English Course · Level 2 (A2) · Week 6 of 12

News and Recent Events

Grammar: Present perfect vs past simple · just / already / yet

This week's plan

Day	Learn	Listen / Watch	Practise
Day 1	Words: The news · Sentences 1–2	Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “Free English Class! Topic: The News! (Lesson Only)” (podcast)	Exercise 1
Day 2	Words: In the news · Sentences 3–4	engVid (James): “SIMPLE PAST or PRESENT PERFECT? When + how to use them!” (video)	Exercise 2
Day 3	Words: Personal news · Sentences 5–6	BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “Present perfect and past simple” (podcast)	Exercise 3
Day 4	Words: just, already, yet · Sentences 7–8	engVid (Alex): “English Grammar – Using ALREADY & YET” (video) + BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “The present perfect with ‘just’, ‘already’ and ‘yet’” (podcast)	Exercise 4
Day 5	Words: Reacting to news · Sentences 9–10	British Council: “An email from a friend” (reading)	Write & Speak
Day 6	Review all 30 words + 10 sentences	BBC Learning English Grammar: “What have you been up to?” (podcast)	Redo mistakes
Day 7	Free day ☺	BBC 6 Minute English: “Did Taylor Swift fans cause an earthquake?” (podcast)	Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · The news

the newsالأخبار
headlineعنوان رئيسي / مانشيت
articleمقال
reportتقرير / يُبلغ عن
announceيُعلن
according toوفقًا لـ / حسب

Set 2 · In the news

accidentحادث
fireحريق
electionانتخابات
riseيرتفع
fallينخفض / يقع
launchيُطلق / يدشّن

Set 3 · Personal news

get engagedيخطب / تتمّ خطوبته
have a babyيُرزق بمولود
get a promotionيحصل على ترقية
pass an examينجح في امتحان
failيرسب / يفشل
move houseينتقل إلى بيت جديد / يعزّل

Set 4 · just, already, yet

justللتو / لسه
alreadyبالفعل / خلاص
yetبعد / لسه (في النفي والسؤال)
recentlyمؤخرًا
so farحتى الآن
latelyفي الآونة الأخيرة

Set 5 · Reacting to news

Really?حقًا؟ / بجد؟
Congratulations!مبروك!
That's great news!هذا خبر رائع!
What a pity!يا خسارة!
I'm sorry to hear that.يؤسفني سماع ذلك.
I can't believe it!لا أصدق!

10 sentences to memorise

1Have you heard the news?هل سمعت الخبر؟
2My sister has just had a baby girl.رُزقت أختي للتو بطفلة.
3I've already finished my report.أنهيت تقريري بالفعل.
4Has Omar arrived yet? — No, not yet.هل وصل عمر حتى الآن؟ — لا، ليس بعد.
5I haven't read the article yet.لم أقرأ المقال بعد.
6Nour has got a promotion! — Congratulations!حصلت نور على ترقية! — مبروك!
7Prices have risen a lot recently.ارتفعت الأسعار كثيرًا مؤخرًا.
8There was a fire in the city centre last night.شبّ حريق في وسط المدينة ليلة أمس.
9According to the report, nobody was hurt.وفقًا للتقرير، لم يُصَب أحد.
10I failed my driving test. — Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.رسبت في اختبار القيادة. — يؤسفني سماع ذلك.

Grammar: Present perfect vs past simple · just / already / yet

Present perfect = a past action connected to now, with no finished time (I've lost my keys. = I don't have them now.)

just = a very short time ago · already = before now, sooner than expected · yet = until now (in negatives and questions, at the end)

Past simple = a finished time: yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago, When …?

المتعلم العربي يقول «لسه واصل» بالماضي البسيط: I just arrived (وهذا شائع في الإنجليزية الأمريكية)، لكن في الإنجليزية البريطانية نقول I've just arrived. والخطأ الأكبر: استخدام present perfect مع كلمة تدل على وقت منتهٍ مثل yesterday أو ago أو last: I have seen him yesterday ✗ → I saw him yesterday ✔. وانتبه لمكان الكلمات: just و already قبل التصريف الثالث، و yet في آخر الجملة.

Word	Position	Example
just	between have and the participle	I've just seen Mona.
already	between have and the participle	We've already eaten.
yet	end of a negative sentence	I haven't finished yet.
yet	end of a question	Have you finished yet?

Present perfect (no finished time)	Past simple (finished time)
I've lost my wallet.	I lost my wallet yesterday.
Have you seen the news today?	Did you see the news last night?
Prices have gone up recently.	Prices went up two months ago.

Questions with When …? and What time …? take the past simple: When did you hear the news? (NOT When have you heard …?)

News often starts with the present perfect, then gives the details in the past simple: There has been an accident on the Ring Road. It happened at 8 a.m.

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Put the word in the correct place.

1) I've finished my homework. (already)
2) Have you called your mother? (yet)
3) Ahmed has left. (just)
4) We haven't decided. (yet)
5) The film has started. (already)
6) She has got engaged. (just)

Show the answers

1) I've already finished my homework. 2) Have you called your mother yet? 3) Ahmed has just left. 4) We haven't decided yet. 5) The film has already started. 6) She has just got engaged.

Exercise 2 · Present perfect or past simple? Complete.

1) I ___ (see) Omar yesterday.
2) ___ you ever ___ (be) on TV?
3) Prices ___ (go up) a lot this year.
4) The accident ___ (happen) two hours ago.
5) When ___ you ___ (move) house?
6) My brother ___ just ___ (pass) his exams.

Show the answers

1) saw 2) Have … been 3) have gone up 4) happened 5) did … move 6) has … passed

Exercise 3 · Match the news with a reaction. Use each reaction once: a) I'm sorry to hear that. b) What a pity! c) Congratulations! d) That's great news! e) Really? I can't believe it!

1) I've just got a new job.
2) My grandfather is in hospital.
3) The airport has just announced that our flight is on time!
4) I missed the last train home.
5) A man from our village has won ten million pounds!

Show the answers

1) c 2) a 3) d 4) b 5) e

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

1) لقد وصلت للتو.
2) هل قرأت الأخبار اليوم؟
3) لم أجد وظيفة بعد.
4) ارتفعت الأسعار الشهر الماضي.

Show the answers

1) I've just arrived. 2) Have you read the news today? 3) I haven't found a job yet. 4) Prices went up (rose) last month.

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “My news”: write an email of 80–100 words to a friend you haven't seen for a long time. Give three pieces of news (use just, already and yet) and add details in the past simple. Then read it aloud as if you are telling your friend on the phone.

Example: Dear Mona, How are you? I'm sorry I haven't written for so long. I've been very busy, and I have lots of news! First, we've just moved house. We left our old flat in Shubra two weeks ago and now we live in Sheikh Zayed. Also, my brother has got engaged! The party was last Friday and it was wonderful. I've also started a new job, but I haven't met all my colleagues yet. Have you finished your exams yet? Write soon and tell me your news. Love, Nour