Present Perfect TenseLanguage Open Learning English Grammar Guide

Present Perfect

The form:

Present tense of auxiliary verb – have + past participle (verb 3)

– I have decided to leave tomorrow (regular)– She has written an email to David (irregular)

In speech and informal, we use contractions– I’ve decided– She’s written

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Present Perfect

Questions and negatives:

Question form – invert the subject and have– Have you decided yet?

Negatives – use not and contractions– She has not written the email.– She hasn’t written the email.

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Present Perfect

Describes past events that connect to the present:

1. Experiences in our life up to now.– Have you visited any other countries?– Yes, I’ve been to Spain and Portugal.

Nb - No Time expressions as no individual event. For individual events – use past simple

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Present Perfect

Describes past events that connect to the present:

2. An event in the past that has a result in the present.

– Jayne has broken her pencil.– I’ve hurt my foot

Nb. No time expressions as these are not important. Use past simple to say when the event happened.

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Present Perfect

Describes past events that connect to the present:

3. Situation that started in the past and continues to the present

– I’ve lived here for ten years– I’ve often seen Paul with his dog in the park

Nb – time expression – shows how long or how often the event happens

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Present Perfect

Describes past events that connect to the present:

4. Completion – describes how many things are completed so far.

– I’ve read a hundred pages of this book

Nb – the exact time is not mentioned

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Present Perfect

Describes past events that connect to the present:

1 – Experiences in our life upto now

2 – A past event with a result in the present

3 – past situation continues to present

4 - completion

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• Ever, never

– Have you ever eaten Chinese food?– No, I’ve never eaten it

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• Yet, so far

Yet – questions and negative sentences

So far – questions and positive sentences

– Have you finished this book yet? No, I’m on p56– How many pages have you read? I’ve read 56 pages

so far

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• already

Positive sentences – describe an action which happened before

– When are you going to finish your book?– I’ve already finished it

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• justdescribes a very recent event

David has just phoned from the airport.

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• Always, often etc (frequency adverbs)

These are used with both present simple and present perfect

– He has always loved you (a state)

– We have often visited Spain (a repeated event)

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• for, since

For – length of a period of time– Tom has worked here for three months

Since – describes the point when the time started– Tom has worked here since July 5th

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Present Perfect

Time Expressions

• Ever, never

• Yet, so far

• Already

• Just

• Always, often etc

• For, since

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