Extra English Practice -- EEP
Larissa: Today we're going to talk about our favorite verb tense.
Misha: That's right -- favorite. It's the best! They're all good, but this one's the best.
Larissa: I know it sounds a little odd that we have a favorite verb tense but this one really is so fun.
It's [presenting noise] the present perfect!
Misha: Yeah! So excited!
Larissa: So we like the present perfect because it's so interesting.
We use it to talk about things that happen in the past but that don't have a specific time associated with it.
Misha: That's right, so they're like life experience things, which is really fun to learn about.
The form for present perfect is subject + have or has (the verb to have in the present) + the past participle (also known as PP or verb 3)
Larissa: If you need to learn those, there's lots of lists online.
And sometimes it's similar...sometimes it's the same as the simple past.
Misha: That's right. If it's a regular verb, like "talk" >> talked, talked -- it's the same.
Larissa: And sometimes it has its own special form.
There are big lists of those you can find online.
Misha: That's right, you just have to memorize, sorry.
Larissa: Let's start with some examples.
I have... hmm... Misha: What have you done?
Larissa: I have led a very interesting life. Misha: She is saying it sarcastically but it's actually true.
Larissa: It's kind of true! Misha: Yeah
So, for example, I could say, "I have gone to Ukraine". This is something I've done in my life but I haven't said when.
So I'm not using a specific time because it's present perfect. That's how it works.
I have gone ("gone" is verb 3 or the past participle of "go") so I have gone to Ukraine.
Larissa: So, I have traveled to Thailand, for example.
Same idea -- I HAVE, and then the past participle of "travel" is "traveled" >> I have traveled to Thailand.
Misha: Exactly. If I were to say it about you, just so we can use "has", I would say >> She has traveled to Thailand.
So the verb to have will change based on the subject but the PP or Verb 3 stays the same.
Larissa: But when did I go? Misha: We don't know. Larissa: We don't care.
Misha: It's not the most interesting thing about it.
Larissa: In the past. It's done, sometime ...before.
Misha: So, do you want to play a game, Larissa?
Larissa: Yes, I do, definitely.
Misha: Great. This is how the game works. It's called two truths and a lie. It's a popular game.
I'm going to say three sentences, three things.
Two of them are true, and one of them is a lie. They're all about me.
Misha: So two are true and one's a lie. Larissa: [whispering] She's a liar!
Misha: But I'm telling you I'm lying, that must count for something.
Okay, are you ready? So, three sentences, two are true, one is a lie.
I have eaten shark
I have eaten crocodile. You know crocodile? The one with the big jaws.
I have eaten shark, I've eaten crocodile I have eaten snake.
What do you think?
Larissa: And only one of these is a lie! That means two are true.
Shark, crocodile and snake...
I know people who have eaten snake so I'm going to say that's true,
and I think you've been in lots of places near ocean, near sea, so I think that shark is true.
I think you are lying; you have not eaten crocodile.
Misha: Okaaaay, you are wrong!
Larissa: Oh! You ate a crocodile?!
Misha:I know, I know, it's suprising. Plus, your logic was really good. It made a lot of sense.
Larissa: Tell us more!
Misha: Okay, shark I ate when I was a kid; sometimes my mom would make shark steaks.
Larissa: What? Misha: I don't know I know it's a strange thing.
My mom cooks a lot of different things.
Larissa: Your mom is awesome! Misha: She's pretty awesome. She's an excellent cook.
Larissa: What does it taste like? Chicken, everything tastes like chicken.
Misha: No, it tasted sort of like... it didn't have a very strong taste, but had a really nice texture.
..like not very chewy more like.. Larissa: Soft? Like a soft fish?
Misha: Yeah, yeah, like a fish more like a texture like a fish but not fishy tasting.
This is my memory but it was a long time ago, so.. Larissa: [noise of interest] Misha: I know pretty good.
Snake, even though you're right, I have heard of lots people eating that too, I've never eaten it.
Have any of you? I wonder what it tastes like. Is it good?
So, snake is out. Crocodile -- I used to live in Laos, near Thailand and Vietnam,
and once I went to a restaurant, and that was on the menu, so I gave it a try.
Larissa: Wow. Did you like it?
Misha: Yeah, it was pretty good! That one did taste a little like chicken!
Larissa: Really? That's what they say. Everything tastes like chicken.
Misha: That's it! Larissa: So interesting!
I'm going to make three sentences. Same thing -- two truths and a lie.
