WHAT IS PRESENT PERFECT?

• IS IT PRESENT?• IS IT PAST?

• NO• NO

PRESENT PERFECT

IS A

BEFORE NOW

NOW

AND

BEFORE NOW

NOW

ANDI LIVED IN LONDON

I LIVE IN LONDON

I’VE LIVED IN LONDON FOR 10 YEARS

PRESENT PERFECT

• Expresses what has happened at an unspecified time before now.

• What matters is not when something happened but the result of it.

BEFORE NOW

NOW

Unspecified time before now: EVER and NEVER

EVER

NEVER

Ex: Have you ever been to London? I’ve never been there

She has made a wonderful birthday cake

He has just arrived from a holiday

We don’t care WHEN she made it.What matters is the result.

We can see the result.(He’s still at the airportwith his luggage)

Result

BEFORE NOW NOW

She has made a cake

He has just arrived

Present Perfect

SIMPLE PAST OR PRESENT PERFECT?

BEFORE NOW

NOW

I met John yesterday.

Claire moved to Floridathree years ago.

Lucy was ill last week.

Shakespeare wrote lotsof plays.

NO relation

between pastand present

SIMPLE PAST

SIMPLE PAST OR PRESENT PERFECT?

BEFORE NOW NOW

I have met John recently.

Claire has moved to Florida. Lucy has been ill lately.

Shakespeare has writtenthe best plays ever.

We don’t know when exactly, any time on the timeline

timeline

PRESENT PERFECT

Actions which begin in the past and continue to the present are expressed by the Present Perfect.

• I have known him for 10 years

• He has lived in London since May.

• How long has Kate worked in Milan?

• I have had a headache since this morning.

• How long have you been here?

ENGLISHPresent

Perfect

The end