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In this unit you are going to learn about the present perfect tense, when to use it
and when not to use it. You also learn how to use "since" and "for" and time expressions
with the present perfect.
The present perfect simple is formed using the auxiliary verb "have" followed by the
past participle. For regular verbs, the past participle ends
in "ed" and is the same as the past simple tense. I, you, we, they have worked he, she,
it has worked In fact, the form of the present perfect simple
really is quite simple. The only thing you may find difficult is learning the past participles
of irregular verbs. Here are some but of course they are not the
only ones: be have been become have become begin have begun
go have gone have have had teach have taught write have written
The present perfect continuous is formed using "have been" or "has been" followed by the
verb + "ing": I, you, we, they have been working he, she, it has been working
When do we use the present perfect tense? The general rule is that the present perfect
is used when we are talking about the present and the past together, when the present is
in some way related to the past. In such cases it would not be correct to use
the present tense and it would not be correct to use the past tense. We use the present
perfect. What do we mean when we say the present is related to the past?
Here are some examples: -- an action or situation began in the past and has continued up to
the present. The action is not yet finished. I've lived in Dublin since . We've known each
other for ten years. I've been studying English for several years.
-- an action began in the past and has continued until very recently I've been studying all
week. I've been going to the cinema a lot recently.
-- a past action is important because it has a present result. We are more interested in
the result than the action itself: I can't read that. I've lost my glasses. It's
terribly dry. It hasn't rained for months. -- an action is considered part of someone's
entire life until now. Have you ever been to France? I've never been to France but I
have been to England. What's the best film you've ever seen?
-- an action took place at an unspecified time before now and our emphasis is on the
fact that the action has taken place. We do not say and are not interested in when, why,
how or where the action took place. The government has increased the price of
postage stamps. Inflation has fallen. I've already paid the electric bill.
-- an action has happened very recently and we do not specify when. I'm afraid Gigi's
not in. He's just gone out. You don't need to phone Mary. I've just phoned her.
The present simple and present continuous tenses can only be used when the action is
centred in present time. I live in Dublin. I go to France every summer.
I have a car. I am watching television at the moment. I can't speak to you now. I'm
studying. When an action or situation began in the past
and is seen as not yet finished, as continuing in the present, you must use the present perfect:
I've lived in Dublin all my life. I've been to France every summer since I was . I've
had my car for three years. I've been watching television for an hour.
I've studied English since . Note that with the present perfect, both "have
been" and "have gone" can be used as past participle of "to go". Both are followed by
the preposition "to". When we use "gone", the meaning is that someone
has not yet returned from a place or is still travelling.
John's gone to lunch. He's not here. Mary's gone to Turkey for her holidays. She'll be
back in two weeks. When we use "been", the meaning is that someone
has gone and returned: John's been to lunch. He's in his office now. Mary's been to Turkey
for her holidays. She returned yesterday. With the present perfect used to describe
states and continuous or repeated actions that began in the past and have not yet finished,
"since" and "for" indicate when the action began or how long the action has lasted.
"Since" is used when we want to indicate at what point in the past the action or situation
began: I've lived here since September. I've been watching television since I got home.
It's been raining since yesterday. "For" is used when we want to indicate the
duration of the action or situation: I've lived here for six months. I've been watching
television for an hour. It's been raining for almost two days.
There is a significant difference in meaning between the past tense and the present perfect.
This has nothing to do with how recently or how long ago an action happened or a situation
existed. What is important is whether we view the action
as having finished at some specific time in the past: if so, we use a past tense.
If instead the action or situation is seen either as having occurred at some unspecified
time before now or as continuing up to the present, we use the present perfect.
Look at this sentence: I've lived in San Francisco for the last twenty years.
Here you cannot use a past tense because it would seem that the action had finished. If
you said: I lived in San Francisco for twenty years. the person you were speaking to would
ask: And where do you live now? But do not use the present perfect when you
should use the past. Whenever you refer to specific time, you must use the past.
Sentences like these are wrong and confusing: I have been to England last summer. I have
had lunch at a Chinese restaurant yesterday. When you specify when something happened,
use the past simple, even when you refer to a recent event: I went to England last summer.
I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant yesterday. In questions beginning with "when" or with
"what time", we use the past and not the present perfect. What time did you get back from lunch?When
did you last speak to them?
In general, the present perfect simple is used when the action or situation we are describing
is seen as one that has finished very recently or at some unspecified past time.
We use the present perfect continuous when the action is seen either as unfinished and
still happening or when a situation is seen as temporary.
We use the present perfect simple when we wish to emphasize the result of an action
and the present perfect continuous when we want to emphasize the process that has occurred.
When we see an action as a finished one, we use the present perfect simple. I've played
three games of tennis this afternoon. I've done the housework. I've written to Mary.
