41 The present perfect and the simple past

•  PEG 175-7, 182-9

 

1   Where is Tom? -

(not see) him today, but he (tell) Mary that he'd be in for dinner.

2   I (buy) this in Bond Street. -How much you (pay) for it? ~ I (pay) Ј100.

3   Where you (find) this knife?-I (find) it in the garden. -Why you (not leave) it there?

4   I (lose) my black gloves. You (see) them anywhere?-No, I'm afraid I .... When you last (wear) them?-

 I (wear) them at the theatre last'night. -Perhaps you (leave) them at the theatre.

5   Do you know that lady who just (leave) the shop? ~ Yes, that is Miss Thrift. Is she a customer of yours?-

Not exactly. She (be) in here several times but she never (buy) anything.

6   He (leave) the house at 8.00. ~ Where he (go)? -

I (not see) where he (go).

7   He (serve) in the First World War. -When that war (begin)? -It (begin) in 1914 and (last) for four years.

8  Who you (vote) for at the last election? -I (vote) for Mr Pitt. -

He (not be) elected, (be) he? -No, he (lose) his deposit.

9  You (like) your last job? -

I (like) it at first but then I (quarrel) with my employer and he

(dismiss) me. -

How long you (be) there? ~

I (be) there for two weeks.

10  I (not know) that you (know) Mrs Pitt. How long you (know) her? -I (know) her for ten years.

11   That is Mr Minus, who teaches me mathematics, but he (not have) time to teach me much. I only (be) in his class for a week.

12  You (hear) his speech on the radio last night? -Yes, I . . . -

What you (think) of it?

13  I (not know) that you (be) here. You (be) here long?-Yes, I (be) here two months. —

You (be) to the Cathedral? ~ Yes, I (go) there last Sunday.

14  You ever (try) to give up smoking? -

Yes, I (try) last year, but then I (find) that I was getting fat so I (start) again.

15  You (see) today's paper? -

No, anything interesting (happen)?

Yes, two convicted murderers (escape) from the prison down the

road.

16  Mary (feed) the cat?-

Yes, she (feed) him before lunch. ~ What she (give) him? -She (give) him some fish.

17   How long you (know) your new assistant?-I (know) him for two years. —

What he (do) before he (come) here? -I think he (be) in prison.

18  I (not see) your aunt recently. -

No. She (not be) out of her house since she (buy) her colour TV.

19  The plumber (be) here yet?-

Yes, but he only (stay) for an hour. -

What he (do) in that time? -

He (turn) off the water and (empty) the tank.

20  Where you (be)?

I (be) out in a yacht. -

You (enjoy) it? -

Yes, very much. We (take) part in a race. -

You (win)?~

No, we (come) in last.

21   How long that horrible monument (be) there?-

It (be) there six months. Lots of people (write) to the Town Council asking them to take it away but so far nothing (be) done.

22   I just (be) to the film War and Peace. You (see) it? -No, I.... Is it like the book? -

I (not read) the book. -

I (read) it when I (be) at school. -

When Tolstoy (write) it? -

He (write) it in 1868. -

He (write) anything else?

23  Hannibal (bring) elephants across the Alps. -Why he (do) that?-

He (want) to use them in battle.

24  Where you (be)?-

I (be) to the dentist. ~

He (take) out your bad tooth? -

Yes, he . . . -

It (hurt)?-

Yes, horribly.

25  She (say) that she'd phone me this morning, but it is now 12.30 and she (not phone) yet.

26  I just (receive) a letter saying that we (not pay) this quarter's electricity bill. I (not give) you the money for that last week? ~ Yes, you . . . but I'm afraid I (spend) it on something else.

27   How long you (be) out of work? -

I'm not out of work now. I just (start) a new job. -

How you (find) the job? -

I (answer) an advertisement in the paper.

28  You (finish) checking the accounts? -No, not quite. I (do) about half so far.

29  I (cut) my hand rather badly. Have you a bandage?-I'll get you one. How it (happen)? -

I was chopping some wood and the axe (slip).

30  How you (get) that scar? -

I (get) it in a car accident a year ago.

31  You (meet) my brother at the lecture yesterday? -Yes, I.... We (have) coffee together afterwards.    •

32  He (lose) his job last month and since then he (be) out of work. -Why he (lose) his job? -

He (be) very rude to Mr Pitt.