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CHAPTER 5

5.1. USES AND MEANINGS OF SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE AND CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE 1. for an action which started in the past , but is !in !n "p t! the present : I ha#e $n!%n him for years . I ha#e ta" ht at this school for twenty years .(I am a teacher here) We ha#e insisted on that many times (till now) PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS 1. for an action which started in the past , but is !in !n "p t! the present and at present t!! . a) stress is laid on d"rati!n: I#e &een tea'hin at this school for twenty years. (So I know the situation better.) b) irritati!n( repr!a'h( ann!)an'e: We#e &een insistin on that lately (but there are a few of you who still dont known it) You#e &een insistin on that lately (That ets on my ner!es.)

*. for an action which started( de#e+!ped and *. the action started in the past, but it is %as '!,p+eted in the past, and has sti++ '!ntin"in # d"rati!n is em"hasi$ed# it '!nse-"en'es into the present: also e%"resses ann!)an'e( repr!a'h: I ha#e read this no!el. (I can s"eak about it.) Why are you cryin & 'ecause I #e &een I ha#e &r!$en my le . (I cant walk now ) pee+in onions. The lift has !t out of order.(So we ha!e You ha#e &een +!sin your keys lately( to use the stairs). .. to e%"ress '!,p+eti!n of the action, i.e. it .. to show that the action hasn/t &een has been finished: 0inished: Whos dr"n$ my milk& Whos &een drin$in my milk& (the lass is em"ty) (There is a little milk left.) I#e +!!$ed o!er all the "a"ers. I#e &een +!!$in o!er the "a"ers. (I!e finished lookin o!er them) (I ha!ent finished them, Im still lookin o!er them). 1. when the time of the action is not 1. when the time of the action is not mentioned and ti++ n!% is understood: mentioned, ti++ n!% is understood and stress is laid on d"rati!n: Ha#e you had lunch& Ha#e you seen them& I#e &een %!r$in a lot# you must be tired You #e &een r"nnin # youre hot.

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5. for per,anent a'ti!ns and sit"ati!ns : We ha#e +i#ed here for ten years. (we still li!e here)

5. for te,p!rar) a'ti!ns and sit"ati!ns:

+e has &een +i#in with his rand"arents for the time being/this month/this semester/ this summer. +e has &een %!r$in in bad conditions this week/lately . 2. for repeated a'ti!ns which ha!e 2. a) when d"rati!n is "ointed out: ha""ened "p t! the present, with such ad!erbs Its &een rainin for about two as: hours/since morning. 30!r t%! %ee$s (0!r refers to a "eriod of time) b) for repeated a'ti!ns to e%"ress irritati!n, 3sin'e 0i#e !/'+!'$ (sin'e refers to a time ann!)an'e, repr!a'h: "oint, or to the be innin of the action) 'ut I#e just &een ta+$in to him( , 4"st +e has &een spendin a lot of money , a+read) lately. , )et You!e &een +!sin your lo!es lately( , +ate+) , this %ee$ already is not used with the "ro ressi!e , these da)s as"ect, because it shows the com"letion of They#e just '!,e back from the seaside. the action. Has the house &een d!ne "p yet& I#e &een %!r$in a lot this week. They ha#en/t painted the house yet. +e has &een d!in nothin these days. +e has &een ill these days. 5. with: re'ent+) - lately t!da) - when the day is not finished I#e &een !ery busy recently. I#e %ritten ten "a es today. 5. with these ad!erbs to e%"ress d"rati!n, or irritati!n, repr!a'h: I#e &een d!in so many thin s recently. I#e &een trainin all day long today. You#e &een s,!$in a lot today(

If we say %hen the "ast e!ent ha""ened Past Tense is used: re'ent+) - a short time a o I ta+$ed to my boss recently. I had an ar ument with my friend today. Did you read the "a"ers today& (today is finished) 6. for repeated actions: 6. to e%"ress a '!ntin"in acti!ity: It has rained every day for a week. It has &een rainin all day today. It has &een sn!%in for two days/since Monday. 7. with ad#er&s !0 0re-"en')8 a+%a)s( e#er( 7. with these ad!erbs to e%"ress irritati!n( ne#er( !0ten( se+d!,( rare+) when the time is ann!)an'e( repr!a'h( disappr!#a+( not mentioned and ti++ n!% is understood: ad,irati!n: I ha#e never &een to .aris. Ha#e you ever seen this "lay& She has always &een te++in lies. +e has often &een readin till late at ni ht.

