or Form irregular verbs: see 2nd column of irregular verbs I spoke irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular verbs I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken regular verbs: infinitive + ed I worked regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked Exceptions Exceptions when adding 'ed': when the final letter is e, only add d love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel) worry - worried but: play played Use
In British English, the use of and Present Perfect is quite strict. As soon as a time expression in the past is given, you have to use. If there are no signal words, you must decide if we just talk about an action in the past or if its consequence in the present is important. Certain time in the past or just / already / yet? Do you want to express that an action happened at a certain time in the past (even if it was just a few seconds ago) or that an action has just / already /not yet happened? certain time in the past I phoned Mary 2 minutes ago. just / already / not yet I have just phoned Mary. Certain event in the past or how often so far? Do you want to express when a certain action took place or whether / how often an action has happened till now? certain event in the past He went to Canada last summer. whether / how often till now Have you ever been to Canada? / I have been to Canada twice. Emphasis on action or result?
Do you just want to express what happened in the past? Or do you want to emphasise the result (a past action's consequence in the present)? Emphasis on action I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.) Emphasis on result I have bought a new bike. (With this sentence I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.) Signal Words yesterday... ago in 1990 the other day last... just already up to now until now / till now ever (not) yet so far lately / recently
or Exercise 1 1. Mother: I want to prepare dinner. (you / wash) the dishes yet? 2. Daughter: I (wash) the dishes yesterday, but I (have / not) the time yet to do it today. 3. Mother: (you / do / already) your homework? 4. Daughter: No, I (come / just) home from school. 5. Mother: You (come) home from school two hours ago! 6. Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy (call) when I (arrive) and I (finish / just) the phone call. 7. Mother: (you / see / not) Lucy at school in the morning? 8. Daughter: Yes, but we (have / not) time to talk then. Exercise 2 1. A: I (cycle / just) 50 km. 2. B: I (cycle) 100 km last week. 3. A: I (write) an essay yesterday. 4. B: I (write / already) two essays this term. 5. A: I (ring / just) my friend. 6. B: I (ring) my friend 10 minutes ago. 7. A: Two days ago, I (watch) a Madonna concert on TV. 8. B: I (see / already) Madonna live in concert. 9. A: I (spend) my summer holiday in Australia last year. 10. B: I (be / not) to Australia yet. Exercise 3 1. A: (you / be / ever) to London? 2. B: Yes, I (be) there three times. 3. A: When (be) the last time you (be) there?
4. B: Last summer. I (spend) two weeks in Brighton with my parents and we (go) to London one weekend. 5. (you / like) it? 6. Oh yes. We really (have) a great time in London. 7. Lucky you! I (be / never) to London. Exercise 4 1. A: (you / try / ever) haggis? 2. B: Oh, yes! 3. A: How often (you / eat) haggis yet? 4. B: Two times exactly. 5. A: When (you / eat / first) haggis? 6. B: That (be) in 2005. We (have) a Scottish festival in our town and they also (sell) traditional Scottish food. So I (buy) haggis. 7. A: (you / like) it? 8. B: It (be / not) too bad. And I (know / not) anything about haggis then. 9. A: When (you / find out)? 10. B: When I (be) in Scotland in 2007. I (go) to a restaurant and (order) haggis. Afterwards, the waiter (tell) me about haggis: it's the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep, boiled in the animal's stomach. Well, I (eat / never) haggis again since then. Exercise 6 1. Yesterday, my brother (come) home from school, (switch) on the TV and (watch) TV until dinner (be) ready. 2. Oh no, it's raining and I (leave) my umbrella at home. 3. Look! There is so much food left. Nobody (eat) anything. 4. Where (you / be) yesterday? - I (go) to the shopping centre and (buy) a new computer game. 5. Why don't you want to play football with us this weekend? - I (break) my leg. 6. The road is closed. There (be) an accident.
7. I (have) an accident when I (be) in Manchester last year. 8. Come on, let's celebrate! Our team (win) the match. Exercise 7 1. A: (you / play / already) the new computer game? 2. B: No, not yet. I only (buy) it yesterday and I (have / not) the time yet. 3. A: (you / go) to the cinema last night? 4. B: Yes. I (be) there with Sue and Louis. (you / be) to the cinema recently? 5. A: I last (go) to the cinema two weeks ago. 6. B: So you (see / not) the new action film yet. 7. A: No, unfortunately not. (you / enjoy) it? 8. B: Oh, I really (love) it. But Sue (like / not) it - too much action! 9. A: But why (you / take) her with you? She (tell) me last week that she (hate) action films. 10. B: I think she has an eye on Louis. She (try) to flirt with him all the time. So he (can / concentrate / not) on the film. Exercise 8 1. I (just / finish) my homework. 2. Mary (already / write) five letters. 3. Tom (move) to this town in 1994. 4. My friend (be) in Canada two years ago. 5. I (not / be) to Canada so far. 6. But I (already / travel) to London a couple of times. 7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go) to the cinema. 8. I can't take any pictures because I (not / buy) a new film yet. 9. (they / spend) their holiday in New Zealand last summer? 10. (you / ever / see) a whale?