What is the present perfect in English. Present Perfect Tense - Present Perfect Tense

It is necessary to learn to recognize and use one more tense of the group Perfect - The Present Perfect Tense - present perfect tense. The very name "perfect" speaks for itself - the action has been completed, it has ended.

For example: He has passed his exam. He passed the exam. That is WhatWith did? - passed, committed ( but not what did you do? - handed over).

Present Perfect Tense is used:

to express an action that has taken place so far and the result of which is known. e.g. I have just talked to my wife. I just spoke to my wife.

1. to show that an action started in the past and has continued up to the present e.g. 1) I have had a cold for a week. I've had a cold for a week now. 2) She has been at home for 10 minutes. She's home 10 minutes. 3) Ann has loved apples since she was a little girl. Anya loves apples since childhood.

to describe experience e.g. He has been to Spain. He visited Spain.

to show changes over time e.g. The government has become more interested in higher education. The government became more interested in higher education.

to describe accomplishments (without specifying a specific time in the past) e.g. Our daughter has learned how to write. Our daughter has learned to write. Doctors have cured many deadly diseases. Doctors have found cures for many deadly diseases.

marker words For Present perfect tense:

ever- ever, in any situation, in any case e.g. Have you ever heard about it?- Have you ever heard of it?

never - never e.g. She's never been to Mexico. She has never been to Mexico.

recently- recently; one of these days, in Lately. e.g. He's been ill quite often recently. He has been sick a lot lately.

lately- lately, recently e.g. I haven't received any letters from him lately.

just- just now. most recently e.g. The taxi has just arrived. The taxi has just arrived. IMPORTANT!!! with an adverb just now just now used e.g. I saw them just now. I just saw them.

read y is already e.g. We've already told you what happened. We have already told you what happened.

yet- not yet, until now (in interrogative and negative sentences) e.g. He hasn't seen the film yet. He hasn't watched this movie yet.

for- during, in continuation e.g. We've known each other for half a year. We have known each other for six months.

since— since e.g. I have held two jobs since I graduated.- I have changed two jobs since I graduated.

this week- this week, this month- this month, this year- this year, provided that they also represent unexpired periods of time. e.g. I haven't seen her today. I didn't see her today.

To make sentences in Present Perfect Tense, you need to know, namely, their third form (Past Participle)

THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Present perfect tense

Affirmative Present Perfect Tense
+

Interrogative Present Perfect Tense

Structure
	you(you you) we(We) they(They)	V3/Ved?
	he(He) she(she) it(it)
Examples		Translation
Has your mother come?		- Is your mother here? (the speaker is interested in the result)
– Have you ever been to China?		– Have you ever been to China?
Has he done his homework?		– Did he do his homework?

Wh-?
Special questions in Present Perfect Tense

(begin with special words)

Structure
		you(you you) we(We) they(They)
		he(He) she(she) it(it)
Examples		Translation
What have you learned?		What have you learned?
		Where has she been?
How has he found us?		How did he find us?
Important!!! Questions that begin with When? - when they require the use of Past Simple, and not Present Perfect, since such questions imply a past moment or period of time. e.g. When did you leave your country? When did you leave your country?

in Present Perfect Tense

Who has finished this task? Who completed this task? — We have. We.

— Who has sent you this e-mail? Who sent you this letter?

Negative form
Present perfect tense
—

Interrogative-negative form
Present perfect tense
(Speaking)
?-

Schematically the structure of a sentence in Present perfect tense looks like that:

+
S + have/has + V3/Ved.

?
Have/has+S+V3/Ved?

Wh-?
Wh + have/has + S + V3/Ved?

–
S + haven't/hasn't + V3/Ved.

? –
Haven't/hasn't + S + V3/Ved?

Exercise. Watch the video and write down all the sample sentences in Present Perfect Tense. Make up your own sentences in Present Perfect Tense with the written perfect forms.

Today in our article we will look at how to use the tense of the verb in the present perfect, the rules for the formation of this grammatical form, examples of use and much more. I must say that this is one of the most difficult times used in English language. denotes someone's action that took place (started) in the past, but at the same time is related to the present moment of time. That is, you can observe the result of this action in the present.

