Grammar present tenses: simple, continuous and perfect

4 Look at the article. Find examples of the following.

1 two changing situations (present continuous)

2 three everyday activities (present simple)

3 two recent events with an impact on the present (present perfect simple)

4 one event that started in the past and continues to the present (present perfect continuous)

5 Complete the questions from a survey on friendship. Use present tenses.

1 What person or people (you / spend) most time with recently? 2 (you / consider) this person or people to be close friends? 3 How many really close friends (you / have)? 4 Do you think your friendship circle (still / increase)? 5 (you/make) any new friends in the past month? 6 How long

(you / know) your closest friend? 7 How often (you / see) this person? 8 Generally, what qualities (you / look for) in a friend?

Vocabulary friendships, describing character and phrasal verbs

6 Look at the article again. Find the adjectives that collocate with these words. You may use the adjectives more than once.

1 a(n) , ,
friendship
2 a bond
3 a , friend
4 a stranger
5 a acquaintance

7 Which word in each group does NOT collocate with the single word next to it? Cross out the word. 1 (a) mutual friend/respect/student/interest 2 a fellow student/companion/scientist/traveller 3 a close acquaintance/relationship/friend/relative 4a flat/faithful/travel companion 5 a(n) odd/happy/blood couple 6 a(n) close/old/passing friend

8 Complete the sentences using the most appropriate adjective. There are two extra adjectives.

considerate dependable energetic good fun laid-back outgoing selfish serious shy unreliable

1 He seems very serious

on the surface, but actually he’s really

when you get to know him. 2 She’s not stressed about arrangements for the wedding. She’s very about it all. 3 I do like him, but he’s so

. He always forgets arrangements or cancels them at the last minute.

4 She’s so . I don’t know how she manages to do a full-time job, look after three children and write books at the same time.

5 How could two people be so different? His brother is very

– he never says a word, but Simon is the opposite – very and loves to be the centre of attention.

6 She’s such a person. She not only bought a thank you present for us, she got presents for all the children too.

9 Choose the correct option to complete the phrasal verbs.

1 I used to hang out with / around John a lot at college because we were both keen swimmers. 2 I’m meeting with / up with a group of colleagues on Friday. Would you like to join us? 3 I don’t get off / on very well with my new boss. He’s really difficult to work with. 4 Do you want to come across / round to my house and watch the football? It starts at 8 p.m. 5 It’s very important to stand by / with your friends when they are in trouble.

6 Some people are very good at keeping up with / on with their old friends. However, I’ve lost touch with practically all the people I knew at college.

7 Lina and I were friends at school, but when we met recently, we just seemed to pick off / up from where we left off twenty years ago.

6

Unit 1 Relationships

4 Choose the best option to complete the sentences.

1 It’s not just in Britain that people are retiring later. A lot of countries raised / have raised the retirement age. This wasn’t / hasn’t been very popular, as you can imagine.

2 In other countries, like France and Japan, the government encouraged / has been encouraging people to have more children. For example, in France, they have reduced / have been reducing people’s tax if they have more than two children.

3 Some people say that advances in medicine went / have gone too far. They say that it was / has been better when people didn’t live so long.

4 Old people seem younger now. My grandmother had / has had her seventieth birthday a few weeks ago, but she looks about sixty. She has gone / has been going to yoga classes lately too!

5 Emma looked / has been looking after her elderly parents for the last year. She had / has had to take a lot of time off work to be with them.

5 Complete the sentences with an appropriate time expression.

all morning last year before since the age of sixteen in the past so far just yet

1 They moved to Canada to live on a farm. 2 Where have you been ? I need your help moving some furniture.

3 Have you had your lunch ? I’m just going out to get a sandwich. Would you like to come?

4 Have we met  ? I’m sure I recognize your face. 5 I’ve been driving . 6 Life was a lot simpler

, before we had a house and children.

7 I’m painting the house. I’ve painted three rooms . Just two more rooms to go.

8 Zoe? She’s not here right now. She’s gone out to get a coffee and some lunch.

6 Pronunciation auxiliary verbs have and has

a Read the conversations. Underline the auxiliary verbs have and has that you think are stressed. Circle the auxiliary verbs that are not stressed.

1 A: Have you finished using the computer yet? I need to check my emails.

B: Yes, I have. But the internet connection has been a bit funny.

A: What do you mean? Haven’t you been able to connect or has it just been slow?

2 A: How has your visit to Scotland been? Have you had a good time?

B: Well, the weather has been terrible, but apart from that, it’s been wonderful.

A No, it hasn’t been a very nice summer, but I’m afraid that’s pretty typical.

b

2 Listen and check your answers to Exercise 6a.

7 Dictation old and young

3 Look at the photo. The person is describing her family. Listen and write what she says. What is she looking forward to when she is older?

1 I think my parents’ generation 2 My parents , but they both . So now they can relax and enjoy themselves. 3 They’ve said and that they don’t 4 Considering that my husband and I

1c A dynamic society

Listening a study project in Vietnam

1

4 Listen to an interview with a student who recently returned from a study trip to Vietnam. Which statement (a–c) best summarizes her views about the different generations in Vietnamese society?

a There is a deep cultural divide between the old and the young generations.

b All generations are confused by the changes taking place.

c The generations see things differently, but they all respect each other.

