Study this example situation:

Tom is looking for his key. He can't find it.

He has Lost his key. (present perfect)
This means that he doesn't have his key now.

Ten minutes later:

Now Tom has found his key. He has it now.

Has he lost his key? No, he has found it.
Did he Lose his key? Yes, he did.
He lost his key (past simple)
but now he has found it. (present perfect)

The present perfect (something has happened) is a present tense. lt always tells us about the
situation now. 'Tom has lost his key'= he doesn't have his key now (see Unit 7).

The past simple (something happened) tells us only about the past. If somebody says 'Tom lost his
key', this doesn't tell us whether he has the key now or not. lt tells us only that he lost his key at some
time in the past.
Do not use the present perfect if the situation now is different. Compare:
0 They've gone away. They'll be back on Friday. (they are away now)
They went away, but I think they're back at home now. (not They've gone)
0 lt has stopped raining now, so we don't need the umbrella. (it isn't ra ining now)
lt stopped raining for a while, but now it's raining again. (not lt has stopped)

You can use the present perfect for new or recent happenings:
0 'I've repaired the washing machine. lt's working OK now.' 'Oh, that's good.'
0 'Sally has had a baby! lt's a boy.' 'That's great news.'
Usually, you can also use the past simple:
0 I repaired the washing machine. lt's working OK now.
Use the past simple (not the present perfect) for things that are not recent or new:
0 Mozart was a composer. He wrote more t han 600 pieces of music.
(not has been ... has written)
0 My mother grew up in Italy. (not has grown)
Compare:
0 Did you know that somebody has invented a new type of washing machine?
0 Who invented the telephone? (not has invented)

We use the present perfect to give new information (see Unit 7) . But if we continue to talk about it,
we normally use the past simple:
0 A : Ow! I've burnt myself.
s: How did you do that? (not have you done)
A: I picked up a hot dish. (not have picked)

0 A: Look! Somebody has spilt something on the sofa.

s: Well, it wasn't me. I didn't do it. (not hasn't been ... haven't done)

Past s i m pl e ~ Unit 5 Present perfect ~ Units 7- 8 Present perfect and past 2 ~ Unit 14
Am erica n English ~App e ndi x 7
 Unit
Exercises -_ 13
Complete the sentences using the verbs in brackets. Use the present perfect where possible.
Otherwise use the past simple.
The office is empty now.
Everybody
GJ (go) home.

I can't get in.

\e
1 .... lq?t . (lose) my
key.

I meant to call you last night,

but I Helen
(forget) . (go) to Egypt for a holiday, but
she's back home in England now.

Yes, I ....... . Can you help us? Our car

(have) a headache, but I'm
fine now.

Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 Did you hear about Sue? She's given up her job.
2 My mother has grown up in Italy.
3 How many poems has William Shakespeare written?
4 Ow! I've cut my finger. lt's bleeding.
5 Drugs have become a big problem everywhere.
6 Who has invented paper?
7 Where have you been born?
8 Ellie isn't at home. She's gone shoppi ng.
9 Albert Einstein has been the scientist who
has developed the theory of relativity.
Ok ... . ........ ...... _
.... .gr~ . .. ...... . ...
............................................................ ............................... .
........ ......... ............
. ... . . .. . .....
....... .. .. ..... . . .....
.................... .... .. ..... . . .
................... . ....
.................... ............
....... ... ....... .. ........ ..
.................................... .
.. ............................... ....... .
...............................................
............................. .
...................................
...... _...........................
......................................
....... .. ... ..... ..
. ........................ .

Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.
1 lt stoPP eeL
.......... ...... · · f or a w h'l1 e, b ut now ·1t 's rammg
ra1n1ng · · agam. · 1 I st op )
('t
2 The town where I live is very different now. . .l.t h.~~ ...~.@.9~ ..... a lot. (it I change)
3 I studied German at schoo l, but ......... ..... .... .... . .. ..... ............. most of it now. (I I forget)
4 The police . three people, but later they let them go. (arrest)
5 What do you think of my English? Do you think ? (it I improve)
6 A: Are you still reading the paper?
s: No, ... . .............. with it. You can have it. (I I finish)
7 _....... for a job as a tourist guide, but I wasn 't successful. (I I apply)
8 Where's my bike? ..... . .. . ..... outside the house, but it's not there now. (it I be)
9 Quick! We need to ca ll an ambulance. . .. .. . ...... . .... .. ... an accident. (there I be)
10 A: Have you heard about Ben? .................... .... ................ his arm. (he I break)
B: Rea lly? How .. .. .... . .... ... ..... ? (that I happen)
A: . . . .. ... . ..... . ... off a ladder. (he I fall)

