Carmen María's English Blog

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1	*Finished events in the past with no connection to the present:* Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa. The Vikings invaded Britain.
2	*With a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2 o'clock, in 2003):* I went to the cinema yesterday. We visited Japan in 2007.
3	*For stories / lists of events:* He went to a café, sat down and lit a cigarette. Yesterday I went to the library, met a friend for lunch, and playedtennis .
4	*Details of news:* I've hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my bedroom. I've been on holiday. I went to Spain and Portugal.
5	*As part of the second conditional:* If I won the lottery, I would buy a house in Chelsea. If she knew his number, she would call him.

1	*A continuous action in the past which is interrupted by another action or a time:* *I was taking a bath when the telephone rang.* *At three o'clock, I was working.*
2	*Background information, to give atmosphere to a story:* *It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing, the sun was shiningand in the cafes people were laughing and chatting.*
3	*An annoying and repeated action in the past, usually with 'always':* *He was always leaving the tap running.* *(In the same way as the Present Continuous)*
4	*For two actions which happened at the same time in the past:* *I was watching TV and he was reading.*

*Pay attention to STATIVE VERBS

1 Unfinished Actions

We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' an action or state has continued with 'since' and 'for'. Often, we use stative verbs in this situation:

I've known Karen since 1994.
She's lived in London for three years.

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, indicated with the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived):

I've known Sam since 1992.
I've liked chocolate since I was a child.
She's been here since 2pm.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months):

I've known Julie for ten years.
I've been hungry for hours.
She's had a cold for a week.

2 Finished Actions

Life experience
(we don't say when the experience happened, just sometime in the past)

I have been to Tokyo.
She has lived in Germany.
They have visited Paris three times.
We have never seen that film.
Have you ever read 'War and Peace'?

A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result)

I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).
She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
They've missed the bus (so they will be late).
I've cooked dinner (so you should come and eat).

With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today, in the last year)

I haven't seen her this month.
She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
This week they've been shopping four times.

Note: We can't use the present perfect with a finished time word:

~~I've seen him yesterday.~~

'Been' and 'Gone'

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances.

Been

We use 'been' (often when we talk about 'life experience') to mean that the person being talked about has visited the place, and come back. Notice the preposition 'to':

I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
They have never been to California.

Gone

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person is at the place now:

'Where's John?' 'He's gone to the shops' (he's at the shops now).
Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).

FILL IN WITH THE CORRECT VERBAL TENSE.

a) When Sarah (be) …………… fifteen years old she (leave) ……….

school without any qualifications. However, she (be) …………… very

ambitious and she (want) …………… to work in the fashion industry. Luckily

she (find) ...…...... a good job inmediately as an assistant in a small

fashion company. While she (work) …..…….......…… there, she (decide)

…………… to go to evening classes to get a qualification in business

studies. When she (finish) …….............she (promote) .........................

Since 2000 she (do) …….........……… the same job and now she (want)

…………… a change in her life.

b) Jane (find) ………a new job at last! She (be) …………… very

happy about it but the problem (be) …………… that she (have) ……………

to travel a lot. She (try) …………… to find a solution during the last week,

and she (decide). …….. to talk to her future boss to solve the problem. After

an hour the man (accept) …………to pay the transport so Jane (can) ………

take the job and start inmediately. At present she (work) …………… as an

assistant in a beautiful office and the salary (be) …………. much better.

c) Sarah Thompson (win) …………… $3 million on the national lottery

in November 1997. During that night, while she (wait) ……………for her

husband to come from a soccer match, she (have) …………… a party with

all her friends and neighbours. However, some months later she (not be)

……………very excited because she (spend) ......…………,… most of

thetime worrying what to do with the money and wondering how the

neighbours (react) ……………to her family. Although the prize (help)

………. her to pay some debts, she (think) …………… that she (be)

.....................happier before winning the lottery and now she (have)

…………… new troubles to deal with.

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