78 EF PRE

UNITS 8-9

B1 EF

INDEX

6. Adverbs of manner

1. Should

7. Second conditional

2. Get

8. Present perfect

3. First conditional

9. Fears

4. Confusing verbs

5. Possesive pronouns

10. Perfect or Simple

should

8A nef Pre-intermediate

should

"Should" is a modal verb most commonly used to make recommendations or give advice. It can also be used to express obligation as well as expectation. Examples: When you go to Berlin, you should visit the palaces in Potsdam. recommendation You should focus more on your family and less on work. advice I really should be in the office by 7:00 AM. obligation By now, they should already be in Dubai. expectation

Using "Should" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "should" behaves in different contexts.

Negative Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future

Positive Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future

1. Sarah shouldn't smoke so much. It's not good for her health. 2. Sarah shouldn't have smoked so much. That's what caused her health problems. 3. Sarah shouldn't smoke when she visits Martha next week. Martha hates when people smoke in her house.

1. People with high cholesterol should eat low-fat foods. 2. Frank should have eaten low-fat foods. That might have prevented his heart attack. 3. You really should start eating better.

should recommendation, advisability

also use: ought to

Using "Should" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "should" behaves in different contexts.

Positive Forms

I should be at work before 9:00. We should return the video before the video rental store closes. "Should" can also express something between recommendation and obligation. "Be supposed to" expresses a similar idea and can easily be used in the past or in negative forms.

should obligation

NO NEGATIVE FORMS

also use: be supposed to

Using "Should" in Present, Past, and Future

Most modal verbs behave quite irregularly in the past and the future. Study the chart below to learn how "should" behaves in different contexts.

Negative Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future

Positive Forms 1. = Present 2. = Past 3. = Future

1. Susan shouldn't be in New York yet. 2. Susan shouldn't have arrived in New York until yesterday. 3. Susan shouldn't arrive in New York until next week.

1. Susan should be in New York by now. 2. Susan should have arrived in New York last week. Let's call her and see what she is up to. 3. Susan should be in New York by next week. Her new job starts on Monday.

should expectation

also use: ought to, be supposed to

should/shouldn´t

A. You should /shouldn't be so selfish. B. I don't think you should /shouldn't smoke so much. C. You should /shouldn't exercise more. D. I think you should /shouldn't try to speak to her. E. You are overweight. You should /shouldn't go on a diet. F. Where should / shouldn't we park our car? G. You should / shouldn't speak to your mother like this. H. The kids should /shouldn't spend so much time in front of the TV. I. Should / Shouldn't I tell her the truth or should I say nothing? J. I think we should / shouldn't reserve our holiday in advance.

Get

8A nef Pre-intermediate

get

The verb "to get" TO GET can be used in a number of patterns and has a number of meanings. TO GET + direct object = to obtain, to receive, to buy

I got my passport last week. (to obtain) She got her driving license last week. (to obtain) They got permission to live in Switzerland. (to obtain) I got a letter from my friend in Nigeria. (to receive) He gets $1,000 a year from his father. (to receive) She got a new coat from Zappaloni in Rome. (to buy) We got a new television for the sitting room. (to buy)

get

TO GET + place expression = reach, arrive at a place

How are you getting home tonight? We got to London around 6 p.m. What time will we get there? When did you get back from New York?

get

TO GET + adjective = become, show a change of state

I am getting old. It's getting hotter. By the time they reached the house they were getting hungry. I'm getting tired of all this nonsense. My mother's getting old and needs looking after. It gets dark very early in the winter. Don't touch the stove until is gets cool.

Do you get it means do you understand. Do you get what the teacher was explaining in class? He's getting dinner tonight means he's preparing the meal. You can relax. It's my turn to get dinner tonight. I'll get the bill means I'll pay. Put your wallet away! I'll get the bill. That really gets me! means that irritates me. It really gets me when my sister shows up late. To get rid of something means to throw it away. I'm going to get rid of all these old newspapers. To get out of bed on the wrong side means to be in a bad mood. He got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning and he's been horrible all day. To get your own back means to have your revenge or punish someone. She's getting her own back for all those rude things you said at the party last night.

