TRANSLATION TOPIC TWO: Present Perfect versus Past Simple

TRANSLATION TOPIC TWO: Present Perfect versus Past Simple / since, for and ago
EXERCISE ONE: The Simple Past
In English, we use the Simple Past tense to talk about
-single actions in the past e.g. She shut the door and turned the key.
-habitual actions in the past, often with always, never, or often e.g. I walked to school everyday and
that soon made me lose weight.
-past actions where a definite time is mentioned. It is often used with a time expression such as ago
or last month, when the action is seen as finished e.g. Once upon a time there lived a beautiful
princess. I saw him a little while ago. I bought my car two years ago.
- Points where the main action is broken or when an action goes on during or alongside another. The
rest of the sentence uses the Past Progressive tense to describe the past activity or action e.g. We
were leaving to go to school when the phone rang. I was washing the windows when a police car
came into the drive, .
She was doing her homework while her sister cooked tea.
*Now, put the verbs in the brackets into the the Simple Past
his truncheon to save a girl who (be)
knocked to the
1. A policeman (use)
an elderly lady nearby.
ground by two thieves as they (mug)
2. We apologise to those readers who (do/not/ receive)
mechanical problems at our London printing plant (affect)
The Times on Saturday when
some later editions.
disaster at Bristol City's football ground when they (put out)
3. Police (avert)
a fire under a stand containing 250 people just after kick-off.
take a safe from a business in Greater Manchester (leave)
4. A burglar who (try) to
the safe (fall)
on
two clues - his fingertips. Detectives (say) ..........
his hands.
EXERCISE TWO: The Present Perfect
In English, the Present Perfect tense is used to connect the past and the present. We use it especially
for finished actions that are important now.
e.g. I can't swim. I've never learned.
Look Mum, he hasn't eaten all his cabbage.
PAST
PRESENT
Look at the three examples of the Present Perfect below
1. I have seen this film three times already.
2. Have I ever seen this film?
3.I have not seen this film before.
*How do we make the Present Perfect tense? (Use examples 1,2 and 3 to help you answer this
question.)
In English, we often announce a piece of news with the present perfect. We can use just to say that
something has happened very recently
e.g.A small aircraft has just crashed in Devon.
Paul has just found the most gorgeous flat!
*Match the following 'beginnings' to the correct 'endings'
beginnings
1. Someone has brought
2. Pauline and Peter have
3. Lucy has had
4. The company has
5. Brazil has won
endings
a) a baby boy.
b) the house across the road.
c) the World Cup again.
d) just got married.
e) lost £30million this year.
To talk about finished actions, we can use the present perfect or the simple past. It often depends on
the kind of time expression that is used. We do not normally use the present perfect with
expressions which refer to a finished time, like yesterday, last week, three weeks ago, then, when.
We normally use the present perfect with expressions which refer to 'any time up to now', like ever,
never, before, often, recently, already, yet.
e.g.I saw Kate yesterday NOT I have seen Kate yesterday.
Have you seen John recently?
You were here last week, weren't you?
You've been here before, haven't you?
She studied Korean when she was at university.
She has never studied any foreign languages.
EXERCISE THREE
Choose the correct tense in each of the following sentences
1. "Who is that handsome young man over there?" "I don't know. (I've never seen / never saw) him
before.
2. She (has left / left) school last year with no qualifications. I don't know what she's going to do.
3. I'm sorry. I (haven't finished / didn't finish) my homework yet. Can I please hand it in to you
tomorrow?
4. I ('ve studied / studied) a lot of her books when I was at school and I never want to read another
one again!
5. (Have you seen / Did you see) any good films recently? I saw "Spiderman" and found it was a
real 'boy's film!
6. When (have you got / did you get) married?
(continued)
EXERCISE FOUR: The Present Perfect
r
PAST*S*I*T*U*A*T*I*O*N*PRESENT
We use the Present Perfect to talk about situations continuing up to now, especially when we
say how long they have lasted
Alex has worked with animals all his life.
She went to Paris on holiday six years ago, and she's lived there ever since!
She's always wanted to go to India, but she's never had the time nor the money.
