Thursday, January 10th

A. A new year with new challenges

It is always refreshing to start a new year and the perfect time to set some short and long term goals in your personal and professional life. Do you typically make resolutions for the year? What are your resolutions or if you didn't make any, what would they be for each of the categories below?  Please come up with at least 2-3 for each category.

• Job
• Exercise
• Health
• Hobbies (music)
• Friends
• English
• Money
• Stress

Now, let's have some fun.  Come up with a resolution for each of the following people in your life:

• Boss
• RC executive team
• Your team
• The pilot production line team
• Your wife
• Your best friend
• The owner of the restaurant that you usually frenquent 

Need to get inspired? Watch the following video about what one can do in 30 days.




B. Present Perfect Simple – Present Perfect Progressive

Form

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
irregular verbs: form of 'have' + 3rd column of irregular verbs Example: I / you / we / they have spoken he / she / it has spoken regular verbs: form of 'have' + infinitive + ed Example: I / you / we / they have worked he / she / it has worked	form of 'have' + been + verb + ing Example: I / you / we / they have been speaking he / she / it has been speaking
Exceptions
Exceptions when adding 'ed' : when the final letter is e, only add d Example: love - loved after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: admit - admitted final l is always doubled in British English (not in American English) Example: travel - travelled after a consonant, final y becomes i (but: not after a vowel) Example: worry - worried but: play - played	Exceptions when adding 'ing' : silent e is dropped. (but: does not apply for -ee) Example: come - coming aber: agree - agreeing after a short, stressed vowel, the final consonant is doubled Example: sit - sitting after a vowel, the final consonant l is doubled in British English (but not in American English). Example: travel - travelling final ie becomes y. Example: lie - lying

When do we use each?

Both tenses are used to express that an action began in the past and is still going on or has just finished. In many cases, both forms are correct, but there is often a difference in meaning: 

• We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result. 
• We use the Present Perfect Progressive to emphasise the duration or continuous course of an action.

Result or duration?

Do you want to express what has happened so far or how long an action has been going on yet?

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
Result (what / how much / how often) I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice.	Duration (how long) I have been writing for an hour.

Emphasis on completion or duration?

Do you want to emphasise the completion of an action or its continuous course (how has somebody spent his time)?

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
Emphasis on completion I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed now.)	Emphasis on duration I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)

Signal words

Present Perfect Simple	Present Perfect Progressive
how often ... times	how long since for

Exercises: Present Perfect & Present Perfect Continuous

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

Robin: I think the waiter (forget)  us. We (wait)  here for over half an hour and nobody (take)  our order yet.

Michele: I think you're right. He (walk)  by us at least twenty times. He probably thinks we (order, already) .

Robin: Look at that couple over there, they (be, only)  here for five or ten minutes and they already have their food.

Michele: He must realize we (order, not)  yet! We (sit)  here for over half an hour staring at him.

Robin: I don't know if he (notice, even)  us. He (run)  from table to table taking orders and serving food.

Michele: That's true, and he (look, not)  in our direction once

1. Judy: How long (be)  in Canada?
Claude: I (study)  here for more than three years.

2. I (have)  the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying a new one.

3. I (love)  chocolate since I was a child. You might even call me a "chocoholic."

4. Matt and Sarah (have)  some difficulties in their relationship lately, so they (go)  to a marriage counselor. I hope they work everything out.

5. John (work)  for the government since he graduated from Harvard University. Until recently, he (enjoy)  his work, but now he is talking about retiring.

6. Lately, I (think)  about changing my career because I (become)  dissatisfied with the conditions at my company.

7. I (see)  Judy for more than five years and during that time I (see)  many changes in her personality.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Progressive).

1. A: (you / take)  the dog for a walk yet?
2. B: I (work)  all day. I (come / just)  home from work and I (have / not)  the time yet to walk the dog.
3. A: How long (the dog / be)  home alone?
4. B: For about 6 hours. You (walk / not)  the dog for a long time. Don't you want to go?
5. A: Well, I (laze / not)  about all day either, you know. I have a very important meeting tomorrow and I still (finish / not)  my presentation.
6. B: Okay, I will go then. Where (you / put)  collar and leash?
7. A: They are in the kitchen. By the way, (you / eat)  anything yet? If not, could you get us something from the supermarket?

C. Tell me about yourself!

• List 3 professional accomplishments
• List 3 personal accomplishments
• List 3 professional activities that you have been doing for over 3 months
• List 3 personal activities that you have been doing for over 3 months