TENS

Ingls 1

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

The autumn has already arrived

How do you know?

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

3- It is used to express actions that started in the past and 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

Keywords
Ever, never, yet, already, just, for and since

Have you ever seen a lion? Ive never seen a lion.

Is your sister here? No, shes just gone out. I havent finished yet. Have you finished your homework yet? Have a sandwich! No thanks, I have already eaten. I ate at 12.00.

For and since

We use for with a period of time, for example: for a few days for half an hour for two years We use since with the time when the action started, for example: since last year since June 8 since I met you

Practice

http://www.eclecticenglish.com/grammar/P resentPerfect1D.html

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?

Present Perfect Tense

Have you ever listened to classical music before?

Where did you hear it?

Present Perfect Tense

Have you walked along a riverside similar to the one on the photograph?

When did you do it?

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.