Other expressions with get

1. He's been quite ill recently, but he seems to be __________ now. a) getting better b) getting healthy c) getting recovered d) getting good

quiz

2. Which of the following forms of transport do you NOT 'get on'? a) a train b) a plane c) a taxi d) a bicycle

3. Do you know what time your train gets ____? Let me know and I'll meet you at the station. a) on b) in c) at d) to

4. You can imagine how he reacted when she told him she'd crashed the car, he ______________ and then started shouting! a) got really angry b) got really sad c) got really happy d) got really bored

quiz

5. Which of the following is American English? 'Have you ever ________ lost on the New York subway - it’s really confusing!' a) get b) getting c) got d) gotten

Take vs Get

When you’re at the office, do you take a message or do you get a message? It depends. They’re both correct but mean completely different things. The use of take and get is confusing for many English learners, let's clarify the difference between these two common verbs and offer some activities to make sure you fully understand and don’t forget.

What is the difference between take and get?

Which sentence is correct? OR Which sentence is more natural? I got a call from Gary this morning. I took a call from Gary this morning.

I got a call from Gary this morning. I took a call from Gary this morning. Here is a basic difference: 1) GET is used when another person (or thing) GIVES you something. This is more passive. Someone IS GIVEN something. I got a call from Gary this morning. = Gary gave me a call this morning. This is passive, I just received the call. (GET usually requires a second person or thing to GIVE you something.) 2) TAKE doesn’t always need another person (or thing). Something can be TAKEN by a single person in the sentence. The sentence I took a call from Gary this morning. is not natural. We can improve it. I took the call in my office. This sentence is better (more natural) and it means – I accepted/received the call in my office. This is more active, I decided where to accept the call. (I am also the only person in this sentence.)

What is the difference between take and get?

Let’s look at another example: There is a new Italian restaurant near my office. I got a flyer this morning. The restaurant looks good. – This sentence is passive, we don’t know HOW I received the flyer, maybe someone gave it to me, or maybe it came in the mail. We only know that I have it, I received it. I GOT a flyer. Compare There is a new Italian restaurant near my office. I took a flyer this morning from the front door. The restaurant looks good. – This sentence has an active feeling, we know HOW I received the flyer and we know what I DID to receive it. I took it from the front door. The flyers were offered and I accepted one. I TOOK a flyer.

Take can sometimes have a negative feeling You can TAKE something that is offered to you, like a flyer, some food, etc. This is to accept something. BUT… If you remove something that is NOT offered to you we still use the verb TAKE, but the meaning is negative. This can mean stealing: “Someone took my bicycle from the park.” (Someone stole my bike.) Or it can be a mistake: “I left the house in a rush this morning and I took my wife’s keys by accident.” (I grabbed my wife’s keys by mistake.) Compare “I got $20 from my Dad for helping him clean the garage.” My Dad gave me the money. “I took $20 from my Dad’s wallet.” I stole $20 from my Dad. I removed $20 without permission.

get verb – receive/obtain – I’ll get the money somehow. (I am determined to obtain the money.) take verb – accept/receive – If he takes my advice I think he will be okay. (If he accepts/receives my advice he won’t have any problems.) Both of the sentences are about receiving something, receiving money, and receiving advice, but the difference is in the definitions – obtain and accept. Obtain the money – I will make an effort to get the money. I must do something to receive the money. – I wouldn’t say: “I will make an effort to take the money.” This use of take is more like steal. (receive [remove] something without permission) It doesn’t really fit our sentence. Accept the advice – He should willingly take my advice. The advice is being offered to him and he should accept it. We wouldn’t say “If he gets my advice I think he will be okay.” This use of get is more like understand. It doesn’t really fit our sentence.

*NOTE – Obtain means make an effort, but GET is still passive. I work hard at my job, I make an effort, and then the company GIVES me a paycheck. (Passive) I don’t TAKE the paycheck. I study hard at school for many years (effort) and then the school GIVES me a diploma. (Passive) I don’t TAKE the diploma. These words can be confusing.

Collocations with GET

Collocations Get as Become It’s common in natural conversation to use GET instead of BECOME. We can use this with an adjective to describe a situation: It’s getting hot. = It’s becoming hot here, it’s starting to be hot here. Or a feeling: I’m getting hot. = I am becoming hot, I’m starting to feel hot.with GET and TAKE

When GET is used with a noun it means to receive or possess that thing. Here are some common examples: Get a call Get a chance Get a degree/ a diploma Get a tan Get good/top/bad marks

Collocations with TAKE

Take a look (at) = focus on something – The rash on your arm is getting bigger. You should have a doctor take a look at it. Take a bath/shower – I take a shower before I go to bed. Take a break/rest – I’ve been studying for hours. I need to take a break. Take a picture – I woke up at 4:30 today so I could take a picture of the sunrise. Take a seat = (please) sit down – Please come in and take a seat. Take notes = write notes – It’s good to take notes during your lessons. This helps you remember new information. Take care = be careful (sometimes used as a parting greeting – when you go away from each other) – Thanks for coming to my party. Take care and I’ll see you later. Take care of = look after someone or something – My neighbor is visiting Peru for 3 weeks so I will take care of his cat while he is gone.

