English Grammar in Use

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Wörterbuch zur altnordischen Prosaliteratur Walter Baetke DOWNLOAD Year: 2006 Language: german File: PDF, 69.55 MB

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ENGLISH 

GRAMMAR

IN USE
Fi� h Edition

Raymond Murphy 

THE WORLD’S BEST-SELLING GRAMMAR BOOK

A self-study reference and 

practice book for intermediate 

learners of English

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• More than 35,000 definitions and hundreds of new words• Definitions are written in clear, simple English• Thesaurus boxes help you to expand your vocabulary• Common Learner Error boxes, based on learner errors from the Cambridge  • Over 1,000 Word Partner boxes show the important collocations that will  

CD-ROM• SMART thesaurus – a dictionary and a thesaurus in one!• Spoken British and American pronunciation for every word• ‘Record yourself’ feature helps you with pronunciation practice

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ENGLISH 

GRAMMAR

IN USE
Fifth Edition

Raymond Murphy 

A self-study reference and 

practice book for intermediate 

learners of English

  with answers  


Teachercom's Library 



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University Printing House, Cambridge CB2 8BS, United Kingdom

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education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

www.cambridge.org

Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781108457651

© Cambridge University Press 1985, 1994, 2004, 2012, 2019

This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception  

and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,  

no reproduction of any part may take place without the written  

permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 1985

Second edition 1994

Third edition 2004

Fourth edition 2012

Fifth edition 2019

20   19   18   17   16   15   14   13   12   11   10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2

Printed in Malaysia by Vivar Printing

A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library

ISBN  978-1-108-45765-1  Student’s Book with answers

ISBN  978-1-108-58662-7  Student’s Book with answers and ebook

ISBN  978-1-108-45768-2  Student’s Book without answers

ISBN  978-1-108-45771-2  Interactive ebook 

ISBN  978-1-108-45773-6  Supplementary Exercises

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and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain,  

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factual information given in this work is correct at the time of first printing but  

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Contents

Thanks    vii

To the student   viii

To the teacher   x

Present and past

1 Present continuous (I am doing)

2 Present simple (I do)

3 Present continuous and present simple 1 (I am doing and I do)

4 Present continuous and present simple 2 (I am doing and I do)

5 Past simple (I did)

6 Past continuous (I was doing)

Present perfect and past

7  Present perfect 1 (I have done)

8  Present perfect 2 (I have done)

9  Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)

10 Present perfect continuous and simple (I have been doing and I have done)

11 how long have you (been) … ?

12 for and since    when … ? and how long … ?

13 Present perfect and past 1 (I have done and I did)

14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)

15 Past perfect (I had done)

16 Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)

17 have and have got

18 used to (do)

Future

19 Present tenses (I am doing / I do) for the future

20 I’m going to (do)

21 will and shall 1

22 will and shall 2

23 I will and I’m going to

24 will be doing and will have done

25 when I do and when I’ve done      if and when

Modals

26 can, could and (be) able to

27 could (do) and could have (done)

28 must and can’t

29 may and might 1

30 may and might 2

31 have to and must

32 must   mustn’t   needn’t

33 should 1

34 should 2

35 I’d better …     it’s time …

36 would

37 can/could/would you … ? etc.  (Requests, offers, permission and invitations)

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326. iii



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if and wish

38 if I do … and if I did …

39 if I knew …    I wish I knew …

40 if I had known …     I wish I had known …

41 wish

Passive

42 Passive 1 (is done / was done)

43 Passive 2 (be done / been done / being done)

44 Passive 3

45 it is said that …   he is said to …   he is supposed to …

46 have something done

Reported speech

47 Reported speech 1 (he said that …)

48 Reported speech 2

Questions and auxiliary verbs

49 Questions 1

50 Questions 2 (do you know where … ? / he asked me where …)

51 Auxiliary verbs (have/do/can etc.)   I think so / I hope so etc.

52 Question tags (do you? isn’t it? etc.)

-ing and to …

53 Verb + -ing (enjoy doing / stop doing etc.)

54 Verb + to … (decide to … / forget to … etc.)

55 Verb (+ object) + to … (I want you to …)

56 Verb + -ing or to … 1 (remember, regret etc.)

57 Verb + -ing or to … 2 (try, need, help)

58 Verb + -ing or to … 3 (like / would like etc.)

59 prefer and would rather

60 Preposition (in/for/about etc.) + -ing

61 be/get used to … (I’m used to …)

62 Verb + preposition + -ing (succeed in -ing / insist on -ing etc.)

63 there’s no point in -ing, it’s worth -ing etc.

64 to … , for … and so that …

65 Adjective + to …

66 to … (afraid to do) and preposition + -ing (afraid of -ing)

67 see somebody do and see somebody doing

68 -ing clauses (He hurt his knee playing football.)

Articles and nouns

69 Countable and uncountable 1

70 Countable and uncountable 2

71 Countable nouns with a/an and some

72 a/an and the

73 the 1

74 the 2 (school / the school etc.)

75 the 3 (children / the children)

76 the 4 (the giraffe / the telephone / the old etc.)

77 Names with and without the 1

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326.iv



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78 Names with and without the 2

79 Singular and plural

 80 Noun + noun (a bus driver / a headache)

 81 -’s (your sister’s name) and of … (the name of the book)

Pronouns and determiners

 82 myself/yourself/themselves etc.

83 a friend of mine      my own house      on my own / by myself

 84 there … and it …

 85 some and any

 86 no/none/any      nothing/nobody etc.

 87 much, many, little, few, a lot, plenty

 88 all / all of      most / most of     no / none of etc.

 89 both / both of      neither / neither of      either / either of

 90 all    every    whole

 91 each and every

Relative clauses

92 Relative clauses 1: clauses with who/that/which

93 Relative clauses 2: clauses with and without who/that/which

94 Relative clauses 3: whose/whom/where

95 Relative clauses 4: extra information clauses (1)

96 Relative clauses 5: extra information clauses (2)

 97 -ing and -ed clauses (the woman talking to Tom, the boy injured in the accident)

Adjectives and adverbs

98 Adjectives ending in -ing and -ed (boring/bored etc.)

 99 Adjectives: a nice new house, you look tired

100 Adjectives and adverbs 1 (quick/quickly)

101 Adjectives and adverbs 2 (well, fast, late, hard/hardly)

102 so and such

103 enough and too

104 quite, pretty, rather and fairly

105 Comparative 1 (cheaper, more expensive etc.)

106 Comparative 2 (much better / any better etc.)

107 Comparative 3 (as … as / than)

108 Superlative (the longest, the most enjoyable etc.)

109 Word order 1: verb + object; place and time

110 Word order 2: adverbs with the verb

111 still    any more     yet      already     

112 even

Conjunctions and prepositions

113 although     though      even though       in spite of       despite

114 in case

115 unless      as long as      provided

116 as (as I walked … / as I was … etc.)

117 like and as

118 like      as if 

119 during     for      while

120 by and until      by the time …

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326. v



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Prepositions

121 at/on/in (time)

122 on time and in time      at the end and in the end

123 in/at/on (position) 1

124 in/at/on (position) 2

125 in/at/on (position) 3

126 to, at, in and into

127 in/on/at (other uses)

128 by

129 Noun + preposition (reason for, cause of etc.)

130 Adjective + preposition 1

131 Adjective + preposition 2

132 Verb + preposition 1  to and at

133 Verb + preposition 2  about/for/of/after

134 Verb + preposition 3  about and of

135 Verb + preposition 4  of/for/from/on

136 Verb + preposition 5  in/into/with/to/on

Phrasal verbs

137 Phrasal verbs 1   Introduction

138 Phrasal verbs 2   in/out

139 Phrasal verbs 3   out

140 Phrasal verbs 4   on/off (1)

141 Phrasal verbs 5   on/off (2)

142 Phrasal verbs 6   up/down

143 Phrasal verbs 7   up (1)

144 Phrasal verbs 8   up (2)

145 Phrasal verbs 9   away/back

Appendix 1   Regular and irregular verbs     292

Appendix 2   Present and past tenses     294

Appendix 3   The future    295

Appendix 4   Modal verbs (can/could/will/would etc.)     296

Appendix 5   Short forms (I’m / you’ve / didn’t etc.)     297

Appendix 6   Spelling    298

Appendix 7   American English     300

Additional exercises     302

Study guide    326

Key to Exercises     336

Key to Additional exercises     368

Key to Study guide    372

Index    373

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHICH UNITS YOU NEED TO STUDY, USE THE STUDY GUIDE ON PAGE 326.vi



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Thanks

This is the fifth edition of English Grammar in Use.  I wrote the original edition when I was a teacher at the 

Swan School of English, Oxford.  I would like to repeat my thanks to my former colleagues and students at 

the school for their help, encouragement and interest at that time.

Regarding the production of this fifth edition, I would like to thank Rebecca Winthrop and Chris Capper.

Design & Illustrations
Q2A Media Services Pvt. Ltd.

vii



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To the student

This book is for students who want help with English grammar.  It is written for you to use without 

a teacher.

The book will be useful for you if you are not sure of the answers to questions like these:

What is the difference between I did and I have done?

When do we use will for the future?

What is the structure after I wish?

When do we say used to do and when do we say used to doing?

When do we use the?

What is the difference between like and as?

These and many other points of English grammar are explained in the book, and there are exercises 

on each point.

Level

The book is intended mainly for intermediate students (students who have already studied the basic 

grammar of English). It concentrates on those structures that intermediate students want to use, but 

that often cause difficulty. Some advanced students who have problems with grammar will also find 

the book useful.

The book is not suitable for elementary learners.

How the book is organised

There are 145 units in the book.  Each unit concentrates on a particular point of grammar.  Some 

problems (for example, the present perfect or the use of the) are covered in more than one unit.  For a 

list of units, see the Contents at the beginning of the book.

Each unit consists of two facing pages.  On the left there are explanations and examples; on the right 

there are exercises.  At the back of the book there is an Answer Key for you to check your answers to 

the exercises (page 336).

There are also seven Appendices at the back of the book (pages 292–301).  These include irregular 

verbs, summaries of verb forms, spelling, and American English.

Finally, there is a detailed Index at the back of the book (page 373).

How to use the book

The units are not in order of difficulty, so it is not intended that you work through the book from 

beginning to end.  Every learner has different problems, and you should use this book to help you 

with the grammar that you find difficult.

It is suggested that you work in this way:

Use the Contents and/or Index to find which unit deals with the point you are interested in.

If you are not sure which units you need to study, use the Study guide on page 326.

Study the explanations and examples on the left-hand page of the unit you have chosen.

Do the exercises on the right-hand page.

Check your answers with the Key.

If your answers are not correct, study the left-hand page again to see what went wrong.

You can, of course, use the book simply as a reference book without doing the exercises.

viii



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Additional exercises 

At the back of the book there are Additional exercises (pages 302–325).  These exercises bring together 

some of the grammar points from a number of different units.  For example, Exercise 16 brings together 

grammar points from Units 26–36.  You can use these exercises for extra practice after you have studied 

and practised the grammar in the units concerned.

ebook

An ebook version of English Grammar in Use is also available to buy.

ix



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To the teacher

English Grammar in Use was written as a self-study grammar book, but teachers may also find it 

useful as additional course material in cases where further work on grammar is necessary.

The book will probably be most useful at middle- and upper-intermediate levels (where all or 

nearly all of the material will be relevant), and can serve both as a basis for revision and as a means 

for practising new structures.  It will also be useful for some more advanced students who have 

problems with grammar and need a book for reference and practice.  The book is not intended to be 

used by elementary learners.