Present perfect: formation rules

The present perfect is formed as follows:

I/we/you/she/he/it + have or has + past participle

means past tense). For the so-called “regular” verbs (they, as we remember, the majority) can be obtained by adding the ending “-ed” at the very end of the word. For “irregular” verbs, this method is unsuitable; their past form must be learned by heart. Note that the helper verbs have and has are usually abbreviated to 've' and 's, see:

In case of negation, have not or has not should be used, briefly we get haven't / hasn't.

Present Perfect: apply correctly

It is often difficult for beginner students to understand when to use Present Perfect time, as it is often confused, for example, with Past Simple. Read this section carefully, here we will take a very detailed look at the Present Perfect time, the rules for its use:

• Present Perfect is used when talking about actions that started in the past, but, nevertheless, they continue to this day. Often in such sentences there are words “for” and “since”:

This old beautiful building has stood on this square for three hundred fifty years - This old beautiful building has stood (and, in fact, continues to stand) on this square for 350 years.

I'm starving. I haven't eaten since lunch - I'm incredibly hungry. I haven't eaten anything since lunch.

Maria has been to London once, but she would like to travel there again - Maria has already been to London once, but she would like to go there again.

• The present past tense is used with these phrases: this year/day/week/month, recently, ever, yet. It can be seen that the period of time is not defined, but it is closely related to the present. Eg:

Have they heard from John recently? - Have they heard anything about Mark lately?

I've been in a lot of places last few weeks - I've been in a lot of places in the last few weeks.

I’ve had five cups of green tea today - I have already drunk 5 cups of green tea today

• As for the Present Perfect time: the rules for its use also apply to situations where we can already see the result of an action. For example:

The earthquake has destroyed the industry in the whole region - The earthquake destroyed the industry of the whole region (as a result, the region still has problems with industrial production).

Present Perfect is the shortest and most common name for the tense of the rule for the use of which we have just examined. We hope that our article helped you understand this difficult grammatical topic. And remember - everything is learned in practice, that is, the more exercises you do to consolidate the use of the present perfect tense, the fewer mistakes you will make in the future. Note also that the Present Perfect is quite easy to use compared to, for example, the rules of which imply both the formation of a complex structure (have or has been + Verb-ing), and the use in cases where the action began in the past, but at the same time it has not yet ended and, moreover, continues to this day. One way or another, only practice will help you master the English language at a sufficient level to speak and write clearly and competently.

At the beginning of our acquaintance with the grammar of a foreign language, everything seems complicated, incomprehensible, unnecessary and illogical to us. But, if you look meticulously at your native speech, you can find much more difficult and incomprehensible combinations, however, we use them without even thinking. Over time, such a skill will be developed with a foreign language, you just need to be able to comprehend its grammar, choosing similar analogies with your native speech. And today we will continue to build a structured understanding of the English language, this time by studying the perfect tense in English. This is a vivid example of a purely English perception of time, so by capturing its essence, we will be one step closer to the true English.

The word perfect is translated into Russian by the adjective "perfect". Already in the name itself, the purpose of this time is hidden - to indicate the completion of actions, events. But for the same there is a simple past tense, for sure, you say. Yes, but it is used for completely different purposes. Let's learn to distinguish between the use of these tenses.

When we talk about long-past events or a chain of simultaneous actions, we put the predicate in Past Simple. Thus, the following meaning will be transmitted: certain actions took place yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week, or sometime ago, and have absolutely nothing to do with the current state of affairs. A short Russian phrase describes such situations well: “It was, but it has passed.”

• Yesterday I went to the post-office, wrote a telegram and sent it -YesterdayIwentonmail,wrotetelegramAndsenther.

Perfect tense is aimed not only at expressing the events themselves, but also at indicating how long they take place, or at what point they will end. That is, the perfect always has a connection with other actions or a specific time, and it is this connection that is emphasized in the statement.

Moreover, this construction can be expressed in all three forms of time: Present, Past and Future. We note right away that the future perfect is rarely used.