Collocations with TAKE

Take a class/a course – I’m taking a course in Ikebana. Ikebana is Japanese flower arranging. Take a taxi/train/bus – When it’s raining hard I take a bus to the train station. (Take the bus and the train are also possible.) Take a test/an exam – I don’t like to take tests. I get nervous every time. Take your time = don’t rush, do something slowly – It’s only 4:30 so please take you time. We’ll have dinner after you arrive. Take a bite (of something) – Who took a bite of my sandwich! Take medicine – The doctor gave me some cream for my rash but I don’t have to take any medicine. Take a trip/a vacation – My family takes a trip to Hawaii every year.

Take vs Get

Exercises A. Complete the sentences with take or get in the correct tense. 1. If you want more information, please __ my business card and write me. 2. They didn’t offer me a brochure, I had to __it myself. 3. Where did you __ all those leads from? 4. I’m __ English lessons with Michelle, have you heard of them? 5. What score did you __in the technical test? 6. __ a raise shouldn’t be so complicated! 7. Did you __through to Sandra? I’ve tried calling her a few times without any success. 8. I love conferences! People always give you swags… Today I__ so many things! 9. I don’t know if anyone __ my keys, but I can’t find them anywhere. 10. Could you please __this dossier to Mrs. Hartford?

Take vs Get

11. I should __ a suit for the event, I don’t have one yet. 12. I’ve read the text a million times, and still don’t__it. 13. Where are you going to __ me when I visit you in Tel Aviv? 14. It’s a bit cloudy, should I__ my umbrella? 15. __ risks is sometimes the most sensible idea. 16.BBVA __ over Vilella bank in 1968. 17. I’m sorry, I can’t offer you anything else. You __it or you leave it. 18. I__that you’re interested in our program? 19. The course is as good as it__. 20. We don’t have so much time, so let’s __the ball rolling.

1st conditional

8A nef Pre-intermediate

The first conditional

The first conditional has the present simple after 'if', then the future simple in the other clause: if + present simple, ... will + infinitive It's used to talk about things which might happen in the future. Of course, we can't know what will happen in the future, but this describes possible things, which could easily come true. If it rains, I won't go to the park. If I study today, I'll go to the party tonight. If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes. She'll be late if the train is delayed. She'll miss the bus if she doesn't leave soon. If I see her, I'll tell her.

The first conditional

First vs. Zero Conditional: The first conditional describes a particular situation, whereas the zero conditional describes what happens in general. For example (zero conditional): if you sit in the sun, you get burned (here I'm talking about every time a person sits in the sun - the burning is a natural consequence of the sitting) But (first conditional): if you sit in the sun, you'll get burned (here I'm talking about what will happen today, another day might be different)

The first conditional

If I __________________ (go) out tonight, I ________________ (go) to the cinema.2. If you __________________ (get) back late, I ______________ (be) angry. 3. If we ____________ (not / see) each other tomorrow, we __________ (see) each other next week. 4. If he __________________ (come), I __________________ (be) surprised. 5. If we __________________ (wait) here, we __________________ (be) late. 6. If we __________________ (go) on holiday this summer, we ________________ (go) to Spain. 7. If the weather ______________ (not / improve), we _______ (not / have) a picnic. 8. If I ___________ (not / go) to bed early, I __________ (be) tired tomorrow. 9. If we __________________ (eat) all this cake, we __________________ (feel) sick. 10. If you ____________ (not / want) to go out, I ____________ (cook) dinner at home.

confusing verbs

8A nef Pre-intermediate

Confusing Verbs In English

Close / Shut You can use both close and shut with doors and windows: Please close the door. Please shut the door. I shut the window because the bugs were getting in. I closed the window because the bugs were getting in.

Confusing Verbs In English

With eyes and mouths, “close” is probably a little more common than “shut” (especially with mouth): She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep. The dentist asked me to close my mouth. “Shut your mouth!” is a VERY rude way to tell somebody to stop talking. If you say somebody “closed his/her eyes to something,” it means they ignored something wrong or bad and pretended they were not aware of it. She closed her eyes to the problems in their relationship, and now she’s in a miserable marriage. When talking about a store, bank, post office, etc. stopping its operations for the day – or a road that is blocked because of construction or damage – we use only close: The bank closes at 4 PM. What time does the post office close? The road is closed because of the snowstorm.

