I eat every day. I am eating now. I have been eating since morning. I ate yesterday.
Do you eat every day? Are you eating now? Have you been eating since 12 o'clock? Did you eat yesterday?
She often drinks coffee. Is she drinking coffee now? She has been drinking coffee for a few years. She drank coffee 2 hours ago.
My mum cooks well. My mum is making dinner at the moment. My mum has been making dinner since she came from work. My mum didn't make dinner yesterday.
They don't usually have dinner together. They aren't having dinner now. They haven't been having dinner together for the whole year. They didn't have dinner yesterday.
What do you usually do in the evenings? What are you doing now? What have you been doing for a good hour? What did you do yesterday?
He never reads. Is he reading now? He has been reading since morning. Did he read anything yesterday?
Why are you always looking at me like this? Why aren't you looking at me now? How long have you been looking at me? Don't look at me! He looked at me so coldly yesterday. Stop looking at me! I can't look at people so lordly as she can.
Where did you see this film? Don't bother me; I'm watching my favourite soap opera! Fancy that, she has been watching this soap opera for 5 years! We don't usually watch TV on weekdays. Stop watching this rubbish! Did you watch soap operas in childhood?
Do you ever sleep? She has been sleeping just for a few minutes, please, don't wake her up! Are you sleeping? I didn't sleep last night, it was terrible. Don't sleep! We are in a great hurry!
She would bring flowers from the country. Yesterday she brought flowers from the country.
We would call names at the lessons. Why do children call names so often? My children never call names.
I never shout at my children. Do you shout at your children? Stop shouting at the children! Why did you shout at your children yesterday? You are always shouting at your children! She would shout at her children. Don't shout at the children!
Why are you always snapping? Ill-mannered children always snap at the lessons. Hooligans would snap at the lessons.
She would sing something in a thin voice. Did you sing in childhood? Do you often sing? Stop singing! Just imagine! She has been singing since morning! I am not singing, I'm just sitting and looking through the window.
She would treat us in the evenings. Did they treat you yesterday? You never treat us.
Why are you always showing off? He would show off at the lessons in childhood. In my opinion, he has been showing off since childhood.
Can you bring up children? Nobody can bring up children, as it should be. Stop bringing me up at last / after all!
She would sob of offence. Do you often cry? You know, sometimes I cry on nothing. She has been crying for 2 hours. I can't believe, that she has been crying since morning.
What are you looking for? How long have you been looking for him? Did you look for him yesterday? We would look for him for hours. I never look for my glasses.
Are there many English books in your library?
There used to be a lot of English books in my library.
Is there a cinema in your street? — Yes, there is. But it used to be a theatre.
There is a little cloud in the sky.
There used to be a sofa in the kitchen.
There are 2 beds in the room.
There used to be a large number of people outdoors in the evenings.
He used to be a teacher and now he is a manager at the supermarket.
We used to go fishing when I was a child.
Did you use to go hiking when you lived in England?
I show off every day. I'm showing off now. I have been showing off since morning. I showed off yesterday. I used to show off. I would show off in childhood. I could show off when mum was out. Yesterday I managed to show off at the lesson.
You usually lose your handkerchiefs. You are losing temper. You have been loosing your handkerchiefs since childhood. You lost your handkerchief yesterday. You used to lose your handkerchiefs. You would lose your handkerchiefs at school. You could lose everything when you lived with your granny and she never punished you. You were able to lose my favourite handkerchief!
On the whole, she gets on with people. She is getting on with her husband at the moment. She has been getting on with adults since her birth. She got on with her mother-in-low last summer. She used to get on with her mother-in-low. She would get on with everyone in our school. She could get on with everybody when she was in a good mood. Yesterday she managed to get on with a gang of hooligans.
I always sail against the wind. I'm sailing against the wind at the moment. I have been sailing against the wind since birth. I sailed against the wind in youth. I would sail against the wind in youth. I used to sail against the wind, but things are different now. I was sailing against the wind while all people of my age were moving in a rut. I was sailing against the wind when suddenly I felt terribly tired.
