234 UNIT 14
Past events relate to the present if they are still true at this time.
EXERCISE 2
Choose past tense or present perfect tense for the verbs in parentheses. More than one
answer may be correct, so be prepared to explain why you chose the form you did. The
first one has been done for you.
Bambang Soetomo (1) (come) to the United States last January to get a degree
in mechanical engineering. Since he (2) (be) in the United States, he
(3) (have) many new experiences. At home in Jakarta, servants (4)
(cook) all his food. But here in the United States, Bambang (5) (have) to
prepare food for himself. In Indonesia, a lot of his university classes (6) (require)
the ability to memorize large amounts of information. But here, Bambang (7)
(find) that memorization is not considered to be a very important skill in many of his
classes. Of course, he (8) (be) ready for obvious differences in things like food
and social customs, but he (9) (not/adjust) to the subtle differences. He
(10) (learn) that knowing about differences and dealing with them are two
different things. In fact, he (11) (be) rather homesick. In Jakarta he
(12) (have) a large group of friends, but here in the States he (13)
(meet) only a few other Indonesian students, and none of them are in his department.
When he (14) (be) planning his trip to America, he (15) (plan) to
go home for a vacation after his sophomore year, but he (16) (change) his
mind since he (17) (get) here. He (18) (speak) with his father
about the possibility of coming home during his first summer vacation. His father
(19) (not decide) whether that’s a good idea or not.
came
use
FOCUS 2
Relationship to the Present: Still
True (Present Perfect Tense) Versus
No Longer True (Past Tense)
EXAMPLES
(a) I have lived in three foreign countries.
I have learned how to adapt to the local
culture.
(b) I lived in Honduras for three years.
I ate pupusas every day for lunch.
EXPLANATIONS
Present Perfect Tense:
Use the present perfect tense to show that
something is still true now.
Past Tense:
Use the past tense to talk about something
that is no longer true now.
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