TENSES MADE EASY

Present Perfect

The present perfect is used to express actions that happened at an indefinite time or that began in the past and continue in the present. This tense is also used when an activity has an effect on the present moment.

Tip: you probably won’t find a tense like the present perfect in your language so remember to use it as often as you can.

USE:

1.       Actions which happened at an indefinite (unknown) time before now

2.       Actions in the past which have an effect on the present moment

3.       Actions which began in the past and continue in the present

Present Perfect Simple Tense
To Talk About action/states that starts in the past and continues in the present, past actions with a present consequence and life experiences.
POSITIVE	SUBJECT	AUX.		PAST PARTICIPLE
	I/You/We/They He/She/It	Have Has		Worked Worked
NEGATIVE	SUBJECT	AUX. + NOT	PAST PARTICIPLE	COMPLEMENT
	I He	Haven’t Hasn’t	Worked Worked	Since may Since may
QUESTION	AUX.	SUBJECT	PAST PARTICIPLE	COMPLEMENT
	Have Has	You He	Worked Worked	Since may? Since may?

The difference between the present perfect simple and continuous

The difference is rather subtle; the present perfect focuses the attention of a listener on the result or an action and the present perfect continuous – on the duration of an activity.

I’ve bought a new car (The Present Perfect). I’ve been buying cars for 10 years (The Present Perfect Continuous). You can earn a nice living doing it.

In Positive Sentences

We have already had breakfast                                 (An indefinite (unknown) time)

I have bought new shades                                         (Past action effect on the present)

I have already been to Paris                                       (An indefinite (unknown) time)

John has been a plumber for 2 years                       (Began in the Past continue in the present)

Someone has taken my bag                                      ( 1, 2 )

The present perfect tense is ‘present’ – not ‘past’

In Questions

Have you ever seen this program?                                                           (An indefinite (unknown) time)

Where has she lived for 21 years? Is it Dublin or London?                (Began in the Past continue in the present)

Have you found the telephone number?                                                  ( 1, 2 )

Have you ever been to France?                                                                 (An indefinite (unknown) time)

Note: in sentences with adverbials such as ever, already, yet, Americans tend to use the past simple rather than the Present Perfect. So an American would probably say:

Did you go to the post office?

And a British-man:

Have you already gone to the post office?

-          No, I haven’t.

In Negative Sentences

Jane has never been so angry                                                    (Began in the Past continue in the present)

He hasn’t taken any drug for two years                                      (Began in the Past continue in the present)

Remember that in the present perfect

Warning: you cannot use time expressions like:

-          Two months ago

-          One year ago

-          Last week

-          Yesterday

-          When I was five years old

Why? Because they specify accurately the time when something happened you can, however, use time expressions such as;

-          Already

-          Yet

-          Before

-          Never

-          Recently

-          At last

-          Ever

-          Just

-          lately

Spoken Practice

Answer the following questions in spoken English

1.       Talk about the places you have visited in your life so far with the following sentence: I have been to ………. For example, I have been to Karachi etc.