THE ANNIVERSARY PRESENT
Maggie and young Harry Jones are in the Browns' back garden. Harry has been working there for some time. Maggie is talking to him about his work.
Maggie: How are you getting on1 with that digging, Harry?
Harry Jones: I've done about half,2 Mrs. Brown.
Maggie: Well, I'd like you to stop for a moment and
come over here. There's something I want you to help me with.3
Harry: What do you want me to do, Mrs. Brown?
Maggie: I've decided to get rid of4 those ugly rhododendrons, and I'd like you to help me dig them out.5
Harry: Rhododendron roots are awfully tough. Shouldn't we wait for Mr. Brown to come home? I could do the job with him.
Maggie: But he mustn't know6 about it. It's to be7 a surprise. By the time8 he comes home I want us to have dug up9 all the bushes and planted something else in their place.
Harry: What are you going to put in then?
Maggie: I asked Mrs. Eccles next door to let me have some cuttings10 from her roses.
Harry: Will you get them to grow11 in this heavy soil?
Maggie: Oh, I expect so. The nursery12 advised me to try lilies, but I've always wanted roses in my garden.
Jim: (calls out) Maggie! Are you out in the garden?
Maggie: Yes! Just coming darling! (to Harry) I'll have to go
in now, but it won't take you much longer to finish the job,13 will it? I'll come out and plant the rose cuttings later, after tea.14
Jim: Has Harry been working in the garden, Maggie? I hope you told him not to water the cucumbers again.
Maggie: Yes, I did. I've been helping Harry, and we've got a surprise for you.
I've talked to the headmaster. Я поговорил с директором.
2. Часто Present Perfect Continuous употребляется для выражения длительного действия, начавшегося в прошлом и продолжающегося в настоящее время. Глагол в этом предложении переводится на русский язык в настоящем времени:
You've been looking for a canteen assistant.
Вы ищете работницу в столовую. Harry's been doing a newspaper round all this term. Гарри разносит газеты в течение всей этой четверти. Не has been having a lot of trouble at home.
У него в последнее время много неприятностей дома.
УПРАЖНЕНИЯ
I. Дайте пять разных ответов на вопрос:
Maggie: "You're very late, Jim. What have you been doing?"
II. Заполните пропуски в следующих предложениях; первое предложение является образцом:
1. I've been reading a lot of books lately.
2. I've been working at ....... lately.
3. I've been having a lot . ...... lately.
4. I've been trying to ........ lately.
5. I've been looking for....... lately.
6. I've been going through ...... lately.
III. Заполните пропуски в каждой из данных предложений, давая тря возможных варианта:
1. I'll ..... first thing in the morning.
2. They've been finding it difficult to .....
3. He promised to ..... about it.
4. What about asking Harry to ..... for us?
5. That's why he ..... in the mornings.
6. I met her ..... this morning.