• I had learned the topic by 7 o'clock – Ilearnedthistopicto 7hours.(connection with time)
• MaryandNickhaveknowneachothersincetheymetin2009 - Mary and Nick have known each other since they met in 2009. (actions are related to each other and to a specific time)

These differences are not significant for Russian grammar, but are very important in English. Consider what elements the grammatical core of such phrases consists of.

Perfect designs in English

As already noted, there are present, past and future tenses of the perfect group. Let's briefly analyze each of them:

perfect in present tense

The present completed tense is used to refer to events that have just ended at a given point in time. It is also used when referring to some experience, the result of past events. And the last case of use is the construction of predicates with verbs that do not have a continuous tense form, i.e. an indication of a process of action that began a long time ago and has not been completed to this day. The present perfect tense is formed in English with the help of several elements.

Please note that the 3rd person has a special form of the auxiliary verb - has.

• My dog (1) has (2) just broken (3) the vase (4) – MydogonlyWhatsmashedvase.

In the example, an adverb is wedged between the parts of the predicate, which is quite common in these constructions. But, the adverb does not have to be in this place.

Perfect in past tense

Accordingly, if events and actions refer to the past tense, we put the predicate in the past perfect. There can be two situations here: both actions ended in the past, but one ended earlier than the other (this is what the past perfect is); or else, one event ended while the second was still going on. Depending on these situations, the perfect will coexist with either the simple past or the continuous. The construction of the past completed differs from the present only in the form of the auxiliary verb, which now remains unchanged in all persons.

• She(1) had (2) already written (3) the letter when I called her (4) – Shealreadycompletedletter,WhenIcalledto her.
• I (1) had (2) done (3) my homework by 5 o'clock and was playing computer games (4) – Ididmyhomework and playing computer games.

Perfect in the future tense

The future perfect allows you to indicate the completion of events with the onset of some other action or point in time in the future. At the same time, the future action, second in meaning, is put in the Present simple form. To build such combinations, one more element is added to the construction - will. The auxiliary have is still unchanged.

• Jack (1) will (2) have (3) sent (4) me these documents before I arrive at the airport (5) – Jackwill sendto methesedocumentationearlier,howII'll comeVairport.
• They(1) will (2)have(3) repaired(4) my car Friday – Theywill repairminecarToFriday.

Keep in mind that such sentences are rare in speech.

Perfect time in English - a table with time markers

Let's summarize all the knowledge gained in one common table, so new information is faster and easier to assimilate. To facilitate the understanding of perfect tenses, we will give examples of tense circumstances by which one can easily recognize that this particular grammatical construction is required to be used in the statement.

Perfect Tense
Category	+	?	—
The present. The completed action is related to the present.	…have/has+ plus. II... The children have already gone to bed. The children have already gone to bed.	have/has + subject + adverb II…? Have the children gone to bed? Did the kids go to bed?	…have/has + not +incl. II... (abbr. haven't/hasn't) The children haven't gone to bed yet. The kids haven't gone to bed yet.
Past. The action ended before some point/event in the past.	…had+ plus. II… My life had changed a lot by 2012. My life has changed a lot by 2012.	Had+ subject. + plus. II…? Had your life changed a lot by 2012? Has your life changed a lot by 2012?	… had+ not +incl. II... (abbr. hadn't) My life hadn't changed much by 2012. My life hasn't changed much by 2012.
Future. The action will end before the future event/time.	…will + have +incl. II... They will have done the task till next month. They will complete this task by next month.	+subject + have +incl. II... Will they have done the task till next month? Will they complete this task by next month?	…will + not + have +incl. II... (abbr. won't) They won't have done the task till next month. They won't complete this task until next month.
Time markers: just, already, yet, before, so far, ever, for a long time, never, lately, recently, as soon as, scarcely/hardly…when.

Any tenses of the Perfect category indicate the perfection of the action, that the situation is complete, and not long or permanent. As for The Present Perfect Tense, ‘this is the time, which, of course, is associated with the present action, as evidenced by its name.

general information

The main feature of this type of temporal form is that in sentences with the Present Perfect it is about a completed action, the result of which is directly related to the current time. Very often time, where there is just no emphasis on communication with the present, and the basis is solely the fact of the event.