Similar, but I'm going to use a slightly different verb.
So I have tried (almost the same as eaten) I have tried ...
horse; I have tried buffalo, and I have tried moose.
Misha: Whoa. Okay, horse, buffalo, and moose.
We live in Canada, we're Canadian, and I know some people eat moose, so I'm gonna guess that that one's true.
I've never had it but it's around.
But I don't know... she's lived a lot of places too.. makes it a little harder to guess what the norm is..
um, I think also bison is something that people sometimes eat in Canada,
so I'm going to say horse is the lie. Larissa: Horse is the lie, yeah.
Although my grandparents and my mother do eat horse. They eat it as a lunch meat on bread.
Misha: Do they.. do they.. Larissa: It's like smoked.. no no no they buy it at a European delicatessen.
Misha: Oh wow. Larissa: Yeah, so it's like smoked meat that they put ..I don't even think it's cooked, it's smoked.. and they eat it on bread.
Misha: A European delicatessen.. they buy it in Canada?
Larissa: Yeah, my grandparents are from Holland, and so I don't know if many people in Holland
or if it's just my family.. I'm not sure, but they do eat horse meat.
Misha: Interesting, but you've never tried it?
Larissa: As a child, they told me it was horse meat and I was like, "Ahh! Horse meat! I can't eat that!"
But the moose, I ate when I was also a child and they fed it to me without telling me,
and so I just thought it was beef. I thought it was cow.
Misha: And so it must have tasted..
Larissa: Well, while I was eating it I didn't think anything of it and then when they told me it was moose
I immediately hated it. I spat it out , "Uh, I can't believe it! It tastes so bad!" but no, it was great.
The other one was buffalo or bison and actually ate that when I lived in Qatar and it was Indian Buffalo.
Misha: Interesting. Larissa: Yeah, and actually I found when I was living there that I preferred to buy the Buffalo because the
meat was a lot more tender than the beef I could buy, so I looked for the Indian Buffalo in the grocery store.
Misha: I learned so much! Okay, should we try another one? Larissa: Let's try another one!
Misha: Okay, next.. Larissa: This is fun, huh? Misha: This is fun.
Ummm, I have ridden, so like.. "rode"...
Misha: [laughs] Good..good... visual description. Larissa: Thank you.
I have ridden ..um, a camel.. an elephant (I have ridden an elephant), and I have ridden a horse
Larissa: A camel, an elephant, and a horse. I think all of those are very possible.
So I.. hmm.. Misha: It's a tough one. Larissa: I have ridden a camel an elephant and a horse. All of them!
So I'm trying to think of which one would be your lie...
And I want to say a horse because it seems the most kind of normal,
and so I'm gonna like play a psychological game and choose the really kind of normal one.
You have never ridden a horse! Misha: No, you're wrong!
Larissa: Oh! I'm zero for two! Misha: That's alright; we'll give you another chance.
I, a horse... I grew up on a farm; my dad was a farmer when I was a kid so I rode a horse.
Larissa: you have ridden many horses. Misha: I'm not a very skilled rider, but I could..not fall off.
Um, although, actually, when I was a kid.. I have distinct memories of falling off into a pile of horse poop [laughter]
Aaaanyways, I have also ridden a camel.
When my brother and I were in India, we spent three days on camels in the desert.
Yeah, it was pretty serious.
It was really fun, but also, the body really gets sore with that much time riding an animal!
Larissa: My bum is sore just thinking about it! Misha: Yeah, exactly!
Also, camels really stink!
Larissa: And they're tall. Misha: Yeah they're very.. they would like kneel and you would get up
and then they would put their back legs up so you'd be on this big slant.
I always felt like I was gonna slide right down the neck. But I didn't.
Larissa: Slide right down, into some camel poop. [laughter]
Just to make all of the stories balance. Misha: Full circle.
Misha: But, an elephant, I've never ridden an elephant. Larissa: [noise of pity]
Misha: Where did you ride an elephant? Larissa: In Thailand.
Yeah, and I wasn't on the elephant. They had built a carrying thing.
My family was there and what I remember is that it moves slowly but it really like it
really moved a lot. I felt like I was almost on a boat because it was taking it steps. Misha: Cool.
Larissa: Okay, I have three sentences about boats, kinds of boats that I have ridden in.
Well, two that I have. You find the lie.
I have ridden in a paddle boat. I have ridden in a sailboat (ridden on a sailboat, really), and I've ridden in a gondola.