When we see an action as unfinished or still happening, we use the present perfect continuous.
I've been playing tennis since o'clock. I've been doing the housework. I've been writing
to Mary. Using the present perfect continuous emphasizes
the temporary quality of an action. Compare the following pairs of sentences:
I've worked here since . I've been working overtime a lot recently. She's lived here
since she was a child. She's been living in London for the last two years.
The present perfect simple is used when we are interested in result or achievement: Tim's
learnt to read. She's acted in award-winning films.
The present perfect continuous is used when we are interested in process or activity.
Tim's been learning to read. She's been acting in films since she finished drama school.
The present perfect simple is used for single actions. I've cut myself. I'm terribly sorry.
I've backed into your car and I've dented the fender.
The present perfect continuous is instead used when an action is a repeated one. If
you used the present perfect continuous and said:
I've been cutting myself. I've been backing into your car and I've been denting the fender.
it would sound ridiculous because we would imagine the action being repeated several
times. Remember that some verbs are rarely used in
the continuous form: "be", "know", "like", "love", and "understand" are some examples.
When "have" indicates possession it is not used in the continuous form but when "have"
is used for actions it can be. I've known her since we were children. I've
always liked him. I've had this car for two years.
When there is little difference in meaning between the present perfect simple and the
present perfect continuous, we normally use the continuous form:
I've been playing tennis for years. I've been working hard recently.
The time expressions used with the present perfect generally refer to indefinite time.
When you use expressions which indicate specifically when something happened, you need to use the
past tense. Definite time expressions include those that
were presented when you studied the past tenses: expressions with "yesterday", "last" and "ago",
and expressions such as "in September", "in ", "at the beginning of the century".
We do not normally use these expressions with the present perfect. Here are some expressions
that refer to indefinite time and are frequently used with the present perfect:
occasionallyoften recently lately before in the last few days, weeks, months, etc. several
times They are normally placed at the end of a sentence
but can be placed at the beginning for special emphasis. I've been reading a lot recently.
Recently, I've been reading a lot. "Often" and "occasionally" should be placed
either in mid or end-sentence position. "Several times" should be placed at the end of a sentence.
The following time adverbials are those that are typically used with the present perfect
simple: ever never just yet already still Let's look at how these expressions are used.
The meaning of "ever" is "at any time before now" while the meaning of "never" is "at no
time before now". "Ever" is used in questions. Do not use "never".
Have you ever seen a falling star? What's the best film you've ever seen?
"Ever" is used in negative sentences: No one has ever spoken to me like that. Nothing of
the sort has ever happened before. "Ever" is used in the expression "it is" or
"this is the first time...", with "only" and with superlatives:
This is the first time I have ever gone on a cruise. It's the first time they've ever
said hello. You're the only one I've ever loved. It's the best holiday we've ever had.
"Never" is used when the verb is in the affirmative. I've never been on a cruise before. She's
never been abroad. "Never" is used in short answers: Have you
ever driven before? No, never. In British English, the present perfect is
used with "just", which indicates that something happened very recently, within a short time
before now: Ouch! I've just cut myself. Are you still having supper? No, we've just finished.
In American English, "just" can be used with the past simple: It just stopped raining.
The sun just came out. We just finished supper. "Already" is used to refer to an indefinite
time before now. "Already" is used in affirmative sentences. I'm on a diet. I've already lost
a pound. She knows about the party. I've already invited her.
"Yet" is used in negative sentences to mean "not until now". It is placed at the end of
sentence. I'm on a diet but I haven't lost any weight yet. She doesn't know about the
party. I haven't invited her yet. "Yet" is also used in questions to mean "at
some time before now". Have you finished your diet yet? Have you told Mary about the party
yet? To give a negative answer to questions with
"yet", we normally say "not yet". Have you finished your homework yet? No, not yet.
"Already" can be used in questions but its meaning is somewhat different from the meaning
of "yet". In questions, "already", in addition to meaning "before now", also means "sooner
than expected". Note that it can be placed either in the middle
or at the end of the question. It's early. Have you already had dinner?or Have you had
dinner already? Have you already finished your diet? or Have
you finished your diet already? You only started a few weeks ago.
"Still" is most often used with the present simple and present continuous tenses in affirmative,
negative and interrogative sentences. It means "continuing until this time". It is normally
placed with the verb in mid-sentence. "Still" can also be used with the present
perfect. It's four o'clock and he still hasn't phoned.
"Still" is often used in answer to questions with "yet" and other present perfect questions
to say that an action is continuing. Have you heard from him yet? No, I'm still waiting.
Have you finished your homework yet? No, I'm still studying. Has she changed job? No, she's
still working in the same place. That's the end of the lesson. Now you can
do the exercises on the grammar points presented in this unit.