The units are organised in grammatical categories (Present and past, Articles and nouns, Prepositions 

etc.).  They are not ordered according to level of difficulty, so the book should not be worked through 

from beginning to end.  It should be used selectively and flexibly in accordance with the grammar 

syllabus being used and the difficulties students are having.

The book can be used for immediate consolidation or for later revision or remedial work.  It might 

be used by the whole class or by individual students needing extra help.  The left-hand pages 

(explanations and examples) are written for the student to use individually, but they may of course 

be used by the teacher as a source of ideas and information on which to base a lesson.  The student 

then has the left-hand page as a record of what has been taught and can refer to it in the future.  

The exercises can be done individually, in class or as homework.  Alternatively (and additionally), 

individual students can be directed to study certain units of the book by themselves if they have 

particular difficulties not shared by other students in their class.  Don’t forget the Additional exercises 

at the back of the book (see To the student).

English Grammar in Use Fifth Edition

This is a new edition of English Grammar in Use.  The differences between this edition and the fourth 

edition are:

  Much of the material has been revised or reorganised, and in most units there are changes in the 
examples, explanations and exercises.

The book has been redesigned with new, updated illustrations.

  There is a new ebook available with all the contents of the book as well as audio, access to a 
dictionary and more.

An edition of English Grammar in Use without the Key is also available.  Some teachers may prefer 

to use this with their students.

x



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ENGLISH 

GRAMMAR

IN USE



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Present continuous (I am doing)
Unit

1

Sarah is in her car.  She is on her way to work.
She’s driving to work. (= She is driving …)

This means: she is driving now, at the time of speaking.
The action is not finished. 

am/is/are + -ing is the present continuous: 

I
he/she/it

we/you/they

am
is
are

(= I’m)
(= he’s etc.)
(= we’re etc.)

driving
working
doing  etc.

Steve is talking to a friend on the phone.  He says:

Steve says ‘I’m reading …’ but he is not reading the book at 
the time of speaking. 
He means that he has started reading the book, but has not 
finished it yet.  He is in the middle of reading it. 

I am doing something = I started doing it and I haven’t finished; I’m in the middle of doing it. 

Please don’t make so much noise.  I’m trying to work. (not I try)
‘Where’s Mark?’ ‘He’s having a shower.’ (not He has a shower)
Let’s go out now.  It isn’t raining any more. (not It doesn’t rain)
How’s your new job?  Are you enjoying it?
What’s all that noise?  What’s going on?    or    What’s happening?

Sometimes the action is not happening at the time of speaking.  For example:

B

Study this example situation:

Some more examples: 
Kate wants to work in Italy, so she’s learning Italian.
(but perhaps she isn’t learning Italian at the time of speaking)
Some friends of mine are building their own house.  They hope to finish it next summer.

You can use the present continuous with today / this week / this year etc. (periods around now):
a:  You’re working hard today. (not You work hard today)
b:  Yes, I have a lot to do.
The company I work for isn’t doing so well this year.

C

We use the present continuous when we talk about a change that has started to happen.  We oft en use 
these verbs in this way:

getting, becoming  changing, improving
 starting, beginning  increasing, rising, falling, growing 

Is your English getting better? (not Does your English get better)
The population of the world is increasing very fast. (not increases)
At first I didn’t like my job, but I’m starting to enjoy it now. (not I start)

D

Present continuous and present simple ➜ Units 3–4 Present tenses for the future ➜ Unit 19

A

I’m reading a really good book at the moment.

It’s about a man who …

2



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Unit

1
1.1  What’s happening in the pictures?  Choose from these verbs:

cross  hide  scratch   take   tie  wave

1 She’s taking  a picture.
2 He  a shoelace.

3  the road.

4  his head.

5  behind a tree.

6  to somebody.

1.2  The sentences on the right follow those on the left .  Which sentence goes with which?

1 Please don’t make so much noise.

2 We need to leave soon.

3 I don’t have anywhere to live right now.

4 I need to eat something soon.

5 They don’t need their car any more.

6 Things are not so good at work.

7 It isn’t true what they say.

8 We’re going to get wet.

a I’m getting hungry.

b They’re lying.

c It’s starting to rain.

d They’re trying to sell it.

e It’s getting late.

f  I’m trying to work. 

g I’m staying with friends.

h The company is losing money. 

1 f
2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

1.3  Write questions.  Use the present continuous.

1 What’s all that noise?  What’s happening?  (what / happen?)
2 What’s the matter?   (why / you / cry?)

3 Where’s your mother?   (she / work / today?)

4 I haven’t seen you for ages.   (what / you / do / these days?)

5 Amy is a student.   (what / she / study?)

6 Who are those people?   (what / they / do?)

7 I heard you started a new job.   (you / enjoy / it?)

8 We’re not in a hurry.   (why / you / walk / so fast?)

1.4  Put the verb into the correct form, positive (I’m doing etc.) or negative (I’m not doing etc.).

1 Please don’t make so much noise.  I’m trying  (I / try) to work.
2 Let’s go out now.  It isn’t raining  (it / rain) any more.
3 You can turn off  the radio.   (I / listen) to it.

4 Kate phoned last night.  She’s on holiday with friends.   (She / have) 

a great time and doesn’t want to come back.

5 Andrew started evening classes recently.   (He / learn) Japanese.

6 Paul and Sarah have had an argument and now  (they / speak) 

to one another.

7 The situation is already very bad and now  (it / get) worse. 

8 Tim  (work) today.  He’s taken the day off .

9   (I / look) for Sophie.  Do you know where she is?

10 The washing machine has been repaired.   (It / work) now.

11  (They / build) a new hospital.  It will be finished next year.

12 Ben is a student, but he’s not very happy.   (He / enjoy) his course.

13   (The weather / change).  Look at those clouds.  

I think it’s going to rain. 

14 Dan has been in the same job for a long time.   (He / start) to get bored 

with it.

Exercises

1 2 3 4 5 6

3



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A

Present simple (I do)
Unit

2

We use the present simple to talk about things in general.  We use it to say that something happens all the 
time or repeatedly, or that something is true in general:

Nurses look aft er patients in hospitals. 
I usually go away at weekends. 
The earth goes round the sun. 
The cafe opens at 7.30 in the morning.

We say:
I work but  he works you go but it goes
they teach  but  my sister teaches I have  but he has

For spelling (-s or -es), see Appendix 6.

B

Study this example situation: 

Alex is a bus driver, but now he is in bed asleep.
He is not driving a bus. (He is asleep.)

but  He drives a bus.  He is a bus driver.

drive(s), work(s), do(es) etc. is the present simple:

I/we/you/they drive/work/do etc.

he/she/it drives/works/does etc.

We use do/does to make questions and negative sentences:

do
does

I/we/you/they
he/she/it

work?
drive?
do?

I/we/you/they
he/she/it

don’t
doesn’t

work
drive
do

I come from Canada.  Where do you come from? 
I don’t go away very oft en. 
What does this word mean? (not What means this word?)
Rice doesn’t grow in cold climates. 

In the following examples, do is also the main verb (do you do / doesn’t do etc.):
‘What do you do?’ ‘I work in a shop.’
He’s always so lazy.  He doesn’t do anything to help.

C

We use the present simple to say how oft en we do things:
I get up at 8 o’clock every morning. 
How oft en do you go to the dentist? 
Julie doesn’t drink tea very oft en. 
Robert usually goes away two or three times a year. 

D

I promise / I apologise etc.

Sometimes we do things by saying something.  For example, when you promise to do something,
you can say ‘I promise … ’; when you suggest something, you can say ‘I suggest … ’:

I promise I won’t be late. (not I’m promising)
‘What do you suggest I do?’ ‘I suggest that you …’

In the same way we say: I apologise … / I advise … / I insist … / I agree … / I refuse … etc.

E

Present simple and present continuous ➜ Units 3–4 Present tenses for the future ➜ Unit 194



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Unit
Exercises

2.1  Complete the sentences using the following verbs:

cause(s)  close(s)  connect(s)  go(es)  live(s)   speak(s)   take(s)

1 Tanya speaks  German very well.
2 Ben and Jack  to the same 

school.

3 Bad driving  many accidents.

4 The museum  at 4 o’clock on 

Sundays.

5  My parents  in a very small 

flat.

6 The Olympic Games  place 

every four years.

7 The Panama Canal  the 

Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

2.2  Put the verb into the correct form.

1 Julia doesn’t drink  (not / drink) tea very often.
2 What time  (the banks / close) here?

3 I have a car, but I  (not / use) it much.

4 Where  (Maria / come) from?  Is she Spanish?

5 ‘What  (you / do)?’ ‘I’m an electrician.’
6 Look at this sentence. What  (this word / mean)?

7 David isn’t very fit.  He  (not / do) any sport.

8 It  (take) me an hour to get to work in the morning.  How long 

 (it / take) you?

2.3  Complete the sentences using these verbs.  Sometimes you need the negative.

believe  eat  flow   go    grow   make  rise  tell  translate

1 The earth goes  round the sun.
2 Rice doesn’t grow  in cold climates.
3 The sun  in the east.

4 Bees  honey.

5 Vegetarians  meat.

6 An atheist  in God.

7 An interpreter 

from one language into another.

8 Liars are people who 

the truth.

9 The River Amazon 

into the Atlantic Ocean.

2.4  You ask Lisa questions about herself and her family.  Write the questions.

1 You know that Lisa plays tennis.  You want to know how often.  Ask her. 

 How often do you play tennis  ?
2 Perhaps Lisa’s sister plays tennis too.  You want to know.  Ask Lisa.

 your sister  ?

3 You know that Lisa goes to the cinema a lot.  You want to know how often.  Ask her.

 ?

4 You know that Lisa’s brother works.  You want to know what he does.  Ask Lisa.

 ?

5 You’re not sure whether Lisa speaks Spanish.  You want to know.  Ask her.

 ?

6 You don’t know where Lisa’s grandparents live.  You want to know.  Ask Lisa.

 ?

2.5  Complete using the following:

I agree  I apologise   I insist  I promise  I recommend   I suggest   

1 Mr Evans is not in the office today.  I suggest  you try calling him tomorrow.
2 I won’t tell anybody what you said.   .

3 (in a restaurant)  You must let me pay for the meal.   .

4  for what I said.  I shouldn’t have said it.

5 The new restaurant in Baker Street is very good.   it.

6 I think you’re absolutely right.   with you.

2

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How long have you (been) … ?  Unit 11

A

Present continuous and present simple 1
(I am doing and I do)

Unit

3

Compare:

present continuous (I am doing) present simple (I do)

We use the continuous for things happening at 
or around the time of speaking.
The action is not complete.

We use the simple for things in general or things 
that happen repeatedly.

past now future

I am doing  I do 

past now future

The water is boiling.  Be careful.
Listen to those people.  What language 
are they speaking?
Let’s go out.  It isn’t raining now.
‘I’m busy.’ ‘What are you doing?’
I’m getting hungry.  Let’s go and eat.
Kate wants to work in Italy, so she’s 
learning Italian.
The population of the world is 
increasing very fast.

Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Excuse me, do you speak English?

It doesn’t rain very much in summer.
What do you usually do at weekends?
I always get hungry in the aft ernoon.
Most people learn to swim when they 
are children.
Every day the population of the world 
increases by about 200,000 people.

We use the continuous for temporary situations 
(things that continue for a short time):

I’m living with some friends until I find a 
place of my own.
a: You’re working hard today.
b: Yes, I have a lot to do.

