This document provides information about verb tenses including: - The simple past, present perfect, and present perfect progressive tenses. - Examples of how to form affirmative and negative statements and questions for each tense. - Uses of each tense including the present perfect to talk about past actions that continue to the present, the present perfect progressive to emphasize ongoing actions, and comparing the present perfect and simple past. - Time expressions that are often used with each tense. - Exceptions and interchangeability of the present perfect and present perfect progressive tenses.

1. VERB TENSES:
S I M P L E P A S T, P R E S E N T P E R F E C T,
P R E S E N T P E R F E C T P R O G R E S S I V E

2. Ex.3 p. 37

3. form
Affirmative statements
I have built a website.
Negative statements
She hasn’t written many letters.
Yes/No Questions Short
answers
Has he moved? Yes, he has.
No, he hasn’t.
Wh-Questions
Where has he worked?

4. THE PAST PARTICIPLE FORM P. 20
Hope
Listen
Hit
Find
swim
Break
bite

5. 1. Use the present perfect to talk about actions or
emotions that started in the past and has continued
into the present t and may continue into the future.
I have lived in Paris my whole life.

6. We often use the present perfect with for and since
to talk about situations that began in the past and
continue up to now.
Mrs. Oh has been a teacher since 2002.
I have known him for three years.

7. Use for + a length of time to show how long a present
condition has been true.
He has lived in Sydney for two years.
Use since + a specific point in time to show when a
present condition started.
He has lived in Sydney since 2004.

8. Ex. 4 p. 39
Ex. 5
Ex.8 p. 41

9. 2. A very recently completed action (often with just,
already)
Husband: Don’t forget to mail my package to me.
Wife: I have already mailed it. I went to the post
office this morning.
Or
It’s on the way. I have just returned from the post
office.

10. 3. talk about things that happened or didn’t happen at
some indefinite time in the past.
She has read a book about skydiving.
*When the time is given, the simple past is used.

11. The adverbs ever, never, yet, still, yet, and already
are often used with present perfect.
I have never seen snow.
I still haven’t finished my homework.

12. PLACEMENT OF TIME EXPRESSIONS WITH THE
PERFECT TENSE
•Most adverbs follow auxiliary verbs and
precede the main verb.
I have already taken two Spanish courses.
•Longer time expressions usually come at the
beginning or end of the sentence.
There have been many changes in the last 50
years.

13. •Still goes before the auxiliary verb.
I sill have not taken a writing course.
•Yet goes at the end of a question. It usually
goes at the end of negative statement, but it
can also follow not.
Have you finished your homework yet?
She had not yet visited Spain.

14. 4. The present perfect can also express an event
that has occurred repeatedly from one point in the
past up to the present time. The event may happen
again.
We have had three tests so far this term.
I have met many people since I came here.

15. PRESENT PERFECT VS. SIMPLE PAST P.43
Past tense
Often occurs with
specific past-time
adverbs. (e.g.,
yesterday, last year,
1990)
completed
Definite query
Did you go to Dubai
mall?
Present perfect
We use more general
adverbs. (e,g., already,
yet, since)
Incomplete
Indefinite query
Have you ever gone to
Dubai?

16. Ex. 13 p. 44

17. Present perfect progressive
Affirmative statements
I have been building a website this
month.
Negative statements
She hasn’t been writing lately.
Yes/No Questions Short answers
Has he been living in Paris? Yes, he has.
No, he hasn’t.
Wh-Questions
Where has he been working?

18. 1. The present perfect progressive tense is used to
emphasize the progressive nature of an activity
that started in the past and is still going at the
moment of speaking.
I have been living in Paris my whole life. (I was born
in Paris, and I’m still living there today.)

19. *Remember! Stative verbs are not usually used in
the progressive.
I have known Joy for a long time.
NOT I have been knowing Joy for a long time.

20. Time expressions often used with this tense are
Since/for/all day/all morning/all week
It has been raining all day.
I have been sitting at my desk since seven o’clock.

21. It is possible to use either the present perfect or the
present perfect progressive to express the same
thought.
I have flown to New York a great deal this month.
I have been flying to New York a great deal this
month.
But the present perfect progressive is not used to
express an action that is not progressive in nature.
I have returned my book to the library.

22. The present perfect and present perfect progressive
are often interchangeable.
Native speakers seem to choose one or the other
depending on their desire to make the listener or
reader “feel” the speaker’s attitude or emotion
toward the activity.
I have been waiting for you for one hour is more
effective than I have waited for you for one hour if I
want the other person to know what I really did not
like waiting that long.

23. Look at the following sentences. Without knowing
the intonation of the speaker or the expression of
her or his face, which sentence seems to indicate
that the speaker is tired?
a. I have reviewed this chapter for three hours.
b. I have been reviewing this chapter for three
hours.

24. The present perfect progressive often expresses an
action that is uninterrupted.
Do not use it when you mention the number of times
that something has been done or the number of things
that have been done.
a. I have read this statistics problem five times.
b. I have been reading it for the past hour.
c. Bob has already completed six problems.
d. I have been trying to understand the same problem
all night.

25. • Both can be used to express a single action, but
the meanings are different.
She has read the book. (she has finished the book.)
She has been reading a book. (she is still reading it.)

26. Ex. 16 p. 47
Ex. 19 p. 48

27. Present perfect Present perfect progressive
Prior event
I have visited my
grandmother.
Specific and possibly still
ongoing activity
I have been visiting my
grandmother.
Continuation being only a
possibility
I have taught for 25 years.
Strong implication of
continuation
I have been teaching for 25
years.
Completed accomplishment
Gail has remodeled her
home.
Incomplete accomplishment
Gail has been remodeling her
home.

28. COMPARE THE FOLLOWING
SENTENCES:
I am thinking about the exam. / I think it was too
long and difficult.

29. He is tasting the coffee. / The coffee tastes bitter.

30. What do you do for Eid? / What are you doing for
Eid?

31. [Use right now in a sentence]

32. I ……….. to my parents every week. [Write
the correct tense of the verb “talk”].

33. COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES BY
ADDING APPROPRIATE VERB FORM
•You look really great! (you, work) -----------------
out at the fitness center recently?
Jack (fail) ---------------- his driving test three times
because he does not know how to park.
However, he (practice) ---------------- three hours
every day for the past week, and I think he
(make) -----------a lot of improvement.

34. • Ali and Roberto (be) ---------------- graduate students in
the department of physics at Harvard University. They
(be) ---------------- students at Harvard for one year.
This institution of higher learning (be) ---------------- the
oldest university in the United States.
• This semester, Roberto (work) ---------------- in the
library on Friday and Saturday. He (take) ------- only
two courses this semester, so he (have, negative) -----
----------- many assignments.
• My roommate (just, buy) ---------------- a new stereo.

35. UNDERLINE THE ERRORS AND CORRECT
THEM.
•I am studying English since April.
•I am doing adventure sports for about two
years.
•Jack and I are staying at Splendor for almost a
week already.

36. • Choose the correct answer.
• (I go / I am going) fishing with Grandpa tomorrow.
• I have not seen you(for/since)a long time.
• Where is John? – He(repairs / repairing / has
repaired / repaired) his car in the garage.

37. •[write your own sentence using the time
word since]