Page 183 - Basic English Usage

185 243

While A was happening As | was walking down the road
!
| I
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B happened. | saw Bill.

The phone rang while | was having dinner.

Some verbs are not used in progressive tenses. (See 225.)
| tried a bit of the cake to see how it tasted.
(NOT ... fowtHwaestasting-)
For | was wondering if you could help me, and similar structures, see 239.3.

243 past time: present perfect simple

Forms

Affirmative Question Negative

| have worked have | worked? | have not worked
you have worked, have you worked? you have not worked,
etc etc etc

Meaning
We use the present perfect simple to say that something in the past is
connected with the present in some way.
If we say that something has happened, we are thinking about the past
and the present at the same time.
We could often change a present perfect sentence into a present
sentence with the same meaning.
l’ve broken my leg. = My leg is broken now.
Have you read the Bible? = Do you know the Bible?
We do not use the present perfect simple if we are not thinking about the
present.
| saw Lucy yesterday.
(NOT +have-seerntuey yesierday-)

Finished actions: result now
We often use the present perfect to talk about finished actions, when we
are thinking of their present consequences: the results that they have
now.