We use the simple for permanent situations
(things that continue for a long time):

My parents live in London.  They have 
lived there all their lives.
Joe isn’t lazy.  He works hard most of 
the time.

See Unit 1 for more information. See Unit 2 for more information.

I always do and I’m always doing

I always do something = I do it every time:
I always go to work by car. (not I’m always going)

I’m always doing something = I do it too oft en or more oft en than normal. 
For example:

B

I’m always losing them = I lose them too oft en,
or more oft en than normal.

Paul is never satisfied.  He’s always complaining. (= he complains too much)
You’re always looking at your phone.  Don’t you have anything else to do? 

Present continuous and simple 2 ➜ Unit 4 Present tenses for the future ➜ Unit 19

I’ve lost my keys again.  I’m always losing them.

6



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Exercises
Unit

3
3.1  Are the underlined verbs OK?  Correct them where necessary.

1 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. OK
2 How often are you going to the cinema? do you go
3 Ben tries to find a job, but he hasn’t had any luck yet.  

4 Martina is phoning her mother every day.  

5 The moon goes round the earth in about 27 days.  

6 Can you hear those people?  What do they talk about?  

7 What do you do in your spare time?  

8 Sarah is a vegetarian.  She doesn’t eat meat.  

9 I must go now.  It gets late.  

10 ‘Come on!  It’s time to leave.’ ‘OK, I come.’  

11 Paul is never late.  He’s always starting work on time.  

12 They don’t get on well.  They’re always arguing.  

3.2  Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1 a I usually get  (I / usually / get) hungry in the afternoon.
 b I’m getting  (I / get) hungry.  Let’s go and eat something.
2 a ‘  (you / listen) to the radio?’ ‘No, you can turn it off.’

 b ‘  (you / listen) to the radio a lot?’ ‘No, not very often.’

3 a The River Nile  (flow) into the Mediterranean.

 b The river  (flow) very fast today – much faster than usual.

4 a I’m not very active.   (I / not / do) any sport.

 b What  (you / usually / do) at weekends?

5 a Rachel is in New York right now.   (She / stay) at the Park Hotel.

b  (She / always / stay) there when she’s in New York.

3.3  Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1 Why are all these people here?  What’s happening  (What / happen)?
2 Julia is good at languages.   (She / speak) four languages very well.

3 Are you ready yet?   (Everybody / wait) for you.

4 I’ve never heard this word.  How  (you / pronounce) it?

5 Kate  (not / work) this week.  She’s on holiday.

6 I think my English  (improve) slowly.  It’s better than it was.

7 Nicola   (live) in Manchester.  She has never lived anywhere else.

8 Can we stop walking soon?   (I / start) to get tired.

9 Sam and Tina are in Madrid right now.   (They / visit) a friend of theirs.

10 ‘What  (your father / do)?’ ‘He’s an architect.’

11 It took me an hour to get to work this morning.  Most days 

(it / not / take) so long.

12 I  (I / learn) to drive.  My driving test is next month.  My father 

 (teach) me.

3.4  Finish B’s sentences.  Use always -ing. 

1 a: I’ve lost my keys again. 

b: Not again!  You’re always losing your keys  . 
2 a: The car has broken down again. 

 b: That car is useless.  It  .

3 a: Look!  You’ve made the same mistake again. 

 b: Oh no, not again!  I  .

4 a: Oh, I’ve left my phone at home again. 

b: Typical!   .

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A

Present continuous and present simple 2
(I am doing and I do)

Unit

4

We use continuous forms (I’m waiting, it’s raining etc.) for actions and happenings that have started but 
not finished.  
Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in this way.  We don’t say ‘I am knowing’, 
‘they are liking’.  We say ‘I know’, ‘they like’.

The following verbs are not normally used in the present continuous: 

like  want  need  prefer

know  realise  understand  recognise

believe  suppose  remember  mean

belong  fit  contain  consist  seem

I’m hungry.  I want something to eat. (not I’m wanting)
Do you understand what I mean?
Anna doesn’t seem very happy right now.

think

When think means ‘believe’ or ‘have an opinion’, we do not use the continuous:
I think Mary is Canadian, but I’m not sure. (not I’m thinking)
What do you think of my idea? (= what is your opinion?)

When think means ‘consider’, the continuous is possible:
I’m thinking about what happened.  I often think about it.
Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. (= she is considering it)

B

am/is/are being 

You can say he’s being … , you’re being … etc. to say how somebody is behaving now:
I can’t understand why he’s being so selfish.  He isn’t usually like that. 
(being selfish = behaving selfishly now)
‘The path is icy.  Don’t slip.’ ‘Don’t worry.  I’m being very careful.’ 

Compare:
He never thinks about other people.  He’s very selfish.  
(= he is selfish generally, not only now)
I don’t like to take risks.  I’m a very careful person.  

We use am/is/are being to say how a person is behaving (= doing something they can control) now. 
It is not usually possible in other situations:

Sam is ill. (not is being ill)
Are you tired? (not are you being tired)  

D

see  hear  smell  taste  look  feel

We normally use the present simple (not continuous) with see/hear/smell/taste:
Do you see that man over there? (not are you seeing)
The room smells.  Let’s open a window.
This soup doesn’t taste very good.

You can use the present simple or continuous to say how somebody looks or feels now:
You look well today.    or    You’re looking well today. 
How do you feel now?    or    How are you feeling now?

but

I usually feel tired in the morning. (not I’m usually feeling)

C

Present continuous and simple 1 ➜ Unit 3 have ➜ Unit 17 Present tenses for the future ➜ Unit 198



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Exercises
Unit

4.1  Put the verb into the correct form, present continuous or present simple.

1 Are you hungry?  Do you want  (you / want) something to eat?
2 Alan says he’s 90 years old, but nobody  (believe) him.

3 She told me her name, but  (I / not / remember) it now.

4 Don’t put the dictionary away.   (I / use) it.

5 Don’t put the dictionary away.   (I / need) it.

6 Air  (consist) mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.

7 Who is that man?  What  (he / want)?

8 Who is that man?  Why  (he / look) at us?

9 Who is that man?   (you / recognise) him?

10  (I / think) of selling my car.  Would you be interested in buying it?

11 I can’t make up my mind.  What  (you / think) I should do?

12 Gary wasn’t well earlier, but  (he / seem) OK now.

4.2  Use the words in brackets to make sentences.

4

4.3  Are the underlined verbs OK?  Correct them where necessary.

1 Nicky is thinking of giving up her job. OK
2 It’s not true.  I’m not believing it. I don’t believe it.
3 I’m feeling hungry.  Is there anything to eat? 

4 I’ve never eaten that fruit.  What is it tasting like? 

5 I’m not sure what she does.  I think she works in a shop.  

6 Look over there.  What are you seeing? 

7 You’re very quiet.  What are you thinking about? 

4.4  Complete the sentences.  Use is/are being (continuous) or is/are (simple).

1 I can’t understand why he’s being  so selfish.  He isn’t usually like that.
2 You’ll like Sophie when you meet her.  She  very nice.

3 Sarah  very nice to me at the moment.  I wonder why.

4 They  very happy.  They’ve just got married.

5 You’re normally very patient, so why  so unreasonable about waiting 

ten more minutes? 

6 Would you like something to eat?   hungry?

Are you OK?  

You look worried.

1

4

2

5

3

6

I’ve no idea.

(this / smell / good)

No, it’s free.

Excuse me. (anybody / sit / there?)

(you / not / seem / very happy today)

You don’t seem very
happy today.

(these gloves / not / fit / me)

They’re too small.

(who / this umbrella / belong to?)

(I / think)

9



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A

Past simple (I did)
Unit

5

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an Austrian 
musician and composer.  He lived from 1756 to 
1791.  He started composing at the age of five 
and wrote more than 600 pieces of music. 
He was only 35 years old when he died. 

lived/started/wrote/was/died are all past simple 

Study this example:

Very oft en the past simple ends in -ed (regular verbs): 
I work in a travel agency now.  Before that I worked in a department store.
They invited us to their party, but we decided not to go.
The police stopped me on my way home last night.
Laura passed her exam because she studied very hard. 

For spelling (stopped, studied etc.), see Appendix 6. 

But many verbs are irregular.  The past simple does not end in -ed.  For example:

write → wrote  Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music.

see   → saw  We saw Alice in town a few days ago.

go   → went  I went to the cinema three times last week.

shut  → shut It was cold, so I shut the window.

For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix 1.

B

In questions and negative sentences we use did/didn’t + infinitive (enjoy/see/go etc.):

I
she

they

enjoyed
saw
went

did
you
she
they

enjoy?
see?
go?

I
she

they
didn’t

enjoy
see
go

I enjoyed the party a lot.  Did you enjoy it?
How many people did they invite to the wedding?
I didn’t buy anything because I didn’t have any money. 
‘Did you go out?’ ‘No, I didn’t.’

Sometimes do is the main verb in the sentence (did you do?, I didn’t do):
What did you do at the weekend? (not What did you at the weekend?)
I didn’t do anything. (not I didn’t anything)

C

The past of be (am/is/are) is was/were:

I/he/she/it was/wasn’t was I/he/she/it?

we/you/they were/weren’t were we/you/they?

I was annoyed because they were late. 
Was the weather good when you were on holiday? 
They weren’t able to come because they were so busy. 
I wasn’t hungry, so I didn’t eat anything. 
Did you go out last night or were you too tired? 

D

Past simple and past continuous ➜ Unit 6 Past simple and present perfect ➜ Units 12–1410



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Exercises
Unit

5
5.1  Read what Laura says about a typical working day:

Yesterday was a typical working day for Laura.  Write what she did or didn’t do yesterday.

1 She got up  at 7 o’clock.
2 She  a big breakfast.

3 She  .

4 It  to get to work.

5  at 8.45.

6  lunch.

 7  at 5 o’clock.

 8  tired when  home.

 9  a meal yesterday evening.

10  out yesterday evening.

11  at 11 o’clock.

12  well last night.

I usually get up at 7 o’clock and have a big breakfast.  I walk to work, which

takes me about half an hour.  I start work at 8.45.  I never have lunch.  I finish

work at 5 o’clock.  I’m always tired when I get home.  I usually cook a meal

in the evening.  I don’t usually go out.  I go to bed at about 11 o’clock, and I

always sleep well.

5.2  Complete the sentences using the following verbs in the correct form:

buy  catch  cost  fall  hurt  sell  spend  teach  throw   write 

1 Mozart wrote  more than 600 pieces of music.
2 ‘How did you learn to drive?’ ‘My father  me.’

3 We couldn’t aff ord to keep our car, so we  it.

4 Dave  down the stairs this morning and  his leg.

5 Joe  the ball to Sue, who  it.

6 Kate  a lot of money yesterday.  She  a dress which

 £100.

5.3  You ask James about his holiday in the US.  Write your questions.

1 YOU:  Where did you go  ?
JaMES: To the US.  We went on a trip from San Francisco to Denver. 

2 YOU:  How  ?  By car?
JaMES: Yes, we hired a car in San Francisco. 

3 YOU:  It’s a long way to drive.  How long  ?

JaMES: Two weeks. We stopped at a lot of places along the way.

4 YOU:  Where  ?  In hotels?

JaMES: Yes, small hotels or motels. 

5 YOU:   good?

JaMES: Yes, but it was very hot – sometimes too hot.

6 YOU:   the Grand Canyon?

JaMES: Of course.  It was wonderful.