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19. with !erbs which are not normally used in 19. thin$, see are used in the "ro ressi!e the continuous as"ect: !erbs of mental acti!ity, as"ect with a different meanin : !erbs of "erce"tion, !erbs of likes and dislikes: I ha#e &een thin$in a lot about this I ha#e $n!%n her for years. lately. (to reflect) I ha#en/t th!" ht of that. I#e &een seein a lot of 1im these days. I ha#en/t seen you for ages. (to date, !isit) I ha#e never +i$ed him. 11. to e%"ress indi nati!n( repr!a'h: What ha#e you d!ne& 1*. in i!in news in !ery short sentences: There has &een a fire. The "ound has in'reased a little. 11. to e%"ress p!+iteness: What ha#e you &een d!in & 1*. 2o corres"ondin !alue

1.. after this is the 0irst ti,e and similar 1.. e%"ressions: This is the 0irst ti,e I#e heard him "lay the "iano. This is the !n+) &irthda) part) I#e really en4!)ed (in my life). 11. a "resent "assi!e and a "resent "erfect 11. "assi!e sometimes ha!e almost the same meanin : The sho"s ha#e &een '+!sed are '+!sed. I think his arm has &een &r!$en is &r!$en

2o corres"ondin !alue

2o corres"ondin !alue

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5.*. INTERACTI:E ACTI:ITIES


E;er'ise 1. Point out the differences between Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous and give examples of your own. E;er'ise *. Comment on the type of modality expressed by Present Perfect. E;er'ise .. Express repeated actions which have happened till now. E;er'ise 1. Express completed actions incomplete and continuing activities by using Present Perfect in !" sentences of your own. E;er'ise 5. Make up !# sentences expressing permanent and temporary actions or situations. E;er'ise 2. Put the verbs in brackets in the Present Perfect Simple or Continuous$ 3. 1ack (to finish) his homework and wants to o out with his friends. 4. You (to see) 1ane today& I (to look) for her e!erywhere. 5. I already (to ad!ise) him to arran e for insurance because he will need medical treatment there. 6. I (not to take) my ba yet from the lost and found lu a e office. 7. I ne!er (to see) such an intricate "iece of machinery. 8. I (not to be able) to stand him because he always (to s"eak) ill of you. ). There must be somethin wron with him: he (to lie) in bed since he broke his le , and he (not to talk) to anybody. /. I (to make) little "ro ress lately# I dont know two forei n lan ua es and this (to kee") me back. *. We (to be) !ery busy these days# we (to "aint) the house. 30. I dont a ree with you. You always (to take) trouble with her, and she ne!er (to i!e) a damn on anythin . 33. +ow dare you claim that& You ne!er (to do) u" the house since you (to li!e) here. 34. Where you (to be)& I (to wait) here for almost half an hour. 35. I seldom (to see) such a thou htless man( 36. +es such a bore( This week he (to call) us on three times. I wonder what hes aimin at. 37. Its the second time I (to be) here, and I (to learn) a lot from the e%"erience I (to share) with them. 38. +e (to try) hard for almost a month to catch u" with his collea ues, but the results obtained (not to be) so ood. E;er'ise 5. %ind out the mistakes and correct them$ 3. I always doubted he will be successful because he ne!er shared any e%"erience.

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4. +e rew out of his trousers. I want to buy a "air of white 9eans for him on his birthday. 5. It seems to me that nobody e!er went throu h such a difficult situation. I will hel" him et it o!er. 6. +e seems to be an ry. +e isnt talkin to me for a few weeks. What did I do to him& 7. +e is lon in for his nati!e "arts lately. +e didnt o to the town where he was born for more than two years. 8. I was !ery busy these days. I made a re"ort, which I must i!e to the editor,in, chief. I will ha!e it "ublished in two days. ). :idnt you talk to ;nn today& If you want to talk to her, you may find her in her office till 6 oclock. /. It is rainin since mornin . I dont feel like oin out. *. We already "ut our heads to ether, but we didnt come to any conclusion yet. 30. I worked all day lon today thats why Im dead tired. 'ut before oin to bed I want to read the "a"ers. +a!e you bou ht them& 33. Its the third time that I am here, and I know the en!irons <uite well. 34. 'ut I 9ust talked to him and e!erythin will be all ri ht. 35. Shame on you( You did nothin this week. You 9ust wasted your time. 36. It rained a little e!ery day for a week, but today it is rainin hea!ily for two hours, since noon. E;er'ise 6. &ranslate into English$ 3. ;m s"erat =ntotdeauna c> m> !a =n?ele e, dar du"> cum se "oart> !>d c> nu este =n stare s> =n?elea > nimic. 4. I,am e%"licat de9a c> nu am terminat =nc> rochia "e care am de @nd s,o "ort la bal. 5. Ai,am s"us de c@te!a ori c> nu o s> !rea s> !orbeasc> cu tine des"re ce a f>cut in ultima !reme. Btie c> nu a f>cut mai nimic. 6. 2u este "rima dat> c@nd !in aici, aCa c> nu e ne!oie s>,mi ar>?i =m"re9urimile. De cunosc de mult tim". 7. Se str>duieCte de mult> !reme s> desco"ere ade!>rul, dar nu "rea sunt s"eran?e c> !a reuCi. 8. :e atunci nu m,am @ndit la acest lucru, dar mi,am amintit deseori c> arat> roa$nic. ). Te ro s> ser!eCti "r>9ituri. De,am f>cut s"ecial "entru tine, deCi nu am mai f>cut nici o "r>9itur> de ani de $ile. /. :e la Cedin?a aceea este foarte "reocu"at de acest lucru Ci lucrea$> a"roa"e tot tim"ul la un "roiect nou. *. ;m comandat o br>?ar> de ar int "entru ne"oata mea. Ereau s> i,o ofer la ani!ersarea $ilei de naCtere. 30. Te aCte"t de lunea trecut> Ci tu a"ari tocmai acum. Fe,i cu tine& 33. 2u mi,a scris de !reo dou> s>"t>m@ni s>,mi s"un> c@nd !ine la 'ucureCti. 34. G "lecat =n str>in>tate de mai bine de un an, nu& Fe,o fi f>c@nd de c@nd a "lecat din ?ar>& 35. ; fost =ntotdeauna un om foarte $ @rcit, de aceea nu l,a "l>cut nimeni.

