?

9. What has he forgotten to do for the last three days?

10. What will he be glad about?

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 4
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Yuko in Montreal
A. Reading

Yuko moved to Montreal this year. She has lived in Montreal for about eight
months. When she moved to Montreal from Tokyo, she was a little nervous
and scared, but now she feels very comfortable and knows the city very well.
She has found a nice apartment downtown, and it’s not too expensive. She
has found a job teaching Japanese, and she likes it a lot. She’s also seen a lot
of places and done a lot of things in Montreal. For example, Yuko has been to
Mount Royal, she has ridden on the Metro, she’s eaten a Montreal bagel, and
she’s met a cute Montreal man. She’s also learned a lot of French and improved
her English. She has made a lot of friends, too. Some of her friends are from
Montreal, but some of them have recently moved to Montreal just like Yuko.
She has been to many bars and clubs on Saint Laurent Street. She has even
joined a jazz band, and they often play in bars and nightclubs. Yuko plays piano
in the band. She has taken many photographs of Montreal since she arrived.
She likes the brightly painted houses. She has visited many museums and art
galleries. She has even survived the cold Montreal winter! She has fallen in love
with the city and all its charms.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 5
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Yuko in Montreal cont.

B. Questions

1. How long has Yuko lived in Montreal?

2. Does she feel more comfortable in Montreal now than when she first moved there?

3. Has she found an apartment yet?

4. Has she found a job? If so, what is it?

5. What has Yuko seen and done in Montreal?

6. Has she learned a lot of French in Montreal?

7. Has she made a lot of friends in Montreal? If so, describe them.

8. Y
 uko often goes out in the evening. What has she done
that allows her to go more often to bars and nightclubs?

9. How does she feel about Montreal?

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 6
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

About You
A. Questions

Answer the following questions using the present perfect.

1. Have you ever been on a cruise?

2. How many times have you skied in your life?

3. Have you fallen behind in your work/schoolwork this week?

4. Have you forgotten to do something important this week?

5. Have you recently moved to a new city? If so, where?

6. Have you made a new friend recently? If so, describe him or her.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 7
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

About You cont.

B. Drawing C. Writing

Draw a picture of yourself in the Now use the questions and answers on page 7
box, or paste in a photograph. to write a short paragraph about yourself.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 8
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Your Own Story

A. Drawing

Draw a picture in the box, or paste in a photograph.

B. Writing

Using the present perfect, write a short paragraph

about the picture in the box. Use your notebook
if you don’t have enough space below.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 9
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Your Own Story cont.

C. Questions
Write five questions about your paragraph.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

D. Answers
Give your story and questions to a classmate.
Have them read your story and answer your questions below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 10
 Present Perfect Stories
Grammar Stories

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: Int

In this lesson, students read three stories that use the present TIME:
perfect in context. They answer comprehension questions and
TAGS:
write two paragraphs of their own using the present perfect.
1.5 – 2 hours
present perfect, present perfect tense, verb tenses, for,
since, already, yet, ever, never, before, grammar in context

Planning Our Next Vacation Yuko in Montreal

1. No, they have never taken a holiday together.
2. They plan to go on a vacation together next month.
3. Her husband has already been to Hawaii.
4. No, he’s never skied before.
5. She doesn’t want to go camping because
she’s already gone camping twice this year.
6. Yes, her husband has been on a cruise before.
7. Neither of them has been to Alaska before.
8. They want to go to Glacier Bay because it’s an unusual
vacation, and there are so many unusual things to see.
9. No, she has never seen whales before.
10. No, he has never seen icebergs before.
1. Yuko has lived in Montreal for about eight months.
2. Yes, she feels more comfortable in Montreal now than
when she first moved there.
3. Yes, she has found a very nice apartment.
4. Yes, she has found a job teaching Japanese.
5. Yuko has been to Mount Royal, ridden on the Metro,
eaten a Montreal bagel, and met a cute Montreal man.
6. Yes, she has learned a lot of French in Montreal.
7. Yes, she has made a lot of friends in Montreal.
Some of them are from Montreal, but some
have recently moved there just like Yuko.
8. Yuko has joined a jazz band that
often plays in bars and nightclubs.

I’m Very Stressed 9. She loves Montreal and all its charms.

1. He is so stressed because it has been a very About You

busy week, and he’s fallen behind schedule at work.
2. No, he hasn’t started typing the letter for his boss yet. Individual answers.
3. No, he hasn’t prepared for his meeting yet.
4. No, he hasn’t started writing his speech yet.
Your Own Story
5. It’s taking him so long to write his speech because he
doesn’t know what to write about, and he’s scared it will
Individual answers.
be too similar to the speech that was given last year. Also,
the phone rings every time he starts to write.
6. No, he hasn’t eaten his lunch yet. SPELLING NOTE:

7. He has to reschedule some meetings for later

This lesson shows the American spelling of the word Canceled.
in the week because he’s so behind in his work.
Most other English-speaking countries spell it this way: Cancelled.
8. No, he can’t relax at home this evening
Make it a challenge for your students to find this word in the
because he has to buy groceries.
lesson and see if they know the alternate spelling.
9. For the last three days, he has
forgotten to mail a very important letter.
10. He will be glad when this week is over.

Copyright 2016, Red River Press Inc. For use by ESL Library members only. ( I N T / V E R S I O N 1.1) 11