GRAMMAR 4 PRESENT PERFECT

Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) I can't believe it, Inspector. You mean that Smith stole/has stolen/has been

stealing money from the till all this time!

b) You three boys look very guilty! What did you do/have you done/have you been

doing since I left/have left the room?

c) Why on earth didn't you tell/haven't you told me about that loose floorboard? I

tripped/have tripped over it just now and hurt myself.

d) It's a long time since I saw/have seen/have been seeing~your brother Paul. What

did he do/has he done/has he been doing lately?

e) I can't believe that you ate/have eaten/have been eating three pizzas already! I

only brought/have only brought them in fifteen minutes ago!

f) Don't forget that you didn't see/haven't seen Mrs Dawson. She has waited/has

been waiting outside since 10.30.

g) What did you think/have you thought of Brighton? Did you stay/Have you stayed

there long?

h) I feel really tired. I weeded/have weeded/have been weeding the garden for the

last three hours and I didn't rest/haven't rested for a single moment.

i) I'm having problems with David. He has called/has been calling me up in the

middle of the night and told/telling me his troubles.

j) How long did you have/have you had/have you been having driving lessons? And

did you take/have you taken/have you been taking your test yet?

2 Decide how many different endings (1-10) you can find for sentences (a-j).

The sentences you make must be appropriate and meaningful.

a) I haven't been feeling very well ... .5,8... 1 time and time again.

b) I went to the dentist's 2 all my life.

c) I've lived here 3 so far.

d) Don't worry. I haven't been waiting 4 for the time being.

e) I've written two pages

f) I waited outside your house

g) I've warned you about this

h) I haven't made a decision

i) The repair worked

j) I've decided to believe you

5 for the past hour or two.

6 yet.

7 till half past eight.

8 for a while.

9 the other day.

10 long.

233 Put each verb in brackets into the most appropriate perfect or past verb form.

a) So far we ..haven't noticed. (not/notice) anything unusual, but we

(not/pay) very close attention.

b) I'm sorry I (not/come) to class lately.

c) I (work) late in the evenings for the past

fortnight.

d) I wonder if Mary (reach) home yet? She

(leave) too late to catch the bus.

e) Here is the news. The Home Office (announce)

that the two prisoners who (escape) from

Dartmoor prison earlier this morning (give

themselves up) to local police.

f) (you/make up) your minds? What

(you/decide) to do?

g) Harry (leave) home rather suddenly and we

(not/hear) from him since.

h) Recent research (show) that Columbus

(not/discover) America, but that Vikings

(land) there five hundred years before him.

i) I think that people (become) tired of the poor

quality of television programmes, though they

(improve) lately,

j) (something/happen) to the phone lines? I

(try) to get through to Glasgow for the past

hour.

k) Bill (get) that new job, but he

(complain) about it ever since.

24GRAMMAR 4 PRESENT PERFECT

4 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first

sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given.

a) This has been my home for thirty years.

lived

I ..have lived here for thirty years.

b) Eating Chinese food is new to me.

never

I before.

c) Tony hasn't been to Paris before.

first

It's to Paris.

d) We haven't been swimming for ages.

since

It's swimming.

e) Mary started learning French five years ago.

has

Mary five years.

f) I am on the tenth page of this letter I am writing.

So far I of this letter.

g) It's over twenty years since they got married.

for

They have than twenty years.

h) The last time I saw Dick was in 1995.

I haven't 1995.

i) There is a definite improvement in your work.

has

Lately improved.

j) This is my second visit to Hungary.

visited

This is the Hungary.

255 Underline the correct phrase in each sentence.

a) The price of petrol has risen/has been rising by 15% over the past year.

b) No wonder you are overweight! You have eaten/You have been eating chocolates

all day long!

c) I've read/I've been reading a really good book this morning.

d) Doesn't this room look better? I've put/I've been putting some posters up on

the walls.

e) Don't disappoint me! I've counted/I've been counting on you.

f) Don't forget your pills today. Have you taken them/Have you been taking them?

g) Who has worn/has been wearing my scarf?

h) I think there's something wrong with your motorbike. It's made/It's been

making some very funny noises.

i) Jack has asked/has been asking for a pay-rise three times this year.

j) I've been phoning/I've phoned Ann all evening, but there's no reply.

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

present perfect continuous.

I (1) ...moved. ................ (move) to London three weeks ago to take up a new

post at my company's London office. Ever since then, I (2) ...............................

(wonder) if I (3) ....................... (make) the right decision.

I (4) ............................... (see) a lot of negative things about living in the capital,

and I can't say London (5) ............................... (make) a very favourable

impression on me. It's so polluted and expensive, and the people are so distant.

You see, I (6) ............................... (grow up) in a fairly small town called Devizes

and I (7) ............................... (spend) all of my life there.

I (8) ............................... (always/want) to live in a big city and so when my

company (9) ............................... (offer) me a job in London,

I (10) ............................... (jump) at the chance.

I think I'm not alone in my aversion to the big city. According to a programme

I (11) ............................... (just/hear) on the radio, more and more people

(12) ............................... (stop) working in London recently, and a lot of large

companies (13) ............................... (choose) to move away from the centre. Oh

well, it's too late to change my mind now, because the job is up and running,

and I (14) ............................... (already/sell) my house in Devizes. But I must

admit, over the past few days, I (15) ............................... (secretly/hope) that the

company would relocate me back to my old town.

26GRAMMAR 4 PRESENT PERFECT

7 Underline the correct word or phrase in each sentence.

a) It's a long time since/when I last saw you.

b) I've seen Bill quite often lately/from time to time.

c) Have you spoken to the director beforehand/already?

d) I've lived in the same house for years/for ever.

e) I've read the paper now/still.

f) Diana has bought a computer two years ago/since then.

g) Nothing much has been happening by now/so far.

h) I've finished reading her new book at last/this evening.

i) Sue bought a CD player last week and she's been listening to music ever

since/for a while.

j) Sorry, but I haven't got that work finished already/yet.

8 Match the expressions (a-j) with the explanations of when they might be said

(1-10).

a) Have you heard the one

about ... ? ..4

b) I haven't seen you for

ages!

c) I've had enough of this!

d) Sorry, you've lost me!

e) I've had a brainwave!

f) It's been one of those days!

g) I've had enough, thanks

h) I haven't had a chance yet

i) I've been having second

thoughts

j) Oh, haven't you heard?

1 Saying you don't follow what

someone is saying.

2 Having doubts about a big decision.

3 Having a brilliant idea.

4 Introducing a joke.

5 Declining more food.

6 Spreading gossip.

. 7 Seeing an old face from the past.

8 Having a frustrating time, when

everything is going wrong.

9 Wanting to stop doing something

because it's annoying you.

10 Apologising for not doing something

you said you'd do.

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