5.4  Complete the sentences. Put the verb into the correct form, positive or negative. 

1 It was warm, so I took  off  my coat. (take)
2 The film wasn’t very good.  I didn’t enjoy  it much. (enjoy)
3 I knew Sarah was busy, so I  her. (disturb)

4 We were very tired, so we  the party early. (leave)

5 It was hard carrying the bags.  They  really heavy. (be)

6 The bed was very uncomfortable.  I well. (sleep)

7 This watch wasn’t expensive.  It  much. (cost)

8 The window was open and a bird  into the room. (fly)

9 I was in a hurry, so I  time to call you. (have)

10 I didn’t like the hotel.  The room  very clean. (be)

LAURA

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Past continuous (I was doing)
Unit

6

A

Past simple (I did) ➜ Unit 5

I was doing (= in the middle of an action) I did (= complete action)

We were walking home when I met 
Dan. (in the middle of walking home)

We walked home aft er the party last 
night.  (= all the way, completely)

Kate was watching TV when we 
arrived.

Kate watched TV a lot when she was ill 
last year.

Study this example situation:

Yesterday Karen and Joe played tennis.  They started at 
10 o’clock and finished at 11.30.
So, at 10.30 they were playing tennis. 

they were playing = 
they were in the middle of playing, they had not finished 

was/were + -ing is the past continuous:

he/she/it   was playing
doing
working  etc.we/you/they were

I was doing something = I was in the middle of doing it at a certain time.  The action or situation started 
before this time, but had not finished:

I started doing I was doing I finished doing

past past now

This time last year I was living in Hong Kong.
What were you doing at 10 o’clock last night?
I waved to Helen, but she wasn’t looking.

B

Compare I was doing (past continuous) and I did (past simple):C

You can say that something happened (past simple) in the middle of something else (past continuous):
Matt phoned while we were having dinner.
It was raining when I got up. 
I saw you in the park yesterday.  You were sitting on the grass and reading a book.
I hurt my back while I was working in the garden. 

But we use the past simple to say that one thing happened aft er another:
I was walking along the road when I saw Dan.  So I stopped, and we talked for a while.

Compare:

 When Karen arrived, we were having 
dinner. (= we had already started before 
she arrived)

 When Karen arrived, we had dinner. 
(= Karen arrived, and then we had 
dinner)

D

Some verbs (for example, know and want) are not normally used in continuous forms (is + -ing, 
was + -ing etc.).  See Unit 4A for a list of these verbs. 

We were good friends.  We knew each other well. (not we were knowing)
I was enjoying the party, but Chris wanted to go home. (not was wanting)

E

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Exercises
Unit

6.1  Complete the sentences.  Choose from:

was looking    was wearing   wasn’t listening  weren’t looking
was snowing was working were sitting  were you going

1 Today Helen is wearing a skirt.  Yesterday she was wearing  trousers.
2  ‘What did he say?’ ‘I don’t know.  I  .’

3  We  at the back of the theatre.  We couldn’t hear very well.

4  This time last year Steve  on a farm. 

5  They didn’t see me.  They  in my direction.

6 The weather was bad.  It was very cold and it  .

7 I saw you in your car.  Where   ?

8 I saw Kate a few minutes ago.  She  for you.

6.2  Which goes with which?

1 When I got to the cafe

2 We fell asleep

3 Amy learnt Italian

4 Tom didn’t come out with us

5 The car began to make a strange noise

6 The TV was on

7 When I first met Jessica

 a  when she was living in Rome.

 b  she was working in a clothes shop.

 c  when I was driving home.

 d  but nobody was watching it.

 e  while we were watching a film.

 f  my friends were waiting for me. 

 g  because he wasn’t feeling well.

1 f
2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

6.3  Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple. 

SUE

I saw  (see) Sue in town yesterday, but
she   (not/see) me.  
She  (look) the other way.

I  (cycle) home yesterday  
when a man  (step) out into the 
road in front of me. 
I  (go) quite fast, but luckily
I  (manage) to stop in time, 
and I  (not/hit) him.

6.4  Put the verb into the correct form, past continuous or past simple.

1 Jenny was waiting  (wait) for me when I arrived  (arrive).
2 ‘What  (you / do) at this time yesterday?’ ‘I was asleep.’

3 ‘  (you / go) out last night?’ ‘No, I was too tired.’

4 How fast  (you / drive) when the accident  (happen)?

5 Sam  (take) a picture of me while I  (not / look).

6 We were in a very diff icult position.  We  (not / know) what to do, so we 

 (do) nothing.

7 I haven’t seen Alan for ages.  When I last  (see) him, he 

 (try) to find a job.

8 I  (walk) along the street when suddenly I  (hear) 

something behind me.  Somebody  (follow) me.  I was scared and I 

 (start) to run.

9 When I was young, I  (want) to be a pilot.  Later I 

(change) my mind.

10 Last night I  (drop) a plate when I  (do) the washing up.  

Fortunately it  (not / break).

6

➜ Additional exercise 1 (page 302)

1 2

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Present perfect 1 (I have done)
Unit

7

Tom can’t find his key. 
He’s lost his key. (= He has lost …)

he has lost his key = 
he lost it and he doesn’t have it now

have lost / has lost is the present perfect simple:

I/we/they/you    have (= I’ve etc.)
finished
lost
done
been  etc.       he/she/it    has (= he’s etc.)

Study this example situation:

When we say ‘something has happened’, this is usually new information:
Ow!  I’ve cut my finger.
The road is closed.  There’s been an accident. (= There has been …)
Police have arrested two men in connection with the robbery. 

When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now.  The action in the past has a result now: 
Tom has lost his key. (= he doesn’t have it now)
He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it. (= I can’t remember it now)
Sally is still here.  She hasn’t gone out. (= she is here now)
I can’t find my bag.  Have you seen it? (= do you know where it is now?)

Compare gone (to) and been (to):
James is on holiday.  He has gone to Italy. (= he is there now or on his way there)
Amy is back home now.  She has been to Italy. (= she has now come back)

B

You can also use the past simple (did, went, had etc.) in the examples on this page.  So you can say:
Ben isn’t here.  He’s gone out.    or    He went out. 
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’    or    ‘No, I just had lunch.’ 

D

You can use the present perfect with just, already and yet.

Just = a short time ago:
‘Are you hungry?’ ‘No, I’ve just had lunch.’
Hello.  Have you just arrived?

Already = sooner than expected:
‘Don’t forget to pay the bill.’ ‘I’ve already paid it.’
‘What time is Mark leaving?’ ‘He’s already left .’

Yet = until now.  We use yet to show that we are expecting something to happen. 
We use yet in questions and negative sentences: 

Has it stopped raining yet? 
I’ve written the email, but I haven’t sent it yet.

C

The present perfect simple is have/has + past participle.  The past participle oft en ends in -ed 
(finished/decided etc.), but many verbs are irregular (lost/done/written etc.). 

For a list of irregular verbs, see Appendix 1.

Present perfect ➜ Units 8, 11 been to ➜ Units 8A, 126A Present perfect continuous ➜ Units 9–10
Present perfect and past ➜ Units 12–14 yet and already ➜ Unit 111 American English ➜ Appendix 7

I’ve lost my key.

A

14



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Exercises
Unit

7
7.1  Read the situations and complete the sentences using the present perfect.  Choose from these 

verbs:

break  disappear  go up  grow  improve   lose   shrink  stop

1 Tom is looking for his key.  He can’t find it.  Tom has lost his key.
2 Maria’s English wasn’t very good.  Now it is better. Her English 

3 My bag was here, but it isn’t here any more. My bag 

4 Lisa can’t walk and her leg is in plaster. Lisa 

5 Last week the bus fare was £1.80.  Now it is £2.  The bus fare 

6 Dan didn’t have a beard before.  Now he has a beard.  Dan 

7 It was raining ten minutes ago.  It isn’t raining now. It 

8 I washed my sweater, and now it’s too small for me.  My sweater 

7.2  Put in been or gone.

1 My parents are on holiday.  They’ve gone  to Italy.
2 Hello!  I’ve just  to the shops.  I’ve bought lots of things.

3 Tom has just  out.  He’ll be back in about an hour.

4 Alice isn’t here at the moment.  I don’t know where she’s  .  

5 You’re very late.  Where have you ?

7.3  Complete the sentences using the present perfect.

1 Sally is still here.  She hasn’t gone  (she / not / go) out.
2 I can’t find my bag.   (you / see / it) anywhere?  

3 I can’t log on to the website.   (I / forget) my password.

4 I sent Joe an email this morning, but  (he / not / reply).

5 Is the meeting still going on, or  (it / finish)?

6  (the weather / change).  It’s colder now.

7  (you / not / sign) the form.  Could you sign it now, please?

8 Are your friends still here, or  (they / go) home?

9 Paul doesn’t know what he’s going to do.  

(he / not / decide / yet).

10 ‘Do you know where Julia is?’ ‘Yes,  (I / just / see / her).’

11 ‘When is David going away?’ ‘  (he / already / go).’

12 a:   (your course / start / yet)? 

 b:  Not yet.  It starts next week. 

7.4  Read the situations and write sentences with just, already or yet.

1 After lunch you go to see a friend at her house.  She says, ‘Would you like something to eat?’ 

You say:   No thank you.  I’ve just had lunch  . (have lunch)
2 Joe goes out.  Five minutes later, the phone rings and the caller says, ‘Can I speak to Joe?’ 

You say:  I’m afraid  . (go out)

3 You are eating in a restaurant.  The waiter thinks you have finished and starts to take your plate away.

 You say:  Wait a minute!   . (not / finish)

4 You plan to eat at a restaurant tonight.  You phone to reserve a table.  Later your friend says, 

‘Shall I phone to reserve a table?’   You say:  No,  . (do it)

5 You know that Lisa is looking for a place to live.  Perhaps she has been successful. 

 You ask her:    ? (find)
6 You are still thinking about where to go for your holiday.  A friend asks, ‘Where are you going

for your holiday?’   You say:   . (not / decide)

7 Laura went out, but a few minutes ago she returned.  Somebody asks, ‘Is Laura still out?’ 

You say:  No,  . (come back)

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A

Present perfect 2 (I have done)
Unit

8

DaVE: Have you travelled a lot, Jane?
JaNE: Yes, I’ve been to lots of places.
DaVE: Really?  Have you ever been to China?
JaNE: Yes, I’ve been to China twice.
DaVE: What about India?
JaNE: No, I haven’t been to India.

When we talk about a period of time that continues from the past until now, we use the present 
perfect (have been / have travelled etc.).  Here, Dave and Jane are talking about the places Jane 
has visited in her life, which is a period that continues until now.

Study this example conversation:

In the same way we say:
Have you ever eaten caviar?
We’ve never had a car.
I don’t know what the film is about.  I haven’t seen it.
Susan really loves that book.  She’s read it three times. (She’s = She has)
It’s a really boring movie.  It’s the most boring movie I’ve ever seen. 

been (to) = visited:
I’ve never been to Canada.  Have you been there? 

past now

Jane’s life
(a period until now)

In the following examples too, the speakers are talking about a period that continues until now 
(recently, in the last few days, so far, since I arrived etc.):

Have you heard anything from Ben recently?
I’ve met a lot of people in the last few days.
Everything is going well.  There haven’t been any
problems so far.
The weather is bad here.  It’s (= It has) rained every 
day since I arrived. (= from when I arrived until now)
It’s good to see you again.  We haven’t seen each other for a long time.