Here are examples of sentences that show how the present perfect tense looks and is used in English:

You have done more than stay young; you have stayed a child - You did more than just stay young - you remained a child
I have made you a bed upstairs, make yourself at home - I made you a bed upstairs, feel at home

As can be seen from these examples, the present perfect tense, as it is called in Russian transcription, is used to express not just an event that took place in the past, but reflecting the result of a completed action that is relevant now.

Education Present Perfect

The present completed tense often causes difficulties for those who are still at the stage of learning English, because here several nuances come into force at once, which are extremely important to consider. First, the Present Perfect is necessarily formed using auxiliary verbs. These are such auxiliary verbs as have and has (the latter is used only for third person pronouns used in the singular - he, she, it). Secondly, this verb in the present perfect tense is followed by the main verb, which is in the form Past Participle, or Participle II (people - the third form of the verb). Here it is important to navigate the list of irregular verbs, but for the correct ones everything is easier, because the ending -ed is simply added to the word.

Therefore, the classic Present Perfect formula looks like this:

have
Has + V(3) (–ed)

I have never had a chance to meet anyone here - I never had the opportunity to meet anyone here
She has worked in this company for 3 years already - She has worked in this company for 3 years already

Questions and negatives

Interrogative sentences

here they are formed with the same auxiliary verbs have and has, which in the general question, i.e., in the one, the answer to which can be “yes” or “no”, are in the original position:

Have you already finished your course work? Have you finished your coursework yet?
Has he just returned from his trip? Has he just returned from his trip?

special questions,

at the beginning of which there is an interrogative word like when, why, how, etc., are formed according to a similar principle, with the only difference that these interrogative words occupy the initial position:

How long has she been here? How long has she been here?
Why has he written so many articles today? Why has he written so many articles today?

The Present Perfect Formula in a Negative Sentence

practically does not differ from the affirmative form. Here the grammar provides for the simple use of the particle not after the auxiliary verb, where have not = haven't, hasn't = has not. Negation looks like this:

· I haven't completed my daily report yet - I haven't finished my daily report yet
He still hasn't brought us money - He still hasn't brought us money

Note: the rule provides for the use of this tense in special interrogative and negative constructions with the inclusion of the phrase “ever”, where the Present Perfect time markers used are adverbs ever or never:

Have you ever been to Bangkok? – Have you ever been to Bangkok?
· I have never seen such a beautiful landscape! I have never seen such a beautiful landscape!

Using Present Perfect

The use of Present Perfect is typical for the following situations:

1. Finished action

In order to display a perfect action that has a clear echo in the present tense and, in contrast to time, a symbol is used to express completeness. Satellites of the Present Perfect in such situations are specific adverbs already, ever, never, yet (typical for interrogative and negative sentences, where its frequent position is at the end of the phrase), just, for (shows the duration of the action), as well as those time frames, which indicate that the action is not finished yet (this year, today, etc.).

He hasn't called me for ages - He hasn't called me for ages
We have already found out the latest news - We have already found out the latest news
I have done much this year - This year I have done a lot (in the sense that the year is not over yet)

Note: Present Perfect just is one of the markers, which translates as "just now." But in the event that the just now construction is used, then the use of Past Simple is typical with it, despite the fact that the translation will be identical:

I have just cooked breakfast - I just cooked breakfast
I cooked breakfast just now - I just cooked breakfast

Note: the so-called American English, which is tightly integrated into modern life, very often does not provide for the use of Present Perfect even in such obvious situations when there are special helpers in the form of adverbs or there are other factors that regulate the use of Perfect. In this version, the perfect is ignored, although the classical grammar does not approve of this:

I have lost my key - I lost my key (I lost my key)

2. With the preposition "since" + Past Simple

The situation deserves special attention when with Present Perfect since, a preposition that translates as "from", "from the moment" is used in one sentence along with. In this sense, the construction of the sentence is constructed as follows:

I haven’t seen her since I left for Sydney - I haven’t seen her since I left for Sydney

In this example, the first part of the sentence uses the Present Perfect and the second part uses the Past Simple. Very often in such sentences it is recommended to look for the so-called starting point, that is, the action from which it all began. In this example, it is the “since I left for Moscow” part. The use of Perfect is relevant here for the reason that the action is being performed (or has not been performed since then and until now, which shows the result by today). Present Perfect examples with such situations is not uncommon, and the English language in this case gives a well-founded reason for such use.

