CENTRO DE IDIOMAS TRADULINGU

C/ Manuel Caballero Venzal, num. 1 Local F, Bajo

23009 Jan
953 96 20 90 - 610 82 51 36

www.tradulingu.com

Present Perfect
Form has/have + past participle
Unspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before
now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with
specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a
child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the
Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several
times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
Examples:
I have seen that movie twenty times.
I think I have met him once before.
There have been many earthquakes in California.
People have traveled to the Moon.
People have not traveled to Mars.
Have you read the book yet?
Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.
For + a period of time

She has lived here for twenty years.

We have taught at this school for a long time.
Alice has been married for three months.
They have been at the hotel for a week.

Since + a point in time

She has lived here since 1980.
We have taught at this school since 1965
Alice has been married since March 2nd.
They have been at the hotel since last Tuesday.
Ever and Never
in questions. e.g.
Have you ever been to England?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?
I have never visited Berlin
Just, yet, still, already
These words are often used with the present perfect tense
although yet, still and already can all be used with other tenses.

CENTRO DE IDIOMAS TRADULINGU

C/ Manuel Caballero Venzal, num. 1 Local F, Bajo
23009 Jan
953 96 20 90 - 610 82 51 36

www.tradulingu.com

Just
Just is usually used only with the present perfect tense and it means a short time ago.
Ive just seen Susan coming out of the cinema.
Mikes just called. Can you ring him back please?
Have you just taken my pen? Where has it gone?
In the present perfect, just comes between the auxiliary verb (have) and the past
participle.
Yet
Yet is used to talk about something which is expected to happen. It means at any time up to
now. It is used in questions and negatives.
Have you finished your homework yet? The speaker expects that the homework will be finished.
I havent finished it yet. Ill do it after dinner.
Yet usually comes at the end of the sentence.
Still
Still is used to talk about something that hasnt finished especially when we expected it
to finish earlier.
Ive been waiting for over an hour and the bus still hasnt come.
You promised to give me that report yesterday and you still havent finished it.
Still usually comes in mid-position. Still is often used with other tenses as well as the
present perfect.
Ive still got all those letters you sent me.
Are you still working in the bookshop?
Already
Already is used to say that something has happened early or earlier than it might have
happened.
Ive already spent my salary and its two weeks before pay day.
The trains already left! What are we going to do?
Already usually comes in mid-position.