Grammar: Present perfect simple vs present perfect continuous; Modal verbs of deduction: present

Watch the video to revise the rule and then do the exercise. Choose the correct alternative.

1 Please turn the TV off, the kids ________ it all day.
2 How long ________ for the guide?
3 She ________ that book about urban lifestyle.
4 The villagers ________ lots of cakes for the festival.
5 Sebastian ________ living in that town since he was born.
6 The Johnsons ________ for cottages in this area for over a year.

Complete the sentences with the present perfect simple or continuous of the verbs in brackets. Reflect on the words and phrases in bold.

1 How many times  ________ (you / visit) the city centre?
2 The office workers ________ (speak) on the phone all morning.
3 I ________ (have) lunch in the new restaurant in town yet.
4 Sue ________ (run) 5 kilometres in the countryside.
5 This is nothing new. The city ________ (experience) problems with traffic for many years.
6 How long  ________ (they / sit) on that bench in the park?
7 How long ________ (they / have) that house in the village?
8 They ________ (paint) the palace. That's why it looks so beautiful.

Watch the video to revise the rule and then do the exercise. Complete the sentences with a modal verb of deduction and the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Follow the instructions in bold to choose the correct modal verb.

1 The statue ________ (be) ancient, the marble is damaged in some parts. (It's possible)
2 That woman ________ (know) the truth, she wasn't there when the accident happened. (It's impossible)
3 A lot of people ________ (live) in that residential area: there are many cars parked there. (It's sure)
4 Our friends ________ (not arrive) on time, there's some traffic in the suburbs. (It's possible)
5 You ________ (be) serious when you say that city life is boring! (It's impossible)
6 Matthew ________ (have) a good salary. He's the manager of a big company. (It's sure)

Choose the correct alternative to complete the description. Then think about the text. Is it similar to the place where you live? Make any changes you need and use it for your oral production.

My town is called Marlow and it's located in Buckinghamshire, in the south of England. I ________ here all my life, ________ I was born. I like it: it's a beautiful town near the river Thames and I've always ________ that living here is nice; it's not stressful at all! We're far away from the ________ of cities! However, I can find everything I need: there are several shops, cafés, restaurants, supermarkets, a library, a post office and some ________. I spend most of my time here, I seldom go ________. This week ________ a lot of errands and I've been everywhere by bike. Isn't it great? Another advantage of Marlow is that the ________ is close: my grandmother lives there, she ________ a cottage near the wood ________ over 10 years. ________ the name of Marlow before? Lovers of English literature ________ remember that Mary Shelley finished her gothic story Frankenstein while living in this town.