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Present Perfect Tense - Explanation

The document discusses the present perfect tense in English. It covers: 1) The structure of the present perfect, including its affirmative and negative forms as well as questions. 2) The three main uses of the present perfect: actions that began in the past and continue now, experiences with relevance in the present, and past actions with present results. 3) Time expressions that are commonly used with the present perfect like "for", "since", "ever", "never", "just", "already", and "yet".

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Måyi Muñoz Arayą
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142 views14 pages

Present Perfect Tense - Explanation

The document discusses the present perfect tense in English. It covers: 1) The structure of the present perfect, including its affirmative and negative forms as well as questions. 2) The three main uses of the present perfect: actions that began in the past and continue now, experiences with relevance in the present, and past actions with present results. 3) Time expressions that are commonly used with the present perfect like "for", "since", "ever", "never", "just", "already", and "yet".

Uploaded by

Måyi Muñoz Arayą
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Present Perfect Tense

Have you ever…?


fallen off a bike?
Did you notice?
Can you recall the
most important parts
of this tense?
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
AFFIRMATIVE
HAVE
has

have
Subject
Maria
Past Participle Verbs
Anne and Luis
waited for this for years.

seen the film before.


*Check the past participle list
WHAT ABOUT NEGATIVE AND QUESTIONS?
For negative sentences, just add not to the “have”:
● Maria has not (hasn’t) waited for this for years.
● Anne and Luis have not (haven’t) seen the film before.

For questions, move the “have” to the beginning:

● Has Maria waited for years? Where has Maria waited for
years?
● Have Anne and Luis seen the film before? Why have Anne
and Luis seen the film before?
USES
When should we use this tense?

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by


Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics &
images by Freepik
USES
1. We use the present perfect simple for actions or states that started in the past and still
continue.

Example: We have taken this English course for months. She has lived here since 2001

Note 1: It is often used with expressions indicating that the activity began in the past
and comes up to now, such as: for 10 years, since 1995, all week, all the time, always,
lately, recently…

Note 2: If the activity started in the past and ended in the past we cannot use the
present perfect.

Example: I have smoked for 5 years. (present perfect - I still smoke.)

I smoked for 5 years. (past simple - I smoked from 2000 to 2005, then I
stopped.)
USES
2. We use it to describe an experience that happened in the past (the time is not given), but the
effects are important now.
Example: She has been to London. (And so she knows London.)

Compare:
I have already been to Greece. (experience - And I want to go somewhere else now.)

When we use this tense to express some experience, we can use following adverbs - ever, never,
already, often, occassionaly, yet, before ......
Have you ever tried it?
She has never read this book.
We haven't seen it yet.
Have you fallen off a bike yet?
I haven't met her before.
USES
3. The present perfect simple is used for past activities that have a present result.
Example: The bus hasn't arrived. (It did not arrived on time and we are still waiting now.)
I have bought a new house. (I did it last month and it means that now I have a
new address.)

For such activities we often use these adverbs - yet, already, just.
They haven't finished their homework yet. (They can't go out now.)
Has she signed it yet? (Can I take the document?)
I've already sent the letter. (There is no need to go to the post-office.)
We have just heard the news. (We know about it.)
ADVERBS USED
01 FOR 02 SINCE 03 Ever / Never

04 Just 05 Already 06 Yet


Since vs. For
We use for and since with the present perfect to talk about how long the action or situation
existed from the past to the present.
We use “for” to talk about a length of time; we use “since” to talk about when a period of
time began.

FOR SINCE

four years 1990


six months last year
FOR five weeks SINCE (last) June
four days (last) Friday
three hours yesterday
Adverbs
Already means that something happened earlier than we expected. With Present Perfect
already usually goes after have or has and before the main verb.
Examples: We've already had our breakfast

Yet means that something that we expected has happened or hasn't happened. We usually put
it at the end of a sentence.
Example: Have you done your homework? - Not yet.

Just: Refer to events that recently occurred. It usually goes after have or has and before the
main verb.
Examples: Are you hungry? – No, I’ve just had dinner.
Adverbs
The adverbs ever and never express the idea of an unidentified time before now.
'Ever' and 'never' are always placed before the main verb (past participle).
Example: Have you ever visited Berlin?

Ever is used:
In questions In negative questions
Have you ever been to England? Haven't they ever been to Europe?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister? Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?

In negative statements using the pattern nothing+ever or nobody+ever


Examples: Nobody has ever said that to me before.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.
Adverbs
With 'The first time’
Examples: It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.

Never
Never means at no time before now, and is the same as not ..... ever:
Example: I have never visited Berlin

BE CAREFUL! You must not use never and not together

Example: I haven't never been to Italy. X


I have never been to Italy. √

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