Objectives & Sequence: This lesson is intended to be used as a review of Grammar - Present Perfect & Past Simple.

Intro Student One Student Two

Students work in pairs and open the corresponding pages below.

Each page has two sections. Each section contains eight sentences. On Student One's page, the first section contains eight sentences about duration in the Past Simple tense. Student Two has sentences in the Present Perfect tense that have the same meaning as Student One's sentences.

As such, students take turns changing the sentences on their page to the opposing tense (Present Perfect → Past Simple or Past Simple → Present Perfect), trying to keep the same meaning. Ultimately, students should try to say the sentence that is on their partner's page.

Example

On Student One's page:

  1. I came to school at 8 AM.

On Student Two's page:

  1. I have been at school since 8 AM.
  • Student One's sentence is in the Past Simple, so he or she tries to make a sentence in the Present Perfect with the same meaning.
  • Student Two's tries to do the same but by making a Past Simple sentence that matches the meaning of the Present Perfect sentence on his or her page.
  • Students should check each other's sentences to ensure they match the ones on their pages.

Student One: "I have been at school since 8 AM."

Student Two: "Correct! My sentence is, 'I came to school at 8 AM."

Student One: "Correct!"

In the second section, Student One is given eight more sentences but this time in the Present Perfect Tense. Student Two's sentences are in the Past Simple.

Past Simple → Present Perfect Simple

How can you say the same meaning in the Present Perfect Simple tense?

  1. I came here two months ago.
  2. I met him in January.
  3. When did you start playing the saxophone?
  4. It started raining this morning.
  5. I got / bought my computer two years ago.
  6. I became / got sick three days ago.
  7. He started smoking ten years ago.
  8. When did you start working as a photographer?

Present Perfect Simple → Past Simple

How can you say the same meaning in the Past Simple tense?

  1. I have been listening to music for five minutes.
  2. He has been in this class since May.
  3. How long have you been working on the project?
  4. She has had a cold since yesterday.
  5. She has been a doctor for three years.
  6. I have had my passport since 2008.
  7. He has been sleeping since 10 PM.
  8. How long have you been a member of the group?

Present Perfect Simple → Past Simple

How can you say the same meaning in the Past Simple tense?

  1. I have been here for two months.
  2. I have known him since January.
  3. How long have you played / been playing the saxophone?
  4. It has been raining since this morning.
  5. I have had my computer for two years.
  6. I have been sick for three days.
  7. He has smoked / has been smoking for ten years.
  8. How long have you worked / been working as a photographer?

Past Simple → Present Perfect Simple

How can you say the same meaning in the Present Perfect Simple tense?

  1. I started listening to music five minutes ago.
  2. He joined this class in May.
  3. When did you start working on the project?
  4. She caught a cold yesterday.
  5. She became a doctor three years ago.
  6. I got my passport in 2008.
  7. He went to sleep / bed (or started sleeping) at 10 PM.
  8. When did you become a member of the group?
keyboard_arrow_up