3. In adventitious time

The use of this time is also typical for those cases when the perfect is part of the subordinate parts of time. The marker words of the Present Perfect in this case are the same as in (Conditional I): these are unions unless, when, as soon as, before, after, etc. The main feature here is that the emphasis is on the completeness of the event, and not on its fact. The sentences on the Present Perfect here can be as follows:

I will not call him until you have told me everything - I will not call him until you tell me everything
They will come as soon as I have finished my work - They will come as soon as I finish my work

Note: This rule has an exception. Provided that the verbs in the Present Perfect here belong either to the category of movement (arrive, come, return, etc.) or sensory perception, then the use of the present perfect tense with them is undesirable, it would be correct to put the usual Present Simple, which is more often used in a conditional sentence first type:

I will be glad when he comes - I will be glad when he comes
She will get in a fury when she hears my words - She will be furious when she hears my words

But even here, the Present Perfect is possible when there are indications that the speaker deliberately emphasizes completeness and does not emphasize expressively; the translation in this case will prove the relevance of the use of the perfect:

I will learn the poem by heart when I have heard it a few times - I will learn the poem by heart when I listen to it several times(completeness performed several times is expressively emphasized)

Summing up

As it becomes clear from all of the above, phrases in the perfect are formed and used when there is an intention to demonstrate the completion of an action or to display the period of time that it takes up to the present moment. The Present Perfect education scheme is quite simple, although it requires memorization. Like any other type of temporary form, Present Perfect Tense has very clear usage rules, so the main thing is to strictly follow all the instructions, and then this time will not cause any inconvenience.

Perfect - here it means "complete, finished."

The present perfect tense in English connects the past with the present and is one of the most commonly used. You can use this tense to emphasize the result of a past action, especially when the exact timing of the action is not important. The present perfect tense is formed using the Auxiliary verb (auxiliary verb) to have and Past Participle of main verb (past participle of the semantic verb). And also in this article, you will learn about the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in the Present Perfect and master the use of this tricky English tense.

After reviewing the rules and examples with Present Perfect tense (Present Perfect Simple), you can easily do the exercises, thereby testing your grammatical skills.
In Russian it is pronounced [Present Perfect], in English it will be Present Perfect -.

A short text that will introduce you to Present Perfect Tense will show you how verbs are used in this tense.

Recently, it has rained. In the last week, it has rained four times.
I have always loved the rain. I have walked in the rain many times.
my friend has just called me. He asked me to help him with the project. And for that, he will invite me to dinner. It's a good idea because I have never tasted Chinese food.
I' ve just taken a shower and ready for bed.

Now consider the cases of using the Present Perfect

Cases of using the Present Perfect may seem complicated to you, because in Russian there is no such thing as the present perfect tense, since the action cannot end in the present. By looking at example sentences with the Present Perfect, you will understand when this tense is used.

1. Recently performed actions, without mentioning the exact time

example:

— He has tidied up the kitchen - He tidied up the kitchen (He finished washing the kitchen - And you see the result, it is clean).
— He has just cleared out the garage - He just cleaned out the garage (And when that happened doesn't matter, we don't say the exact time).
— I' ve just taken a shower - I just took a shower.

2. Actions that happened at an indefinite time in the past and are related to the present

example:

— They have sold their house and gone on a tour of the world - They sold their house and went on a trip around the world (They are still traveling).
— Lilly is sad because she has missed the train - Lily is sad because she missed the train (The action is related to the present, she is sad now).
— I' ve eaten too much and now I feel sick - I overate and now I feel bad (the action is connected with the present).

3. Actions that started in the past and continue to the present

example:

— Clare and James have known each other since they were in kindergarten - Clara and James have known each other since kindergarten (They still know each other).
— We have lived here for twenty years - We have been living here for 20 years (we still live here).

• What if we put an offer in past simple?

— They knew each other when they were in kindergarten - They knew each other when they went to kindergarten(They don't know each other anymore.)

