Extension Exercises

Index | Chapter 14 - The past: past simple, present perfect simple and present perfect continuous | Possible Answers

Exploring English

EITHER:

Ask someone to tell you about their career or life. If you have access to the necessary technology, record this so that you can listen to it several times and even copy part of it down.

OR (if the above is not possible):

Find a magazine interview with someone talking generally about their careers or lives

1. Explain to yourself the choices the speaker makes with regard to present perfect and past simple tenses.
2. Account for any unexpected or unconventional uses of these tense forms.

Course materials

Choose two coursebooks and compare how they teach the past simple and the present perfect to refer to past time.

1. What 'rules' are provided? How accurate, comprehensive, clear and useful are they?
2. What kinds of texts are provided? Are these real or are they especially constructed to provide examples of a particular rule? If they are especially constructed, how natural are they?
3. Are learners guided to work out the meaning of the language for themselves?
4. Is the use of the present perfect to refer to past events clearly distinguished from its use to refer to present events?
5. Are the uses of the present perfect simple clearly distinguished from those of the present perfect continuous?
6. What opportunities are provided for practice of the language? Do these involve simple choices between verb forms? Do they involve more extended creative speaking or writing? Do they provide opportunities for students to work together?
7. How much attention does the book pay to this aspect of grammar compared to other grammatical topics? Do you think this degree of attention is appropriate?