A Tom(visiting Philip for the first time)：I didnt know you lived in a houseboat.

　　湯姆(第一次走訪菲利普)：我原來不知道你住在船屋里。

　　Philip：Ive always lived in a houseboat.I was born in one.

　　菲利普：我一直住在船屋里。我出生在船上。

　　I thought you were still on holiday.When did you get back?

　　I came back last week.

　　Has your term started yet?

　　Yes，it started on Monday.

　　我以為你還在休假。你是什么時候回來的?

　　我是上周回來的。

　　學校開學了嗎?

　　是的，是星期一開學的。

　　B 注意：關于過去的動作的對話常常用現在完成時的問答開始，但是通常會以一般過去時繼續下去，即使沒有指明時間。這是因為在開頭一句中提到的動作這時在說話人的腦子里已經確定了：

　　Where have you been?

　　Ive been to the cinema.

　　What did you see?/What was the film?

　　(I saw) Amadeus.

　　Did you like it?

　　你去哪兒了?

　　我看電影去了。

　　看的什么電影?/電影的內容是什么?

　　《莫扎特傳》。

　　你喜歡這電影嗎?

　　Husband：Where have you been?

　　丈夫：你去哪兒了?

　　Wife：Ive been at the sales.

　　妻子：商店大減價，我去買東西去了。

　　Husband：What have you bought?/What did you buy?丈夫：你買了什么東西?

　　Wife：I have bought/I bought you some yellow pyjamas.

　　妻子：我給你買了一套黃色的睡衣睡褲。

　　Husband：Why did you buy yellow?I hate yellow.

　　丈夫：你為什么買黃色的?我討厭黃顏色。

　　C 現在完成時常常用于報紙和廣播中，用于開頭，說起某項活動，接著就用一般過去時進行描述。事情發生的時間常常在第二句里點出來：

　　Thirty thousand poundsworth of jewellery has been stolen from Jonathan Wild and，Company，the jewellers.The thieves broke into the flat above some time during Sunday night and entered the shop by cutting a hole in the ceiling.

　　珠寶商店喬納森威爾德公司價值三萬英鎊的珠寶被盜。竊賊約在星期日夜間某時潛入樓上的一套房子，然后在商店的天花板上挖洞進入商店。

　　即使未指明動作的時間，在第二句里也通常用一般過去時：

　　Two prisoners have escaped from Dartmoor.They used a ladder which had been left behind by some workmen，climbed a twenty-foot wall and got away in a stolen car.

　　兩個囚犯從達特姆爾監獄逃走。他們用了工人丟下的梯子，爬上20英尺高的圍墻，然后乘偷來的汽車逃走了。

　　D 現在完成時常用于書信中：

　　I am sorry I havent written before but Ive been very busy lately as Tom has been away.

　　很抱歉，在這之前沒給你寫信。因為湯姆外出了，我最近一直很忙。

　　We have carefully considered the report which you sent us on 26 April，and have decided to take the following action.

　　我們已經仔細地考慮了你于4月26日寄來的報告，并已決定采取以下行動。

　　A Tom(visiting Philip for the first time)：I didnt know you lived in a houseboat.

　　湯姆(第一次走訪菲利普)：我原來不知道你住在船屋里。

　　Philip：Ive always lived in a houseboat.I was born in one.

　　菲利普：我一直住在船屋里。我出生在船上。

　　I thought you were still on holiday.When did you get back?

　　I came back last week.

　　Has your term started yet?

　　Yes，it started on Monday.

　　我以為你還在休假。你是什么時候回來的?

　　我是上周回來的。

　　學校開學了嗎?

　　是的，是星期一開學的。

　　B 注意：關于過去的動作的對話常常用現在完成時的問答開始，但是通常會以一般過去時繼續下去，即使沒有指明時間。這是因為在開頭一句中提到的動作這時在說話人的腦子里已經確定了：

　　Where have you been?

　　Ive been to the cinema.

　　What did you see?/What was the film?

　　(I saw) Amadeus.

　　Did you like it?

　　你去哪兒了?

　　我看電影去了。

　　看的什么電影?/電影的內容是什么?

　　《莫扎特傳》。

　　你喜歡這電影嗎?

　　Husband：Where have you been?

　　丈夫：你去哪兒了?

　　Wife：Ive been at the sales.

　　妻子：商店大減價，我去買東西去了。

　　Husband：What have you bought?/What did you buy?丈夫：你買了什么東西?

　　Wife：I have bought/I bought you some yellow pyjamas.

　　妻子：我給你買了一套黃色的睡衣睡褲。

　　Husband：Why did you buy yellow?I hate yellow.

　　丈夫：你為什么買黃色的?我討厭黃顏色。

　　C 現在完成時常常用于報紙和廣播中，用于開頭，說起某項活動，接著就用一般過去時進行描述。事情發生的時間常常在第二句里點出來：

　　Thirty thousand poundsworth of jewellery has been stolen from Jonathan Wild and，Company，the jewellers.The thieves broke into the flat above some time during Sunday night and entered the shop by cutting a hole in the ceiling.

　　珠寶商店喬納森威爾德公司價值三萬英鎊的珠寶被盜。竊賊約在星期日夜間某時潛入樓上的一套房子，然后在商店的天花板上挖洞進入商店。

　　即使未指明動作的時間，在第二句里也通常用一般過去時：

　　Two prisoners have escaped from Dartmoor.They used a ladder which had been left behind by some workmen，climbed a twenty-foot wall and got away in a stolen car.

　　兩個囚犯從達特姆爾監獄逃走。他們用了工人丟下的梯子，爬上20英尺高的圍墻，然后乘偷來的汽車逃走了。

　　D 現在完成時常用于書信中：

　　I am sorry I havent written before but Ive been very busy lately as Tom has been away.

　　很抱歉，在這之前沒給你寫信。因為湯姆外出了，我最近一直很忙。

　　We have carefully considered the report which you sent us on 26 April，and have decided to take the following action.

　　我們已經仔細地考慮了你于4月26日寄來的報告，并已決定采取以下行動。