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Tower of Pisa Up to Now

Focusing on duration 

 

 

 

 

Past vs. Present Perfect
COMPLETED HAVING DURATION

Use past tense to report that an action happened sometime in the past.  The activity is completed.

Use present perfect to focus on the duration of a past action (possibly ongoing).

Construction started in 1173. (emphasis on completion)

It has leaned to the south since its third story was added in 1274.  (emphasis on duration)

Builders added a third story in 1185.

It has been ten years since the last tourist saw the view from the top of the Tower of Pisa.

The soil foundation failed under the tower in 1185.

Engineers have gradually reduced the lean by 14 centimeters so far. Their goal is 45 centimeters.

Officials closed the tower during the 1980s.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed for ten years. (passive verb - past perfect tense)

The tower was reopened in 2001.

The project has received $27,000,000 to date.

past time line

From past to present

 

 

 

Time Adverbs
PAST PRESENT PERFECT

Activities that occur ed in the past and have entered a past time frame in the  mind of the speaker.

Activities and events that began in the past and have continued up until the present (or recent past) and remain current in the mind of the speaker.

this morning...  (hours passed)

this week  (days have passed)

this year..

this decade.

last night

yesterday

last week

last year

January 10, 1999

in August 1960

1992

May 5th, at 5:00 a.m. (if it has already passed)

twenty years ago

at that time (that indicates distance or time passed)

when I saw it   (saw indicates the past tense time frame)

while I was studying  (studying event was in a past time frame) 

up to / until now

so far

before now

to date

until this moment

since noon (exact time)

since this morning

since July 2003

since yesterday

since the 1900s

ever since I met you

since a month ago

*this morning (hours ongoing)

*this week (days ongoing)

*this year  (days ongoing)

*this decade  (years ongoing)

*this century (years ongoing)

for two minutes (quantity time)

for an hour

for three days

over the past 3 years

in my life (current)

in these times (current)

    * used with present perfect progressive  

Related page   Adv for Time   

 

 

 

Common Mistakes
COMMON ERRORS FIXES

Where did you go on vacation?
"We have been to the beach this summer. (completed?)
Solution - lightbulb  Pop-Q "Source"

We went to the beach this summer.  (completed)

We have been to the beach recently. (completed)

We have been vacationing at the beach this summer. (ongoing)

(If we are still at the beach, use present perfect progressive with "this summer". If we are talking about a recently completed trip, use past tense, or use present perfect with the adverb "recently".)
 

*The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed during the last decade.
   Present perfect is used with "during" under special conditions.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has been closed for a decade.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa was closed during the 1990s / during the summer.

*I haven't seen my family for six months ago.
   (After "for" use a quantity of time.)

I haven't seen my family for six months. (omit "ago")
I saw my family six months ago.  (Use past tense with "ago".)

* I went there since two months.
   (After "since" use an exact date.)

I've been going there for two months. (ongoing)
I went there for two months. (completed)

 

 

 

 

Sentence Forms

Word Order

 

 

AUXILIARY VERB SUBJECT AUXILIARY VERB MAIN VERB ADVERB PHRASE CLAUSE

STATEMENT 

 

The tower

 

 

 

has stood

 

for a long time.

 

 
 

The engineers

 

have worked

for several years.

 

QUESTION

Has 

 

the tower

 

 

 

stood   

 

for a long time?

 

Have

the engineers

ever 

worked   

there?

 

*TAG QUESTION

 

The tower

 

 

 

has stood

 

for a long time,

 

hasn't it?
 

The engineers

 

have worked

for several years,

haven't they?

NEGATIVE

 

 

The tower

 

hasn't

 

stood   

 

for a long time.

 

 

 

The engineers

haven't

worked   

for several years.

 

WITH AN ADVERB

 

The tower

 

has  always

 

stood   

 

there.

 

 
 

The engineers

have  frequently

worked   

there.
 

 

*A tag question can also occur with a negative main sentence and a positive final question: The tower hasn't stood there for long, has it?  

 

Related pages:  And so / too   |   Adverbs of Frequency    

 

 

 

 

Practice 1

Verb - Adverb Agreement

 

 

  1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 
  3. Use the resource links below the feedback box to find detailed answers.

 

# YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.  more than ever before.
   

 

 

 

 

fixing the lean of pisaPractice 2

La Torre di Pisa

 

 

  1. Select the word from each menu that best completes the sentence. 
  2. Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button to the right. 
# YOUR RESPONSE CHECK ANSWER
1. .
 
2.
 
3.
 
4.
 
5.
 
6.
 
7.
8.
 
9.
 
10.
 
   

Torre di Pisa  http://torre.duomo.pisa.it/index_eng.html    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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