UNIT 7

For and Since with Present Perfect Tense

We often use for and since with perfect tenses:

• We use for to talk about a period of time: five minutes, two weeks, six years
• We use since to talk about a point in past time: 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday

for	since
a period of time	a point in past time
- - - - - - - - - - - -	- • - - - - - - - - - -
20 minutes	6.15pm
three days	Monday
6 months	January
4 years	1994
2 centuries	1800
a long time	I left school
ever	the beginning of time
etc	etc

Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present Perfect tense:

• I have been here for twenty minutes.
• I have been here since 9 o'clock.
• John hasn't called for six months.
• John hasn't called since February.
• He has worked in New York for a long time.
• He has worked in New York since he left school.

QUIZ

PRESENT PERFECT + EVER, NEVER, ALREADY, YET

EVER

The adverbs ever and never express the idea of an unidentified time before now(Have you ever visited Berlin?)'Ever' and 'never' are always placedbefore the main verb (past participle). Ever is used:

IN QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES

Have you ever been to England?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?

IN NEGATIVE QUESTIONS

EXAMPLES

Haven't they ever been to Europe?
Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?

IN NEGATIVE STATEMENTS USING THE PATTERN NOTHING+EVER OR NOBODY+EVER

EXAMPLES

Nobody has ever said that to me before.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.

WITH 'THE FIRST TIME'

EXAMPLES

It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.

NEVER

Never means at no time before now, and is the same as not ..... ever:
 (I have never visited Berlin)

BE CAREFUL!You must not use never and not together

I haven't never been to Italy.
I have never been to Italy.

ALREADY

Already refers to an action that has happened at an unspecified time before now. It suggests that there is no need for repetition.

EXAMPLES

I've already drunk three coffees this morning. (= and you're offering me another one!)
Don't write to John, I've already done it.

It is also used in questions:

Have you already written to John?
Has she finished her homework already?

Already can be placed before the main verb (past participle) or at the end of the sentence:

I have already been to Tokyo.
I have been to Tokyo already.

YET

Yet is used in negative statements and questions, to mean (not) in the period of time between before now and now, (not) up to and including the present.Yet is usually placed at the end of the sentence.

EXAMPLES

Have you met Judy yet?
I haven't visited the Tate Gallery yet
Has he arrived yet?
They haven't eaten yet

QUIZ

READING: LIVING HISTORY

welcome	crew	band	Pass down
responsibility	generation	situated	staircase
acre	staff	run	estate
approximately	exhibition	Horse trails	aristocracy
vast	ancestor	impress	persuade
magnificent	influence	huge

 QUESTION TAGS

A tag question is one where a statement is made, but the speaker wants a response from the listener. Like- Today's lesson is hard, isn't it? or The kids can't sing that song, can they?

First of all, to understand tag questions, you need to know about affirmative and negative sentences.

Do you know what an affirmative sentence is? It is like this: Mary is at home. or The studentswork hard.

Do you know what a negative sentence is? It is like this: Mary isn't at home. or The students don't work hard.

Then, you need to know that if the sentence is affirmative, the tag will be negative. And if the sentence is negative, the tag will be positive.

And finally, you need to think about the kind of verb used in the sentence. Does it use a modal, likecan or will or a form of to be? Your tag question will follow the verb in the sentence. If it is a regular verb, don't forget it uses do, don't, does, doesn't when a question is asked.

Examples?

Affirmative Sentence/ Negative Tag

Toshi likes fishing, doesn't he?

Susan is sick today, isn't she?

Mike can play the piano, can't he?

You will go there, won't you?

Negative Sentence/ Affirmative Tag

Andrew doesn't study much, does he?

The dogs aren't hungry, are they?

She can't cook, can she?

You won't see her, will you?

QUIZ