by R. S. Karunaratne

Present perfect tense

We use the present perfect tense to talk about completed actions. However, we do not state the exact time of an action with the present perfect tense.

He has just returned from Australia.
The children have always enjoyed watching cartoon films.
Nilma hasn't finished her assignment yet.
I've known Parami since we were young.
Randolph hasn't decided what to do next.

We use the present perfect tense with words such as "since" and "for" to refer to an action that began in the past and is still going on at the time of speaking. The word "since" points to the start of the period of time and "for" points to the entire period of time.

Sandra has worked in our company since 1992.
Since we came to this house 20 years ago, we have received the support of neighbours.
I have worked as a stenographer for 20 years.
She has waited for more than a month for her letter of appointment.
The house has remained vacant for nearly two years.

We use the present perfect tense with adverbs of indefinite time such as "already" and "just" to refer to completed actions. We use "yet" to refer to an action that is expected to happen at some point in the future. We do not use these words with the simple past tense.

We have already booked two seats.
The director has just signed a contract with a Chinese company.
I haven't received my salary yet.
We have yet to receive compensation for the damaged vehicle.

[Activity]

Correct the following sentences. Check your answers with the key.

1. My grandmother was looking after me since I was small.
............................................................................

2. Kevin has decided to go abroad a month ago.
............................................................................

3. Mervyn always encouraged his children to study.
............................................................................

4. Mary forever threatened to resign unless she was promoted to the next grade.
............................................................................

5. The prices of vegetables rose sharply because of the floods.
............................................................................

6. I lived in this town since my birth.
............................................................................

7. Kanthi hung up the mirror on the wall when she lost her balance and fell.
............................................................................

8. Father didn't scold me yet for breaking the vase.
............................................................................

9. I already read the novel you bought.
............................................................................

10. Nethmi grew up to be a confident young woman.
............................................................................

Key:

1. My grandfather has looked after me since I was small.
2. Kevin decided to go abroad a month ago.
3. Mervyn always encourages his children to study.
4. Mary was forever threatening to resign unless she was promoted to the next grade.
5. The prices of vegetables have risen sharply because of the floods.
6. I have lived in this town since my birth.
7. Kanthi was hanging up the mirror on the wall when she lost her balance and fell.
8. Father hasn't scolded me yet for breaking the vase.
9. I have already read the novel you bought.
10. Nethmi has grown up to be a confident young woman.

Know your prefixes

[Part 2]

A prefix is a word part we place at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. This 'pre' in 'prefix' is itself a prefix. If you know the meaning of the prefix, you will be able to use the meaning of the prefixed word.

Prefix 're' means 'back or regain'. Note how the meanings of the words change when the prefix 're' is added.

Call - recall
turn - return
bound - rebound
capture - recapture
arrange - rearrange
appear - reappear
place - replace
build - rebuild
cover - recover
write - rewrite

Prefix 'en' means 'make'. Note how the meanings of the words change when the prefix 'en' is added

large - enlarge
act - enact
rage - enrage
gulf - engulf
tangle - entangle
fold - enfold
trust - entrust
list - enlist
force - enforce
circle - encircle

Prefix 'im' may also have the 'in' meaning. Note how the meanings of the words change when the prefix 'im' is added.

press - impress
print - imprint
prison - imprison
come - income
doors - indoors

Prefix 'de' means 'down, away or from'. Note how the meanings of the words change and when the prefix 'de' is added.

code - decode
fraud - defraud
fault - default
face - deface
part - depart
tour - detour

Skill drill

Change the following words by adding the prefixes 're', en, im' or 'de'. Check you answers with the key.

1. name ...............
2. sure ...............
3. port ...............
4. cry ...............
5. gain ...............
6. list ...............
7. moral ...............
8. form ...............
9. union ...............
10. close ...............
11. prove ...............
12. port ...............
13. claim ...............
14. circle ...............
15. mature ...............
16. activate ...............
17. locate ...............
18. join ...............
19. large ...............
20. press ...............