4. Use Present Perfect tense when talking about a period of time that hasn't ended yet.

Words indicating time that are used (the same day, month, week etc.):

example:

— I' ve eaten six tomatoes today - Today I ate six tomatoes (Think, is today already over? No, today is still today. If today were over, it would have been yesterday).
— I have had several tests this week - I had several tests this week (the week is not over yet).

5. Personal experience or changes that happened

example:

— You won't believe! I' ve lost five kilos - You won't believe it! I dropped five kilos.
— I' ve learned a lot in this class - I learned a lot from this lesson.
— He has gained a lot of weight recently - He recently gained weight.

6. Emphasis on number

example:

— I have written ten projects since this afternoon - I've written ten projects since today.
— He has phoned her three times this morning - He called her three times this morning.
— We' have been to Saint Petersburg four times this month - We have been to St. Petersburg four times this month.

7. When we talk about our past experiences

We do not specify the exact time, WHEN it happened, it is important for us that this event took place. And the words are often used ever and never.

example:

— have you ever played cricket? Have you ever played cricket?

8. The present perfect is also used in the news.

The media often use the Present Perfect at the beginning of a report to give short review or new information. The past simple tense is used to give specific information about when something happened.

example:

—The Prime Minister has promised to create more jobs for people - The Prime Minister promised to create more jobs for people.
— During yesterday's conference in Paris, the Prime Minister promised to create new jobs for people - During yesterday's conference in Paris, the Prime Minister promised to create new jobs for people.

Companion words in Present Perfect (signal words)

Temporal marker words, also called helper words or indicators of time, will help you recognize the time in a sentence. And it doesn’t matter what they are called, the main thing is that you will begin to independently navigate and use these words in English speech.

Signal words in Present Perfect:

All day long, all my life, how long, for ages, ever, never, just, this week/month/year, for, already, yet, recently, lately, before, since, always, so far, at last, till now, up to now, today, etc.

Present Perfect Tense Education Rules

Present Perfect is formed using the following structure:

Subject (subject)+ Auxiliary verb (auxiliary verb) to have/has + V.3 (past participle) those. verb in 3rd form.

For - I / We / They / You - verb to have.
For - He / She / It - verb to has.

Remember, if the verb is correct, then the ending is added to it -ed
If the verb is irregular, then (Regular and irregular verbs) will show how the verb changes in the Past Participle.

Let's look at some irregular verbs:

Come-came-come
Be-was-been
Go-went-gone
see-saw-seen
Bite-bit-bitten

Such verbs require attention. They don't follow the rules, they need to be learned.

Regular verbs do not change:

look-look
Want - wanted
Ask - asked

Present Perfect sentence forms

In this section, you will be introduced to the three sentence forms and also learn how to distinguish between them.

Present Perfect (Positive sentences)

The formula for an affirmative sentence in the present perfect tense is very simple. Consider the affirmative sentence table below:

Who? Who?	Form of verb (verb form)	Examples (examples)
I (I)	have + verb + V.3 (verb in 3rd form)	I have traveled a lot
He/She/It (he, she, it)	has + Verb.3	He has drunk some juice She has cooked lunch It has written a book
You (you, you)	have + Verb.3	You have stolen a bike
We (we)	have + Verb.3	We swum
They (they)	have + Verb.3	They have tidied up the living room

Abbreviated affirmative form:

In the negative form, particle (particle) not comes after the Auxiliary verb (auxiliary verb). Consider a table:

Who? Who?	Form of verb (verb form)	Examples (examples)
I (I)	have + not + Verb.3	I have not passed the exam
He/She/It (he, she, it)	have + not + Verb.3	He has not booked a table She has not spoken to him It has not written a book
You (you, you)	have + not + Verb.3	You have not been stolen a bike
We (we)	have + not + Verb.3	We have not been to Thailand
They (they)	have + not + Verb.3	They have not tided the room

Abbreviated form of negative sentences:

- I have not - I haven't lived here.
- He has not - He hasn't taken the money.