2

4 Listen to the interview again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?

1 Both the presenter and Lauren went on study trips as part of their university courses.

2 Vietnam is in a period of great economic and social change.

3 Lauren had the opportunity to meet a lot of ordinary Vietnamese citizens.

4 The older generation has suffered to reach where they are now.

5 Younger people are very aware of their country’s struggles in the past.

6 Older Vietnamese people think it’s very important to teach the young about the country’s history.

7 Lauren felt that the different generations in the family couldn’t understand each other.

8 The older generation is increasingly ignored by younger people.

3 Look at the phrases in bold from the interview. Choose the correct definition (a–c).

1 We were really lucky to get to experience that first-hand … a for ourselves b for the first time c something no one else has ever experienced

2 We got to meet … a had the opportunity to meet b were obliged to meet c met by chance

3 They take this new wealth for granted … a are suspicious of it b are grateful for it c assume it should be like this

4 They don’t know which way to turn … a the rules b what to do c where to drive

5 The generation in the middle bridges the gap … a creates a space between two things b joins two sides c crosses from one side to another

6 The 30-somethings … a the 1930s b a group of 30 objects c people in their 30s

4 Pronunciation word stress: -ic and -tion/-sion

a

5 Listen to these words from the interview. Underline the stressed syllable in each word. What pronunciation rule can you make about words that end in -ic and -tion?

1 dynamic 4 generation 2 fantastic 5 restriction 3 economics 6 tradition

Rule:

b

6 Practise saying these words, putting the stress on the correct syllable. Then listen and check.

specific impression italics relation terrific interruption scientific transformation characteristic comprehension

Unit 1 Relationships

1d What have you been up to?

Real life meeting people

1 Complete the sentences with the correct preposition. Some sentences do not need a preposition.

1 How’s everything going ?
2 I’ve been studying my law exams.
3 You’re looking very well.
4 Being self-employed obviously suits
you.
5 Georgia was asking you the other day.
6 Please give her my best wishes.
7 How is your daughter getting at
university?
8 Say hello to her me.
9 I’m a bit of a hurry.
10 Good luck the new job.

2 Grammar extra present perfect: simple and continuous

a Look at the verbs in bold in the sentences (1–4). Are they in the present perfect simple (PPS) or present perfect continuous (PPC) form?

1 He’s moved to New York for his job.

2 What have you been doing since I last saw

you? 3I haven’t seen Hannah for ages. 4 She’s been preparing for her law exams.

b Look at the sentences in Exercise 2a again. Answer the questions.

1 Which tense emphasizes how someone has spent their time recently? 2 Which tense emphasizes a present result?

3 Read the conversation. Choose the correct options to complete the conversation.

Ben: Hi Sam. a . I’ve 1 wondered / been wondering how you were.

Sam: Oh, hi Ben. b . I’m fine. I’ve 2 worked / been working in Scotland for the last three months.

Ben: Well, c . You’re looking very well. Have you 3 decided / been deciding to move up there?

Sam: No, it’s just a temporary job. I’ve 4 helped / been helping to renovate an old castle. And d ? Is Emily well?

Ben: Yes, thanks. She’s just 5 finished / been finishing her nursing course. Sam: Really? That’s fantastic.

e

. Ben: Well, f . I should probably go and do my shopping. Sam: OK. Could I have your phone number

again? I’ve 6 lost / been losing it. Ben: Sure. It’s 07945 699636. Sam: Thanks. Well, speak soon, I hope.

g

.

4

7 Listen to the conversation in Exercise 3. Complete the phrases (a–g).

5 Pronunciation word boundaries a

8 Listen to the expressions spoken at speed. Complete the expressions. 1 How ? 2 , thanks. 3 You . 4It .

5 I to work. 6 Sorry, .

b Practise saying the expressions in Exercise 5a in the same way.

6 Listen and respond meeting people you know

9 Listen to comments where someone meets a friend by chance in the street. Respond with your own words. Then compare your response with the model answer that follows.

1

1e News from home

Writing an informal email

1 Complete the email to a friend who is working abroad. Use the sentences and phrases (a–g).

a So keep your fingers crossed for me. b All the best, c

How are you? d Anyway, do send me your news when you get

a moment to write. e So, what’s been happening here? f I’m sorry I haven’t written sooner. g Dear Esther

Word focus get

2 Look at the verb get in bold in the email in Exercise 1, either on its own or as part of a phrasal verb. Match the uses of get with a word with these similar meanings.

be become have manage obtain received

3 Look at the verb get in these sentences. Write a synonym for get in each sentence.

1 I’m sorry. I don’t get what you’re saying. Why do I have to wait? 2 Can you get off the phone? I’m trying to work.

3 I got this jacket for £20 in the sales.

4 Call me when you get to the station.

5 We had to get a taxi because there were no buses. 6 It was a bad cold. It took me two weeks to get over it. 7 They got first prize in the dancing competition.

8 Could you get the map from the car so that we can plan our route?

4 Rewrite this informal email.

1 First write the verbs in the correct tense. 2 Then see how many verbs you can replace with get.