27
Do not use the present perfect (I have done) when you talk about a finished time (for example,
yesterday I ten minutes ago I in 2005 I when I was a child). Use a past tense:
0 lt was very cold yesterday. (not has been)
0 Paul and Lucy arrived ten minutes ago. (not have a rrived)
0 Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child ? (not have you eaten)
0 I got home late last night. I was very tired and went straight to bed.
Use the past to ask When ... ? or What time ... ?:
0 When did your friends arrive? (not have ... arrived)
0 What time did you finish work?
Compare:

Present perfect
.__] Tom has Lost his key. He can't get
into the house.
=
Past simple
Tom Lost his key yesterday.
He couldn 't get into the house.
0 Is Carla here or has she Left? 0 When did Ca rt a Leave ?

Compare:

Present perfect (have done) Past simple (did )

0 I've done a lot of work today. ~ I did a lot of work yesterday.
We use the present perfect for a period of time We use the past simple for a finished t ime in
that continues until now. For example: the past. For example:
today I this week I since 2007. yesterday I last week I from 2007 to 2010.
I
1 unfinished 1 1 unfinished 1
I to1ay I I yesterday I
past now past now

0 lt hasn't rained this week. 8 lt didn't rain last week.

0 Have you seen Anna this morning?
(it is sti ll morning)
0 Have yo u seen Tim recently?
0 I don 't know whe re Lisa is. I haven't
seen he r. (= I haven't seen her
recently)
0 We've been waiting for an hour.
(we a re sti ll wa iting now)
0 Jack lives in Los Angeles. He has Lived
there for seven years.
0 I have never played golf. (in my life)
C) lt's the last day ofyour holiday. You say:
lt's been a really good holiday.
I've really enjoyed it.
8 Did you see Anna this morning?
(it is now afternoon or evening)
8 Did yo u see Tim on Sunday?
0 A: Was Lisa at the party on Sunday?
B: I don't think so. I didn't see her.
:= We waited (or were waiting) fo r a n
hour. (we are no longer waiting)
0 Jack Lived in New York for ten years.
Now he lives in Los Angeles.
8 I didn't play golf Last summer.
C After you come back from holiday you
say: lt was a really good holiday.
I really enjoyed it.

Past simple _. Unit 5 Present perfect _. Units 7- 8 Present perfect and past 1 _. Unit 13
Exercises
Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct them where necessary.
1 I've lost my key. I can,t find it anywhere. . . 0-'S........... .......... .................. ......... ....... .......... ...................... ...
2 Have you eaten a lot of sweets when you were a child? ..Di4...W?.~... ~--·· ············ ·... ....
3 I've bought a new car. You must come and see it.
4 I've bought a new ca r last week.
5 Where have you been yesterday evening?
6 Lucy has left school in 1999.
7 I'm looking for Mike. Have you seen him?
8 'Have you been to Paris?, 'Yes, many times.'
9 l,m very hungry. I haven,t eaten much today.
10 When has this book been published?

Make sentences from the words in brackets. Use the present perfect or past simple.
1 (it I not I rain I this week) . lt . h ~?..n.\...r~.~ ~-~? ....W.~ , ....................... .... . ...... ............... ... .... . .. ..... .
2 (the weather I be I cold I recently) The weather ................................................................ ..... ... ......................................................
3 (it I cold I last week) lt ........ ..... . .......... ........ .. ....... .... .. . ...................... ..................... ........ .......... .........................................................
4 (I I not I read I a newspaper yesterday) I . . .......... ........ .. .. ................ .. . ...................
5 (I I not I read I a newspaper today) ......... ... . . .. . ................... . . . .... .. . . ....... . . ...... .. ... . . ..
6 (Emily I earn I a lot of money I this year) ................................ .................... ......... ................................... .............. . .
7 (she I not I earn I so much I last year) ................. ..................................................... ........................................... ........................
8 (you I have I a holiday recently?) .......... ....... ............................. . . . ........ ... ..... .. ..................................... ...

Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.
1 'Whafs Madrid like?, 'I don,t know. ..... J... h.Q--Y.~nl ..P.e&n..... (I I not I be) there. '
2 When . ... .............. ...... .. . ...................... ... (I I get) home last night, ............................... ....................... (I I be)
very tired and ..... .............. (I I go) straight to bed.
3 A: ........... ... .................................... ...... (you I see) Lisa recently?
B: Yes, ... ............ ..... ..... .. ........... ...... .... .. (I I saw) her a few days ago.
4 l,m tired. ... .... . . ... ......... .. . .................. .... (1 I not I sleep) well last night.
5 The bu s drivers were on strike last week. .. (there I be) no buses.
6 Mr Lee . ........ (work) in a bank for 15 years. Then ........................................ (he I give)
it up. Now he works as a gardener.
7 Mary lives in Dublin. .... ...... .... .. ....... .................. . ............ . (she I live) there all her life.
8 A: ... . .. ................ ..... ................... (you I go) to the cinema last night?
B: Yes, but ........ ....... .................. . ..... (it I be) a mistake. The film .......... (be) awful.
9 My grandfather .. ....... ........ ... .. ... ............... (die) before I was born. . .... ............................................. ..
(1 I never I meet) him.
10 I don't know Karen's husband. .. .......................................................................... (I I never I meet) him.
11 Ifs nearly lunchtime, and .. .. .. ..... ........... ... .. ...... ...... . (I I not I see) Martin all morning.
I wonder where he is.
12 'Where do you live?, 'In Boston.'
'How long ................................................................................. . (you I live) there?' 'Five years.'
'Where .. ....... ... .. ....... . . . . .. ..... ...... . . (you I live) before that?' 'I n Chicago.,
'And how long ...... ........... ... .. . . .... . ........... .. .... . (you I live) in Chicago?' 'Two years.'

Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.

(something you haven't done today) .... ..1. ~.QvV:~Y1. .i:.....~n CM1H ...fr.tA.~...t9~................... .. .. ......... ........ .
1

1
2 (something you haven,t done today) .... .... ... . ....... ... .... . ... ..... .... ............. ..
3 (something you didn,t do yesterday) .... . ..... . ............ .. . . . ... ......... .. .. .. .............
4 (something you did yesterday evening) ............ ... ................. .. . .......................... ..... . . ................ ....... ..... .. ............... ..
5 (something you haven't done recently) ......................................................................................................................................................
6 (something you've done a lot recently) .... ..... .. . ...... . .. . . ..... . . ...... .. . ....... ............ .. ...................... .

_.Additional exercises 2- 4 (pages 303- 04) , 14- 15 (pages 310- 11) 29

Study th is example situation:

Sarah went to a party last week. Paul went to the

at 10.30 at 11.00
party too, but they didn't see each other. Paul left t he
party at 10.30 and Sarah arrived at 11 o'clock. So:
When Sarah arrived at t he party, Paul wasn't there.
He had gone home.
Had gone is the past perfect (simple):

gone
1/we/they/you (=I 'd etc.)
had seen
he/she/it (= he'd et c.)
finished etc.
PAUL SA RA H

The past perfect simple is had+ past participle (gone/ seen/ finished etc).
Sometimes we talk about something that happened in t he past:
0 Sarah arrived at the party.
This is the starting point of the story. Then, if we want to talk about th ings that happened before this
time, we use the past perfect (had ... ):
0 When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home.
Some more exa mples:
0 When we got home last night, we found t hat somebody had broken into the flat.
0 Karen didn 't want to go to the cinema with us because she'd already seen the movie.
0 At first I thought I'd done the right thing, but I soon realised that I'd made a big mistake.
0 The man sitting next to me on the plane was very nervous. He hadn't flown before.
or ... He had never flown before.

Compare the present perfect (have seen etc.) and the past perfect (had seen etc.):

Present perfect I Past perfect

have seen had seen

past now past now

0 Who is that woman? I've seen her
before, but I ca n't remember where.
C We aren't hungry. We've just had
lunch.
0 The house is dirty. They haven't
cleaned it for weeks.
CJ I wasn't sure who she was. I'd seen her
before, but I couldn't remember where.
C We weren't hu ngry. We'd just had
lunch.
8 The house was dirty. They hadn't
cleaned it for weeks.

Compare the past simple (Left, was etc.) and the past perfect (had left, had been etc.):

0 A: Was Tom there when you arrived? 0 A: Was Tom t here when you arrived ?
B: Yes, but he Left soon afterwards. B: No, he had already Left.
0 Kate wasn't at home when I phoned. 0 Kate had just got home when I phoned.
She was at her mother/s house. She had been at he r mother's house.