Confusing Verbs In English

Start / Begin You can use both start and begin for an activity: I started playing the piano when I was 8 years old. What time does the meeting start? He’s beginning to read more advanced books in English. We left the park when it began to rain. When you turn on a car or vehicle, use “start”: I had to call a mechanic because my car wouldn’t start. In general, begin is used for more formal and more abstract ideas: Scientists are studying how life on earth began. World War II began in 1939.

Confusing Verbs In English

End / Finish When something ends, it means it stops: My English class ends at 7:30. I ended my last relationship because I felt we had nothing in common. When something finishes, it means it is completed: She finished the test and gave it to the teacher. We need to finish painting the house.

Confusing Verbs In English

Listen / Hear Hear is often used for the action that you do accidentally: Did you hear that? It sounded like a gunshot! Listen is often used for the action that you do intentionally: I listened to the new CD. There are some exceptions – some cases when “hear” is used for intentional listening: I heard (= listened to) an interesting show on the radio last night. The word “hear” can also refer to communication – when you learn something because somebody told you: I heard (= somebody told me) your daughter got into a car accident. Is she all right? Have you heard about the new Batman movie coming out soon?

Confusing Verbs In English

Finally, the expression “hear from” a person or company means to receive any type of communication from them (could be a phone call, an e-mail, or a letter). I sent my application for the job, but I haven’t heard from the company yet. (= they haven’t contacted me yet) I was thrilled to get your e-mail – it was so nice to hear from you after all these years!

Possesive pronouns

8A nef Pre-intermediate

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns

Possessive adjectives The possessive adjectives in English (also called ‘possessive determiners’) are: my, your, his, her, its, our and their. They say who something belongs to. • I have a bag – this is my bag. • You have a cat – that is your cat. • He has a car – it is his car. • She has a book – it is her book. • The dog has a bed – it is its bed. • We have a flat – it is our flat. • They have a daughter – She is their daughter.

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns Possessive pronouns also say who something belongs to, but they replace the noun. So, we use them alone. In this case, we don’t use ‘its’. In English, the possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours and theirs. • I have a bag – this is mine. • You have a cat – that cat is yours. • He has a car – it is his. • She has a book – it is hers. • We have a flat – it is ours. • They have a daughter – She is theirs.

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns

Choose the correct word. 1. Is this cup (your / yours)? 2. The coffee is (my / mine). 3. That coat is (my / mine). 4. He lives in (her / hers) house. 5. You might want (your / yours) phone. 6. The new car is (their / theirs). 7. She cooked (our / ours) food. 8. Don’t stand on (my / mine) foot! 9. She gave him (her / hers) suitcase. 10. I met (their / theirs) mother

adverbs of manner

8A nef Pre-intermediate

Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner tell us how something happens. They are usually placed either after the main verb or after the object. Examples He swims well. He ran quickly. She spoke softly. James coughed loudly to attract her attention. He plays the flute beautifully. (after the direct object) He ate the chocolate cake greedily. (after the direct object)

Adverbs of manner

An adverb of manner cannot be put between a verb and its direct object. The adverb must be placed either before the verb or at the end of the clause. Examples He ate greedily the chocolate cake. [incorrect] He ate the chocolate cake greedily. [correct] He greedily ate the chocolate cake. [correct] He gave us generously the money. [incorrect] He gave us the money generously. [correct] He generously gave us the money. [correct]

Adverbs of manner

If there is a preposition before the verb's object, you can place the adverb of manner either before the preposition or after the object. Examples The child ran happily towards his mother. The child ran towards his mother happily.

Adverbs of manner

Adverbs of manner should always come immediately after verbs which have no object (intransitive verbs). Examples The town grew quickly after 1997. He waited patiently for his mother to arrive. These common adverbs of manner are almost always placed directly after the verb: well, badly, hard, & fast Examples He swam well despite being tired. The rain fell hard during the storm.

The position of the adverb is important when there is more than one verb in a sentence. If the adverb is placed before or after the main verb, it modifies only that verb. If the adverb is placed after a clause, then it modifies the whole action described by the clause. Notice the difference in meaning between the following sentences.

