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Question
Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
b. What conclusion can you draw from these sentences about the use of present perfect and simple past forms of verbs?
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Solution
The conclusion I draw from these sentences is that many of these show completion of an action in the past. Some show that the action is still not complete and is to be completed next. Actually present perfect tense shows that the action is complete at the time of speaking. An action denoted by past means that the action went on for some time but is not shown to have been completed.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Present Progressive
(Progressive = continuous)
Form
S +is/ am/ are +verb+ ing
S +is/ am/ are+ not+ verb+ ing.
Is/am/me+ S + verb+ing?
S + is/ am/ are +being+ Verb (past participle)
- Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the present progressive form of the given verbs.
i. "You've put on weight, Cheryl."
"Yes. I.. .... (eat) a lot these days."
ii. "Hurry up! We ... (get) late for school."
"Justa second, please! I ... (come}."
iii. Temperatures ... (rise} all over the world.
iv. "You .... not ... (wear) this dirty shirt to office. Wait, I'll give you another."
v. "l...not ... (do) your homework-forget it. I still haven't forgotten how you
fought with me in the morning."
vi. The Prime Minister ... (leave) for Russia tomorrow on a 5 day state visit.
Vii "You ... (be) ver:yrude, Abhi."
viii. She ... always (make) excuses for coming late.
ix. Aabha ... (write) a novel these days.
- The table below shows different uses or meanings of the present progressive. Match the verbs in the above sentences with the uses or meanings they convey.
| a. Something pre-arranged or a fixed plan ............ b. Insistence............. c. Annoyance............ d. Repeated action............. e. Some development or change........... f. Emphatic refusal............. g. Something happening 'around now'.............. h. An action just starting.......... i. Temporary action not necessarily taking place at the moment of speaking............ |
*It is a little difficult to match the sentences with uses of present progressive
tense. Here are the answers:
a-vi, b-iv, c-vii, d-i, e-iii, f-v, g-ix, h-ii, i-viii.
Compare your answers with these and have a class discussion.
Carefully study each of the following events or situations described in a set of three sentences/phrases. Then, write a short paragraph to describe each event/situation as shown in the example. Your paragraph should begin with the description of the second event in each case. Use the verb form had+ past participle to describe the earliest of the past events.
|
• Somebody burgled the office on Sunday night. • Our arrival at work on Monday morning . • Police informed |
We arrived at work on Monday and found that somebody had burgled the office the previous night. So, we immediately informed the police. |
|
• (I) Mayank went out with his family. (ii) I tried to phone him this morning. (iii) His servant answered. |
I tried to phone Mayank this morning but the servant ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (i) Rohit returned from holiday.(ii) Jayanti met Rohit. |
Jayanti met Rohit, who ........................................... ........................................... |
|
• (I) All the arrangements were finalised for the seminar. (ii) The seminar participants arrived in Gangtok. (iii) Met the professors from the UK the same evening. |
The participants arrived in Gangtok. They found ........................................... ........................................... |
Read this sentence.
M. Hamel had said that he would question us on participles.
In the sentence above, the verb form “had said” in the first part is used to indicate an “earlier past.” The whole story is narrated in the past. M. Hamel’s “saying” happened earlier than the events in this story. This form of the verb is called the past perfect.
Pick out five sentences from the story with this form of verb and say why this form has been used.
Use the correct tense form of the verb given in the bracket and rewrite the sentence.
She ________ at her left shoulder for quite some time.
Spot the error and correct the following sentences.
- My grandparents laid down for an afternoon nap.
- A stranger were knocking at our door.
- My sister and I shares a study room.
- One of my friend, is leaving school.
- A flock of birds were flying overhead.
Rewrite the sentence as per the instruction given along with it.
She surveyed the area for the vicious male langur.
(Rewrite the sentence in the Simple Future Tense)
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
Still they took no notice of him.
Read the following sentence carefully, underline the verb and find out the tense in the sentence.
He leaned out eagerly.
Match the sentences given in part ‘A’ with the sentences given in part ‘B’. Note the differences in structure.
| ‘A’ Part | B’ Part |
| (1) He was kidnapped by an extremist militia. | (a) They forced the child to kill his friends and family |
| (2) The child was forced to kill his friends and family. | (b) An extremist militia kidnapped him. |
Observe the following underlined phrases. Here ‘have /has’ are followed by the past participle form of the verb. This construction indicates the perfect present tense. Find more such sentences from the speech.
- We have made progress in the last couple of decades.
- We have prevented millions of child deaths.
- It has happened.
- ________________________
- ________________________
- ________________________
