The Present Perfect Tenses
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Put the following verbs into the correct tense—either the present perfect simple or the present perfect
progressive,butusetheprogressive formwhereverpossible.Useanyother informationgiven,and
select for or since where necessary.Note the importance of certain keywords.
1. They (just, arrive) from New York.
2. We (already, eat).
3. I (now, study) your ideas, and I regret to say I cannot acceptthem.
4. They (live) there (for/since) December.
5. I (read) four books (since/for) I arrived here.
6. We (wait) (for/since) three o’clock.
7. I (already, write) to him, but he (not yet, reply).
8. It’s eleven o’clock and Helen (make) cakes all morning, but I (not, make) any.
9. He (not, work) there (for/since) the last year.
10. I (read) magazines all evening; so far I (read) seven.
11. How long (you,drive)?
12. She (not, do) a single thing all morning.
13. They (build) that house (for/since) more than a year and they (still, not, finish) it.
14. It’s May 30th and I (not, receive) a letter from him this month.
15. Come quickly! Your father (break) his arm.
16. I am awfully sorry, but I (drop) your clock. I hope it (not, break).
17. “Is John in?” – “No, I’m afraid he (be/go) to Margate.”
18. (you, stand) in the rain (for/since) all that time?
19. (you, not, ever, be/go) to San Francisco?
20. (Jim, fall) off his bike again? Oh, no!
21. I (never, see) a flying saucer (fliegende Untertasse) when I’ve been sober.
22. My sister (never, be/go) to Italy.
23. “MrMortimer (fish)allmorning.Sofarhe(catch)fifteen,buthe(let)eachonego
free.” – “Perhaps he (catch) the same one fifteen times.”.
24. She (just, lose) all her money.
25. This company (lose) money (for/since) ages.
26. Roger (just, break) his new watch.
27. I (already, say) this several times, but now I shall say it again.
28. I (often, hear) strange noises in the night.
29. MrsKensington(recently,notice) thatherchauffeurprefersrockmusictoBrahms.
30. Thenextdoorneighbour’sdog(just,bite)thepostman. It’sthethirdtimethatit
(bite) him.
31. You (come) too late, Doctor. The poor girl (just, die).
32. He(always,detest) travellingbybus,andhe(never,like) travellingbycareither.
33. Jane (see) the Loch Ness Monster five times.
34. A bee (sting) me!
35. The workers (now, finish) building that supermarket. Apparently it (take) them a lot
longer to build it than they thought it would.
36. ThatniceDrLindsay?No,officer, I(not,see)himorhisvivaciouswife(for/since)
ages.
37. She (only, know)Charles (for/since) she was sixteen, butthey (live) in the same town
(for/since) they wereborn.
38. Old Mr Green (bring) me my newspapers (for/since) over fifteen years.
39. They (write) to me fourteen times (since/for) the beginning of the month.