Misha: This is a tough one because sail and paddle boats are pretty common in Canada but gondolas aren't.
I feel like that's the pretty obvious answer so I'm not sure.
A paddle boat.. I think for sure she's ridden a paddle boat. Everyone does that here when they're a kid.
Hmmm, a sail boat. I think gondola's the lie! Larissa: Wrong! Misha: Oh no!
Larissa: I have never been on a sailboat.
Misha: You've never been on a sail boat? Larissa: No.
Misha: My family has a sailboat, a small one, we should go out on it sometime! Larissa: Yes!
Tomorrow! Except it's not summer. Misha: And plus it's a cold spring here.
Larissa: Okay, not tomorrow. Misha: Someday in the future.
Larissa: But I tricked you. Misha: Yeah, you did.
I just didn't... a sail boat is so common.
Larissa: So common if you're you! Misha: We're gonna change that! We're gonna fix this situation.
Larissa: So I rode on a paddle boat when I was a kid,
but not here we were traveling somewhere and actually
I didn't really like it. It's too much work for not enough enjoyment.
Like you're really moving your legs. Misha: And it's loud. Larissa: It's not relaxing.
Misha: I agree. [talking over each other]
Larissa: And the gondola. Gondola we think of as an Italian boat.
That stereotypical gondolier with the striped shirt and everything, singing the song..
But no, I rode a gondola in the mall in Qatar! Misha: Whaaat?!
Larissa: They have a mall called Villaggio mall, and they designed it to look like it's Italy.
And right down the middle of it, they have this moat, I guess, a canal.
With bridges coming over it and the fancy shops on the sides.
Misha: It's all inside? Larissa: Iinside the mall.
And the gondolier, like, who is from Nepal or Philippines, right, it wasn't even an Italian person,
took us for a little ride in the gondola. Misha: That's strange.
Misha: So far you've gotten all of mine wrong? [laughs]
Larissa: Yes, thanks for rubbing that in.
Misha: I'm gonna give her one more chance. We'll see. Larissa: Thank you.
Misha: Okay, this time it's about things I've made. Here we go.
I have made a cabinet. I have made a pair of socks (I've knitted a pair of socks), and I have made my own soap.
Larissa: Ohhhh.. Misha: What do you think?
I think you've knitted socks. I think you've made socks.
That's kind of cool and trendy to knit these days. Misha: That's true.
Larissa: So I think that's probably true. The cabinet would be cool. I want that to be true.
What's the other one? Misha: The last one was that I've made soap.
Larissa: I think you have made soap. I've seen courses for soap making.
I know it's not hard. I don't know how to do it, but I know it's not hard.
So I'm going to say you haven't made a cabinet. Misha: No, wrong again!
Larissa: I am so bad at this game!
Misha: We just need to hang out more so you get to know me better. Larissa: I think so.
The problem is we're just not good enough friends. Misha: That's right. It'll happen. It'll come.
Ok, ok, so, knitting is cool, and I have tried it many times and I am awful at it, awful.
I can't I can't make anything. I've tried but I just can't do it. So that one is a lie.
Larissa: That's a lie. However do you keep your feet warm?
Misha: I'm not wearing socks right now. You can't see it but it's true.
Soap...my mother makes soap. She's very good at making soap and lotion,
so she taught me how to do that and I used to have a job where I made soap.
And actually when I was in India, I was there working with an organisation
and my job was to produce soap and teach people how to make it. It was pretty cool.
And what was the other one? Oh, a cabinet. Well my brother is a cabinet maker; that's his job. He's a carpenter.
So I had a little help with that one, but I made a little cabinet that
has a couple of drawers and a lift top, and it sits in my bathroom. Larissa: Cool!
Misha: Yeah, it's my favourite thing in my house. I'm so proud of it.
I had a lot of help though. Larissa: Well, good for you. Misha: Yeah, thanks.
Larissa: We're interesting! I'm bad at this game [Misha laughs] but I learned a lot of great stuff.
So what are some things that you have done?
We'd love to play along with you, so if you want to write three things,
two true and one lie. Stick it in the comments
and anybody can comment and see, see if you can trick us.
The way that Misha tricked me, over and over and over again.
Misha: We'll let her answer most of them, just for the fun of it.
Larissa: I gotta get good at this some day. Misha: You need more practice obviously.
Ok, give it a try!
Extra English Practice
--- sneeeaky ----