AL - Grammar in usage - Skill Building packet 11: Basic Tenses Review &

Perfect Tenses (simple / continuous)

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Name________________

AL students are expected to understand present, past and future simple tenses as well as the
continuous tenses, but for those students who do not fully understand these basic tenses, this
packet will begin with a short review. The main purpose of this packet is to help students
master the usage of the perfect tenses. The first part of this packet can be used as a resource
for all the tenses while the exercises in the 2nd part should be given to students who need
practice only with the perfect tenses.
Simple Present: Main Meanings
This action is a habit or repeated now.
I usually drive to school.
This is a fact thats always (or almost always) true.
Wood floats in water.
Present Continuous: Main Meanings
This action is happening right now.
You are reading this sentence.
This action isnt finished, but might not be happening right now.
John is studying English this semester, but he isnt studying right now; hes
eating dinner.
Simple Past: Main Meaning
This action ended in the past.
John did his homework last night.
Note: Simple past is correct for most actions in the past. There are only a
few times when we absolutely need to use other past tenses.
Past Continuous: Main Meaning
This action happened over time in the past.
Most common use: to show this action was happening over time when
something happened.
John was doing his homework when the earthquake started.

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Future Simple: Main Meaning

This action will happen in the future.
Ralph and Norton will play cards tomorrow night.
Note: Future is correct for most actions in the future. There are only a
few times when I absolutely need to use other future tenses.
Future Continuous: Main Meaning
This action will happen over time in the future.
Most common use: to show this action will be happening over time when
something happens.
Ill start to study at 7:00, so I will be studying when you arrive at 7:`10.
Present Perfect: Main Meanings
With a length of time, present perfect usually means this action started in the
past and has continued until now.
Ralphs a bus driver. He has worked as a bus driver for 10 years.
Note: Present Perfect Progressive can often be used to say the same thing. With no time
phrase, present perfect usually means the action ended in the past, but the time is not clear.
Ralph isnt hungry because he has eaten dinner.
Note: In American English, simple past can usually be used to say the same thing.
Past Perfect: Main Meaning
We use past perfect when we want to make it clear that this action happened
before something in the past.
Trinh had eaten breakfast when she left for work.
(This means Trinh ate breakfast before she went to work.)

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Future Perfect: Main Meaning

We use future perfect when we want to make it clear that this action will happen
before something in the future.
Yen will have finished her homework when she comes to class tomorrow.
Present Perfect Continuous: Main Meaning
This action started in the past and has continued until now.
Ralphs a bus driver. He has been working as a bus driver for 10 years.
Past Perfect Continuous: Main Meaning
We use past perfect progressive when we want to make it clear that this action
was happening over time before something in the past.
The kitchen smelled wonderful because Norton had been cooking dinner.
Future Perfect Continuous: Main Meaning
This action will happen over time before something in the future
When I retire, I will have been teaching for over forty years. Note: Future perfect
progressive is a pretty rare tense; we dont use it very much.
Here are 8 steadfast rules governing when perfect tenses must be used:
1. When I want to show that an action started in the past and has continued until now:
present perfect progressive (for most verbs)
2. When I want to show that an action happened before something in the past: past
perfect
3. When I need to make it clear that this action was happening over time before
another action (or a time) in the past: past perfect continuous
4. For actions that have never happened in someones life: present perfect
5. For questions asking if someone has ever done something in their life: present perfect
6. For repeated actions that might happen again: present perfect
7. When I need to make it clear that this action will be finished before something in the
future: future perfect
8. When I need to make it clear that this action will happen over time before something
in the future: future perfect continuous

AL - Grammar in usage - Skill Building packet 11: Part 2 Perfect Tenses

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A) Use PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE:

1. Im tired, because I have been working . (work) very hard.
2. He (write) letters all morning.
3. Catherina is getting fatter because she (eat) too
much.
4. My mother .. (peel) the potatoes all afternoon.
5. Cathy (attend) a cookery course since
March.
B) Use PRESENT PERFECT TENSE or PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
1. Ive bought / have been buying a new pair of shoes.
2. Have you finished / Have you been finishing reading that book yet?
3. Theyve eaten / have been eating fruit all afternoon, ever since they came from
school.
4. Ive been reading / have read this book now, so you can have it back.
5. Ive been writing / have written eight pages already.
6. Your exam paper is completely blank! What have you been doing / have you done?
7. Oh, no! Theres nothing to eat. My sister has been eating / has eaten everything I left
in the kitchen.
8. Oh, no! Theres no wine to drink. They have drunk / have been drinking all the wine.
9. I havent seen / havent been seeing you for ages.
10.God! Hakan has scored / has been scoring.
SUBJECT : Simple Past vs Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous
A) Use THE SIMPLE PAST or THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE to fill in the
blanks:
1. What (you / learn) since you
. (come) here? How many friends
. (you / make)? I hope you
... (already / meet) a lot of interesting people.
2. Last night my roommate and I .. (have) some free time, so we
.. (go) to a show.
3. Who . (write) the play Hamlet?

