AClass Intermediate- Sports - Present Perfect vs Past Simple

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Sports

Match, Won, Score (noun), Scored(verb)Lose, Beat, Fit, Court, Pitch, Slope, Warm up, Cool

down.

Fill in these sentences with one of the words above. You will not need all the words.

1. A football ________ usually takes 90 minutes not including extra time.

2. If you want to get________ you need to start going to the gym.

3. Before practising any sport it is a good idea to _________ . This helps you avoid pulling a

muscle.

4. Serena _______ her sister Venus Williams in the Australian Open.

5. The tennis final was postponed/called off because of rain. The _________ was soaking wet.

6. The final _____ was one all. They drew.

7. The match was incredible, the striker ______ just before the final whistle.

When do we use the verbs win and beat? What do we call the places where you play tennis,

basketball and football?


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With your partner, Discuss the following…

1. How many different winter and summer sports can you think of? List/Write down as many

as you can in 2 minutes. Check with your partner. Did you think of any different ones?

2. What’s the difference between spectators and audience?

3. Have you ever been injured doing a sport?

4. Have you ever won a medal or cup?

5. Are there any good sports facilities in your town or area. Is it expensive to join a gym or

become a member?

6. Do you think sport should be optional as a subject at school?

7. Do you practise any sport? When did you start playing?

8. Did you used to play a sport that you no longer practise?

Read the following interview with Milly. A young tennis player. Q- Interviewer M- Milly

1. How long has Milly been playing tennis for? 2. What part of her body has she broken, part of her arm or part of her leg? 3. What is Milly’s dream.

Q How long have you been playing? M- I’ve played tennis since I was five. Since 1999. My father bought me my first racquet and I loved it from the moment I stepped out on court. I love being in the open air. Q How often do you practise? M - I normally practise every day after school. My father coaches me. Sometimes I also go to the gym or swimming . Q Have you ever been injured? M Yes, I’ve broken my ankle. I went for a low ball at the net and slipped. It hurt a lot. I’m ok now though. Q Have you ever won any competitions? M- Oh yes, loads. I’ve won about ten I think. I won a trophy last week. I don’t play to win though. I love the sport. One day, I’d like to play at Wimbledon.


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Look at the answers to these questions. What is different. A

1. Yes, I’ve broken my ankle. 2. Yes, I broke my leg when I slipped…

B 1. Yes, I’ve won plenty of medals. 2. Yes, I won a trophy last week.

What is the tense used in the second sentences? When do we use it?

Choose: Past Simple or Present Perfect Simple?

1. The __________ is used to talk about actions in the past that have finished. It talks about 'then' and definitely excludes 'now'. A_____ and B____ are examples of this.

2. The ___________ to look back on actions in the past from the present. It always includes 'now'. A____

and B____ are examples of this.

Look at the following sentences taken from the first exercise:

Have you ever been injured doing a sport?

Have you ever won a medal or cup?

These sentences are talking about your past experience until now. This is called the Present

Perfect {Have + ever+ past participle}.

These sentences are in the Past Simple with no connection to the present.

• I first got to know him 10 years ago. • I started playing tennis here in 1989. • I had too much to eat after the gym.

Now look at these same situations seen from the present.

• I've known him for 10 years. • I've played here since 1989. • My stomach hurts( now). I've eaten too much.

We use time expressions like 'yesterday', 'ago', 'last year', 'in 2020' with the past simple.

• We spoke to him yesterday. • He came in a few moments ago.


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• We met them them over a year ago. • She joined the AClass in 2009.

We use time expressions like are 'ever', 'never', 'since' with the present perfect.

• I've never seen so many people here before. • Have you ever been more surprised? • I've done a lot since we last talked about it.

Typical time expressions used with the present perfect in British English but often used with the past simple in American English are 'already', 'just', 'yet'.

• I haven't done it yet. (UK) I didn't do it yet. (US) • I've just done it. (UK) I just did it. (US) • I've already done it. (UK) I already did it. (US)

We can use the time phrase 'for' with both forms, but with different meanings.

• I lived in Spain for a couple of years before I moved here. ( now I don’t live in Spain)

• I've lived in Spain for a couple of years and still love it ( I still live in Spain) • I was married for 10 years. Now I’m divorced • I’ve been married for 10 years. I am still married.

Present Simple or Present Perfect?

Correct the mistakes. Some might be correct 1. She have never been to Malta. 2. I’ve lent Nicole my ipod last week. 3. What year have you got married? 4. Have you even meet someone famous? 5. They’ve lived in that house since I was a child. 6. Has your brother found a job yet? 7. We’re lost. We already have been here before. I recognise that tree!