You seldom write letters to your relatives. You are writing a letter — I can see. You have been writing a letter for 2 hours. You were writing a letter when I came to see you. You used to write letters very often, but now you are very busy at work. You wrote a letter to me yesterday. You were writing letters from 2 till 5 yesterday. You always wrote to me about your problems.
He usually plays the fool at the lessons. He is playing the fool at work now. He has been playing the fool from birth. He often played the fool in youth. He would play the fool in the country. He used to play the fool when he was a guest. He was playing the fool when we first saw him.
Yesterday I ate an apple. I have eaten an apple today. When I was eating an apple yesterday, I felt dizzy.
You read his letter last week. You have just read his letter. Have you read his letter yet? Have you already read his letter?
He has never looked at me. He never looked at me in childhood. He wasn't looking at me while I was blowing him kisses.
She wasn't there yesterday. She hasn't been there these days. She hasn't been there since childhood. She wasn't there when I got in/ came in. She hasn't been there for ages.
Have you ever quarrelled with your parents? Did you ever quarrel with your parents in childhood?
I learn good poems by heart with great pleasure. I've just learnt by heart a marvellous poem. Stop learning by heart all sorts of rubbish! When I was learning this poem by heart, the door opened and my mum entered the room.
We've been in low water since New Year's Day. We would be in low water in youth, but never suffered from it.
Fancy that! The boy has been out of hand!
Don't listen to reason. It's boring!
She has had a screw loose! She has quarrelled with all her acquaintances/friends!
1. I know all. I have known him for ages. I know, that you are looking at me now. I knew him in childhood. I had known him before he came in our class.
We are close friends. We have been friends since childhood. We had been friends before we began to work in the same school. We were friends last year. We used to be friends.
To my mind, she is married. She has been married for 2 years. She was married, but she is divorced at the moment.
I have put on a lot of weight and I am on a diet now. I had put on weight before I got married. I put on weight last year. I put on weight, and then I went on a diet and grew thin.
She is in love with him. She has been in love with him since childhood. She had been in love with him before they became acquainted personally.
My grandpa has never travelled by air. My grandpa was very nervous during the flight, because he had never travelled by air before.
I met her a few days ago. She had just come back from Prague. She is at home. Go to see her, she has just come back from Prague.
She isn't hungry, because she has just had breakfast. In general, she hardly ever has breakfast. She used to have breakfast when she was at school, but now she doesn't have time for breakfast.
When we arrived at the cinema, the film had already begun. The film began after we had arrived at the cinema. We arrived at the cinema, took our seats, and the film began.
I had been at home by 5 o'clock. I was at home when the phone rang. I was at home while my friends were getting ready for the exams. I didn't use to be at home very often, but I have turned into a real stay-at home: I am always at home in the evenings.
A.
Hardly had I seen her when I fell in love.
Scarcely had I seen her when I was overhead and ears in love.
No sooner had I seen her then I was overhead and ears in love.
Hardly had you touched the pillow when you fell asleep immediately.
Scarcely had you touched the pillow when you dropped off to sleep
No sooner had you touched the pillow then you began to snore.
Hardly had he recovered from cold when he caught another infection.
No sooner had he recovered from cold then he began to ache again.
No sooner had they got married then they began to abuse by nothing.
Scarcely had they left Moscow when they felt themselves quieter.
B.
Hardly had I seen her when I lost the gift of speech. She was so beautiful! Perhaps, she was the most beautiful girl that I had ever seen.It was rumoured that she had lived in Paris before she moved to our town. When I saw her for the first time, she was looking out of the window and singing a funny song. I was in a great hurry, so I didn't manage to take an all-round view. But in spite of this, scarcely had I seen her when I was overhead and ears in love. It can't be helped. The next day I proposed to her. Strangely enough, but she agreed immediately. We have been married for 20 years and haven't quarrelled so far. You can envy, can't you?
