November 13, 2009Topic: FROM RAGS TO RICHES

The story of Zara storesLanguage focus: - Present perfect for experience - ever/never

- Present perfect or Past simple?

1. Have you ever been to a Zara store?2. When did you last go there?3. What did you buy?

What tense are questions 2 & 3? Which questions refer to a specific time in the

past? Which question is about some time in your life? So, what’s the difference in meaning between

question 1 and questions 2 & 3?

Answers

What tense are questions 2 & 3?

PAST SIMPLE Which questions refer to a specific time in the

past? QUESTIONS 2 & 3 Which question is about some time in your

life? QUESTION 1 So, what’s the difference in meaning between

question 1 and questions 2 & 3? QUESTION 1 IS ABOUT EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LIFE UP TO NOW, QUESTIONS 2&3 REFER TO PAST FINISHED ACTIONS.

Read the text and answer the questionsHave you ever been to a Zara store?

You probably have because it’s one of the fastest-growing chains in the world. The person behind Zara is Amancio Ortega. He is the richest man in Spain, but very few people know his face. There are only few official photographs of him, and he rarely gives interviews. Although he is a multimillionaire businessman, he doesn’t look like one – he doesn’t like wearing suits or ties, and prefers to wear jeans and a shirt.

1. Who is Amancio Ortega?

2. What is unusual about him?

1. He is the person behind Zara, a businessman, the richest person in Spain.

2. He is a multimillionnaire but he likes wearing casual clothes.

When he was young he worked as a shop assistant in a clothes store, but he always dreamed of having his own business. In 1963 he started a small company which made women’s pyjamas. In 1975, at the age of 40, he opened his first clothes shop in La Coruna, a small city in north-west Spain, and named it Zara. Now you can find Zara shops all over the world, from New York to Moscow to Singapore. So why is Zara so successful?

3. What was his first job?4. When did he open his first Zara

shop?5. Where are there Zara shops now?

3. He was a shop assistant.

4. In 1975.

5. All over the world, from New York to Moscow to Singapore.

The main reason is that Zara reacts incredibly quickly to the latest designer fashions, and produces clothes which are fashionable but inexpensive. Zara can make a new line of clothes in three weeks. Other companies normally take nine months. The clothes also change from week to week – so customers keep coming back to see what’s new. It produces 20,000 new designs a year – and none of them stay in the shops for more than a month.So if you’ve seen a new jacket or skirt you like in a Zara store, hurry up and buy it, because it won’t be there for long.

6. What are the secrets of Zara’s

success?

6. It reacts to top designer fashion very quickly and cheaply, the clothes change every week, they produce 20,000 new designs a year.

Listening practiceListen to three people being interviewed about Zara. Complete the chart with their information.

WOMAN 1 WOMAN 2 MAN

1. Have you ever been to a Zara store?2. When did you last go there?3. Where?4. What did you buy?5. Are you happy with it?

Look at the red word above: what does it mean? What are the possible replies?

Answer Woman 1 Woman 2 Man1. Yes Yes Yes 2. 3 weeks ago Last Saturday In August3. In London In Paris At Barcelona

airport4. A white jacket a scarf nothing 5. Quite happy Yes --

‘ever’ = at some time in your life up to now. It is used in questions.

Possible replies:Yes, I have

No, I haven’t

I ______ bought a skirt at Zara

Active grammar: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

I ____ been to I _____ bought a Zara store a skirt at Zara

I _____ been to a Zara store

+

- Zara ____become a success story

Zara ____become a success story

____ you ____ to a Zara store?

? ____ you _____ a skirt at Zara?

___ Zara ______ a success story?

Active grammar: PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

I HAVE been to I HAVE bought a Zara store a skirt at Zara

I HAVEN’T been to a Zara store

+

- Zara HASN’T become a success story

Zara HAS become a success story

HAVE you BEEN to a Zara store?

? HAVE you bought a skirt at Zara?

HAS Zara become a success story?

I HAVEN’T bought a skirt at Zara

Focus on language We form present perfect simple with

________ + ________ We use this tense to talk about

____________ In negative sentences and questions we don’t

use ______ !! When we mean ‘in your life up to now’ we

use _____ in questions and ______ in answers

Answers We form present perfect simple with

HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE We use this tense to talk about experiences

in our life without a precise time reference In negative sentences and questions we don’t

use DO/DOES/DON’T/DOESN’T!! When we mean ‘in your life up to now’ we

use EVER in questions and NEVER in answers

Further reflection on languageYou can find explanations and further practice on

‘present perfect for experience’ in “Working with Grammar Gold” (Longman) – Unit 12 p. 256 to 264 You can find more info and examples on the following websites:

http://www.englishgratis.com/1/risorse/grammatica/gram-v-20-presentperfect.htm

http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/presentperfect/menu.php

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/presentperfect.html