Student´s name:__________________________

Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

English Department

Grammar Notes: The Present Perfect

Present Perfect Tense: Simple Past vs Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous
Simple Past
1. The simple past is used to talk about completed actions in the past

2. The simple past is often used with expressions that refer to points of time in the past

at 4 o'clock/2.12/the end of year/Christmas

on Tuesday/19th March/the 21st/New Year's Day

in January/1999/the 1990s/summer

yesterday/yesterday morning/last Monday/next April/a few days ago/ the day

no prepositions
before yesterday/when I was young

Present perfect simple

3. Present perfect is used to talk about a present situation which is a result of something that
happened at an unspecified time in the past.
Therefore we do not use specific time expression such as yesterday, last week, etc.
I have given your article about networking to professor.
(I gave him your article and he has it now.)
4. The present perfect is often used with the word just to talk about actions that have taken place
very recently. The exact time is not mentioned.
You cannot meet Mrs Jones. She has just left.
Notice. The difference between have been and have gone
I am afraid Mrs. Jones as not here at the moment. She has gone to the meeting in Brussels.
(She is still at the meeting.)
Anita has been to the travel agent. She has her tickets for USA.
(She went to the travel agent and has returned.)
5. The present prefect is often used with the words ever and never to talk about general life
experience.
Have you ever worked abroad.
(i.e., In all your life up to now?)
I have never been to China.
(i.e., Not in all your life up to now.)
The present perfect with ever is often followed by the simple past. We use the simple past to give
more information about completed action, when referring to a specific time or context.
Have you ever been in Malaysia?
Yes, I have. I was in Kuala Lumpur at INET'97 when I worked in KPI.
6. The present perfect is often used with already and yet.
Already is used in positive sentences. It often indicates that something has taken place slightly
earlier that expected.

Grammar Notes Present Perfect pag. 1/5

 Student´s name:__________________________
Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

English Department

She has already printed this page.

(Note. NOT: She has printed already...)
Yet is used in negatives and questions. It shows that we expect an action will take place if it has
not happened up to now.
Have you talked to Peter yet?
(Note. NOT: Have you talked yet to Peter?)
I have not talked to him yet.
(Note. NOT: I have not talked yet to him.)
7. The present perfect is often used with prepositions or prepositional phrases indicating periods of
time that have not finished yet.
Common examples are: today, this morning, this month, this year, so far, to date, over the
last few weeks, up to now, etc.
This week we have received a lot of enquiries about our new web site.
(The week has not finished yet, and there may be more enquiries.)
If we are speaking about a situation after one of these time periods, we use the simple past
because we are referring to a period of time that has finished.
Have you seen John this morning?
(It is now 10.30 in the morning; and the morning has not finished.)
Did you see John this morning.
(It is now 3.00 in the afternoon; the morning has finished.)
8. Stative verbs + for and since
The present perfect simple is often used with for and since and stative verbs to talk about things
that began in the past and have continued up to now.
I have known about the plans to spin off this service from the company. (And I know now.)
9. We use for to talk about the duration of a period of time and since to talk about when a period
started

for ten minutes/six days/two months/three years/ a long time/ages/etc.

since 9.30/Monday/the 14th/last week/August/1998/I graduated from university/etc.

I have been with my department for three years.

I have been in Internet technologies since 1992.
10. How long ...?, for and since
To ask questions about periods of time, we can use How long ...? + the present perfect
How long have you been in Amsterdam? I have been here since September / for six months.
Note. COMMON MISTAKE: We do not use the present simple tense with for and since to talk
about something which began in the past and has gone on up to the present.
WRONG: I am here since January.
RIGHT: I have been here since January.
11. Negatives
We can use the present perfect negative to talk about the amount of time that has passed between
now and last time something happened.

Grammar Notes Present Perfect pag. 2/5

 Student´s name:__________________________
Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

English Department

We haven't received any messages from him for several months / since the last working group
meeting.
12. Completed actions over a period of time
If we talk about a completed action (particularly if we give details about how much, how many,
etc.), we can use the present perfect and since (but not for). We can also use other phrases of
duration such as to date, recently, over the past two years, etc. The action itself is finished, but
the period of time extends up to the present.
The Commission has launched three new programs since December.

