TENSE TRANSFORMATION

1. S + started / began / commenced + V-ing + ... ago ⇔ S + have/ has + V3/ V-ed + for...
Ex: He began working in this factory five years ago → He has worked in this factory five years ago
They have lived there for two years. → They started living there two years ago
2. S + started / began / commenced + V-ing + in / on / at (time) ⇔ S + have/ has + V3/ V-ed + since...

Ex: They started playing games at 5 o’clock. → They have played games since 5 o’clock.

We began learning English in 2005. → We have learned (learnt) English since 2005.

3. S + no longer + V + (O/C/A) ⇔ S + used to + V + (O/C/A)

⇔ S + V (not) + (O/C/A) + any more
⇔ S + often/ always V2/ V-ed + (O/C/A)

Ex: He used to sleep in class. → He no longer sleeps in class. / He doesn’t sleep in class any more.
He usually ate in class when he was young. → He used to eat in class when he was young.

4. S + have/ has + not + V3/ V-ed + since/ for... ⇔ It is + time...+ since S +V2/Ved...
Ex: I haven’t seen my farther since last month. → It’s one month since I (last) saw my father.
Tom and Marie have been keypals for two years. → It is five years since Tom and Marie were keypals.
5. S + have/ has + (not) + V3/ V-ed... (before) ⇔ It’s the first time + S + have/ has + V3/V-ed... (never)
Ex: Jason hasn’t met that man here before. → It’s the first time Jason has met that man here.
I have never read this book (before). → It’s the first time I have read this book.
6. S + have/ has + not + V3/ed... + since/ for ... ⇔ S + last V2/Ved ... WHEN S +V2/ed

⇔The last time + S +V2/ed + was...

Ex: I haven’t heard him since August. → The last time I heard him was in August.
I haven’t seen him since I was a student. → I last saw him when I was a student.
* Notes: since 6 o’clock → at 6
since August/ 2005 → in August/ in 2005
since Monday → on Monday/
since last week → a week ago.
since + S + V... → when S + V ...

7. S + have/ has (not) + V3/ed... for (time) ⇔ It is (time) since S ( last) + V2/V-ed...
Ex: I haven’t seen her for three weeks. → It’s three weeks since I last saw her.
Jason has learned Vietnamese for two years. → It’s two years since Jason began to learn Vietnamese.
* We can add “began or started” – instead of “last” to verbs with progressive nature; learn, study, work, lie, sit, stay, wait...

8: Hardly/ Scarcely + had + Sa + V3/ed... when + Sb + V2/V ed + ... ⇔ Sa + had + hardly/ scarcely + V3/ed... when + Sb + V2/ V ed + ...
↓ ↑
No sooner + had + S1 + V3/ed... than + Sb + V2/ V ed + ... ⇔ Sa + had + no sooner + V3/ed... than + Sb + V2/ V ed + ...
Ex: He had hardly seen me when he ran away. ↔ No sooner had he seen me than he ran away.
Scarcely had Jason sat down when the phone rang. ↔ Jason had no sooner sat down than the phone rang.

9. S + get / be + used to + V-ing/ N⇔ S + be /get + accustomed to + V-ing/ N

Ex: John is accustomed to swimming every day. ⇔ John is used to swimming every day.
10. S + V2 + not .... until + S + V +.../ until + phrase ⇔ It was not until + S + V..... / phrase... that + S + V + ...
Ex: Emma didn’t begin to read until she was ten. → It was not until Emma was ten that she began to read.
The carpenter didn’t finish his work until Monday. → It was not until Monday that the carpenter finished his work.
11. S+ will last / lasts / last / lasted + (O/C/A) time... ⇔ It will take/ takes/ took + (O) + time + to V...

S + will spend / spend / spends / spent + time + V-ing ⇔

Ex: The flight to Paris lasts 12 hours. → It takes 12 hours to fly to Paris.
They spent two hours solving this problem. → It took them two hours to solve this problem.
12. After S1 + had +V3/ed..., S2 + V2/V-ed... ⇔ After V-ing..., S2 + V2/V-ed...
Ex: After he had finished the book, he went to bed.⇒ After finishing the book, he went to bed.
(* S1 = S2)
 EXERCISES
Rewrite the following sentences beginning with the cues.
1. It’s ages since I took any photos.
→ I have___not taken any photos since age____________________________________________
2. Tom has not had his hair cut for a month.
→ It’s_____a month since Tom had his hair cut ______________________________________
3. Tom hasn’t seen “Titanic” before.
→ It’s the first time______________tom has seen Titanic_______________________________
4. The last time I went abroad was in the summer of 2000.
→ I__haven’t been abroad since the summer of 2000__________________________________
5. Tom last wacthed TV on New Year’s Day.
→ Tom______hasn’t watched Tv since New Year’s Day_________________________________
6. It’s three months since the windows were cleaned.
→ The windows haven’t____been clear for 3 months__________________________________
7. My friends began studying English fifteen years ago.
→ My friends _____have been studying English for 15 years ___________________________________________
8. My father hán’t played football since 2015.
→The last time my father played football was in 2015______________________________________________
9. He hán’t drunk any beer since the accident happened.
→ He last__drank some beer when the accident happened______________________________________
10. My brother started smoking two years ago.
→ My brother_has beeb smoking for 2 years________________________________________
11. We haven’t met Tom since he got maried.
→ We last_met tom when he got married______________________________________
12. This is the first time I have eaten this kind of food.
→I haven’t__eaten this kind of food before___________________________________________
13. It’s four years since I got married.
→ I have__been married for 4 years_____________________________________________
14. He has been working for this factory for three years.
→ He started_working at this factory 3 years ago_________________________________________________
15. This is the first time I have read this book.
→ I have never_read this book before_____________________________________
16. The last time I heard from him was in June.
→ I have__not heard from him since june_________________________________
17. We last saw Tom when he went to London.
→ We haven’t__seen tom since he went to london____/ it’s the most famous singer that I have ever met___________
18. I’ve never met such a famous singer before.
→ It’s the__first time I have met such a famous singer_____________________________________
19. It’s two years since I last went to Rome.
→ I_haven’t been to Rome for 2 years_________________________________
20. My father started to write five years ago. Now he’s still writing.
→ My father___have been writing for 5 years___________
21. Linda has been cooking for five hours.
→ Linda__started to cook 5 hours ago____________________________
22. The Browns haven’t visited Paris since 1998.
→The last time__the browns visited Paris was in 1998__________________________________