PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
We use the Present perfect tense to talk
about:
1. Past events and activities with results and
consequences now :
The manager has gone out. ( he is not here)
He hasn’t cut his hair. (his hair is still long )
2. Things that started in the past and continue up till
now:
The weather has been great since Sunday.
( The weather was beautiful on Sunday and it is still
beautiful.)
I’ve always liked hot weather.
( I liked hot weather in in the past and I still like it.)
3. a single or repeated action in the past when we don’t
know or are not interested in exactly when it
happened
( often with adverbials such as
before,often,sometimes,ever) :
I have played this CD often.
I have been to Paris before.
Have you ever eaten Chinese food?
Be and go
Compare the use of be and go in the Present Perfect
She has gone to Paris. ( She is Paris now.)
She has been to Paris.
( She was in Paris in the past; it doesn’t matter where
she is now.)
FORM
We form the Present Perfect with a present form of
Have + third form of the verb.
For regular verbs the third form is made by adding ending - ed
Statement
Negative
I have worked.
I haven’t worked.
You have worked.
You haven’t worked.
He has worked.
He hasn’t worked.
She has worked.
She hasn’t worked.
It has worked.
It hasn’t worked.
We have worked.
You have worked.
They have worked.
We haven’t worked.
You haven’t worked.
They haven’t worked.
Questions
Have I worked?
Have you worked?
Has she worked?
Has he worked?
Has it worked?
Yes, I have.
No, I haven’t.
Yes, she has.
No, he hasn’t.
Yes , it has.
Have we worked ?
Have you worked?
Have they worked?
Yes, we have.
No, we haven’t.
Yes, they have.
Irregular verbs ( in mini dictionary)
I have been to Turkey before.
Have you heard it?
He/She has had this car for years.
It has gone out.
We haven’t been to Paris.
You have done it.
They haven’t fed the animals.
We use :
ever in questions
and never in sentences with a negative meaning:
Have you ever been to Latgale?
We have never travelled by ferry.
Already
in statements, usually after has/ have :
I have already had lunch.
She has already finished her homework.
We have already started the game.
Yet
In questions and negative sentences,
usually at the end of the sentence :
Has she written the essay yet ?
Has hasn’t tidied the room yet.
Have they gone abroad yet ?
Since
Tells about a point in the time when the activity began:
I have lived in this house since 2000.
We have known each other since we went to school.
For
Tells us about the period of time which the activity has
taken :
I have lived in this house for twenty years.
I haven’t seen him for ages.
When we use the present perfect we want to make
connection between past event and the present
situation:
I was in the United States in 1990.
(we know precisely when it happened.)
I have been in the United States before.
( I was there in the past, and it doesn’t matter when.)
When we talk about the definite time in the past, we
always use the Past Simple ( not the Present Perfect)
I visited the British Museum last week.
I broke my leg yesterday.
I was in the library two weeks ago.