Present perfect simple vs Present perfect continuous

13. Unfinished activities

Present perfect continuous is used with for, since, and How long ...? and other expressions of
duration (e.g., all month), to talk about activities that started happening in the past and are still
happening now. The activity may have been going on continuously or repeated several times.
They have been coordinating network development for 5 years.
(They started coordinating 5 years ago . They are still coordinating network developement.)
However, we normally use the present perfect simple with the stative verbs, or about a situation we
consider permanent.
I have lived in Kiev all my life (NOT: I have been living ...)
14. Finished and unfinished activities
We use the present perfect simple if we are talking about a completed action, particularly if we give
details of how much or how many. we use the present perfect continuous when something is still
going on.
I've written a report for Peter. (It is finished.)
I've been writing a report about international characters usage. (I am still writing it.)
15. Negatives: Present perfect simple vs Present perfect continuous
In the negative, the focus on the present perfect simple is on the amount of time that has passed
since something happened. The focus of the present perfect continuous is on the verb itself.
I haven't met him for six months. (The last time was six months ago.)
I haven't been feeling well recently. (This has been continuing for days.)
16. Recently finished activities
We use present perfect continuous to talk about an activity that was in progress, but has just
finished. Normally there is some evidence.
The ground is very wet. It has been raining.
Summary of Usage: Simple Past vs Present Perfect vs Present Perfect Continuous

Grammar Notes Present Perfect pag. 3/5

 Student´s name:__________________________
Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

English Department

The Simple Past We normally use the simple past to Last month Vodafon launched a
talk about actions that took place at a takeover bid for Airtouch.
time that is separated from the He did his PhD at Delft Technical
present. University.
It is used with expressions like
yesterday, on Monday, last week, in
1998, etc.

We can use the simple past and for to He lived in Amsterdam for five years;
talk about something that happened then he came back to England.
during a period that has now finished.

The Present The present perfect is used to talk A2000 has cut installation price for
Perfect Simple about the present result of past Internet over TV cable network by 30%.
actions and recent events, and often Have you ever tried Swiss wine?
used with words like ever, never, just,
already, yet, and phrases of
unfinished time such as so far.

The Present The present perfect can be used with I have been with my department for
Perfect Simple + for and since and stative verbs, or to three years.
for and since refer to actions that are seen as long
I have been in Internet technologies
term or permanent.
since 1992.
We use for to talk about the duration
of the period of time and since to talk
about the starting point of an action or
state.

It is also used in the negatives with

I haven't met him for six month.
for and since to talk about the last
I haven't been feeling well recently.
time something took place

It is used with since to talk about The Commission has launched three
completed action. new programs since December.

The Present The present perfect continuous can The Commission has been coordinating
Perfect Continuous be used with for and since to talk network development for 5 years.
about activities that have gone on
repeatedly or continuously for a period
of time, and are still going on.

Present Perfect or Past Simple?

Put each of the following verbs into either the past simple or present perfect.

1. Jack (live) in Boston for the past 15 years.

2. Janet (work) for Smith and Brothers before she came to work for us.

3. Dad (you/finish) reading the paper yet?

4. I would love to visit Prague sometime. Unfortunately, I (be/never) there.

Grammar Notes Present Perfect pag. 4/5

 Student´s name:__________________________
Teacher: Jimena Castellión Date:________

English Department

5. Peter (play) Tennis for five years when he (be) at school.

6. Jane: Can you help me? I(finish) my homework, but I still don't understand number 7.

7. I (work) in Italy for 5 years. I (begin) work as soon as I arrived.

8. I'm afraid I'm not hungry. I (eat/already).

9. When Jack was at school, he (learn) to play the saxophone. He (play) it ever since.

10. Could you give me some advice? I (buy) this sweater at Macy's. Do you think I should
take it back?

11. Maria lives in Boston. Before she (move)here, she (live) in Seattle for 3 years.

12. Peter (go) to Paris last year. That means that he (be) to Paris 3 times!

13. Just a moment! I (think) of a good idea yet!

14. Maria (believe) that for ages!

15. How long (you/live) there before coming here?

16. I'm tired. I (not get) much sleep last night.

17. She (write) the email but doesn't know how to send it.

18. Here is your jacket. I (just/have something done).

19. Hurry up! The concert (begin) and we are late.

20. Madonna (record) many albums and will probably make many more.

21. Nat King Cole (record) many albums during his wonderful career.

22. How many books (read) this year?

23. How many books (read) last year?

24. (newspaper/arrive)? Yes, Ken is reading it at the moment.

25. Where (you/find) that book? I (find) it in the library.

26. (you/smoke) a lot before becoming a non-smoker?

27. He (leave) the house a few minutes ago.

28. She (leave) the house.

29. I (not know) you (be) here! (you/be) here long?

30. (you/see) today's paper?

Grammar Notes Present Perfect pag. 5/5