Past perfect contin uous -+ Unit 16 Irregular verbs (gone/ seen etc.) -+ Appendix 1
Exercises
Read the situations and write sentences from the words in brackets.
1 You went to Sue's house, but she wasn't there.
(she I go I out) _S_h.~... h.o.-4. .99.Y1. ~... .9~t. . . . ... ·······o···· o····· .. ·o······ o ... .... . ........... 0 .. 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

2 You went back to your home town after many years. lt wasn't the same as before.
(it I change I a lot) ........ 0 . ........... . .... .. . .. • • ...... • .... ... • . ..... ...... .. . ...................... . ................................ . .......... .... 0 .. . .......... ........... . ....... ..

3 I invited Rachel to the party, but she couldn't come.

(she I arrange I to do something else) o..... o.............. ooo ............................... 0 . . . . . . . . 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

4 You went to the cinema last night. You got to the cinema late.
(the film I already I start) ....... 0 0 000000.. ........ ••• . • ••••••• .. .....

5 lt was nice to see Daniel again after such a long time.

(I I not I see I him for five years)
6 I offered Sue something to eat, but she wasn't hungry.
(she I just I have I breakfast) ...................... .. ................................ ............................ ............ ....................................................................... ..

G For each situation, write a sentence ending with never ... before. Use the verb in brackets.
1 The man sitting next to you on the plane was very nervous. lt was his first flight.
(fly) ...oHe,4 ne:-ver flown .be.fore:-... ..o .. o......................... o.... ...... . .. ..
2 Somebody sang a song. I didn't know it.
(hear) I ...... oooooo ....o.... o......o.. ooo 0 .... .. ...................... o .... 0 0 .... • ........................ o ..... o..... before.
3 Sa m played tennis yesterday. He wasn't very good at it because it was his first game.
(play) He . .. ..........0..... .. ....... o..0..... 0.............. ... 0.. .. .............
.. . .. • ... . .. o • ... • • .... . ...... .. . ... .. ............ 0................... .

4 Last year we went to Mexico. lt was our first time there.

(be there) We .... .. ........ ...................... ...... . . .... . ... .. ......................... 0........ ............ ................ ................. . ........ 0....... .... 0..... 0.. .. .........................

Use the sentences on the left to complete the paragraphs on the right. These sentences are
in the order in which they happened - so (a) happened before (b), (b) before (c) etc. But your
paragraph begins with the underlined sentence, so sometimes you need the past perfect.
1 (a) Somebody broke into the office during We arrived at work in the morning and
the night. found that o.... ?..o.rr..~o~ . ~.% OP.r.9.~e.no ....
(b) We arrived at work in the morning. into the office during the night. So
(c) We called the police. ...0 .. . ....................... .... . the police. .......... ...................... . . . .. . . . .. ..... .. . ....

2 (a) Lau ra went out this morning.

(b) I rang her doorbell. no
(c) There was no answer. out.
3 (a) Jim came back from holiday a few
days ago. ~u~tetJt=~f~~ ~~~s ago. : . . h~liday.
(b) I met him the same day. }
.. .. ... 0........ 0....... .. .. ................ .. ........... .. ... .................................. 0 very well.
(c) He looked very well.

4 (a) Kevin sent Sally lots of emails. Yesterday Kevin .................................... from 0 ...... ....... ...... ...... 0 ...

(b) She never replied to them. Sally. . o.. .......... • • • .. ....... very surprised.
0 .. ... . . . . . . . .. ..

(c) Yesterday he got a phone call from her. .. .......... o................ o.... ........ .. lots of emails,
(d) He was very surprised. but ............ 0 .............. .

Put the verb into the correct form, past perfect (I had done) or past simple (I did).
1 'Was Paul at the party when you arrived?' 'No, he ooooooh~.. ogQn~..... (go) home.'
2 I felt very tired when I got home, so I .. . .... . .. ...... (go) straight to bed. 0 .............. .. . . . . .

3 The house was very quiet when I got home. Everybody ................................................... (go) to bed.
4 Sorry I'm late. The ca r ................. (break) down on my way here.
0 . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ....... .... . . . . . . .. .. .

5 We were driving along the road when we ............................o....o........o.... o(see) a car which
...... 0........ ................. (break) down, so we .................. 0......... 0......... (stop) to help.

_. Additional exercises 5- 8 (pages 304-07) 31