Lingua Inglese

Progressive Past Tense

Affirmative: I was speaking, you were speaking, she was speaking

Negative: I wasn't speaking, you weren't speaking, she was speaking

Interrogative: Was I speaking? Were you speaking?

Answers: Were you smoking? Yes, I was. No, I wasn't

Some expressions you may find useful to exchange information:

• Can we just have a word about...? Ex. Can we just have a word about the International convention that will be held on the 24th of March?
• I'd like to be up to date on what's happening. Ex. I heard that Jim has left the team and that he must be replaced by someone else. I'd like to be up to date on what's happening.
• So where/what are you planning to...? Ex. So, what are you planning to do with all these documents? Will you read them all?
• Well, firstly I thought I would... Ex. Well, firstly I thought I would read them all, but then I realized that I don't have time to do that. So, I'll ask James to help me.
• I'll...

look into it (though)

Ex. I heard there's a problem with the recruitment forms. I'll look into it thought I had other plans for today.

PRESENT PERFECT:

To be: I have been, you have been, she has been

I haven't been, you haven't been, she hasn't been

Have I been? Have you been? Has she been?

To have: I have had, you have had, she has had

I haven't had, you haven't had, she haven't

Have I had? Have you had? Has she had?

Answers: yes, I have/has.

How to form sentences using the present perfect

To form the present perfect, we write the present tense of the verb To have + past participle of the verb we need: I have lost my keys. You haven't met an old friend.

He/She has bought an exciting book. We have studied. Have you run fast?

Haven't they gone to the party?

Affirmative form: Subject + to have + past participle. The baby has talked.

Negative form: Subject + to have + not + past participle. Mom has not (hasn't) cooked.

Interrogative form: To have +

• for something that started in the past and continues into the present: My parents have been married for nearly fifty years. She has lived in London all her life.
• to refer to a time which is not yet finished: Have you called grandma today? We haven't worked out this week.
• for something we have done several times in the past and that we continue to do: I've played basketball since I was 5. Ken Follett has written several books, and he is currently working on another one. We've been watching that TV series every week.

The past, but that is still relevant at the time of speaking: I can't start the car. I've lost my keys. Dad isn't at home. He probably has gone jogging.

We use the present perfect of To be when someone has gone to a place and returned: A: Where have you been? B: I've just been out to the post office. A: Have you ever been to New York? B: No, but I've been to Las Vegas.

Note: when someone has not returned, we use have/has gone: A: Where is Myla? B: She's gone to Berlin for a week. She'll be back next Saturday.

Note: we will focus on the difference between have been to and have gone to in the next lesson.

ADVERBS WE GENERALLY USE WITH PRESENT PERFECT:

• time adverbs which refer to the recent past, such as: just, only just, recently: NASA has recently discovered a new planet. The children have just started to sing.
• adverbs which include the present, such as: ever, so far, until now, up to now, yet* (negatives) Have you ever tried Japanese food?

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PRESENT PERFECT AND PAST SIMPLE:

Present perfect:

• Unfinished actions that started in the past but still have consequences in the present: I've known my colleagues for twenty years (and I still know them).
• A complete action that started in the past, but still has consequences into the present: I've lost my keys! (I haven't found them yet, and I am in troubles because of it).
• In sentences with an unfinished time word (E.G.: this week, this month, today): I've met Charlie this week.

Past simple:

• Finished actions that are started and concluded in the past. They don't influence the present: Yesterday, I bought a new umbrella.
• A complete action that started and concluded in the past: I lost my keys yesterday, but now I've found them: they were under the sofa!
• In sentences with a finished time word (E.G.: last week, last month, yesterday, ago): I met John two months ago.

Now, let's focus on these sentences:

Sentence one: I have gone to the concert.

Sentence two: I went to the concert. They both refer to an action that was completed in the past. But S1 suggests that you went to the concert at an unknown time in the past, while S2 suggests that you went to the concert at a specific time in the past. So,

• We use the simple past to talk about a finished action that happened at a specific time.
• We use the present perfect to talk about a finished action that occurred at an unspecified time.

Present perfect with since, for, just, yet, never, and still

SINCE: We use the present perfect + since when we are referring to the specific date in the past when the action started: Tom has worked here since 1970. Gregory has lived here since last year. We have known each other since twenty years. It is important to note that the actions are continuing in the present. We also use since in the structure It has been + period + since. It has been two months since I last smoked a cigarette. It has been two weeks since the...

FOR: We use the present perfect + for to underline the duration of time. In this case, we don't want to indicate when the actions started: Elliot has worked as a janitor for 25 years, but now he's happily retired. Before buying this house, we have lived in a flat for three years. Note: when we build a question using How long, this is the structure to follow: HOW LONG + HAVE + SUBJECT + PAST PARTICIPLE + FOR? How long have you been waiting for? How long has Sheila been here for? Note: we don't use for with expressions such as all day or all the time. I was in Rome all day. I was there for all day.

SINCE VS FOR

FOR: specific period (or duration) time.

SINCE: starting point of a period of time (continues to now).

I have been a student for ten years. (duration = 10 years).

I have been a student since 2008. (starting point = 2008)

NOTE: while we can use for with the simple past, we cannot use since in the simple past tense. Since can only be used with perfect tenses.

She went to

1. She went to Japan in 2003.
2. We use the present perfect + just to express that an action was completed in the very recent past. We put just between "have/has" and the past participle of the verb:
   I have just read your text.
   Lenny and Thomas have just arrived at the airport.
   We are not hungry because we have just eaten a pizza.
3. The negative adverb never requires the present perfect. It is used to talk about something that has not happened before. Remember: you cannot use double negatives in English. So, never cannot be used with the word "not."
   I've never met someone so gross in my life!
   We have never heard about that story.
4. We use still to talk about something that hasn't finished when we probably expected it to end earlier. We put it immediately after the subject. With have/has/had + past participle, we put it between the two verbs. We generally use still in affirmative sentences, but we can also use it in questions and negatives.
   He is still working on the project.
   They have still not arrived.
   Are you still studying?

it in negative sentences to emphasize outastonishment towards an action we thought it was concluded but is still going on: I've been waiting for an hour, and the train still hasn't come. Stephy still hasn't finished her homework.

ALREADY

We use already when something has happened earlier than it might have happened. We put it between have/has and the past participle:

• I've already finished my homework.
• Karl has already finished his salary!

YET

We use yet to describe an action which starts in the past and continues up to the present. In affirmative statements, it shows that a situation is ongoing, even when we might expect it not to continue:

We have plenty of time yet. (even though someone doesn't think so).

In negative statements, we underline the fact that the event is expected to happen in the future:

The plane hasn't landed yet. (but it will)