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Speaking Activity A – You are a famous golfer/musician B – You are a journalist for a sports/music magazine. Now think of some questions/ answers you would give . Remember if you are talking generally use the present perfect simple. If you are saying exactly when and the action is over use the past simple. Swap roles and do it again! Ideas for questions

1) Have you ever received fan mail ( a letter from a fan) 2) How often do you go on tour ? 3) Have you ever done something that really embarrassed

you? 4) Have you ever thought about what you might do if you 5) weren’t a musician or golfer?


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Choose the best answer

1. A tomboy is a boy called Tom or a young girl who usually prefers sports to playing

with dolls.

2. When you are into something it means you really like it or you really hate it

3. If you get stuck into something it means you are obsessed with something or that

you perform a task with determination.

4. You forehand and backhand are usually words associated with swimming or tennis

5. Organic vegetables costs more or less than ordinary or normal fruit because they

have no or more chemicals.

6. If you have green fingers it means everything you touch goes bad or every plant you

touch grows.

7. A book worm is a creature like an insect you sometimes find them in books or a

person who loves reading


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Match the descriptions with the girls below.

1. Lucy is quite a tomboy. She loves the sea and can often be found riding the waves.

2. Nena is into playing with her band as much as possible. She has just got a gig at a Rock

bar and hopes to have her new single out in December.

3. Milly has an excellent forehand but her backhand still needs some work. She has a very powerful serve and always comes up to the net to volley. This year she hopes to compete in the Wimbledon Junior Tournament.

4. Alexia has green fingers. Anything she touches seems to grow. She loves nothing more

then tending to her rose bushes. At the moment she is trying to grow organic tomatoes.

5. Nicole has always been described as a bit of a bookworm. She loves nothing better than to get her nose stuck into a good book. Her favourite novels are thrillers and autobiographies.

Do you know anyone like the Milly, Nicole, Alexia, Nena or Lucy?

A B C D E

Write a short description about one of your classmates. Don’t say who it is. See if the rest of the class can guess who you are writing about.


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Answers 1. A football match usually takes 90 minutes not including extra time.

2. If you want to get fit you need to start going to the gym.

3. Before practising any sport it is a good idea to warm up . This helps you avoid pulling a

muscle.

4. Serena beat her sister Venus Williams in the Australian Open.

5. The tennis final was postponed/called off because of rain. The court was soaking wet.

6. The final score was one all. They drew.

7. The match was incredible, the striker scored just before the final whistle.

Win a game/match and Beat someone at something!!

Questions about Milly

1. Milly has played tennis since she was five. 2. Milly broke a part of her leg, her ankle. 3. Her biggest dream is to play at Wimbledon

Look at the answers to these questions. What is different. A

1. Yes, I’ve broken my ankle. 2. Yes, I broke my leg when I slipped…

B 1. Yes, I’ve won plenty of medals. 2. Yes, I won a trophy last week.

What is the tense used in the second sentences? Past simple. When do we use it? When the action is finished or complete.

Choose: Past Simple or Present Perfect Simple?

1The Past Simple is used to talk about actions in the past that have finished. It talks about 'then' and definitely excludes 'now'. A_2____ and B 2_ are examples of this.

2 The Present Perfect is to look back on actions in the past from the present. It always includes 'now'. A 1

and B 1 are examples of this.


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Answers Continued

1. She has never been to Malta. 2. I lent Nicole my ipod last week. 3. What year did you get married? 4. Have you even met someone famous? 5. They’ve lived in that house since I was a child. Correct 6. Has your brother found a job yet? Correct 7. We’re lost. We’ve already been here. I recognise that tree!

Choose the best answer

1. A tomboy is a young girl who usually prefers sports to playing with dolls.

2. When you are into something it means you really like it .

3. If you get stuck into something it means you perform a task with determination.

4. You forehand and backhand are usually words associated with tenni.s

5. Organic vegetables costs more than ordinary or normal fruit because they have no

chemicals.

6. If you have green fingers it means every plant you touch grows.

7. A book worm is a a person who loves reading.


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Answers continued:

Match the descriptions with the girls below.

6. Lucy is quite a tomboy. She loves the sea and can often be found riding the waves. D

7. Nena is into playing with her band as much as possible. She has just got a gig at a Rock

bar and hopes to have her new single out in December. E

8. Milly has an excellent forehand but her backhand still needs some work. She has a very powerful serve and always comes up to the net to volley. This year she hopes to compete in the Wimbledon Junior Tournament.C

9. Alexia has green fingers. Anything she touches seems to grow. She loves nothing more

then tending to her rose bushes. At the moment she is trying to grow organic tomatoes.A

10. Nicole has always been described as a bit of a bookworm. She loves nothing better than to get her nose stuck into a good book. Her favourite novels are thrillers and autobiographies.B

A B C D E

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AClass Intermediate- Sports - Present Perfect vs Past Simple