Present perfect tense

Usage: The present perfect tense

puts emphasis on the result
Ex: She has written five letters.
expresses an action that is still going on.
Ex: School has not started yet.
expresses an action that stopped recently
Ex: She has cooked dinner.
expresses a finished action that has an influence on the present
Ex: I have lost my key.
expresses an action that has taken place once, never or several
times before the moment of speaking
Ex: I have never been to Australia.

The Present Perfect Tense

Connecting past and present
We use this tense to show a
connection between past
and present situations.

The Present Perfect Tense

Like a bridge between the past and the
.present
Past

Present

I arrived in Seattle
in 2000.

It is 2009.

Present

I have lived in
Seattle for nine

I have lived in
Seattle since

I have studied English since

2000

this morning

I came to the U.S.

yesterday

:To form the present perfect

HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE
Question

Statement
I
You

have
We (ve)
They gone

She
He

has
)s(
It gone

Negative
I
You

have not
We (havent)
They gone

Hav
e

We ?gone
The
y
She

Has
She has not
He (hasnt)

I
You

He ?gone
it

Questions
.They have studied English since 2000
?Have they studied English since 2000

Short Answer:
Yes, they have.
No, they havent (=have
not).

 She has lived in Seattle since last year.

Has she lived in Seattle since last year?
Yes, she has.
No, she hasnt.

 How long have you owned this car?

I have owned this car since 2002.
I have owned this car for two years.

The adverbs are frequently used in the present

:perfect

For: When talking about the length of time (duration), we use the present perfect with for + a period of
time.

Ex: I have worked here for five years. She has lived here for twenty years. They have been married for six
months.

Since: When talking about a starting point, we use the present perfect with since + a point in time.

Ex: I have lived here since 1998. They have been married since June. We have been at this school since last
year.

adverbs (ever, never, already, yet, still)

'Ever' and 'never' are always placed before the past participle.

Ex: Has she ever met someone famous?

I have never visited London. Ive never been so sick.
.Already, yet and still: It can be placed before the main verb (past participle) or at the end of the sentence

Present Perfect Tense

The autumn has
already arrived

How do you
know?

Present Perfect Tense

FORM: have / has + past participle
Affirmative:

I have seen the film before.

She has seen the film before.

Interrogative: Have you seen the film before?

Has she seen the film before?
Negative:

They havent seen the film before.

He hasnt seen the film before.

Present Perfect Tense

Uses of the present perfect
1- Recent events: It is used to describe recent events without
a definite time. The idea of time or place in the speakers
mind makes the event recent. A time expression may
emphasize recentness: just, recently, lately

Why are they so happy?

They have just won a prize so
they are really pleased

Present Perfect Tense

2- Personal experiences: It is used to express personal
experiences, there is not a definite time given. The time
expressions ever and never are very often used with this
meaning

I have never been to Japan.

Have you ever been there?

Present Perfect Tense

It is used to express actions that started in the past and- 3
continue to the present, the time period is not finished. We
use for and since with this meaning. We use for with
.periods of time and since with points of time
I havent eaten since yesterday
morning. I am really hungry

I havent drunk anything for

two days. I am terribly thirsty

Contrast between Present Perfect and

Past Simple
We use definite expressions with the Past simple tense:
yesterday, last week, ago etc, while we dont use definite
.time expressions with the Present perfect tense
I have been to France three times
? When did you go there last
I went there last Summer

Contrast between Present

Perfect and Past Simple

Gerald has bought a new car. He bought it last

week.
Have you met Ray? Yes, I met him when we were
students.
My parents have been to India. In fact, they went
there twice last year.
Has anybody phoned me? Yes, Joyce phoned an
hour ago.
Ive seen that man before. Really? When did you
see him?

Note the difference

He has been to London.

Now he is here. He can tell
you wonderful stories about
London.
He has been in London for
two weeks. He is still in
London.
Wheres Peter? He has gone
to London. He is in Italy or
on his way to London.

Helen/finish /yet/her work

Helen hasnt finished her work yet.

Ali/back/just/from Italy/come

Ali has just come back from Italy.

Kamal /a camel/never/ride

Kamal has never ridden a camel.

Kevin /just/his house/sell

Kevin has just sold his house.

Adam/ in hospital/a week/be

Adam has been in hospital for a week.

Akram /homework/do/his/already/math

Akram has already done his homework.

Pelin/yet/homework/do/her?

Has Pelin done her homework yet?

Selim /already/his milk/drink

Selim has already drunk his milk.

Omar /fall asleep/in class/just

Omar has just fallen asleep in class.

I/never/a big fish/catch/

Ive never caught a big fish.

I/not fly /I was 7 years old/a kite

I havent flown a kite since I was

7 years old.

yet

The train hasnt arrived

in Brisbane yet

already

Ive already visited

Ayers Rock

just

Ive just seen

a very original
advertisement

ever

Have you ever seen a kangaroo?

How long

How long have you

stayed in Melbourne?

for

Present perfect continuous

USAGE: The present perfect continuous

tense

puts emphasis on the duration or course of an

action (not the result)
Example: She has been writing for two hours.
action that is still going on Example: I have
been living here since 2001.
finished action that influenced the present
Example: I have been working all afternoon.

Form of present perfect

:continuous
Positive

Negative

Question

I/we/you/they

I have been
.speaking

I have not been

.speaking

Have I been
?speaking

He/she/it

He has been
.speaking

He has not been

.speaking

Has he been
?speaking

Signal Words of Present Perfect Progressive: all day, for 4 years,

since 1993, how long?, the whole week

:Reminder
Verbs with stative meanings are not used
in the progressive. The present perfect,
NOT the present perfect continuous, is used
with stative verbs to describe the duration
of a state that began in the past and
continue to the present.
Ex: I have known Alice since he was a child.
Incorrect: I have been knowing Alice since he was a
child.

Present perfect simple vs.

Present perfect continuous
Present perfect simple
Present perfect
Form

Present perfect simple

Present perfect
continuous

Have/has + V-ed/ V3

Have/has + been + V-ed/V3

Usage

The present perfect simple

The present perfect
expresses an action that is still
progressive expresses an
going on or that stopped recently, action that is still going on. It
but has an influence on the
puts emphasis on the
present. It puts emphasis on the
duration or course of the
.result
.action

Adverbs
frequently
used

For, since, already, ever, never, all day, for 4 years, since
.yet, still, etc
1993, how long?, the
.whole week, etc

Example

.I have written five letters

I have been playing football

.since 3 oclock

We can use both the present perfect simple and the present perfect
continuous to describe an activity that started in the past and
continues up to the present and possibly into the future.
Ex: They have been studying English for three years.
Theyve studied English for three years.

We can use the present perfect simple and the present perfect
continuous with lately and recently.
Ex: Ive been working hard lately.
Ive done a lot of work lately.