Perfect Continuous Tense Forms (Present, Past and Future)

Perfect Continuous Tense Forms (Present, Past and Future)

 

Exercise 19 p. 216 Study the following chart.

 

I	1 2	She has been waiting to see you since morning. They have been studying English for three years.
II	3   4 5	When I came to work at the Institute she had been teaching there for ten years already. She said that she had been working at this factory since 1980. He had been living in Kiev up to 1991 and then he moved to Moscow.
III	6	By this time next year he will have been lectur­ing on the subject for five years.[1]

 

Exercise 20 p. 217 Ask questions indicated at the end of the sentences.

1. I have been working on the problem for three years. (How long?) 2. We had been walking for hours before we saw the lake. (How long?) 3. It has been raining since morning. (Since when?) 4. I don't want to go out this evening. I've been working in the garden all day. (Who?) 5. We have been making chemical experiments for the past few days. (What experiments?) 6. By the time she comes, he will have been staying at the hotel for two days. (How long?) 7. He said he had been taking English lessons since he was a boy. (Since what time?) 8. You have been hiding from me lately. (Why?) 9. For the past few minutes he has been trying to make her understand that she is wrong. (What?)

 

Exercise 21 p. 217 Use the Present Perfect Continuous tense form in the following sentences, make use of the adverbial modifiers suggested in the brackets (watch the change in meaning).

 

Model 1: He has already written this letter. (since morning)

He has been writing this letter since morning.

 

1. They have already built the theatre. (for two years) 2. We have discussed all these problems (the whole month) 3. I've helped her with her work. (since she came to this office) 4. He has just read this book. (all week) 5. She has taught them how to do it. (for years) 6. What has happened here? (while I have been away) 7. Has he read the book? (long). 8. I've looked through today's newspapers. (since the postman brought them)

 

Model 2: They are playing tennis now. (since lunch time)

They have been playing tennis since lunch time.

 

1. It's snowing hard. (since early morning) 2. I am looking for a book which I've put somewhere. (since I returned from the office) 3. She is wearing a brown hat today. (for three years) 4. They are making tractors at this factory (since 1935) 5. They are translating an article from the Morning Star now. (for two hours) 6. The baby is crying. (all morning) 7. I am reading David Copperfield now. (this week) 8. She is waiting for you in the hall. (for twenty minutes)

Exercise 22 p. 217 Answer the following questions, using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense1.

 

Model: Why are you looking so hot? (to run all the way)

I've been running all the way.

1. Why are you so excited? (argue) 2. Why are her eyes red? (cry) 3. Why does he look so tired? (work hard lately) 4. What's so funny? Why are you laughing? (Peter, tell his funny stories again) 5. Why do you keep silent? (sorry, think over your words) 6. What are you doing here? (wait for a friend) 7. Why do you look so pale? (smoke too much today) 8. Why are you late? (walk all the way, something has happened on the trolley-bus line) 9. Why are your hands covered with paint? (paint the door)

Exercise 23 p. 218 Repeat and expand the following statements, using the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.

Model They feel very tired. (work very hard)

      They feel very tired. They have been working very hard.

 

1. The pavements are wet. (rain) 2. I've got wet to the skin. (walk in the rain) 3. My throat is dry. (talk much) 4. He is wearing shorts. (play football) 5. They are talking very excitedly. (watch a very interesting match) 6. She is still looking pale and ill. (stay in hospital for a long time) 7. He is playing table-tennis today very well. (practise a lot) 8. She's got a camera in her hand. (take photographs) 9. He's got paint all over him. (paint the house) 10. They've got brown. (lie in the sun) 11. They feel very tired. (travel all day) 12. You look pale. (smoke too much again) 13. I feel stiff. (sit for a long time)

 

Exercise 24 p. 218 Begin the following sentences with: 'I wondered', 'he asked', 'she said', etc.

1. Has she been waiting for me long? 2. I have been thinking things over and now I've made up my mind at last. 3. How long has the child been sleeping? 4. He has been lecturing since the beginning of term. 5. What have you been doing in my absence? 6. I've been reading this book for a week.

 

Passive Voice (Indefinite Tense Forms)

 

 Exercise 22 p. 167 Study the following chart.

	is		every day.
	was		yesterday.
This work	will be must be	done	tomorrow at once.
	can be		at any time today.
	may be		now.

 

Made

there now. was being there when I stayed.     in this town.

 

Tense and Voice (revision)

Reported Speech

Sequence of Tenses

The Subject

Model 1: It’s difficult to follow you. You speak so fast.

 

1. It’s late —. 2. It’s always easy —. 3. It was hard—. 4. Why is it so important —? 5. It'll take you very little time —. 6. It gives him pleasure—. 7. It wasn't difficult—. 8. It's hot—. 9. It's dangerous —. 10. It's time—. 11. It was not easy—. 12. It was so noisy that it was hard —.

 

hear or be heard; play football today; raise this question; drive a car in a big city; look through my work; call on him today; explain to them the meaning of this word; get letters; explain his behaviour; give advice; believe his words; follow the traffic regulations.

The Predicative

Model 2: The main problem is to get to the place before dark.

 

1. My job then was —. 2. His next step was —. 3. All you have to do is —. 4. Our plan was —. 5. The only thing he had to do was —. 6. Among other things the job of a reporter is —. 7. The last thing I want is —. 8. The first thing to do is —.

 

Spend the summer holidays in the mountains; disturb you; attend press conferences; learn the whole truth; get her on the phone; explain how to do it; get information and send it to the newspaper; let her know how things are.

An Object

Model 3: (a) I am sorry to trouble you.

          (b) He tried to speak calmly.

 

1. He couldn't make up his mind whether — or not. 2. The students of our group agreed—. 3. We didn't know which way —. 4. She was eager —. 5. He was a very careless driver, he wasn't afraid —. 6. We were lucky not —. 7. He hates —. 8. The boy promised —. 9. I didn't mean —. 10. He went to bed forgetting —. 11. I was happy —. 12. He was determined —.

 

turn; attract everybody's attention; break the traffic regulations; stay for the night in the village; take part in the work of the English club; behave well; win first place; switch off the light; miss the train; see an old friend; be the centre of attention; hurt sb's feelings

An Attribute

Model 4: (a) She had nothing to do.

         (в) There was nothing to argue about.

 

1. He had little —. 2. There was no need —. 3. I have nothing —. 4. The ground is wet. Let's find something —. 5. Leaving this town he had nothing —. 6. He had good news —. 7. We have a lot of problems —. 8. You'll need somebody —. 9. She had nothing —. 10. She has a family —.

 

sit on; say; read; look after; argue about the matter; help you with the work; be proud of; lose; tell; think over

 

Link-verbs.

Must, Can and May

 

Have to1

 

Be to

 

Should

Need

 

Exercise 24 p. 280 Study the following chart:

 

Meaning	With a Non-Perfect Infinitive (Present, Future; of past in Reported Speech)
Absence of necessity	You needn’t hurry. (There is no need for you to hurry).
	He needn’t speak so loud (Everybody can hear him).
	She said that I needn’t go there.
	With a Perfect Infinitive (past, or prior to the moment of speech)
	You needn’t have come so early. (There was no need for him to come so early, but he did come). She needn’t have translated the article. (But she did translate it). He said that I needn’t have gone there. (But I had gone there).

 

Perfect Continuous Tense Forms (Present, Past and Future)