In Chapter 2 of Understanding and Using English Grammar we will introduce [Have and Has in Spoken English, Using for and since, Adverbs and time expressions used with the perfect tenses, and, The simple past, the present perfect, and the present perfect progressive]
1- Have and Has in Spoken English
Hello there. In this lesson, we'll look at the way have and has sound in spoken English.
In spoken English, have and has are often reduced after question words.
Have can sound like vvvv or uv.
So we can say:
Howv you been?
Or
How-ev you been?
This symbol /?/ means uh.
Has can sound like zzzzz or uz after voiced sounds.
Listen to the examples:
Where-z she been?
Or
Where-?z she been?
Has sounds like sssss or ussss after voiceless sounds. Listen to these examples:
Whats your teacher explained so far?
What-us your teacher explained so far?
The same rules apply when have or has occurs after nouns.
Have usually sounds like uv.
Mark and Maggie-uv been late every day this week.
Has sounds like zzzzz or uz after voiced sounds.
Maggiez been late every day this week.
Maggie-uz been late every day this week.
And has sounds like sssss or ussss after voiceless sounds.
Marks been late every day this week.
Mark-us been late every day this week.
In informal writing, has is sometimes contracted with questions and nouns.
Where's Maggie been?
Maggie's been in Canada for two weeks.
The movie's already started.
That actor's appeared in several movies this year.
Be careful! Has and is can look the same in informal writing and sound the same in spoken English. We can tell if the meaning is has or is from the rest of the sentence. Try it!
How about this sentence?
The teacher's from Canada.
Is the meaning the teacher is or the teacher has?
Right! It's the teacher is from Canada.
We can tell because there is no past participle verb in the sentence.
Let's practice a little more. Listen to these sentences and decide if the contraction is a reduced form of has or is.
Jenny's been very busy this week.
Jenny has been very busy.
New York's next to New Jersey.
New York is next to New Jersey.
How's the weather?
How is the weather?
How's your family been doing?
How has your family been doing?
Nice job! You've completed another lesson. See you next time.
Video Presentation Have and Has in Spoken English
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2- Using for and since
Hello there. This lesson will focus on the use of for and since in the present perfect.
As you know, the present perfect is often used to talk about situations that began in the past and continue up to now. For is used with a length of time.
I've known Carrie for years.
We can place for expressions at the beginning or the end of the sentence, but they are usually at the end.
If the sentence is negative, we can use for or in.
I haven't seen her for years.
Or
I haven't seen her in years.
We use since with a specific point in time, such as a specific time, day, month, or year. For example:
I've known Carrie since 2005.
We can also use since with a time clause.
I've known Carrie since we were in high school.
I've met a lot of people since I moved to this city.
Be careful! Notice that the verb in the clause with since is in the simple past. The dependent clause is in the past tense. The independent clause is in the present perfect. The order of the clauses is not important.
I can also say:
Since I moved to this city, I've met a lot of people.
The meaning does not change. The only change is the comma at the end of the dependent clause. This rule is true for all dependent clauses:
When the sentence begins with a dependent clause, separate the clauses with commas.
When the sentence begins with an independent clause, the comma is not necessary.
The verbs stay the same – use the simple past in the dependent clause and the present perfect in the independent clause.
Let's look at some more examples.
David has wanted to be a doctor since he was a child.
Not: [no audio]
We have learned a lot of verb tenses since the class first began.
Not: [no audio]
To emphasize how long ago the situation first began, we can use ever since.
I've met a lot of people ever since I moved to this city.
Again, notice the verb that comes after since is in the simple past. The verb in the independent clause is in the present perfect.
I've given you several examples since the beginning of this lesson. Does it make more sense now? We'll look at more time expressions in the next lesson.
Video Presentation Using for and since
Content of the Video in PDF
3- Adverbs and time expressions used with the perfect tenses
Hi again. Last time, we talked about using for and since in the present perfect. There are several other adverbs and time expressions that we often use with the perfect tenses. Let's look at some of them.
Let's begin with so far and up to now.
