BBC Learning English
Grammar Challenge
Present Perfect
Grammar Challenge
Present Perfect
Welcome to Grammar Challenge from http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/
Let’s meet this week’s challenger.
Hi, I’m Fatima…I come from Iran, and I’m studying English at university of… in London. I’m planning to stay here for two or three years. I want to study genetics or marine biology.
- Now we have a little challenge for you. You’re going to hear two people talking. Which person lives in London now? Have a listen:
- Where do you call home?
Man: I haven’t experienced many cities in my life. I’ve lived in London for 5 years and although I only moved to Glasgow two years ago, it feels like home already to me. I suppose it’s because the people are so friendly.
Woman: Well, I moved here in 2001 so I’ve lived here for 6 years and London really feels like home to me now.
Which of those two people lives in London now? The first person or the second person?
Fatima: The second person.
The second person, ok. Listen again. Both of them use the verb ‘to live’. The first person we heard said “I’ve lived in London”. What does the second person say? Just have a listen:
- I’ve lived here for 6 years.
Fatima: I’ve lived here for six years.
- ‘I’ve lived here for six years.’ And do you know what that structure is? ‘I have lived’, ‘I’ve lived here’, do you know what we call that grammatical structure? It’s not important, I’m just wondering if you do.
Fatima: No.
We call that the present perfect, the present perfect. And now over to our grammar expert Nuala who is going to tell us a little bit about this grammar topic, the present perfect.
Nuala’s Grammar Explanation
Present Perfect
Nuala: Elena used the present perfect ‘I’ve lived’. We use the present perfect when we want to talk about a period of time that starts in the past and continues until now. If the activity is completed or finished or we mentioned the exact time when something happened, we use the past simple.
Listen to Finn: ‘I’ve lived in London for 20 years.”
We use the present perfect to talk about an action that began in the past and is still continuing now, sometimes called “the unfinished past”.
- I haven’t experienced many cities in my life.
He hasn’t experienced many cities in his life. The period of time we’re talking about is his life which hasn’t finished yet.
- I’ve lived here for six years.
‘She’s lived here for six years’ means she came to London six years ago and she’s still here now.
So, to recap then: We use the present perfect to talk about an action or state that began in the past and still continues now. That’s all for me. Good luck with your grammar challenge!
Grammar Challenge
- Ok, so that’s the present perfect. Are you ready for your present perfect grammar challenge?
Fatima: Yes I’m ready.
- Ok, we’re going to talk a little bit about the actor Tom Cruise. With the prompts that I’ll give you, you have to make a true sentence about Tom. Ok here is the first one:
1. He – (honk) – acting in films – in 1981 – begin
Fatima: He began acting in films in 1991.
- 1981.
Fatima: 1981.
- Ok well done. Ok. That was the simple past.
2. He – (honk) – more than 30 movies – star
Fatima: He stars…he stars…I don’t know.
- Do you think it is present perfect or past simple?
Fatima: Past simple, I think.
- Is he making movies now?
Fatima: Still.
- So he’s still making movies. He can’t star in some more movies.
Fatima: He has starred in more than 30 movies.
- Ok well done.
3. He – (honk) – three golden globe awards – win
Fatima: He has won three golden globe awards.
- Excellent.
4. He – (honk) – in the first mission impossible film in 1996 – and use the verb ‘act’
Fatima: He acted in the first mission impossible film in 1996.
- Exactly, that. It’s simple past because we heard 1996, it’s in the past, it’s finished, it’s simple past.
5. He – three times – be married
Fatima: He married three times?
- If he was dead you could say that but he’s still alive so maybe you could…
Fatima: He’s been married three times.
- Excellent. Well done. Grammar Challenge from http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/
That completes your Grammar Challenge. Well done.
http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/
Extra information
The present perfect is essentially a present tense. Although it refers to the past , it’s the effect on the present that we’re highlighting when we use the present perfect.
He hasn’t experienced many cities in her life (his life up until now).