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36. :e c@nd a "lecat m> @ndesc mereu la tot felul de lucruri. Fe se =ntam"l> =n ultima !reme& 2imic nu mai este ca =nainte. E;er'ise 7. &ranslate into English using the correct tense$ 3. ;C !rea sa insista?i mai mult asu"ra acestui as"ect, mai ales c> nu s,a mai discutat des"re el deloc =n ultima !reme. 4. S,a Ci =ntors din Hran?a& :a, s,a =ntors de9a, dar n,a "utut "re >ti cu!@ntarea deoarece e ocu"at "@n> "este ca"# lucrea$> la o tem> de c@te!a s>"t>m@ni. Fred c> =l interesea$> de anul trecut c@nd a =nce"ut s> caute materiale =n domeniu. 2,a terminat =nc> dar "robabil c> a f>cut cel "u?in 9um>tate din ea. 5. S,au f>cut multe referiri la !olumul acesta de c@nd a a">rut acum doi ani. 6. Sunt "e urmele ho?ului de mult tim", dar n,au dat de el nic>ieri. 7. 2,am !>$ut =n !ia?a mea un s"ectacol at@t de rotesc. 8. ;i !orbit !reodat> cu el des"re astfel de lucruri& ). ;m au$it c> =?i cau?i de lucru. Fhiar n,ai >sit nici o slu9b>& :oina a >sit de9a dou> oferte con!enabile. /. Inc> nu le,a s"us ">rin?ilor c> are de @nd s> se c>s>toreasc>. Se @ndeCte de mult cum s> le fac> Ci o sur"ri$>. Si ur !a fi o sur"ri$> "lacut> "entru c> "arin?ii lui o cunosc de c@?i!a ani "e "rietena lui Ci au considerat,o =ntotdeauna o fat> serioas>. *. 2u m,am @ndit absolut niciodat> la asemenea consecin?e. 30. ;m fost ocu"at "@n> "este ca" =n ultimele $ile Ci n,am reuCit s> re$ol! nici una din "roblemele care m> fr>m@nt> de mult> !reme. E;er'ise 19. &ranslate and comment on the English tense used to render the 'omanian perfectul compus: J;cum c@nd eu nu mai sunt cum am fost, ochii mei, "rin care !>d lumea, sunt, mai mult ca oric@nd, cum n,au fost niciodat>. (K) .@n> acum am !>$ut mai "u?ine culori, doar c@te!a nuan?e, mult mai "u?ine fa"te. (K) 2ici nu am b>nuit "@n> acum at@tea =n?elesuri c@te =mi sar =n ochi de atunci =ncoace. ;u fost chiar mai "u?ine =nt@m"l>ri "e lume Ci sem>nau oarecum toate. Li s,au ascu?it sim?urile& 2u am !>$ut "@n> acum nimic, ca atunci c@nd treci "e l@n > un co"ac, "limb@ndu,te f>r> s>,l !e$i m>car, deCi nu eCti distrat, numai "entru c> nici nu,?i =nchi"ui ce ai "utea !edea la un co"ac. Bi nici nu,?i "ui "roblema asta. (K) Hemeia aceasta e to!ar>Cul care m,a o"rit uneori din drum Ci de atunci mai "ot !edea Ci eu o mul?ime de lucruri "e care le tot =ntorc "e toate fe?ele (K)M (F. .etrescu, Patul lui Procust)

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