ESLSongs

The present perfect can be a difficult tense to teach learners of English as a second language, and the use of “for“ and “since“ only makes it harder. So give your students a break with this beautiful song.

This song includes 13 examples of the present perfect (10 present perfect simple and 3 present perfect continuous) with 5 examples of the present perfect with since and 4 examples of the present perfect with for.

This song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

I’m not living in denial
Since you dumped me I’ve been fine

I haven’t thought about you for days,
since we broke up I’ve already met someone else,
and I’ve only followed you home once to make sure you were safe

I haven’t missed you since you left
I haven’t missed your soft caress

I haven’t knocked on your door then run away
since that night last May when I nearly
drank myself to death, but I’m OK

for the last eight months I’ve been a rock
I’ve felt no pain since we broke up

I haven’t felt this free for years
I’m free to drink a thousand beers

I haven’t been getting obsessed or hostile,
I only wished that you were dead for a short while

Although I’ve been calling you up for weeks now
It’s not because I miss your voice or I feel down

I haven’t been crying myself to sleep at night
When I said I loved you, you know it was all lies

I’m only writing this song… ’cause I’m alright

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Listen to the song. Fill in the gaps with either “for” or “since”

I’m not living in denial
_____________ you dumped me I’ve been fine
I haven’t thought about you _____________ days,
_____________ we broke up I’ve already met someone else,
and I’ve only followed you home once to make sure you were safe

I haven’t missed you _____________ you left
I haven’t missed your soft caress
I haven’t knocked on your door then run away
_____________ that night last May
when I nearly drank myself to death, but I’m OK

_____________ the last eight months I’ve been a rock
I’ve felt no pain _____________ we broke up
I haven’t felt this free _____________ years
I’m free to drink a thousand beers

I haven’t been getting obsessed or hostile,
I only wished that you were dead for a short while
Although I’ve been calling you up _____________ weeks now
It’s not because I miss your voice or I feel down
I haven’t been crying myself to sleep at night
When I said I loved you, you know it was all lies
I’m only writing this song… ’cause I’m alright

If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3.