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4. How many games (the team / win) so far this

season?
5. I dont know Carols husband. I . (never / meet)
him.
6. It (rain) a lot last week, but it
(not / rain) much so far this week.
7. How many letters .. (you / write) since the
beginning of the month?
8. When we were on vacation, the weather (be) terrible.
9. In her whole lifetime, Mary (never / see)
snow.
B) Use PRESENT PERFECT TENSE or PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
1. Im trying to study. I .. (try) to study for the
last hour, but something always seems to interrupt me. I think Id better go to the
library.
2. The children are playing basketball right now. They
(play) for almost two hours. They must be
getting tired.
3. The telephone (ring) four times in the last
hour, and each time it has been for my roommate.
4. The telephone (ring) for almost a minute.
Why doesnt someone answer it?
5. It .. (rain) all day. I wonder when it will
stop.
C) Use THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE or THE PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
1. Im tired. We . (walk) for over an hour.
Lets stop and rest for a while.
2. The zoo isnt far from here. I (walk)
there many times.
3. I . (write) my friends at least a dozen
letters since I left home and come home.

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4. Sally is writing a letter to her boyfriend. She .

(write) it since she got home from class. Its going to be a long letter.
5. The telephone .. (ring) four times in the last
hour, and each time it has been for my roommate.
6. The telephone (ring) for almost a minute.
Why doesnt someone answer it?
7. She is 80 and she (never / read) a book in her
life.
8. The secretary is very tired. She (type)
all morning.
9. Tom is reading a book. He started two hours ago and he is on page 53. He
.. (read) for two hours.
10.Hello! I (clean) the windows. So far I
(clean) five of them and there are two more to
do.
D) Use THE SIMPLE PAST or THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
1. The young man (never / be) to Paris, but he
.. (read) a book about this city last year.
2. you (decide) where to go yet?
3. A: Have some tea, please.
B: No, thank you. I . (just / have) two cups of tea.
4. Susan . (do) her homework before 10 oclock but Jane
. .. (not /write) a word until now.
5. Her mother (buy) her a pair of new shoes yesterday.
6. The Prime Minister . (leave) for the USA an hour ago.
7. A: .. the plane . (land)?
B: Yes, it (land) ten minutes ago.
8. It . (not / rain) for a long time.
9. you (see) my dog? It (run
away) this morning.
10. We . (meet) at a party a long time ago, but I
.. (not / see) her since then.

AL - Grammar in usage - Skill Building packet 11: Part 2 Perfect Tenses

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SUBJECT : Past Perfect Tense & Past Perfect Continuous

A) Supply a suitable SIMPLE PAST or PAST PERFECT TENSE:
1. They . (go) home after they ..
(finish) their work.
2. She .. (just / go) out when I called her.
3. My brother . (eat) all the pie before we got back.
4. He wondered why I . (not / visit) him before.
5. She said that she . (already / see) the
Pyramids.
6. The fire .. (spread) to the next building before
the firemen .. (arrive).
7. They drank small cups of coffee, after they .
(finish) dinner.
8. He told me he .. (catch) a young lion.
9. His mother . (worry) a lot about him before she
(hear) that he was asfe.
10.He .. (already / learn) English before he
. (leave) for England, but before he arrived in
England, he (forget) some.
B) Fill in the following sentences by using PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE:
1. We (play) football for half an hour
when it started to rain.
2. I . (study) English for a short time
when the electricity went off.
3. She (do) her homework before you came
in.
4. His knees and hands were very dirty. He ..
(crawl) in the garden.
5. I (drive) the car for five years when I
sold it.
6. We were very tired. We . (travel) for
about sixteen hours.
7. They were out of breath. They (run) for a
long time.

AL - Grammar in usage - Skill Building packet 11: Part 2 Perfect Tenses

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SUBJECT : Future Perfect / Future Perfect Continuous

A) What will life be like in the year 2100? Complete the sentences using WILL HAVE
+ PAST PARTICIPLE form:
Example: By 2100, the worlds population. will have increased (increase) to
around 30.000 million.
1. Life .. (become) more automated by then.
2. Computers (take over) many of the jobs that
people do today.
3. The earths supplies of oil, coal and gas (run
out).
4. . (scientists / find) other sources of energy?
5. How education .. (change)?
C) Use FUTURE PERFECT TENSE:
1. By next February I (write) my third
book.
2. I hope you . (not / forget) my name by
tomorrow.
3. I hope I (not / make) a lot of mistakes in
this exam when I finish it.
4. By the end of this year I (drive) more than one
hundred thousand kilometers with this car.
5. I hope it . (stop) raining before the match
starts.
6. I . (have) an operation when you turn back.
7. By this time next week I . (marry).
8. If nothing is done one million species that are alive today
(become) extinct in twenty years.
Wow ! That was fun ! now that you are a master of perfect tenses, why are you so
tense ? Just kidding you have completed the final general packet for (AL Pre/1/2)
students. Congratulations ! Please try all of our wonderful advanced packets.
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