Present perfect or past simple

1. English file Pre-
Intermediate
Unit 11C – Past simple vs present perfect

2. • Lead in – life stages / events (5 mins)
• Vocabulary building – life events (5 mins)
• Discussion questions – live events (10 mins)
• Pronunciation focus “or” sounds (10 mins)
• Reading – famous relatives – new vocabulary (5 mins)
• Reading – famous relatives – choosing (5 mins)
• Grammar – PP vs PS – highlighting (5 mins)
• Grammar – PP vs PS – presentation (5 mins)
• Grammar – PP vs PS – exercises (10 mins) 60
• Famous families from TV quiz (10 mins)
• Writing skills – A biography - new vocabulary – (10 mins)
• Writing skills – A biography – grammar changes – (10 mins)
• Writing skills – planning your writing (5 mins) 95
• Listening skills – famous relatives – comprehension (10 mins)
• Speaking activity – a friend’s life (10 mins)
• Words from the class quiz (5 mins)

4. 2. go to primary school
3. go to secondary school
4. leave school
5. go to university
6. get a job
7. fall in love
8. marry sb / get married
9. have children
10. separate
11. divorce sb / get divorced
12. retire

5. • Which of the life events have you
experienced?
• What are the typical ages that people
experience them in your country?
• Choose two events and talk a little about
them.
• You partner should ask you some questions.

10. JL
JLC
JLC
JL
JLC

11. JLC
JL
JLC
JL
JL

13. The ones about Janet Leigh are all in the past simple because she is dead.
The ones about Jamie Lee Curtis are in the present perfect because she is
alive, and the actions or situations are true about her life up to now.
JL
JLC
JL
JLC
JLC
JL

17. has he lived
moved
did Picasso die
did he live
left
have they been
‘ve been
met
did they go

20. A.
B.
C.
D.

21. A.
B.
C.
D.

22. A.
B.
C.
D.

23. A.
B.
C.
D.

24. A.
B.
C.
D.

25. A.
B.
C.
D.

31. divorced
lived
became
appeared
went
wrote

32. starred
won
didn’t finish
has become
‘s appeared
‘s received
won
‘s been

35. They are Duncan
Jones and his
father, David Bowie.
They had a very
good relationship.

36. They are Duncan Jones and his father, David
Bowie.
They had a very good relationship.

38. 2. He was born in the UK in 1971.
3. His parents divorced when he was nine. He stayed with his father.
He saw his mother, Angie, until he was 13, but hasn’t seen her since
then.
4. His father tried to get him to learn the drums, the saxophone, and
the piano.
5. His father bought him an 8mm video camera, which he used to make
films about his Star Wars toys.
6. He went to the London Film School and studied to be a film director.

39. 7. He directed the TV commercials in the early years of his career.
8. He made Moon in 2006. It’s a science-fiction drama and was very
successful. He won the prize for Best New British Director.
9. He made Source Code, a science fiction thriller, and Warcraft, based on
the game World of Warcraft. They have both been successful.
10. He wanted to be a film director because he wanted to be behind the
cameras, not in front of them. He hated the paparazzi who were around
when he was a child and doesn’t like being photographed.

45. wor + consonant words are normally pronounced /ɜː/.
After other consonants, or is usually pronounced
/ɔː/, e.g. more, born, horse, etc.