Key:

1. rename 2. ensure 3. import 4. decry 5. regain 6. enlist 7. immoral 8. deform 9. reunion 10. enclose 11. improve 12. deport 13. reclaim 14. encircle 15. immature 16. deactivate 17. relocate 18. enjoin 19. enlarge 20. impress

Starters:

Use of prepositions

[Part 4]

There are over 100 prepositions in English. This is a very small number compared with the vast number of nouns, adjectives and verbs in English. Today let's learn how to use some more prepositions.

Above

If one thing is above another, it is higher than the other thing.
Above the town, the fire was still blazing.
Are you sure that the noise is coming above you?
The tourist occupied a room above mine.
There are many hills above the city.
The music was coming from the floor above.

If somebody is above you, they are in a higher social position than you.
Why do you want to marry somebody above you?
If somebody says they are above a particular activity, they think they are too good to do it.

Nancy said, "I'm above petty politics."

If somebody is above criticism, they cannot be criticized because of their good qualities.
Caesar's wife was above suspicion.

According to

If you say that something is true according to a particular person, book or other source, you indicate the source of your information.
According to Aristotle, all men are mortal.
According to a recent study, most people are unhappy in their jobs.

If you do something according to a particular set of rules or principles, you use them as a basis.
According to the manufacturer's instructions, your car has to be serviced annually.
If something goes according to a plan, it happens the way it was intended to happen.
Life is so uncertain that nothing will proceed according to plan.

Across

If you go across a place, you go from one side of it to the other.
The children walked across the road to meet their teacher.
Did you like the journey across India?

If something is across something else, it is on the other side of it.
The post office is just across the street.
We use across to say that a particular expression is shown on somebody's face.
Anger flickered across Mary's face.

If something happens across a place, it happens everywhere.
Drug trafficking is widespread across the globe.
If you come across something, you find it unexpectedly.
It is very unusual to run across a billionaire in this part of the city.

[Activity]

Fill in the blanks with the following prepositions: in, opposite, below, above, on, under, at and to. Check your answers with the key.

1. I want to go ........ India for higher studies.
2. We arrived ........ England last week.
3. Anne wasn't ....... work yesterday.
4. I met George ........ the bus.
5. The cat is ............ the table.
6. My house is .......... the left.
7. The pictures are ............. the shelves.
8. The shelves are ............... the pictures.
9. The supermarket is ................ the cinema.
10. I put the new batteries ............... the radio.

Key:

1. to 2. in 3. at 4. on 5. under 6. on 7. above 8. below 9. opposite 10. in

Making verbs from nouns

A knowledge of word families will help you to expand your vocabulary in a meaningful way. We give you a list of nouns in column 'A'. Fill column 'B' with the appropriate verbs. Check your answers with the key.

[Column A ] [Column B]

1. Romance ....................
2. Ruler ....................
3. Sadness ....................
4. Satisfaction ....................
5. Separation ....................
6. Service ....................
7. Sharpness ....................
8. Shortage ....................
9. Signature ....................
10. Significance ....................

11. Simplicity ....................
12. Song ....................
13. Smoothness ....................
14. Society ....................
15. Softness ....................
16. Solid ....................
17. Solution ....................
18. Speech ....................
19. Speciality ....................
20. Spelling ....................

21. Standard ....................
22. Statement ....................
23. Steepness ....................
24. Sticker ....................
25. Stiffness ....................
26. Straight ....................
27. Strength ....................
28. Student ....................
29. Substance ....................
30. Success ....................

Key:

1. romanticize
2. rule
3. sadden
4. satisfy
5. separate
6. serve
7. sharpen
8. shorten
9. sign
10. signify

11. simplify
12. sing
13. smooth
14. socialize
15. soften
16. solidify
17. solve
18. speak
19. specialize
20. spell

21. standardize
22. state
23. steepen
24. stick
25. stiffen
26. straighten
27. strengthen
28. study
29. substantiate
30. succeed