Example She quickly agreed to re-type the letter. She agreed quickly to re-type the letter. She agreed to re-type the letter quickly. He quietly asked me to leave the house. He asked me quietly to leave the house. He asked me to leave the house quietly.

Meaning the agreement is quick the agreement is quick the re-typing is quick the request is quiet the request is quiet the leaving is quiet

Adverbs of manner

Literary usage Sometimes an adverb of manner is placed before a verb + object to add emphasis. Examples He gently woke the sleeping woman. She angrily slammed the door. Some writers put an adverb of manner at the beginning of the sentence to catch our attention and make us curious. Examples Slowly she picked up the knife. Roughly he grabbed her arm.

Irregular adverbs

Most adverbs are formed by adding -ly to an adjective (e.g. slow ⇒ slowly). Here is a list of irregular adverbs, i.e. adverbs which do not follow the normal rule.

Adjective good fast hard late early daily straight wrong

Adverb well fast hard late early daily straight wrong, wrongly

Irregular adverbs

Here are some example sentences: He drives too fast ( not: too fastly) He speaks good English. / He speaks English well. My mother always worked hard. (not: always worked hardly) They arrived late for the party. (not: arrived lately)

Adverbs of manner

Answer the questions using the word in brackets. How do they act? (good) They act well. 1 How does he speak? (loud) ______________________________________________________ 2 How do they behave? (nervous) ______________________________________________________ 3 How does Pedro move? (slow) ______________________________________________________ 4 How does Gabi laugh? (happy) ______________________________________________________ 5 How does Laura sing? (bad) ______________________________________________________ 6 How are you sitting? (comfortable) ____________________________________________________

Second conditional

8A nef Pre-intermediate

The second conditional

The second conditional uses the past simple after if, then 'would' and the infinitive: • if + past simple, ...would + infinitive (We can use 'were' instead of 'was' with 'I' and 'he/she/it'. This is mostly done in formal writing). It has two uses.

The second conditional

First, we can use it to talk about things in the future that are probably not going to be true. Maybe I'm imagining some dream for example. • If I won the lottery, I would buy a big house.(I probably won't win the lottery) • If I met the Queen of England, I would say hello. • She would travel all over the world if she were rich. • She would pass the exam if she ever studied.(She never studies, so this won't happen)

The second conditional

How is this different from the first conditional? This kind of conditional sentence is different from the first conditional because this is a lot more unlikely. For example (second conditional): If I had enough money I would buy a house with twenty bedrooms and a swimming pool (I'm probably not going to have this much money, it's just a dream, not very real) But (first conditional): If I have enough money, I'll buy some new shoes (It's much more likely that I'll have enough money to buy some shoes)

The second conditional

put the verb into the correct tense: 1. If I _________________ (be) you, I _________________ (get) a new job. 2. If he _________________ (be) younger, he _________________ (travel) more. 3. If we _________________ (not / be) friends, I _________________ (be) angry with you. 4. If I _________________ (have) enough money, I _________________ (buy) a big house. 5. If she _________________ (not / be) always so late, she _____________ (be) promoted. 6. If we _________________ (win) the lottery, we _________________ (travel) the world.

Decide whether to use a first or second conditional structure.

1. According to the weather forecast there is a chance of snow tomorrow. If it (snow), I (need) to buy a pair of gloves. 2. Patrick is deciding whether to go to France or Spain on his next holiday. If Patrick (go) to Spain, he (be) very satisfied. 3. John works 12 hours a day. If John (not/be) so busy, he (have) more time for his family. 4. Kate is out of work, but she goes shopping every day. If Kate (continue) to go shopping, she (run out) of money. 5. It is a sunny day with clear blue skies. If it (rain), I (need) an umbrella.

first and second conditional

6. Anne's boss is very demanding. If Anne's boss (not/be) so demanding, she (not/be) so stressed. 7. Daniel has an exam tomorrow. If Daniel (pass) his exam, he (celebrate) with his friends. 8. Fabio and Carlo are best friends. If Fabio and Carlo (not/be) best friends, they probably (not/be) living together. 9. Derek doesn't have a car. It takes him an hour to get to work. If Derek (have) a car, it (not/take) him so long to get to work. 10. The Olympic Games are held every four years. If the Olympics (be) held every year, they (not/be) so interesting.

