Exercises: Signal Words for Present Perfect
- How long have you lived in your town? I’ve lived here for ten years1.
- How long have you been in this country? I’ve been here for about ten years.
- How long have you lived in Brazil? For a long time. Since 19802.
- How long have you lived in England? Not for a long time. Since 1999.
- - How many houses have you had? I’ve (I have) had three different houses.
- - How many countries have you lived in? I’ve (I have) lived in five countries.
- - How many countries have you been to? I’ve (I have) been to seven countries.
Verbs
Present Past Past Participle
Ser/Estar___________is/are______________was/were_______been
Vivir_______________live________________lived____________lived
Permanecer_________stay_______________stayed___________stayed
Ir__________________go________________went____________gone
Hacer_______________do/does____________did_____________done
Tener_______________have/has___________had_____________had
1 Usamos for cuando nos referimos a un cierto período de tiempo.
2 Usamos since cuando tenemos una fecha precisa de início.
EXERCISES
1. “For” or “Since” Make sentences using “for” or “since”.
Examples: – How long have you worked at the bank? (two years)
I have worked at the bank for two years.
- How long have you been married? (1996)
I have been married since 1996.
a. How long have you lived in the United States? (One year) ____________________________
b. How long has Mary been a nurse? (April) _________________________________________
c. How long has Karen known Tom? (1979) _________________________________________
d. How long have they studied English? (a few months) ________________________________
e. How long has Karen played tennis? (a long time) ___________________________________
f. How long has he worn glasses? (1975) ___________________________________________
g. How long has Emily played the piano? (high school) ________________________________
h. How long will you be on vacation? (three weeks) ___________________________________
i. How long have you driven a car? (my birthday) _____________________________________
j. How long has Ron had his new computer? (last month) ______________________________
k. How long has she owned the book shop? (ten years) ________________________________
l. How long has Gary played football? (several years) _________________________________
m. How long have your friends been in town? (Monday) _______________________________
n. How long has Mrs. Smith lived on Clark Street? (many years) _________________________
o. How long has the post office been closed. (five o’clock) ______________________________
2. Fill in the blanks with for or since:
a. I have been here……………………many months.
b. I have stayed in this hotel…………………….I arrived in London.
c. I haven’t been there……………………………a long time.
d. They haven’t seen her …………………………..last month.
e. Andrea and I have lived in Argentina ………………………… September.
f. We haven’t gone abroad…………………………1998.
3. Structures with “How”. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs given:
a. How long have you…………………………(live) in Brazil?
b. How many cars have you ……………………..(have)?
c. How long have you……………………….(stay) in this house?
d. How many countries have you………………………(be) to?
e. How long have you ……………………(be) in the United States?
4. – Match the second column with the first, combining questions and answers.
( 1 ) How long have you lived in Brazil?
( 2 ) How many countries have you been to?
( 3 ) How many jobs have you had ?
( 4 ) How many cities have you lived in?
( 5 ) How long have you been studying in Florida?
( ) I’ve been studying here just for two weeks.
( ) I haven’t lived here for a long time, only since 1998.
( ) I’ve had so many jobs! I guess I’ve had eight.
( ) I’ve already been to nine different countries.
( ) I have lived in four different cities.
5. Write sentences in present perfect simple. Place ‘never’ before the main verb.
In a contest, people get the chance to do something they’ve never done before. This is what the participants told the jury:
1. Fergal / never / sail / on the Pacific.
2. Rebecca / never / stay / at a five-star hotel
3. Jason / never / watch / a world-cup final
4. Rachel and Gareth / never / climb / Mount Kilimanjaro
5. Elaine / never / see / a whale
6. Ruth / never / spend / her holiday in Mexico
7. Connor / never / be / to Canada
8. Lisa and Holly / never / cycle / around England
9. Barry / never / drive / a Ferrari
10. Clare / never / meet / Mickey Mouse
Answers:
1- a. for, b. since, c. since, d. for, e. for, f. since, g. since, h. for, i. since, j. since, k. for, l. for, m. since, n. for, o. since
2- a. for, b. Since, c. For, d. Since, e. Since, f.. Since.
3- a. lived, b. had, c. stayed, d. been
4- ( 5 ) I’ve been studying here just for two weeks.
( 1 ) I haven’t lived here for a long time, only since 1998.
( 3 ) I’ve had so many jobs! I guess I’ve had eight.
( 2 ) I’ve already been to nine different countries.
( 4 ) I have lived in four different cities.
5- 1. Fergal has never sailed on the Pacific.
2. Rebecca has never stayed at a five-star hotel.
3. Jason has never watched a world-cup final.
4. Rachel and Gareth have never climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
5. Elaine has never seen a whale.
6. Ruth has never spent her holiday in Mexico.
7. Connor has never been to Canada.
8. Lisa and Holly have never cycled around England.
9. Barry has never driven a Ferrari.
10. Clare has never met Mickey Mouse.
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More Practice!!!!
http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.since.i.htm (for and since)
http://perso.wanadoo.es/autoenglish/gr.presper.i.htm (already, just, still and yet)
http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentPerfect1D.html (for and since)
http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/PresentPerfect1C.html (already and yet)
