Present PerfectorPast Simplepart 2

A: I’ve lost my keys.

A: I’ve lost my keys.

‘A’ has some problems.What are they?

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, going downstairs I

tripped. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

Present PerfectPast Simple

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

them then.

recent pastnarrative time

I tr

ippe

d go

ing

dow

nsta

irs

I dr

oppe

d m

y ba

g

I pi

cked

it u

p

som

e th

ings

fel

lou

t of

my

pock

et

I lo

st m

y ke

ys t

hen

I tr

ippe

d go

ing

dow

nsta

irs

I dr

oppe

d m

y ba

g

I pi

cked

it u

p

som

e th

ings

fel

lou

t of

my

pock

et

I lo

st m

y ke

ys t

hen

I tr

ippe

d go

ing

dow

nsta

irs

I dr

oppe

d m

y ba

g

I pi

cked

it u

p

som

e th

ings

fel

lou

t of

my

pock

et

I lo

st m

y ke

ys t

hen

‘narrative time’ is portable

I think the time in a narrative is like the space in a picture:

it only exists inside its container

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

A: I lost my keys.

A: I lost my keys.

Do we know what happened next?

A: I lost my keys.

I looked everywhere. In the end I

had to call the locksmith.

or

A: I lost my keys.

But I found them again after 5

minutes—they were in my pocket!

A: I lost my keys.

Do we know what happened next?

No!In a narrative we must wait for the next verb.

compare

A: I’ve lost my keys.

A: I’ve lost my keys.

I don’t have my keys. I can’t get into my flat. I have a big problem.

HELP!

A: I’ve lost my keys.

I don’t have my keys. I can’t get into my flat. I have a big problem.

HELP!

A: I’ve lost my keys.

I don’t have my keys. I can’t get into my flat. I have a big problem.

HELP!There’s a‘present consequence’to the Present Perfect for the recent past

1st RULE

Use the Present Perfect to announce news.

Use the Past Simple to tell the story of the news.

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

Ho perso le chiavi.

Le ho perse allora?

A: I’ve lost my keys.

B: Oh! How did you lose them?

A: This morning, I tripped going

downstairs. I dropped my bag and

when I picked it up some things

fell out of my pocket. I think I lost

my keys then.

Ho perso le chiavi.

Le ho perse allora?

Passato Prossimo

1st RULE – in translation

Italian uses the Passato Prossimo both for announcing news and for

(recent)‘narrative time’.

past simple or present perfect

She [make] a phone call at 3pm.

Look! The President [arrived].

We [not do] the homework for this lesson.

I [never go] to New York.

You [wear] the jacket yesterday?

I’m free. I [finish] all my work.

I [go] there in 2009.

He isn’t here. He [go] to the bar.

You [not watch] the match last night.

You [see] John?

You [see] John when you were at the bar?

past simple or present perfect

She made a phone call at 3pm.

Look! The President has arrived.

We haven’t done the homework for this lesson.

I have never been to New York.

Did you wear the jacket yesterday?

I’m free. I have finished all my work.

I went there in 2009.

He isn’t here. He has gone to the bar.

You didn’t watch the match last night.

Have you seen John?

Did you see John when you were at the bar?

Notice the adverbs

A: I’ve just had a coffee.

A: I’ve just had a coffee.

a short time ago (+ive)‘appena’

A: We’ve already seen this film.

A: We’ve already seen this film.

no need to repeat (+ive)‘già’

A: Gianni’s already finished his

homework.

A: Gianni’s already finished his

homework.

before expected (+ive)‘già’

A: Have you read the

newspaper yet?

A: Have you read the

newspaper yet?

planned action (?ive)‘già’

A: We haven’t booked our

holiday yet.

A: We haven’t booked our

holiday yet.

planned action (-ive)‘ancora’

translate using ‘just’, ‘already’, ‘yet’ and ‘ago’

Ha già fatto la telefonata.

L’abbiamo finito due minuti fa.

L’abbiamo appena finito.

Hai già pranzato?

Abbiamo già letto l’articolo.

(Esso) è appena uscito.

L’abbiamo letto poco fa.

(Lui) è appena andato al bar.

Hai già prenotato la tua vacanza?

Noi non abbiamo prenotato ancora…

…ma John ha già prenotato la sua.

translate using ‘just’, ‘already’, ‘yet’ and ‘ago’

Ha già fatto la telefonata. She has already made the call.

L’abbiamo finito due minuti fa. We finished it two minutes ago.

L’abbiamo appena finito. We’ve just finished it.

Hai già pranzato? Have you had lunch yet?

Abbiamo già letto l’articolo. We’ve already read the article.

(Esso) è appena uscito. It’s just come out.

L’abbiamo letto poco fa. We read it a short time ago.

(Lui) è appena andato al bar. He has just gone to the bar.

Hai già prenotato la tua vacanza? Have you booked your holiday yet?

Noi non abbiamo prenotato ancora… We haven’t booked yet…

…ma John ha già prenotato la sua. …but John has already booked his.

I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but

this wasn't it.

www.davidnicholson.it