Read the two answers to the same IELTS Writing Task 2 question: "Some people think that traditional university education is no longer relevant in the modern world. To what extent do you agree?"
1.2 Which answer sounds more like a professional article?
2.1 Complete the rule box:
| Structure | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present Perfect | / experience / unfinished time | Education has changed a lot. |
| Present Perfect Continuous | Action started in past and continues now | Employers have been questioning degrees. |
| Past Perfect | Action before another past action | Had students realised this… |
| Duration up to a future point | By 2030, I will have been teaching for 15 years. |
2.2 Match the sentence (1–6) with the tense it uses (A–F). Click a number, then a letter.
3.1 Choose the correct form.
1. I ___ (study) English for five years — I'm almost fluent now.
A) have studiedB) have been studying
2. I ___ (study) five different languages in my life.
A) have studiedB) have been studying
3. She ___ (write) three reports this week.
A) has writtenB) has been writing
4. She ___ (write) reports all morning — she's exhausted.
A) has writtenB) has been writing
5. The government ___ (invest) heavily in AI since 2020.
A) has investedB) has been investing
6. How many countries ___ you ___ (visit)?
A) have … visitedB) have … been visiting
7. The number of remote workers ___ (grow) steadily over the last decade.
A) has grownB) has been growing
8. I ___ (read) your essay — it's excellent.
A) have readB) have been reading
4.1 Choose the correct option (A, B or C).
1. When she finally got the job, she ___ for over a year.
A) appliedB) had appliedC) had been applying
2. By the time the conference started, most attendees ___.
A) leftB) had leftC) had been leaving
3. He was exhausted because he ___ all night.
A) workedB) had workedC) had been working
4. I didn't recognise the city — it ___ so much since my last visit.
A) changedB) had changedC) had been changing
5. They ___ each other for years before they finally got married.
A) knewB) had knownC) had been knowing
6. The train ___ by the time we arrived at the station.
A) leftB) had leftC) had been leaving
7. She ___ English for five years before she moved to London.
A) studiedB) had studiedC) had been studying
8. When I opened the fridge, I realised someone ___ all the milk.
A) drankB) had drunkC) had been drinking
5.1 Complete the sentences using the Future Perfect or Future Perfect Continuous.
1. By 2030, artificial intelligence (replace) millions of jobs.
2. By the time I'm 40, I (work) in IT for 20 years.
3. By next summer, she (complete) her PhD.
4. By midnight, we (study) for 12 hours straight.
5. By the end of this century, sea levels (rise) significantly.
6. By the time you read this letter, I (move) to another country.
7. By 2040, scientists (research) renewable energy for over a century.
8. By next Monday, the team (finish) the project.
6.1 Match the beginning (1–8) with the ending (A–H). Click a number, then a letter.
7.1 Rewrite each sentence using the word in brackets. Do not change the meaning.
1. The government started investing in AI in 2018. (SINCE)
→ The government
2. By the time we arrived, the meeting had already started. (ALREADY)
→ The meeting
3. He started working at this company in 2015. (BY 2030)
→ By 2030, he
4. She had been learning Spanish for years before she moved to Madrid. (HAD BEEN)
→ Spanish for years before she moved to Madrid.
5. The number of electric cars increased dramatically since 2020. (HAS BEEN)
→ The number of electric cars
6. The film started before we got to the cinema. (BY THE TIME)
→ By the time we got to the cinema, the film
8.1 Each sentence has one mistake. Click the wrong word to mark it. Four sentences are correct — for those, click "✓ No mistake".
9.1 Read the paragraph about the future of work. Click the correct tense for each gap.
10.1 Complete the sentences with true information about yourself.
1. I've been learning English for . (Present Perfect Continuous)
2. I've visited . (Present Perfect — life experience)
3. By the time I'm 35, I will have . (Future Perfect)
4. Before I started this course, I had . (Past Perfect)
5. I've been working on recently. (Present Perfect Continuous)
6. By next year, I will have been for . (Future Perfect Continuous)
7. I had been before I realised . (Past Perfect Continuous)
8. I've never , but I'd like to. (Present Perfect)
11.1 Answer the questions below. Rule: each answer must contain at least TWO different perfect forms.
1. How have people's work habits changed compared to 20 years ago?
2. What impact has globalisation had on your country?
3. How do you think cities will have changed by 2050?
4. What skills will have become essential by the time today's children enter the workforce?
5. Had you realised the importance of English before you started studying it seriously?
6. How long will you have been doing your current job by the time you retire?
12.1 Write one body paragraph (80–100 words) for the following essay question:
Requirements:
Before moving to Step 7, tick what you can do confidently:
Score: ___ / 7 → if 5+, move to Step 7: +1 PASSIVE VOICE & CAUSATIVE
14.1 Writing. Write a full IELTS Task 2 essay (250+ words) on any "future prediction" prompt. Rule: use at least 5 perfect forms, including Future Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous.
14.2 Reading. Open any article on BBC Future or The Guardian about trends (technology, environment, society). Extract 5 perfect forms — identify which tense each one is.
14.3 Speaking. Record yourself answering 3 Part 3 questions from Task 11. Listen back. Did you use Future Perfect for predictions? Did you use Present Perfect Continuous for trends? If not — re-record.