In the same way we use the present perfect with today, this evening, this year etc. when these 
periods are not finished at the time of speaking:

I’ve drunk four cups of coff ee today.
Have you had a holiday this year?
I haven’t seen Tom this morning.  Have you?

recently

in the last few days

since I arrived

past now

today

past now

B

We say ‘It’s the (first) time something has happened’.  For example:
Don is having a driving lesson.  It’s his first lesson.
We can say:

 It’s the first time he has driven a car. (not drives) 
 or He hasn’t driven a car before.

or He has never driven a car before.

In the same way we say:
Sarah has lost her passport again.  This is the second 
time this has happened. (not happens)
Andy is phoning his girlfriend again.  It’s the third 
time he’s phoned her this evening.

C

Present perfect 1 ➜ Unit 7 Present perfect + for/since ➜ Units 11–12 Present perfect and past ➜ Units 12–14

This is the first time

I’ve driven a car.

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Exercises
Unit

8
8.1  You ask people about things they have done.  Write questions with ever.

1 (ride / horse?)   Have you ever ridden a horse?

2 (be / California?)   Have 

3 (run / marathon?)   

4 (speak / famous person?)   

5 (most beautiful place / visit?)   What’s 

8.2  Complete B’s answers.  Some sentences are positive and some negative.  Use these verbs:

be  be  eat  happen   have   have   meet   play  read  see  try

A B

1 What’s Mark’s sister like? I’ve no idea.  I’ve never met  her.

2 Is everything going well? Yes, we haven’t had  any problems so far.

3 Are you hungry? Yes.  I  much today.

4 Can you play chess? Yes, but  for ages.

5 Are you enjoying your holiday? Yes, it’s the best holiday  for a long time.

6 What’s that book about? I don’t know.   it.

7 Is Brussels an interesting place? I’ve no idea.   there.

8 I hear your car broke down again 
 yesterday.

Yes, it’s the second time 
this month.

9 Do you like caviar? I don’t know.   it.

10 Mike was late for work again today. Again?  He  late every day this week.

11 Who’s that woman by the door? I don’t know.   her before.

8.3  Write four sentences about yourself.  Use I haven’t and choose from the boxes.

used a computer 

been to the cinema

travelled by bus 

read a book

eaten any fruit 

lost anything

1 I haven’t used a computer today.

2 

3 

4 

5 

8.4  Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 Jack is driving a car for the first time.  He’s very nervous and not sure what to do.
It’s the first time he’s driven  a car.

2 Some children at the zoo are looking at a giraffe.  They’ve never seen one before.

It’s the first time  a giraffe.

3 Sue is riding a horse.  She doesn’t look very confident or comfortable.

 She  before.

4 Joe and Lisa are on holiday in Japan.  They’ve been to Japan once before.

 This is the second time  .

5 Emily is staying at the Prince Hotel.  She stayed there a few years ago.

 It’s not the first  this hotel.

6 Ben is playing tennis for the first time.  He’s a complete beginner. 

 before.

today 

this week 

recently  

for ages 

since … 

this year

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A

Present perfect continuous (I have been doing)
Unit

9

It’s been raining.

Study this example situation:

Is it raining?

No, but the ground is wet.

It’s been raining. (= It has been …) 

have/has been + -ing is the present perfect continuous: 

I/we/they/you have (= I’ve etc.)
 he/she/it has (= he’s etc.)

been
doing
working 
learning   etc.

We use the present perfect continuous for an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped:
Why are you out of breath?  Have you been running?
Paul is very tired.  He’s been working hard.
Why are you so tired?  What have you been doing? 
I’ve been talking to Amanda and she agrees with me.
Where have you been?  I’ve been looking for you.

have/has been + -ing
present perfect continuous

now

It’s been raining for two hours.

Study this example situation:

B

How long have you been learning English? (= you’re still learning English)
Ben is watching TV.  He’s been watching TV all day.
Where have you been?  I’ve been looking for you for the last half hour.
Chris hasn’t been feeling well recently.

You can use the present perfect continuous for repeated actions:
Silvia is a very good tennis player.  She’s been playing since she was eight.
Every morning they meet in the same cafe.  They’ve been going there for years.

It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining.

How long has it been raining?
It’s been raining for two hours. (= It has been …)

We use the present perfect continuous in this way, especially 
with how long, for … and since …  .  The activity is still 
happening (as in this example) or has just stopped.

Compare I am doing and I have been doing:C

Don’t disturb me now.  I’m working.

We need an umbrella.  It’s raining.
Hurry up!  We’re waiting.

 I’ve been working hard.  Now I’m going
to have a break.
The ground is wet.  It’s been raining.

 We’ve been waiting for an hour.

I have been doing
present perfect continuous

nownow

I am doing
present continuous

Present perfect continuous and simple ➜ Units 10–11  Present perfect + for/since ➜ Units 11–1218



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Exercises
Unit

9
9.1  What have these people been doing or what has been happening?

9.2  Write a question for each situation.

1 You meet Kate as she is leaving the swimming pool.  You say:

Hi, Kate. (you / swim?) Have you been swimming?

2 You have arrived a little late to meet Ben who is waiting for you.  You say:

 I’m sorry I’m late, Ben. (you / wait / long?) 

3 Jane’s little boy comes into the house with a very dirty face and dirty hands.  His mother says:

 Why are you so dirty? (what / you / do?) 

4 You are in a shop and see Anna. You didn’t know she worked there.  You say:

 Hi, Anna. (how long / you / work / here?) 

5 A friend tells you about his job – he sells phones.  You say:

You sell phones? (how long / you / do / that?) 

9.3  Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 It’s raining.  The rain started two hours ago.

It ’s been raining  for two hours.
2 We are waiting for the bus.  We started waiting 20 minutes ago. 

 We  for 20 minutes.

3 I’m learning Japanese.  I started classes in December. 

 I  since December.

4 Jessica is working in a hotel.  She started working there on 18 January. 

 since 18 January. 

5 Our friends always go to Italy for their holidays.  The first time was years ago.

 for years. 

9.4   Put the verb into the present continuous (am/is/are + -ing) or present perfect continuous (have/has 

been + -ing).

1 Maria has been learning  (Maria / learn) English for two years.
2 Hi, Tom.   (I / look) for you.  I need to ask you something.

3 Why  (you / look) at me like that?  Stop it!

4 Rachel is a teacher.   (she / teach) for ten years.

5  (I / think) about what you said and I’ve decided to take 

your advice.

6 ‘Is Paul on holiday this week?’ ‘No,  (he / work).’

7 Sarah is very tired.   (she / work) very hard recently.

8 It’s dangerous to use your phone when  (you / drive).

9 Laura  (travel) in South America for the last three months.

1 2 3 4

It’s been raining. She They He 

earlier earlier

now now now

earlier earlier

now

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A

Present perfect continuous and simple
(I have been doing and I have done)

Unit

10

Compare these two situations:

There is paint on Kate’s clothes.
She has been painting her bedroom.

has been painting is the present perfect 
continuous.

We are thinking of the activity.  It does not matter 
whether it has been finished or not.  In this 
example, the activity (painting the bedroom) has 
not been finished.

The bedroom was green.  Now it is yellow.
She has painted her bedroom.

has painted is the present perfect simple.

Here, the important thing is that something has 
been finished.  ‘She has painted’ is a completed 
action.  We are thinking about the result of 
the activity (the painted bedroom), not the 
activity itself.

Present perfect simple ➜ Units 7–8 Present perfect continuous ➜ Unit 9
Present perfect + for/since ➜ Units 11–12

Compare these examples: B

C

My hands are very dirty.  I’ve been 
repairing my bike.
Joe has been eating too much recently. 
He should eat less.
It’s nice to see you again.  What have you 
been doing since we last met?
Where have you been?  Have you been 
playing tennis?

My bike is OK again now.  I’ve repaired 
it. (= I’ve finished repairing it)
Somebody has eaten all the chocolates.  
The box is empty.
Where’s the book I gave you?  What have 
you done with it?
Have you ever played tennis?

We use the continuous to say how long (for 
something that is still happening):

How long have you been reading that 
book?
Amy is writing emails.  She’s been writing 
emails all morning.
They’ve been playing tennis since 2 o’clock.

I’m learning Arabic, but I haven’t been 
learning it very long.

We use the simple to say how much, how many 
or how many times (for completed actions):

How many pages of that book have 
you read?
Amy has sent lots of emails this morning.

They’ve played tennis three times this 
week.
I’m learning Arabic, but I haven’t learnt 
very much yet.

Some verbs (for example, know) are not normally used in continuous forms (be + -ing):
I’ve known about the problem for a long time. (not I’ve been knowing)
How long have you had that camera? (not have you been having)

For a list of these verbs, see Unit 4A.  For have, see Unit 17.
But note that you can use want and mean in the present perfect continuous (have/has been + -ing):

I’ve been meaning to phone Anna, but I keep forgetting.

D

I’ve painted my bedroom.

I’ve been painting 

my bedroom.

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Exercises
Unit

10
10.1  Read the situation and complete the sentences.  Use the verbs in brackets.

1 Tom started reading a book two hours ago.  He is still reading it and now he is on page 53. 
He has been reading   for two hours. (read) 
He has read   53 pages so far. (read)

2 Rachel is from Australia.  She is travelling round Europe.  She began her trip three months ago. 

She  for three months. (travel) 

 six countries so far. (visit)

3 Patrick is a tennis player.  He began playing tennis when he was 10 years old.  This year he won the national 

championship again – for the fourth time. 

 the national championship four times. (win) 

 since he was ten. (play)

4 When they left college, Lisa and Sue started making films together.  They still make films. 

They  films since they left college. (make) 

 five films since they left college. (make)

10.2  Ask questions using the words in brackets.  Use the present perfect simple (have/has done) or 

continuous (have/has been doing).

1 You have a friend who is learning Arabic.  You ask: 

(how long / learn / Arabic?)  How long have you been learning Arabic?

2 You have just arrived to meet a friend.  She is waiting for you.  You ask: 

 (wait / long?)   Have 

3 You see somebody fishing by the river.  You ask: 

 (catch / any fish?)  

4 Some friends of yours are having a party next week.  You ask: 

 (how many people / invite?)  

5 A friend of yours is a teacher.  You ask: 

 (how long / teach?)  

6 You meet somebody who is a writer.  You ask: 

(how many books / write?)  

 (how long / write / books?)  

7 A friend of yours is saving money to go on a world trip.  You ask: 

(how long / save?)  

(how much money / save?)  

10.3  Put the verb into the present perfect simple or continuous.

1 Where have you been?  Have you been playing  (you / play) tennis?
2 Look!   (somebody / break) that window.

3 You look tired.   (you / work) hard?

4 ‘  (you / ever / work) in a factory?’ ‘No, never.’

5 Where’s Lisa?  Where  (she / go)?

6 This is a very old book.   (I / have) it since I was a child.

7 ‘Have you been busy?’ ‘No,  (I / watch) TV.’

8 My brother is an actor.   (he / appear) in several films.

9 ‘Sorry I’m late.’ ‘That’s all right.  (I / not / wait) long.’

10 Are you OK?  You look as if  (you / cry).

11 ‘Is it still raining?’ ‘No,  (it / stop).’

12 The children are tired now.   (they / play) in the garden.

13  (I / lose) my phone.   (you / see) it?

14  (I / read) the book you lent me, but 

 (I / not / finish) it yet.  It’s really interesting.

15  (I / read) the book you lent me, so you can have it back now.

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A

how long have you (been) … ?
Unit

11

Study this example situation:

We use the present perfect to talk about something that began in the past and still
continues now.
Compare the present and present perfect:

 Paul is in hospital.
but  He’s been in hospital since Monday. (= He has been …)

 (not Paul is in hospital since Monday)

We know each other very well.
but  We’ve known each other for a long time.