We do not use a present tense to say how long something lasted
Compare : Richard's been to Africa several times this year. (up to now)
I went to Africa three times last year (not up to now)
Use your imagination and complete the following sentences, using the correct tense
1. I've always ...
2. I've often ...
3. I often
4. All of my life I have ...
5. I've known ...
6. I've had my
7. I've lived ....
8. I've never lived ...
9. I've
10. I
when I was a child.
since .
three times this year.
times last year.
Now translate the above ten sentences into French.
*Which tense(s) do you use in French? Is this the same as in English?
EXERCISE FIVE: Translation Exercises
Using all the rules you have just learned, translate the following sentences into English
1.Est-ce que tu as vu le film hier soir a la télé?
2. J'ai mangé un oeuf au petit déjeuner, comme les anglais!
3. Elle peut sortir - elle a terminé tous ses devoirs.
4. Faites attention. Je suis tombée déjà trois fois dans cet escalier.
5.Nous nous sommes rencontrés il y a quelques mois.
6. Elle a claqué la porte - elle était furieuse.
7.As-tu pris ton café?
8.Elle a lu toutes les oeuvres de Shakespeare.
9. En 1945, à Hiroshima, la bombe a explosé. Toute discussion est terminé.
10. J'ai regardé la télé tout l'après-midi.
11. Est-ce-que vous vous êtes déja rencontrés?
12. Je viens de déjeuner.
13.Il m'a vu il y a deux ans à Londres.
14. Nous avons diné ensemble au restaurant de la Tour Eiffel.
15. Je suis désolée, mais j'ai mangé tous tes chocolats - j'avais tellement faim!
16. Je me suis levé à sept heures.
17. J'ai allumé la radio.
18. Je suis entré dans la salle de bain pour prendre une douche bien chaude.
19. Je suis content que to l'aime. Je l'ai acheté la semaine dernière au marché.
20. J'ai commencé mes devoirs d'anglais, mais je ne peux pas me concentrer.
You've nearly finished!!! (Note the use of the present perfect in that sentence.)
EXERCISE SIX: Look carefully at the six sentences below
1. He's been here since six o'clock. (bonus : why o' ?)
2. We've had our dog since September.
3. I've known her since university.
4. He's been here for two hours.
5. We've had this car for six months.
6. I've known her for a very long time.
*We use SINCE
and FOR
Using this rule, complete the following
1. for 200 years = since +
2. since 1984 = for +
3. since Monday = for +
4. since 2 o'clock = for +
5. for 20 years = since +
6. for 8 days = since +
7. for the last three hours = since +
8. since my 8th birthday = for +
years
Complete the following using either since or for
a month.
1. I've had this job
years.
2. She's been ill
r
1992.
3. I've lived here
a long time.
4. She's been away
2
nights.
5.1 haven't slept
ages.
6. I haven't seen him
Now translate these sentences in the space below:
months
days
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
EXERCISE SEVEN: Now, rewrite the following sentences using since or for and the present
perfect
1. Cheryl lives in London. She moved there last year.
2. Julie has a mini. She brought it fifteen years ago.
3.She is living with Paul. This started in2000.
4. Fred is learning Russian. He started three years ago.
5. Claire runs a small business. She started doing this 5 years ago.
Using the rules you have just learned, translate the following sentences into English
1. Je joue du piano depuis quatre ans.
2. Je l'ai terminé depuis deux heures.
3.Je suis à l 'EABJM depuis six ans.
4. Je ne l'ai pas vu depuis au moins un mois.
5. Je travaille depuis cinq heures ce matin.
6.Il est malade depuis hier.
7.Je suis ici depuis deux jours.
8.J'habite Paris depuis toujours.
9.Je t'attends depuis deux heures.
10. Depuis quand habites-tu Paris?
11. Je le vois beaucoup plus souvent depuis que sa femme est partie.
12. Depuis quand sais-tu nager?
Now make up 6 sentences of your own in French (using since and / or for, and the present
perfect tense) and ask your neighbour to translate them. Make them difficult !
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Well done! You have finished. Now all you have to do is learn all the language points above
and your English will be perfect!!