Interrogative sentences Present Perfect (Interrogative sentences)

In the interrogative form, the Auxiliary verb (auxiliary verb) is placed before the subject. Consider the table below:

To have verb	Who? Who?	Form of verb (verb form)	Examples (examples)
have	I (I)	VERB.3 (3rd verb form)	have I found a key?
Has	He/She/It (he, she, it)	VERB.3 (3rd verb form)	Has he fixed the light? Has she passed the test? Has it gone?
have	You (you, you)	VERB.3 (3rd verb form)	have you been to Paris?
have	We (we)	VERB.3 (3rd verb form)	have we ridden a bike?
have	They (they)	VERB.3 (3rd verb form)	have they tidied the bathroom?

Abbreviated negative-interrogative sentences:

- Have you not - Haven't you washed the dishes?
- Has he not - Hasn't he left the office yet?

Comparison of Present Perfect and Past Simple

In the table below, we will look at the difference between Present Perfect and. After studying this information, you will learn to distinguish between these two times and understand that the difference is obvious.

Present Perfect	past simple
completed past actions, related to this that occurred at a definite or indefinite time. —She has gone to China (unspecified; we do not know when she left; and she is in China now). Tom has seen his parents in a bank this afternoon(specific time; still day and action is related to the present). — I' ve spoken to Brad Pitt (He is alive - the action is connected with the present). — He has worked in Australia for three years (this means that he is still working in Australia - the action is related to the present).	Completed past activities unrelated to the present that happened at a specific point in the past or implied time. —She got married last week(specific time; When? - Last week). Tom saw his parents in a bank there (implied time - When? - When Tom was there). — I spoke to John Lennon (the action is not related to the present; John Lennon has already died). — He worked in Australia for nine years (this tells us that he is not currently working in Australia).
Announce news or give new information: — The President has decided to raise teachers' salaries.	Give details of the news: — He announced the decision to the Ministers.

Description of words used in the present perfect tense

• We often use never, ever, not …ever when talking about experience:

— have you ever tried to sing a song backwards? Have you ever tried to sing a song backwards.

• We often use the Present Perfect Simple when we talk about a unique experience and use superlatives:

— It was the best performance I have ever seen- It was best performance that I have ever seen.
— It was the worst decision he has ever made It was the worst decision he ever made.

• Phrase the first time used with the Simple Present Perfect when we are talking about an immediate, ongoing, or recent event:

— That's the first time they have seen the city - This is the first time they have seen the city.

Prepositions Since and For

The Present Perfect Simple is used with since and for when talking about a present situation that started at a certain point in the past and continues into the present:

• For– refers to the time period three years, five hours, ages, months, years etc.
• I have been a doctor for 20 years – I have been a doctor for 20 years.
• Since- refers to the previous point in time Last Tuesday, last year, yesterday, 1889.
• I have been a doctor since 1995 - I have been a doctor since 1995.

The phrase How long..?

Expressions with since/for are often used to answer the question How long… + present perfect.

• how long have you lived there? – How long do you live there?
• Since 4 Dec. So for three months - From the fourth of December. During three months.

Adverbs ALREADY, JUST, YET are used with Present Perfect Simple

Mostly yet is used in interrogative and negative statements (Things that we intend to do in the future, but have not yet been done).

• Haven't you done your assignments yet? Have you completed your assignments yet? (You intend to do this).

Used when we want to emphasize that something is done or achieved, often the expected time:

• I've already cooked dinner - I have already cooked dinner.

A short time ago:

• I've just taken a shower - I just took a shower.

Emphasizes duration. Used with real forms ().

• I've already told you, He still hasn't said sorry to me - I already told you, she still hasn't apologized.

+Bonus

American English or British English (American vs. British English)?

Already can be placed at the end of an affirmative sentence. If you prefer american english, feel free to put already at the end of the sentence:

• The lesson has finished already.
• The lesson has already finished. (British English)

Another moment when in the American version it is used instead of Present Perfect, often with the words already and yet:

Compare:

American English- Did you sleep(yet)? british english- have you slept(yet)?

++Bonus rule

The difference between Have gone to/have been to/have been in

• She has gone to China. (She’s there or on her way to China / She is in China or on her way to China).
• She has been in China for six months. (She's in China now / She is in China now).
• She has been to China once. (She's visited China and she's back now / She visited China and she returned).