 (not We know)

Do they have a car? 
but  How long have they had their car? 

She’s waiting for somebody. 
but  She hasn’t been waiting very long.

I’ve known / I’ve had / I’ve lived etc. is the present perfect simple. 
I’ve been learning / I’ve been waiting etc. is the present perfect continuous. 

When we ask or say ‘how long’, the continuous is more usual (see Unit 10): 
I’ve been learning English since January. 
It’s been raining all morning. 
Richard has been doing the same job for 20 years. 
‘How long have you been driving?’ ‘Since I was 17.’ 

Some verbs (for example, know and like) are not normally used in the continuous: 
How long have you known Jane? (not have you been knowing) 

 I’ve had these shoes for ages. (not I’ve been having) 
See also Units 4A and 10C. For have, see Unit 17. 

B

Dan and Kate are married.  They got married exactly 
20 years ago, so today is their 20th wedding anniversary. 

They have been married for 20 years. 

We say: They are married. (present)

but    How long have they been married?
            (not How long are they married?) 
            They have been married for 20 years. 
            (not They are married for 20 years)

(present perfect)

You can use either the continuous or simple with live and work: 
Julia has been living in this house for a long time.    or    Julia has lived …
How long have you been working here?    or    How long have you worked here?

But we use the simple (have lived etc.) with always:
I’ve always lived in the country. (not always been living) 

C

I haven’t … since/for ➜ Unit 8B Present perfect continuous ➜ Units 9–10 for and since ➜ Unit 12A

We say ‘I haven’t (done something) since/for …’ ( present perfect simple):
I haven’t seen Tom since Monday. (= Monday was the last time I saw him)
Sarah hasn’t phoned for ages. (= the last time she phoned was ages ago)

D

present perfect
he has been

we have known
have they had

she has been waiting

past now

present
he is

we know
do they have
she is waiting

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Unit

11Exercises

11.1  Which is right?

1 Ben is a friend of mine.  I know / I’ve known  him very well. (I know is correct)
2 I like your house.  How long do you live / have you lived here?
3 You’ll need an umbrella if you go out now.  It’s raining / It’s been raining.
4 The weather is / has been awful since I arrived here.
5 I’m sorry I’m late.  Are you waiting / Have you been waiting long? 
6 We’ve moved.  We’re living / We’ve been living in New Street now.  
7 I met Maria only recently.  I don’t know / I haven’t known her very long.
8 Lisa is in Germany.  She’s / She’s been there on a business trip. 
9 That’s a very old bike.  How long do you have / have you had it? 

10 I’m not feeling good.  I’m feeling / I’ve been feeling ill all day.

11.2  Read the situations and write questions using the words in brackets.

1 A friend tells you that Paul is in hospital.  You ask him: 
 (how long / Paul / hospital?) 

2 You know that Jane is a good friend of Katherine’s.  You ask Jane: 
 (how long / you / know / Katherine?) 

3 Your friend’s sister went to Australia some time ago and she’s still there.  You ask your friend: 
 (how long / sister / in Australia?) 

4 You meet a woman who tells you that she teaches English.  You ask her: 
(how long / you / teach / English?) 

5 Tom always wears the same jacket.  It’s very old.  You ask him: 
 (how long / you / have / that jacket?) 

6 You are talking to a friend about Joe, who now works at the airport.  You ask your friend:
(how long / Joe / work / airport?) 

7 You meet somebody on a plane.  She says that she lives in Chicago.  You ask her: 
(you / always / live / in Chicago?) 

11.3  Complete B’s answers to A’s questions.

How long has Paul been in hospital?

A B

1 Paul is in hospital, isn’t he?

2 Do you see Lisa very often?

3 Is Paul married?

4 Is Amy married?

5 Do you still play tennis?

6 Are you waiting for the bus?

7 You know Mel, don’t you?

8 Jack is never ill, is he?

9 Martin lives in Italy, doesn’t he?

10 Sue lives in Berlin, doesn’t she?

11 Is Joe watching TV?

12 Do you watch TV a lot?

13 Do you have a headache?

14 Do you go to the cinema a lot?

15 Would you like to go to New York 

one day?

Yes, he has been  in hospital since Monday.

No, I haven’t seen  her for three months.

Yes, he  married for ten years.

Yes, she  married to a German guy.

No, I  tennis for years.

Yes, I  for about 20 minutes.

Yes, we  each other a long time.

No, he  ill since I’ve known him.

Yes, he  in Milan.

Yes, she  in Berlin for many years.

Yes, he  TV all evening.

No, I  TV since last weekend.

Yes, I  a headache all morning.

No, I  to the cinema for ages.

Yes, I  to go to New York. 

(use always / want)

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Unit

12

How long have you (been) … ? ➜ Unit 11

for and since when … ? and how long … ?

A We use for and since to say how long something has been happening.

We use for + a period of time:
We’ve been waiting for two hours.

two hours ago  now

for two hours

for

two hours
20 minutes
five days

a long time
six months
50 years

a week
ages
years

Sally has been working here for six 
months. (not since six months)
I haven’t seen Tom for three days. 

We use since + the start of a period:
We’ve been waiting since 8 o’clock.

8 o’clock  now

since 8 o’clock

since

8 o’clock
Monday
12 May

April
2001
Christmas

lunchtime
we arrived
I got up

Sally has been working here since 
April. (= from April until now)
I haven’t seen Tom since Monday.

We oft en leave out for (but not usually in negative sentences):
They’ve been married for ten years.    or     They’ve been married ten years.
They haven’t had a holiday for ten years. (you need for)

You can use in instead of for in negative sentences (I haven’t … etc.):
They haven’t had a holiday in ten years. (= for ten years)

We do not use for + all … (all day / all my life etc.):
I’ve lived here all my life. (not for all my life)

B

Compare when … ? (+ past simple) and how long … ? (+ present perfect):C

a:  When did it start raining? 
b: It started raining  an hour ago / at 1 o’clock. 

a:  How long has it been raining? 
b:  It’s been raining  for an hour / since 1 o’clock.

a:  When did Joe and Kate first meet? 

b:  They first met 

a:  How long have they known each other? 

b:  They’ve known each other 

a long time ago. 
when they were at school.

⎧
⎨
⎩

for a long time.
since they were at school.

⎧
⎨
⎩

We say:  it’s (= it is)
or it’s been (= it has been)

a long time
six months (etc.)

since something happened

It’s two years since I last saw Joe.    or    It’s been two years since … 
(= I haven’t seen Joe for two years)
It’s ages since we went to the cinema.    or    It’s been ages since …
(= We haven’t been to the cinema for ages)
How long is it since Mrs Hill died?    or    How long has it been since …
(= when did she die?)

D

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Exercises
Unit

12
12.1  Write for or since.

1 It’s been raining since  lunchtime.
2 Paul has lived in Brazil  ten years.

3 I’m tired of waiting.  We’ve been sitting here  an hour.

4 Kevin has been looking for a job  he left school.

5 I haven’t been to a party  ages.

6 I wonder where Joe is.  I haven’t seen him  last week.

7 Jane is away on holiday.  She’s been away  Friday.

8 The weather is dry.  It hasn’t rained  a few weeks.

12.2  Look at each answer and choose the right question.

1  How long have they been married ?  

When did they get married?

(When did they get married? is correct)

Ten years ago.

2 How long have you had this car? 

When did you buy this car?
About five years.

3 How long have you been waiting? 

When did you get here?
Only a few minutes.

4 How long have you been doing your course? 

When did your course start?
September.

5 How long has Anna been in London? 

When did Anna arrive in London?
Last week.

6 How long have you known each other? 

When did you first meet each other?
A long time.

12.3  Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 It’s raining.  It’s been raining since lunchtime.  It started raining  at lunchtime.
2 Ann and Jess are friends.  They first met years ago.  They’ve known each other for  years.
3 Mark is unwell.  He became ill on Sunday.  He has  Sunday.

4 Sarah is married.  She’s been married for a year.  She got  .

5 You have a headache.  It started when you woke up.  

I’ve  I woke up.

6 Sue is in a meeting at work.  It’s been going on since 9 o’clock. 

The meeting  at 9 o’clock.

7 You’re working in a hotel.  You started working there six months ago. 

I’ve been  .

8 Kate is learning Japanese.  She’s been doing this for a long time. 

Kate started  .

12.4  Complete B’s sentences.

Do you often go on holiday?

Have you seen Lisa recently?

Do you still go swimming regularly?

Do you still ride a bike these days?

1

2

3

4

A

No, I haven’t had a holiday for  five years.
No, I  about a month. 

No, I  a long time. 

No, I  ages.

B

Now write B’s answers again.  This time use It’s . . . since . . . .

5 (1) No, it’s five years since I last had a holiday.
6 (2) No, it’s 

7 (3) No, 

8 (4)  

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Unit

13 Present perfect and past 1 (I have done and I did)

A Study this example situation:

Ten minutes later:

The present perfect (something has happened) is a present tense.  It tells us about the situation now. 
‘Tom has lost his key’ = he doesn’t have his key now (see Unit 7). 

The past simple (something happened) tells us only about the past.  If somebody says ‘Tom lost his key’,
we don’t know whether he has the key now or not.  We know only that he lost it at some time in the past.

Compare present perfect and past simple:
They’ve gone away.  They’ll be back on Friday. (they are away now)
They went away, but I think they’re back at home now. (not They’ve gone away)
It has stopped raining now, so we don’t need the umbrella. (it isn’t raining now)
It stopped raining for a while, but now it’s raining again. (not It has stopped)

Tom is looking for his key.  He can’t find it.

He has lost his key. (present perfect)

This means that he doesn’t have his key now.

Now Tom has found his key.  He has it now.

Has he lost his key?  No, he has found it.
Did he lose his key?  Yes, he did.

He lost his key (past simple)
but now he has found it. (present perfect)

You can use the present perfect for new or recent happenings:
I’ve repaired the washing machine.  It’s working OK now.
‘Hannah has had a baby!  It’s a boy.’ ‘That’s great news.’

Usually, you can also use the past simple:
I repaired the washing machine.  It’s working OK now.

Use the past simple (not the present perfect) for things that are not recent or new:
Mozart was a composer.  He wrote more than 600 pieces of music.

 (not has been … has written)
My mother grew up in Italy. (not has grown)

Compare:
Somebody has invented a new type of washing machine.
Who invented the telephone? (not has invented)

B

We use the present perfect to give new information (see Unit 7).  But if we continue to talk about it, 
we normally use the past simple:

a:  Ow!  I’ve burnt myself.
b:  How did you do that?   (not have you done)
a:  I picked up a hot dish.   (not have picked)

a:  Look!  Somebody has spilt something on the sofa.
b:  Well, it wasn’t me.  I didn’t do it.   (not hasn’t been … haven’t done)

C

Past simple ➜ Unit 5 Present perfect ➜ Units 7–8 Present perfect and past 2 ➜ Unit 14 
American English ➜ Appendix 726



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Exercises
Unit

13
13.1  Complete the sentences.  Use the present perfect where possible.  Otherwise use the past simple.

13.2  Are the underlined parts of these sentences OK?  Correct them where necessary.

1 Did you hear about Sophie?  She’s given up her job. OK

2 My mother has grown up in Italy. My mother grew up

3 How many plays has William Shakespeare written? 

4 I’ve forgotten his name.  Is it Joe or Jack?  

5 Who has invented paper? 

6 Drugs have become a big problem everywhere. 

7 We’ve washed the car, but now it’s dirty again. 

8 Where have you been born? 

9 Ellie has gone shopping.  She’ll be back in about an hour. 

10 Albert Einstein has been the scientist who 

 has developed the theory of relativity.

