| 1. Directions | 2. Present Perfect Continuous | 3. Present Perfect |
| 1. DIRECTIONS | |
| The main directions are: north south east west |
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| Where left and right are depends on which way you are facing. For you, the cup is to the left of the plate and the shell is to the right. |
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Let’s listen to the directions given in the drama. |
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| STEVE Straight ahead? |
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| He’s asking if he should just go straight and not turn. Listen to Sarah: |
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| SARAH Yes, no, left at the next lights. |
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| She wants to give the directions quickly, so she doesn’t say turn. The next lights means the next set of traffic lights. Now listen to how she tells Steve to continue in the same direction: |
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| SARAH Keep going along this road until you get to a roundabout. |
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| She says keep going. Remember that when we give instruction or orders, we don’t say you. Sarah doesn’t say ‘you keep going’, she just says ‘keep going’ Listen again: |
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| SARAH Keep going along this road until you get to a roundabout. |
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| Until you get to a roundabout. Until means ‘up to when’ or ‘up to the time that’. When they get to the roundabout they will have to turn. |
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| 2. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
| We use the present perfect continuous tense for things done in the past and which we continue to do now. I have been writing these examples for quite a while. We hope you have been watching Living English. |
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| We use have or has with been and the ing from of a verb to form this tense. I have been dancing for hours. He has been driving all day. |
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| STEVE This is his sister. She’s been looking for him. |
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| 3. PRESENT PERFECT | |
| The tense we use for things that are not continuous actions, but started in the past and continue to be true is the present perfect. I have lost my keys. (the keys are still lost) She has burnt her hand. (her hand is still burnt) |
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| We use have or has with a past participle to form the present perfect. I have found my keys. We say this when we the keys are recently found. If they were found a longer time ago we say: I found my keys. Just after we finish eating we say: I have eaten my dinner. If we finished eating dinner for a longer time we say: I ate my dinner. |
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more information: Present Perfect - Episode 10 |
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