Present perfectfor and since

8A nef Pre-intermediate

Present perfect with "for" and "since"

Using the present perfect, we can define a period of time before now by considering its duration, with for + a period of time, or by considering its starting point, with since + a point in time. FOR and SINCE can also both be used with the past perfect. SINCE can only be used with perfect tenses. FOR can also be used with the simple past. For + a period of time for six years, for a week, for a month, for hours, for two hours I have worked here for five years. Since + a point in time since this morning, since last week, since yesterday since I was a child, since Wednesday, since 2 o'clock I have worked here since 1990.

Complete the following exercise with FOR or SINCE.

1- Nobody has come to see us ___________ we bought this small house. 2- She has been a doctor ___________ 1998. 3- Nobody has seen her ___________ then. 4- They have all been ill ___________ last week. 5- Peter went to the library. He has studied there ___________ a long time. 6- It has been very foggy ___________ early morning. 7- I’ve worked with you ___________ nine years. 8- He has been in prison ___________ two years. 9- She has worked in that office ___________ a month. 10- He hasn’t eaten anything ___________ twenty-four hours. 11- He hasn’t eaten anything ___________ yesterday. 12- They haven’t spoken to us ___________ we were at school.

fears

8A nef Pre-intermediate

GLOSSOPHOBIA TRYPOPHOBIA EREMOPHOBIA THALASSOPHOBIA COULROPHOBIA HEMOPHOBIA NYCTOPHOBIA THANATOPHOBIA TRYPANOPHOBIA KENOPHOBIA OCHLOPHOBIA PEDIOPHOBIA METATESIOPHOBIA

FEAR OF EMPTY SPACES

FEAR OF THE SEA

FEAR OF NEEDLES

FEAR OF DARKNESS

FEAR OF DOLLS

FEAR OF BEING ALONE

FEAR OF CROWDS

FEAR OF CHANGE

FEAR OF CLUSTER OF SMALL HOLES

FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

FEAR OF DEATH

FEAR OF BLOOD

FEAR OF CLOWNS

VIDEO

Present perfector past Simple

8A nef Pre-intermediate

Certain time in the past or just / already / yet?

Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already / not yet happened?

Present Perfect Simple

Simple Past

certain time in the past Example: I phoned Mary 2 minutes ago.

just / already / not yet Example: I have just phoned Mary. Have you already phoned Mary? I haven't phoned Mary yet?

Certain event in the past or how often so far?

Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now?

Present Perfect Simple

Simple Past

certain event in the past Example: He went to Canada last summer.

whether / how often till now Example: Have you ever been to Canada? / I have been to Canada twice.

Emphasis on action or result?

Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action's consequence in the present)?

Present Perfect Simple

Simple Past

Emphasis on action Example: I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.)

Emphasis on result Example: I have bought a new bike. (With this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)

Signal Words

Present Perfect Simple

Simple Past

• just
• already
• up to now
• until now / till now
• ever
• (not) yet
• so far
• lately / recently

• yesterday
• ... ago
• in 1990
• the other day
• last ...

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

I (just / finish) _____________my homework. Mary (already / write)__________five letters. Tom (move)__________ to this town in 1994. My friend (be) __________ in Canada two years ago. I (not / be)__________ to Canada so far. But I (already / travel)__________ to London a couple of times. Last week, Mary and Paul (go)__________ to the cinema. I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy)__________ a new film yet. (they / spend)__________ their holiday in New Zealand last summer? (you / ever / see) __________ a whale?

Choose the present perfect or past simple:

1. I _________________ (see) three police cars this morning (it’s still morning). 2. After he _________________ (arrive) home, he _________________ (unpack) and _________________ (go) to bed early. 3. A: What’s wrong? B: I _________________ (break) a glass! 4. My grandparents only _________________ (know) each other for a few months before they _________________ (get) married. 5. I _________________ (be) in London for three years. I love it here. 6. We _________________ (see) Julie last night. 7. He _________________ (be) a teacher before he ____________(become) a musician. 8. When the boss _________________ (walk) into the room, we _________________ (know) someone was going to get fired.

Choose the present perfect or past simple:

9. The children _________________ (break) a window in the school last week. 10. He _________________ (see) that film last year 11. Lucy _________________ (break) her leg, so she can’t come skiing. 12. Julie _________________ (arrive)! Come and say hello! 13. They _________________ (be) cold when they _________________ (arrive) home. 14. Jack _________________ (break) his arm when he _________________ (fall) off a horse in 2005. 15. I _________________ (know) about the problem for months, but I _________________ (not / find) a solution yet. 16. A: When _________________ (you / arrive)? B: At 10pm last night.