She’s lived in London for 6 years = She came to London 6 years ago (and she’s still here now).
Let’s meet this week’s challenger.
Hi, I’m Fatima…I come from Iran, and I’m studying English at university of… in London. I’m planning to stay here for two or three years. I want to study genetics or marine biology.
- Now we have a little challenge for you. You’re going to hear two people talking. Which person lives in London now? Have a listen:
- Where do you call home?
Man: I haven’t experienced many cities in my life. I’ve lived in London for 5 years and although I only moved to Glasgow two years ago, it feels like home already to me. I suppose it’s because the people are so friendly.
Woman: Well, I moved here in 2001 so I’ve lived here for 6 years and London really feels like home to me now.
Which of those two people lives in London now? The first person or the second person?
Fatima: The second person.
The second person, ok. Listen again. Both of them use the verb ‘to live’. The first person we heard said “I’ve lived in London”. What does the second person say? Just have a listen:
- I’ve lived here for 6 years.
Fatima: I’ve lived here for six years.
- ‘I’ve lived here for six years.’ And do you know what that structure is? ‘I have lived’, ‘I’ve lived here’, do you know what we call that grammatical structure? It’s not important, I’m just wondering if you do.
Fatima: No.
We call that the present perfect, the present perfect. And now over to our grammar expert Nuala who is going to tell us a little bit about this grammar topic, the present perfect.
Nuala’s Grammar Explanation
Present Perfect
Nuala: Elena used the present perfect ‘I’ve lived’. We use the present perfect when we want to talk about a period of time that starts in the past and continues until now. If the activity is completed or finished or we mentioned the exact time when something happened, we use the past simple.
Listen to Finn: ‘I’ve lived in London for 20 years.”
We use the present perfect to talk about an action that began in the past and is still continuing now, sometimes called “the unfinished past”.
- I haven’t experienced many cities in my life.
He hasn’t experienced many cities in his life. The period of time we’re talking about is his life which hasn’t finished yet.
- I’ve lived here for six years.
‘She’s lived here for six years’ means she came to London six years ago and she’s still here now.
So, to recap then: We use the present perfect to talk about an action or state that began in the past and still continues now. That’s all for me. Good luck with your grammar challenge!
Grammar Challenge
- Ok, so that’s the present perfect. Are you ready for your present perfect grammar challenge?
Fatima: Yes I’m ready.
- Ok, we’re going to talk a little bit about the actor Tom Cruise. With the prompts that I’ll give you, you have to make a true sentence about Tom. Ok here is the first one:
1. He – (honk) – acting in films – in 1981 – begin
Fatima: He began acting in films in 1991.
- 1981.
Fatima: 1981.
- Ok well done. Ok. That was the simple past.
2. He – (honk) – more than 30 movies – star
Fatima: He stars…he stars…I don’t know.
- Do you think it is present perfect or past simple?
Fatima: Past simple, I think.
- Is he making movies now?
Fatima: Still.
- So he’s still making movies. He can’t star in some more movies.
Fatima: He has starred in more than 30 movies.
- Ok well done.
3. He – (honk) – three golden globe awards – win
Fatima: He has won three golden globe awards.
- Excellent.
4. He – (honk) – in the first mission impossible film in 1996 – and use the verb ‘act’
Fatima: He acted in the first mission impossible film in 1996.
- Exactly, that. It’s simple past because we heard 1996, it’s in the past, it’s finished, it’s simple past.
5. He – three times – be married
Fatima: He married three times?
- If he was dead you could say that but he’s still alive so maybe you could…
Fatima: He’s been married three times.
- Excellent. Well done. Grammar Challenge from http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/
That completes your Grammar Challenge. Well done.
http://www.bbclearningenglish.com/
Extra information
The present perfect is essentially a present tense. Although it refers to the past , it’s the effect on the present that we’re highlighting when we use the present perfect.
He hasn’t experienced many cities in her life (his life up until now).
She’s lived in London for 6 years = She came to London 6 years ago (and she’s still here now).
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