Why did you want to take a year off?
Basically I wanted a break from teaching. I love teaching children but I needed a change. Also I’ve been drawing and painting since I was little but I’ve never really had the chance to study drawing. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a change and learn to draw properly.

What have you been doing here since you arrived?
Well, I found a fantastic art teacher, called Omayma and I’ve been having classes with her since October. She’s great and she speaks English, which is lucky because I don’t know much Arabic yet. But I am learning the language as quickly as I can.

Is Arabic a difficult language to learn?
Incredibly difficult! Especially the pronunciation. You have to learn to make a lot of new sounds. Also it takes along time to learn to read and write in Arabic.

You also teach belly dancing here?
That’s right.

How did that happen?
Well, I’ve been teaching belly dancing for about six years, and I love it so I wanted to continue doing it here. A lot of Lebanese women don’t know how to belly dance and they want to learn. I give classes here in my living room. We have a lot of fun!

Are your students surprised that an English person is teaching them belly dancing?
Yes, very, but they’re also really happy to find that a foreigner loves Arabic music and understands something from their culture.

What’s the best thing about living in Lebanon so far?
The people! The hospitality of the people here is absolutely amazing.

Почему вы захотели взять отпуск на год?
В основном, я хотела отдохнуть от преподавания. Я люблю учить детей, но мне нужны перемены. Кроме того, я рисую и рисую с тех пор, как я была маленькой, но у меня никогда не было возможности изучать рисование. Таким образом, это казалось прекрасной возможностью сменить обстановку и научиться рисовать правильно.

Что вы здесь делаете с тех пор, как приехали?
Ну, я нашла замечательную учительницу по искусству по имени Омайма, и с октября у меня с ней занятия. Она великолепна, и она говорит по-английски, что удачно, потому что я еще не очень знаю арабский. Но я изучаю язык так быстро, как только могу.

Арабский язык трудно выучить?
Невероятно сложно! Особенно произношение. Вы должны научиться произносить много новых звуков. Также требуется время, чтобы научиться читать и писать на арабском языке.

Вы также преподаете здесь танец живота?
Это правда.

Как такое могло случиться?
Ну, я преподаю танец живота около шести лет, и я люблю это, так что я хотела продолжать делать это здесь. Многие Ливанские женщины не знают, как танцевать танец живота, и они хотят научиться. Я провожу занятия здесь, в своей гостиной. Нам очень весело!

Ваши студенты удивлены, что человек из Англии учит их танцу живота?
Да, очень, но они также очень рады, что иностранец любит арабскую музыку и кое-что понимает в их культуре.

Что самое лучшее в жизни в Ливане на данный момент?
Народ! Гостеприимство людей здесь просто поражает.

Употребить глагол в правильной форме. Present Perfect or Present Perfect Continuous

Пожалуйста, не обязательно всё! Сколько получится.

1 You (telephone) for ages! You really (not finish)? – I (not get) through yet. I am trying to get to our Paris office but the line (be) engaged all morning.

2 He (play) the piano since six o’clock in the morning. He only just (stop).

3 Why you (not bring) me the letters? You (not type) them yet?

4 Are you going to sunbathe? – Don’t be ridiculous! It (rain) all day.

5 What you (do) up to now? – Nothing special, but I (clock) dinner.

6 The police (not find) the burglar yet. They (look) for him since Saturday.

7 Ann (fail) her exam three times because she is so bad at doing sums. But she (practise) for a week now, I hope she will pass it in the end.

8 What (happen) to the fridge? – Something (go) wrong with it.

9 I (know) him since our childhood.

10 How long you (have) these gloves? – I (have) them for years.

11 George (collect) matchboxes ever he left school. Now he (collect) so many that he doesn’t know where to put them.

12 Customers (ring) up all morning complaining about getting incorrect bills. – I know. Something (go) wrong with our computer.

13 How long you (own) this house? – I (live) here since 1982.

14 Where you (put) my keys? I can’t find them.

15 Your eyes are red. You (cry)?

16 Where on earth you (be)? I (wait) for so long!

17 Bill, you have got a black eye again. You (fight)?

18 Do you think George (finish) the translation? He (write) for so long!

19 I think I can smell smoke on Debbie’s clothes. I’m sure she (smoke).

20 Here you are! I (look for) you everywhere. Where you (be)?

ожалуйста, не обязательно всё! Сколько получится.

1 You have telephoned for ages! Haven’t you really finished? – I have not got through yet. I am trying to get to our Paris office but the line was engaged all morning.