13.3  Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

1 It stopped  raining for a while, but now it’s raining again. (it / stop)
2 The town where I live is very diff erent now.  It has changed  a lot. (it / change)
3 I studied German at school, but  most of it now. (I / forget)

4 The police  three people, but later they let them go. (arrest)

5 What do you think of my English?  Do you think ? (it / improve)

6 Are you ready to go?   your coff ee? (you / finish)

7  for a job as a tour guide, but I wasn’t successful. (I / apply)

8 Where’s my bike?   outside the house, but it’s not there now. (it / be)

9 Quick!  We need to call an ambulance.   an accident. (there / be)

10 a: I’ve found my phone.

b: Oh, good.  Where  it? (you / find)

a:  at the bottom of my bag. (It / be)

11 a: Ben won’t be able to play tennis for a while.   his arm. (He / break)

b: Oh.  How ? (that / happen)

a:  off  a ladder. (He / fall)

I can’t get in.

I ’ve lost  (lose) my
key.

I meant to call you last night,

but I 

(forget).

1

4

2

5

3

6

Helen 

(go) to New York for a holiday, but 

she’s back home in London now.

Are you OK? 

The off ice is empty now.

Everybody 

(go) home.

Yes, I  (have) a 

headache, but it’s OK now.

before Can you help us?  Our car 

(break) down.

27



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Unit

14 Present perfect and past 2 (I have done and I did)

A We do not use the present perfect (I have done) when we talk about a finished time (for example,
yesterday / last year / ten minutes ago etc.).  We use a past tense:

It was very cold yesterday. (not has been) 
Paul and Lucy arrived ten minutes ago. (not have arrived) 
Did you eat a lot of sweets when you were a child? (not have you eaten) 
I got home late last night.  I was very tired and went straight to bed. 

Use the past to ask When … ? or What time … ? :
When did your friends arrive? (not have … arrived)
What time did you finish work?

Compare:

Compare:B

Present perfect
Tom has lost his key.  He can’t get 
into the house.
Is Carla here or has she left?

Past simple
Tom lost his key yesterday.  
He couldn’t get into the house.
When did Carla leave?

Present perfect (have done)
I’ve done a lot of work today.

We use the present perfect for a period of time  
that continues until now.  For example: 
today / this week / since 2010.

It hasn’t rained this week.

Have you seen Anna this morning? 
(it is still morning now)

Have you seen Ben recently? 
(in the last few days or weeks)

I’ve been working here since 2010. 
(I still work here now)

I don’t know where Lisa is.  I haven’t seen 
her. (= I haven’t seen her recently)

We’ve been waiting for an hour.  
(we are still waiting now)

Jack lives in Los Angeles.  He has lived 
there for seven years.

I’ve never ridden a horse. (in my life)

It’s the last day of your holiday.  You say:  
It’s been a really good holiday.  I’ve really 
enjoyed it.

Past simple (did)
I did a lot of work yesterday.

We use the past simple for a finished time in 
the past.  For example: 
yesterday / last week / from 2010 to 2014.

It didn’t rain last week.

Did you see Anna this morning? 
(it is now afternoon or evening)

Did you see Ben on Sunday? 

I worked here from 2010 to 2014. 
(I don’t work here now)

a:  Was Lisa at the party on Sunday? 
b:  I don’t think so.  I didn’t see her.

We waited (or were waiting) for an 
hour. (we are no longer waiting)

Jack lived in New York for ten years. 
Now he lives in Los Angeles.

I never rode a bike when I was a child.

After you come back from holiday you say: 
It was a really good holiday.  I really 
enjoyed it.

Past simple ➜ Unit 5 Present perfect ➜ Units 7–8 Present perfect and past 1 ➜ Unit 13

past now

unfinished

past now

yesterday

finished

today

28



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Exercises
Unit

14
14.1  Are the underlined parts of these sentences OK?  Correct them where necessary.

1 I’ve lost my key.  I can’t find it anywhere. OK

2 Have you eaten a lot of sweets when you were a child? Did you eat

3 I’ve bought a new car.  You must come and see it. 

4 I’ve bought a new car last week. 

5 Where have you been yesterday evening? 

6 Maria has left school in 1999. 

7 I’m looking for Mike.  Have you seen him? 

8 ‘Have you been to Paris?’ ‘Yes, many times.’ 

9 I’m very hungry.  I haven’t eaten much today. 

10 When has this bridge been built? 

14.2  Make sentences from the words in brackets.  Use the present perfect or past simple.

1 (it / not / rain / this week)   It hasn’t rained this week.

2 (the weather / be / cold / recently)   The weather 

3 (it / cold / last week)   It 

4 (I / not / eat / any fruit yesterday)   I 

5 (I / not / eat / any fruit today)   

6 (Emily / earn / a lot of money / this year)   

7 (she / not / earn / so much / last year)   

8 (you / have / a holiday recently?)   

14.3  Put the verb into the correct form, present perfect or past simple.

1 I haven’t been  (I / not / be) to Canada, but I’d like to go there.
2 Paul and Lucy arrived  (arrive) about ten minutes ago.
3 I’m tired.   (I / not / sleep) well last night.

4  (There / be) a bus drivers’ strike last week, so 

 (there / be) no buses.

5 Edward  (work) in a bank for 15 years.  Then 

(he / give) it up.  Now he works as a gardener.

6 Mary lives in Dublin.   (She / live) there all her life.

7 My grandfather  (die) before I was born.  

(I / never / meet) him.

8 I don’t know Karen’s husband.   (I / never / meet) him.

9 It’s nearly lunchtime, and  (I / not / see) Martin all morning.  I wonder 

where he is.

10 a:  (you / go) to the cinema last night?

 b: Yes, but the movie  (be) awful.

11 a:  (It / be) very warm here since we arrived.

 b: Yes,  (it / be) 35 degrees yesterday.

12 a: Where do you live? b:  In Boston.

a: How long  (you / live) there? b:  Five years.

a: Where  (you / live) before that? b:  In Chicago.

a: And how long  (you / live) in Chicago? b:  Two years.

14.4  Write sentences about yourself using the ideas in brackets.

1 (something you haven’t done today)   I haven’t eaten any fruit today.

2 (something you haven’t done today)   

3 (something you didn’t do yesterday)   

4 (something you did yesterday evening)   

5 (something you haven’t done recently)   

6 (something you’ve done a lot recently)   

➜ Additional exercises 2–4 (pages 303–04), 14–15 (pages 310–11) 29



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Past perfect continuous ➜ Unit 16 Irregular verbs (gone/seen etc.) ➜ Appendix 1

Unit

15 Past perfect (I had done)

A Study this example situation:

The past perfect (simple) is had + past participle (gone/seen/finished etc.).

Sometimes we talk about something that happened in the past:

 Sarah arrived at the party.
This is the starting point of the story.  Then, if we want to talk about things that happened before this time, 
we use the past perfect (had …):

When Sarah arrived at the party, Paul had already gone home.

Some more examples:
When we got home last night, we found that somebody had broken into the flat.
Karen didn’t come to the cinema with us.  She’d already seen the movie.
At first I thought I’d done the right thing, but I soon realised that I’d made a big mistake.
The people sitting next to me on the plane were nervous.  They hadn’t flown before.

 or They’d never flown before.

Sarah and Paul went to the same party last week, but they 
didn’t see each other.  Paul left  the party at 10.30 and Sarah 
arrived at 11 o’clock.

So when Sarah arrived at the party, Paul wasn’t there.

He had gone home.

had gone is the past perfect:

I/we/they/you
he/she/it

had
(= I’d etc.)
(= he’d etc.)

gone
seen
finished  etc.

Compare present perfect (have seen etc.) and past perfect (had seen etc.):B

Present perfect

Who is that woman?  I’ve seen her before, 
but I can’t remember where.
We aren’t hungry.  We’ve just had lunch.
The house is dirty.  They haven’t cleaned 
it for weeks.

Past perfect

I wasn’t sure who she was.  I’d seen her 
before, but I couldn’t remember where.
We weren’t hungry.  We’d just had lunch.
The house was dirty.  They hadn’t 
cleaned it for weeks.

Past simple

a: Was Tom there when you arrived?
 b: Yes, but he left  soon aft erwards.

Kate wasn’t at home when I phoned.
 She was at her mother’s house.

Past perfect

a:  Was Tom there when you arrived?
 b:  No, he’d already left .

Kate had just got home when I phoned.
 She’d been at her mother’s house.

Compare past simple (left , was etc.) and past perfect (had left , had been etc.):C

past         now

have seen

past  now

had seen

PAUL

SARAH

10.30

11.00

Bye!

Hi!

30



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Exercises
Unit

15
15.1  Read the situations and write sentences using the words in brackets.

1 There was a picture lying on the floor.

(It / fall / off the wall)   It had fallen off the wall.

2 The people sitting next to you on the plane were nervous.  It was their first flight.

(They / not / fly / before)   They hadn’t flown before.

3 You went back to your home town recently after many years.  It wasn’t the same as before.

(It / change / a lot)   It 

4 Somebody sang a song.  You didn’t know it.

(I / not / hear / it / before)   I 

5 I invited Rachel to the party, but she couldn’t come.

(She / arrange / to do something else)   

6 You went to the cinema last night.  You got to the cinema late.

(The film / already / start)   

7 Last year we went to Mexico.  It was our first time there.

(We / not / be / there / before)   We 

8  I met Daniel last week.  It was good to see him again after such a long time.

(I / not / see / him for five years)   

9 I offered my friends something to eat, but they weren’t hungry.

 (They / just / have / lunch)   

10 Sam played tennis yesterday.  He wasn’t very good at it because it was his first game ever.

(He / never / play / before)   

15.2  Use the sentences on the left to complete the paragraphs on the right.  These sentences are in the 

order in which they happened – so (a) happened before (b), (b) before (c) etc.  But your paragraph 

begins with the underlined sentence, so sometimes you need the past perfect.

1 (a)  Somebody broke into the office during 

the night.

(b) We arrived at work in the morning.

(c) We called the police.

2 (a) Laura went out this morning.

(b) I rang her doorbell.

(c) There was no answer.

3 (a)  Joe came back from holiday a few 

days ago.

(b) I met him the same day.

(c) He looked very well.

4 (a) James sent Amy lots of emails.

(b) She never replied to them.

(c) Yesterday he got a phone call from her.

(d) He was surprised.

We arrived at work in the morning and found 

that somebody had broken  into the office
during the night. So we called  the police.

I went to Laura’s house this morning and rang 

her doorbell, but  no answer.  

 out.

I met Joe a few days ago.   just

 holiday.

 very well. 

Yesterday James 

from Amy.   surprised.

 lots of emails,

but  .

15.3  Put the verb into the correct form, past perfect (I had done) or past simple (I did).

1 Paul wasn’t at the party when I arrived.  He’d gone  (He / go) home.
2 I felt very tired when I got home, so  (I / go) straight to bed.

3 The house was very quiet when I got home.  Everybody  (go) to bed.

4 Mark travels a lot.  When I first met him,  (he / already / travel)  

round the world.

5 Sorry I’m late.  The car  (break) down on my way here.

6 We were driving along the road when  (we / see) a car which 

(break) down, so  (we / stop) to help.