A
I am so exhausted because I have been going shopping.
You are such a slowcoach because you have been watching TV.
Why is she so wet? — Because she has been running in the rain.
What has he been doing? Why is he so irritated?
They are so pleased because they have been playing football.
B
1. I often invite my friends to our school parties. I've just invited her to our school party. Look what happened! When I was inviting her to our school party, her nasty friend came in and spoiled everything.
2. You look so stupid with this hair cut. You looked so stupid yesterday. You have been lookingstupidly since birth.
We are in the same boat: we both shout at each other while quarrelling. Why are you so irritated? — Because I have been shouting at my brainless subordinates. Why are you so upset? — Because I haven't controlled myself/I have lost temper and have shouted at my wife in spite of the fact that she is in the family way.
Did you phone your dad yesterday? Have you phoned your dad? When did you phone your dad? Were you phoning him from 3 till 4? Had you phoned him before you learnt /got to know the news? I am so pleased because I have phoned my dad. I am so upset because I have been speaking to my dad.
Just imagine/fancy that! Our neighbour has had a screw loose! He has gone down in history! He has thrown a bad egg at the minister!
I had been explaining this rule to you for half a lesson before I gave you a test. I have already explained this rule to you. I had explained the rule before I gave a test. While I was explaining the rule, you were talking to each other.
You apologize to me every day. You apologized to me yesterday. You have apologized to me today. While you were apologizing to me, I felt pity. You used to apologize to me. You had been apologizing to me for a log time but I didn't forgive/ excuse you for all that.
He always took care of his kin. He has taken care of everybody. He had taken care of his sister before she got married to the right person. He was taking care of me while you were playing the fool through inexperience.
1. I don't approve of his behaviour. I didn't approve of his yesterday's behaviour. I hadn't approved of his behaviour before he explained the motive. I used to approve of his behaviour but I don't like it any more. I'll never approve of your option/choice.
All of us depend on our government. We always depended on them. We depended on them last year. We'll depend on them next year. We used to depend on communists but things are different now.
She has never dreamt of being a filmstar. She dreamt of being a filmstar in childhood. She used to dream of being a filmstar. She often dreams of being rich and healthy. She would dream of being a top-model. After a while she will begin to dream of being a top-model.
I like to go sightseeing in old towns. Yesterday when I was going sightseeing, I met my old friends. I usually go sightseeing on Saturdays. Well, tomorrow we are going sightseeing and the day after tomorrow we are becoming brown on the beach. We'll see the sights of age-old Russian town Novgorod during our summer hike/walking tour. He is so thick-skinned! Once in a blue moon we see the sights of such a marvelous town but he doesn't care! As a last resort, I'll go sightseeing tomorrow after dinner. Children would feel exhausted after we had gone sightseeing during our summer walking tours.
I usually get up early. He has just got up. He got up 2 minutes ago. I had got up before I heard a noise. When are you getting up tomorrow? Will you get up in the end? Watch out, to my mind, she is getting up. I've never got up early. I never get up early. I'll never get up early. When I was getting up, I felt dizzy.
Why do you always run away from me? Why are you running away from me? Why did you run away from me yesterday? Why were you running away from me while I was running after you at a top speed? Why did you use to run away from me? Why didn't you run away from me in childhood? Why have you never run away from me? Why do you never run away from me?
1. My husband never goes into details when he tells about his scientific work. I am not about to go into details of our private life, at any rate, for the time present.
He has already taken a decision. He is going to take a decision. He'll take a decision tomorrow. He had taken a decision before he met the lawyer. He managed/was able to take the decision worthy of Solomon.
She dressed her daughter in red for carnival. My mummy always dresses me tastefully. She is going to dress her like a doll. My parents used to dress me. I'll dress her in a couple of minutes. I'll put it on in a couple of minutes.