Theses expressions also show a connection between the past and the present, but they often emphasize an event that has occurred repeatedly from a point in the past up to the present time. Like for and since, these expressions can occur at the beginning or end of the sentence, but they are usually at the end.
We've had five lessons so far.
Or
We've had five lessons up to now.
With the use of so far and up to now, we expect to have more lessons.
Next, let's take a look at ever and never. These expressions show that an event happened some time before now. The exact time of the event is not specified.
We use ever to ask a question about an unspecified time in the past. We use never in a negative answer.
Have you ever been to Antarctica?
I've never been to Antarctica.
We can also put the negative form on have.
I haven't ever been to Antarctica.
Notice, I used ever when the verb is negative. I cannot use never with a negative verb.
Not: [no audio]
We can only use ever in questions or in negative statements. Do not use ever in an affirmative statement. So we can say:
Have you ever been there?
I haven't ever been there.
I've been there.
But not: [no audio]
Next, let's take a look at already and yet. Like ever and never, these adverbs usually talk about an event that has or hasn't happened sometime before now. The time is not specified.
Use already in affirmative statements.
I've already completed the assignment.
Use yet in questions and with negative verbs.
Have you completed the assignment yet?
I haven't completed the assignment yet.
Yet almost always goes at the end of the sentence.
Next, let's talk about lately and recently. We use these adverbs with the present perfect and the present perfect progressive to show an indefinite time in the near past. These adverbs can go at the beginning or end of the sentence.
Lately I've been practicing my pronunciation.
I've read some good books recently.
Recently can also come between have or has and the main verb.
I've recently started a new exercise program.
Finally, let's take a look at the expression by the time. This expression is typically used with the past perfect. Later, you'll learn that it's also used with the future perfect. With by the time, an action occurred after another action. For example:
By the time I arrived, class had ended.
First, class ended. Then, I arrived.
We often use already with the past perfect to emphasize that the action was completed first.
By the time I arrived, class had already ended.
We can switch the clauses around without changing the meaning:
Class had already ended by the time I arrived.
We use by the time with the simple past to show an action occurred after another action in the past.
And we have already finished our lesson! See you again soon.
Video Presentation explain Adverbs and time expressions used with the perfect tenses
Content of the Video in PDF
4- The simple past, the present perfect, and the present perfect progressive
Hi. For many students, it's difficult to understand the difference between the simple past and the present perfect. The difference between the present perfect and the present perfect progressive can also be challenging. Let's take a closer look at the differences between those three verb tenses.
It's easy to confuse the present perfect and the simple past. The main difference is that the simple past usually refers to a specific point in the past, but the present perfect refers to any time before now. Look at these sentences.
I studied French three years ago.
I've studied French before.
In the second sentence, the exact time is not important.
If an action occurred for a length of time, but it ended in the past, we use the simple past to show that it ended. Let's compare two sentences.
I lived in New York for two years.
I've lived in New York for two years.
The first sentence shows that I do not live in New York now. The simple past indicates that the action ended. The second sentence shows that I still live in New York. The present perfect indicates that the action began in the past and continues now.
The present perfect progressive is similar to the present perfect. Both forms can indicate an action began in the past and continues to the present. In fact, sometimes the present perfect and the present perfect progressive have no difference in meaning.
This is especially true for activities or situations that happen regularly or habitually, like live, work, teach, study, wear, or play.
These sentences have no difference in meaning:
I've lived here for ten years.
Or:
I've been living here for ten years.
James has played basketball since he was a child.
Or:
James has been playing basketball since he was a child.
But be careful! The present perfect and the present perfect progressive do not always have the same meaning. The present perfect progressive makes it clear that the situation continues now.
Look at this example:
I've been waiting for over an hour.
This sentence shows that I am still waiting now.
In contrast, the present perfect might indicate that the action has been completed but happened at an unspecified time in the past. So I can say:
I don't like that store because it's always very crowded. I've waited for an hour there before.
I am not waiting there now. But I used the present perfect because the time is unknown.
You've been practicing these verbs a lot. How have you been doing? Has it gotten easier with practice?
Great! Keep working. I'll see you again soon.
Video explain The simple past, the present perfect, and the present perfect progressive
Content of the Video in PDF
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