⎫
⎪
⎬
⎪
⎭

⎫
⎪
⎬
⎪
⎭

⎫
⎪

⎬
⎪
⎭

⎫
⎪
⎬
⎪
⎭

➜ Additional exercises 5–8 (pages 304–07) 31



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Past perfect continuous (I had been doing)

A Study this example situation:

Some more examples:
My hands were dirty because I’d been repairing my bike.
Tom was tired when he got home.  He’d been working hard all day.
I went to Madrid a few years ago and stayed with a friend of mine.  She hadn’t been living 
there very long, but she knew the city very well.

You can say that something had been happening before something else happened:
We’d been playing tennis for about half an hour when it started to rain heavily.

Unit

16

Yesterday morning I got up and looked out of the window. 
The sun was shining, but the ground was very wet.

It had been raining.

It was not raining when I looked out of the window.
The sun was shining.  But it had been raining before.

had been -ing is the past perfect continuous:

I/we/you/they
he/she/it

had
(= I’d etc.)
(= he’d etc.)

been
doing
working
playing  etc.

yesterday morning

Compare have been -ing (present perfect continuous) and had been -ing (past perfect continuous):B

Present perfect continuous

I hope the bus comes soon.  I’ve been 
waiting for 20 minutes. (before now)

James is out of breath.  He’s been 
running. (= he has been …)

Past perfect continuous

At last the bus came.  I’d been waiting 
for 20 minutes. (before the bus came)

James was out of breath.  He’d been 
running. (= he had been …)

Compare was -ing (past continuous) and had been -ing:
It wasn’t raining when we went out.  The sun was shining.  But it had been raining, 
so the ground was wet.
Katherine was lying on the sofa.  She was tired because she’d been working hard.

C

Some verbs (for example, know) are not normally used in continuous forms (be + -ing):
We were good friends.  We had known each other for years. (not had been knowing)
A few years ago Lisa cut her hair really short.  I was surprised because she’d always had 
long hair. (not she’d been having)

For a list of these verbs, see Unit 4A.  For have, see Unit 17

D

Present perfect continuous ➜ Units 9–10 Past perfect simple ➜ Unit 15

I have been -ing

nowpast

I had been -ing

nowpast 

32



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Exercises
Unit

16.1  Read the situations and make sentences using the words in brackets.

1 Tom was very tired when he got home.

(He / work / hard all day)   He’d been working hard all day.
2 The children came into the house.  They had a football and they were both very tired.

 (They / play / football)   

3 I was disappointed when I had to cancel my holiday. 

 (I / look / forward to it)   

4 Anna woke up in the middle of the night.  She was frightened and didn’t know where she was.

 (She / have / a bad dream)   

5 When I got home, Mark was sitting in front of the TV.  He had just turned it off. 

 (He / watch / a film)   

6 The people waiting at the bus stop were getting impatient.  The bus was very late.

(They / wait / a long time)   

16.2  Read the situations and complete the sentences.

1 We played tennis yesterday.  We didn’t finish our game. 
We’d been playing  (We / play) for half an hour when it started  (it / start) to rain.

2 I had arranged to meet Tom in a restaurant.  I arrived and waited for him to come. 

 (I / wait) for 20 minutes when 

(I / realise) that  (I / be) in the wrong restaurant.

3 Sarah worked in a company for a long time.  The company no longer exists. 

At the time the company  (go) out of business, Sarah 

 (work) there for twelve years. 

4 I went to a concert.  Soon after the orchestra began playing, something strange happened. 

The orchestra  (play) for about ten minutes when a man in 

the audience suddenly  (start) shouting.

Now make your own sentence:

5 I began walking along the road.  I 

when 

16.3  Which is right?

1 It was noisy next door last night.  Our neighbours were having /  had been having  a party. 

(were having is correct)

2 At the end of our journey we were extremely tired.  We were travelling / We’d been travelling for more 

than 24 hours.

3 James was on his hands and knees on the floor.  He was looking / He’d been looking for his 

contact lens.

4 Sue was sitting on the ground.  She was out of breath.  She was running / She’d been running. 

5 John and I went for a walk.  He was walking / He’d been walking very fast and I had difficulty keeping 

up with him.

6 I was sad when I sold my car.  I’ve had it / I’d had it for a very long time.

7 I was sad when my local cafe closed.  I was going / I’d been going there for many years.

8 I’m running a marathon next month.  I’ve been training / I’d been training for it every day.

9 I had arranged to meet Kate, but I was late.  When I finally arrived, she was waiting / she’d 

been waiting for me.  She was annoyed because she was waiting / she’d been waiting such a long time.

 10a  Joe and I work for the same company.  He joined the company before me.  When I started a few years 

ago, he was already working / he’d already been working there.

 10b  I started working at the company a few years ago.  At the time I started, Joe was already working / had 

already been working there for two years.

10c  Joe still works for the company.  He’s been working / He’d been working there a long time now.

16

➜ Additional exercises 5–8 (pages 304–07) 33



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Unit

17 have and have got

A have and have got (= for possession, relationships, illnesses, appointments etc.)

You can use have or have got.  There is no difference in meaning.  You can say: 
They have a new car.    or    They’ve got a new car. 
Lisa has two brothers.    or    Lisa has got two brothers.
I have a headache.    or    I’ve got a headache.
Our house has a small garden.    or    Our house has got a small garden.
He has a few problems.    or    He’s got a few problems.
I have a driving lesson tomorrow.    or    I’ve got a driving lesson tomorrow.

With these meanings (possession etc.), we do not use continuous forms (I’m having etc.):
We’re enjoying our holiday.  We have / We’ve got a nice room in the hotel.  
(not We’re having a nice room)

For the past we use had (usually without got):
Lisa had long hair when she was a child. (not Lisa had got)

In questions and negative sentences there are three possible forms:

   Do you have any questions?
or    Have you got any questions?
or    Have you any questions? (less usual)

   Does she have a car?
or    Has she got a car?
or    Has she a car? (less usual)

   I don’t have any questions.
or    I haven’t got any questions.
or    I haven’t any questions. (less usual)

   She doesn’t have a car.
or    She hasn’t got a car.
or    She hasn’t a car. (less usual)

In past questions and negative sentences, we use did/didn’t: 
Did you have a car when you were living in Paris? 
I didn’t have my phone, so I couldn’t call you. 
Lisa had long hair, didn’t she? 

B

have breakfast / have a shower / have a good time etc. 

We also use have (but not have got) for things we do or experience.  For example: 

have

breakfast / dinner / a cup of coffee / something to eat etc. 
a bath / a shower / a swim / a break / a rest / a party / a holiday 
an accident / an experience / a dream
a look (at something) 
a chat / a discussion / a conversation (with somebody)
trouble / difficulty / fun / a good time etc. 
a baby (= give birth to a baby)

Have got is not possible in these expressions.  Compare: 

 Sometimes I have (= eat) a sandwich for my lunch. (not I’ve got) 
but  I’ve got / I have some sandwiches.  Would you like one? 

You can use continuous forms (I’m having etc.) with these expressions: 
We’re enjoying our holiday.  We’re having a great time. 
‘Where’s Mark?’ ‘He’s having a shower.’ 

In questions and negative sentences we use do/does/did: 
I don’t usually have a big breakfast. (not I usually haven’t) 
Where does Chris usually have lunch?
Did you have trouble finding somewhere to stay? (not Had you)

C

have (got) to … ➜ Unit 31 American English ➜ Appendix 734



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Exercises
Unit

17.1  Which goes with which?

1 I’m not free tomorrow morning. 

2 Rachel is an only child.

3 We’ve got plenty of time.

4 You’ve got a really good voice. 

5 I don’t feel very well this morning.

6 Laura studied at university.

7 I’ve got a question.

8 James has got a lot of experience.

 a  She’s got a degree in physics.

 b  I’ve got a sore throat.

 c  There’s no need to hurry.

 d  I’ve got a driving lesson. 

 e  Maybe you can answer it.

 f  I think he should get the job. 

 g  I wish I could sing as well as you. 

 h  She’s got no brothers or sisters.

1 d
2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

17.2  Complete the sentences using have.

1 She couldn’t get into the house.  She didn’t have  a key.
2 Is there anything you’d like to ask?  Do you have  any questions?
3 They can’t pay their bills.  They  any money. 

4 We got wet in the rain yesterday.  We  an umbrella.

5 Jack  a car.  He can’t afford one and he can’t drive anyway.

6 ‘Excuse me,  a pen I could borrow?’ ‘Yes, sure.  Here you are.’

7 I was very busy yesterday.  I  time to go shopping.

8 ‘Tell me about Jack.   a job?’ ‘Yes, he works at the hospital.’

9 When you worked in your last job,  your own office?

10 ‘Where’s the remote control?’ ‘I don’t know.  I  it.’

11 ‘Tom  a motorbike,  he?’ ‘Yes, that’s right.  A long time ago.’

17.3  Are the underlined words OK?  Change them where necessary.

1 I’m not free tomorrow morning.  I’ve got a driving lesson. OK
2 Lisa had got long hair when she was a child. Lisa had long hair
3 I couldn’t contact you because I hadn’t my phone.  

4 ‘Are you feeling OK?’ ‘No, I’m having a cold.’ 

5 I’m not working right now.  I’m having a break. 

6 I felt really tired.  I hadn’t any energy. 

7 It’s a small town.  It doesn’t have many shops. 

8 Was your trip OK?  Had you any problems? 

9 My friend called me when I was having breakfast. 

10 The last time I saw Steve, he was having a beard. 

11 We don’t need to hurry.  We have plenty of time. 

12 How often have you a shower? 

17.4  Complete the sentences.  Use an expression with have in the correct form.  Choose from:

have a baby  have a break have a chat have trouble have a shower
have a look  have lunch  have a party have a nice time have a holiday

1 I don’t eat much during the day.  I never have lunch  .
2 David starts work at 8 o’clock and  at 10.30.

3 We  last week.  We invited lots of people.

4 There’s something wrong with my bike.  Can you  at it for me?

5 Joe is away on holiday at the moment.  I hope he  .

6 I met some friends in the supermarket yesterday.  We stopped and  .

7 ‘  finding the book you wanted?’ ‘No, I found it OK.’ 

8 Suzanne  a few weeks ago.  It’s her second child.

9 I  when the light went out suddenly.

10 I’d like to go away somewhere.  I  for a long time.

17

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used to (do)

A Study this example situation:

Unit

18

a few years ago

these days

Nicola doesn’t travel much these days.
She prefers to stay at home. 

But she used to travel a lot. 
She used to go away two or three times a year. 

She used to travel a lot = she travelled oft en in the past, but 
she doesn’t do this any more. 

nowpast

she doesn’t 
travel

she used to travel

I used to do something = I did it oft en in the past, but not any more:
I used to play tennis a lot, but I don’t play very much now.
David used to spend a lot of money on clothes.  These days he can’t aff ord it.
‘Do you go to the cinema much?’ ‘Not now, but I used to.’ (= I used to go)

We also use used to … for things that were true, but are not true any more: 
This building is now a furniture shop.  It used to be a cinema. 
I used to think Mark was unfriendly, but now I realise he’s a very nice person.
I’ve started drinking coff ee recently.  I never used to like it before. 
Lisa used to have very long hair when she was a child. 

B

‘I used to do something’ is past.  There is no present.  You cannot say ‘I use to do’. 
To talk about the present, we use the present simple (I do). 

Compare: 

past he used to play we used to live there used to be 

present he plays we live there is

We used to live in a small village, but now we live in a city.
There used to be four cinemas in the town.  Now there is only one.

C

The normal question form is did (you) use to … ? :
Did you use to eat a l