2 He has been playing the piano since six o’clock in the morning. He has only just stopped.

3 Why haven’t you brought me the letters? Haven’t you typed them yet?

4 Are you going to sunbathe? – Don’t be ridiculous! It is raining/has been raining all day.

5 What are you doing up to now? – Nothing special, but I am cooking dinner.

6 The police have not found the burglar yet. They have been looking for him since Saturday.

7 Ann has failed her exam three times because she is so bad at doing sums. But she
is practising for a week now, I hope she will pass it in the end.

8 What has happened to the fridge? – Something has gone wrong with it.

9 I have known him since our childhood.

10 How long have you had these gloves? – I have had them for years.

11 George has collected matchboxes ever he left school. Now he has collected so many that he doesn’t know where to put them.

12 Customers have been ringing up all morning complaining about getting incorrect bills. – I know. Something has gone wrong with our computer.

13 How long have you owned this house? – I have been living/have lived here since 1982.

14 Where have you put my keys? I can’t find them.

15 Your eyes are red. Have you cried?

16 Where on earth have you been? I have been waiting for so long!

18 Do you think George has finished the translation? He has been writing for so long!

19 I think I can smell smoke on Debbie’s clothes. I’m sure she has smoked.

20 Here you are! I am looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?

1. Поставьте глаголы из скобок в необходимую форму.

2. Используйте Present Perfect или Present Perfect Continuous в вопросительных предложениях.

3. Найдите в диалоге ошибки во временах глагола.

— Hello, Charles. I didn’t see you since yesterday morning. Where have you been?

— Actually I work on my first novel.

— I see. How long have you written it?

— For three weeks already. I have made a lot of interesting characters. I’ve been so busy today. You know I didn’t have a single cup of coffee since morning.

— And how many chapters have you been writing so far?

— 3 chapters are ready! And I have thought already of a nice title. But I didn’t decide yet what happens next.

— Well. Good luck to you!

Ответы:

— Hello, Charles. I haven’t seen you since yesterday morning. Where have you been?

— Actually I have been working on my first novel.

— I see. How long have you been writing it?

— For three weeks already. I have made a lot of interesting characters. I’ve been so busy today. You know I haven’t had a single cup of coffee since morning.

— And how many chapters have you written so far?

— 3 chapters are ready! And I have thought already of a nice title. But I haven’t decided yet what happens next.

Present perfect continuous и simple (I have been doing и I have done)

Изучите следующую ситуацию:

Kate’s clothes are covered in paint.
She has been painting the ceiling.

The ceiling was white. Now it is red.
She has painted the ceiling.

Катина одежда покрыта краской.
Она красит потолок.

Потолок был белым. Теперь он красный.
Она покрасила потолок.

Has been painting это the present perfect continuous.

Has painted это the present perfect simple.

Мы заинтересованы в самом процессе деятельности. Нам не важно закончился он или нет. В этом примере, процесс покраски потолка не закончен.

Сравните эти примеры:

Мы используем simple, чтобы сказать how much, how many или how many times (для завершенных действий):

Некоторые глаголы (например, know/like/believe) обычно не используются в continuous:

Подробнее об этих глаголах см. урок 4. Но заметьте, что в present perfect continuous можно использовать глаголы want и mean:

Упражнения

1. Для каждой ситуации напишите по два предложения, используя слова в скобках.

2. Для каждой ситуации напишите вопрос, используя слова в скобках.

3. Поставьте глагол в наиболее подходящую форму: present perfect simple (I have done) или continuous (I have been doing).

How long have you known.

I’ve just took an English exam and there was a question I must answer using «since».

How long have you known her?

My answer was «I have known her since February». But then I thought what if I wrote like «I know her since..». The question is that if I can use «since» with «simple present tense».

The second thing made me confused is «have known» is present perfect and I think the sentence means you don’t know her anymore and how long it took to know her. Is that true? I mean, is that different from «how long do you know her?»? If so, can we say «how long did you know her» instead of saying that sentence with «have you known»?

2 Answers 2

1) Your test answer is correct. It matches tense with the question.

3) Present perfect «have known» is exactly the right tense to express something continuing from the past up to the present moment. «Had [verb]» (past perfect) is used for past which .

BUT «know» is a special case, semantically unlike other verbs (e.g. support, date, sleep with—see #5.)

4) «How long do you know her?» is not grammatical (see #2.) So it makes no sense to ask whether this means something different.

5) Yes, one might ask «How long did you know her?», but it does NOT mean you don’t know her now, BECAUSE once you «know» her, you cannot later not know her. (You could have a falling-out; you might not see her for 20 years, but you still know her.)

So, «How long had you known her» would be asked in reference to a particular moment in the past:

And «How long did you know her» would be asked in reference to a certain period in the past:

. but both of the above assume that the «knowing» continues now, and into the future.

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