Take note: Present simple and Present continuous

For example:

WRONG: I know her for eight years.
— CORRECT: I' ve known her for eight years.
WRONG: I' m living here since 2003.
— CORRECT: I' ve lived here since 2003.

Take note: Present Perfect/Past Simple

If the situation is complete, Past S. + for is used, not Present P.

example:

— My half-sister worked as a sales manager for 3 years and then she got the sack - My stepsister worked as a sales manager for 3 years and then she got fired.

* When you listen to someone using a sentence with for = period of time, listen carefully to the verb. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between I've lived in Hawaii for several years And I lived in Hawaii for several years, but there is a big difference between these proposals. This tells us whether the speaker still lives there or no longer lives there.

General table of formation of the Present Perfect Tense - Present Perfect Tense

Offer types	Present Perfect
Affirmative sentence	I/we/you/they + have+V.3 He/she/it + has+V.3
Negative sentence	I/we/you/they + have not +V.3 He/she/it + has not + V.3
Interrogative sentence	have+ I/we/you/they + V.3…? Has + he/she/it + V.3…?
Special question	WH+ have/has+S+ V.3…? WH-question word; S-Subject- subject; V - verb WH Why, when, where, etc.

Present Perfect Tense - Present Perfect Tense: Exercises and Answers

To consolidate the material covered, we recommend that you take tests on Present Perfect.

Exercise 1. Open the brackets and put the verb in the Present Perfect.

1. They (clean) the house.

2. I (print) the document.

3. He (ask) a question.

4. You (dial) the wrong number.

5. She (not speak) to me yet.

6. How long did you (know) him?

7. You (hear) from Sam recently?

8. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! I (not eat) anything since this morning.

9. It's the most amazing city I ever (see).

10. She (drink) too much coffee.

answers. Answers to the exercise:

1. Have cleaned
2. Printed
3. Has asked
4. Have dialled
5. Hasn't spoken
6. Have you known
7. Have you heard
8. Haven't eaten
9. Have ever seen
10. Has drunk.

Exercise 2. Put 5 sentences into an interrogative form using the Present Perfect.

1. (you/be/to Dublin/yet).

2. (How often/he/call/you).

3. (the children/clean/their room).

4. (you/be/on holiday/this year).

5. (he/write/to the Prime Minister).

answers. Answers to the exercise:

1. Have you been to Dublin yet?
2. How often has he called you?
3. Have the children cleaned their room?
4. Have you been on holiday this year?
5. Has he written to the Prime Minister?

Exercise 3. Insert Yet or already.

A: Haven't you cooked the dinner...?

B: You have …asked me that!

A: You know I'm busy with the project. And I have… told you that our friends are coming to stay with us.

B: Keep calm. They haven't come…. And why are you always asking me to cook?

A: Always? You have been living here for 3 years and I haven’t tasted your dinner…

answers. Answers to the exercise:

1. Yet
2. Already
3. Already
4. Yet
5. Yet

Exercise 4. Insert For or Since.

1. He has been in Chile … 10 years.

2. My grandparents have lived in Los Angeles ... 1993.

3. I haven't seen her … ages.

4. They haven't been to Manchester … their last birthday.

5. We haven't met … you left for Washington.

answers. Answers to the exercise:

1. for
2.since
3. for
4. Since
5.since

Exercise 5. Task for comparing Past Simple and Present Perfect. Decide what time to set.

1. Ever (be) to Liverpool?

2. How long have you (learned) Italian?

3. I (start) learning Italian when I (be) eleven.

4. I(give) you the money last week.

5. We (just/get) home.

6. You (see) the Jackie Chan film on TV last night?

answers. Answers to the exercise:

1. Have ever been
2. Have learned
3. Have started, was
4. Gave
5. have just got
6. Have seen

When we learn something new, at first some topics are difficult for us. For some people learning English is like a walk in the park but for others, it's really hard. Some people find learning English quite easy. And others need to make a good effort.
At the same time, we will learn a new expression - A walk in the park means that something is very easy to do.

Make up some sentences on the Present Perfect and share them in the comments.

Video on Present Perfect. In it, you will see how actors from films use the present perfect tense. Enjoy watching.