6 Connecting past and present 2

A Past simple or present perfect? D Present perfect continuous: uses

The past simple is used to describe actions in a completed The present perfect continuous describes an action or
time period. situation in progress from the past up to the present.
The present perfect is used when the time period includes Production at this site has been increasing steadily since we
the present. started here five years ago.
I lived in Milan many years ago. The present perfect continuous often emphasizes the length
(completed: now I live in another place) of time of the action.
I’ve lived in Milan since 2008. I’ve been working on this report all week.
(a situation that started in the past and continues in the The present perfect continuous can be used for repeated
present: I still live there) actions.
I’ve been to Milan several times. I’ve been calling her all afternoon, but she’s always in a meeting.
(life experience)
The action may be finished or continuing; we only know by
My boss has agreed to your proposal. the situation.
(present result of a past action)
You’re late! I’ve been waiting here for ages!
Time phrases used with the past simple (unit 3C) refer to a (the waiting is finished now)
particular point in the past: yesterday, last month.
I’ve been waiting for ages. Where is she?
Time phrases used with the present perfect (unit 5C) link the (I will continue waiting)
past to the present: since, never, this month.
The choice of tense often depends on the situation and where E Present perfect continuous: time
our attention is. expressions
Good news! We’ve won the contract! Typical time expressions used with the present perfect
(recent news: the event is present in my mind) continuous include: all day, for months, for ages, recently, over
So, we won the contract, and then ... the last few years, since, for.
(telling a story: the event feels distant in my mind)
F Present perfect or present perfect
B Present simple or present perfect? continuous?
The present simple is used for permanent facts and states, Sometimes there is no difference in meaning between the
and regular habits. present perfect and present perfect continuous.
The present perfect makes a connection between past and I’ve worked/been working here for two years.
present.
The choice of tense often depends on where our attention is.
I work here. We use the present perfect if our attention is on the present
(a permanent state: I work here every day) result.
I’ve worked here for two years. I’ve written the report. Here it is.
(I started two years ago and still work here now) (the finished report is in my mind)
We use the present perfect continuous if our attention is on
C Present perfect continuous: form the action in progress.
The present perfect continuous is formed with the present I’ve been writing the report. I’m exhausted.
perfect of be, and the -ing form of the verb. Negatives are (the act of writing is in my mind)
formed with not.
If we give details of how many or how much, we do not use
I’ve been (haven’t been) waiting here for more than an hour. a continuous form.
She’s been (hasn’t been) waiting here for ages.
I’ve written three reports this week.
Questions are formed by inverting the subject and have. I’ve done a lot of research on this company.
Have you been waiting long?
Has she been waiting long? See page 243 for an overview of the English verb tense system.

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 6  Connecting past and present 2

Exercises
Sections A, B 6.1  Underline the correct words.
1 Yesterday I phoned/I’ve phoned the bank about our overdraft.
2 I work/I have worked here since the end of last year.
3 I work/I have worked from home one day a week.
4 I’m enjoying the conference. I made/I have made a lot of useful contacts.
5 I saw/I’ve seen Hugh Hopper a few days ago – he sends his regards.
6 We went/We have been to an interesting seminar last week.
7 Today has been/was really busy – and it’s only lunchtime!
8 Today has been/was really busy. It’s 7 pm – I’m going home.
9 I’m sorry but Patricia left/has left the office an hour ago.
10 Patricia? No, she isn’t here right now. She left/has left the office.

Sections A, B 6.2  Put the verbs in brackets into either the present simple, past simple or present perfect.
1 The company is doing very well. Last year sales went up (go up) 15%, and so far this year
they have gone up (go up) another 12%.
2 We (operate) all over Latin America. Recently we (set up) branches in Peru
and Colombia.
3 (you/see) my laptop? I’m sure I (leave) it here earlier.
4 This (not look) like the right block. Are you sure we (come) to the right
address?
5 I (never/speak) to him, but I (speak) to his assistant on the phone
yesterday.
6 I (work) for WorldCom since last year, but now I (want) to change jobs.
(you/hear) of anyone taking on new staff?

Sections C, D, F 6.3  In each mini-dialogue put one verb into the present perfect simple and the other into the
present perfect continuous. Use contractions where possible.
1 A: What’s the matter? You look worried!
B: Yes, I am. I ’ve been looking at (look at) the contract in detail, and I ’ve noticed (notice) a lot of
potential problems.
2 A: I (call) Carol all day, but it goes straight to voicemail.
B: I expect she (go) to Head Office.
3 A: ‘Tosca’ is coming to the Opera House. (you see) it?
B: Not yet, but I (look forward) to it for ages.
Shall we go together?
4 A: How long (you produce)
cars at this site?
B: About four years. We
(invest) around twenty million dollars in plant
and machinery.

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 exercises
section a 6.4 Put the verbs into the correct form of the past simple or present perfect simple. Use
contractions where possible.

VICTORIA: Hi, Sue. I 1 haven’t seen (not/see) you for ages!

SUE: Hi, Victoria, nice to see you again. No, you’re right, I 2 (not/be)
in touch with anyone recently.
VICTORIA: So what have you been up to?
SUE: You know I 3 (leave) my job in January so that I could go
freelance as a graphic designer?
VICTORIA: Yes, I remember you 4 (talk) a lot about that last year.
SUE: Well, it 5 (be) a really difficult year so far. I 6
(never/do) anything like this before and it’s much harder than I
7
(imagine). 8 (you/ever/be) self-employed?
9
VICTORIA: No, never, although I (often/think) about it. So why
10
(it/be) so difficult?
SUE: There’s a lot of insecurity. At the beginning I 11 (have) two or
three good clients. These are people that I 12 (know) for many
years. They’re still with me. But apart from that nothing really.
VICTORIA: What about advertising in the specialist magazines?
SUE: Yes, I 13 (already/do) that. I 14 (put) an advert
in Design Monthly a couple of months ago but there were only a few replies.
But I have a new website and I’m quite optimistic about using it to generate
business. I 15 (fi nish) it just last week. It’s optimized for search
engines so that people can fi nd me more easily. I 16 (have) quite
a few hits already, so things might improve soon.

section a 6.5 Complete the text about technology stocks by putting the verbs into the correct form of
the past simple or present perfect.

MARKET REPORT a rocky road for tech stocks

European investors 1 have watched (watch) US stock Dow Jones Stoxx Technology Index Figures 1st of each month
markets nervously over the last few months. The problems with
US technology and telecomms stocks 2 (begin) 300
last March, and since then share prices at companies like Intel,
HP and Apple 3 (crash). Over the summer all 250
these giants 4 (announce) lower than expected
profits, and investors fear that in the current economic climate
200
demand for their products 5 (peak). Now it’s the
turn of European stocks, and on Monday stocks in Germany’s
SAP and Finland’s Nokia 6 (fall) sharply. SAP 150
7
(be) down 4%.
But there was some good news for investors yesterday. 100
Capgemini 8 (release) figures which showed J F M A M J J A S O
that this year revenues 9 (rise) to €9,100
million, up from €8,700 million last year. In recent years the way in the use of offshoring, often transferring work to
Capgemini 10 (become) one of the leading countries such as India and Poland. This 12
players in the global IT services market, alongside IBM, EDS (improve) profitability as well as providing a wider range of
and Accenture. The company 11 (also/lead) options in the event of a sudden change in the market.

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