The Present Perfect Tense

1. The Complete Guide to the PRESENT PERFECT tense

2. Formation

We form the present perfect with have + past
participle. The regular past participle ends in –ed (e.g.
finished):
POSITIVE
NEGATIVE
QUESTIONS
I have ('ve) finished.
She has ('s) gone.
They have ('ve) broken it.
I have not (haven't) finished.
He has not (hasn't) gone.
We have not (haven't) broken it.
Have you finished? (Yes, I have.)
Has he gone? (No, he hasn't.)
Where have you been?

3. Usage

4. Finished actions

Present Perfect in all the following cases is translated as past time into Russian

5. Life experiences:

A single experience (in your life)
Many experiences (in your life)
Recent experience

6. A single experience (in your life)

We have eaten at that restaurant.
My brother has never seen this movie.
Have you ever been to China.
We often use the present perfect (+ ever) with superlative adjectives :
That is the worst film I have ever seen!
This is the best holiday we have ever had!
We also use the present perfect with the first/last.
This is the first time I have come to Minsk.
We often use before to say whether it's the first time we've done something:
We have been here before. We came for my birthday.
(= We are here now and we've been here in the past as well.)
I haven't stayed in a five-star hotel before. (= I am going to stay in one soon for the first time.)
We usually put before at the end of the statement or question: Have you been
here before?

7. Many experiences (in your life)

I have eaten at that restaurant twice.
I have seen that movie so many times.
Have many times have you been to China?
This is the second ( third , fifth… ) time I have
come to Minsk.

8. Recent experience

This year ( 2015 );
this ( spring / summer / autumn / winter );
this month ; this January /February / March / April / April….);
this week;
lately / recently: (within two months : in January-February ), (
within two weeks: 25.01 – 08.02.2015 );
before; today;
The students have been to the cinema twice this year ( in 2015 ).
I haven’t talked to my cousin recently ( in January- February
or from-25.01 to 08.02.2015 )
The children haven’t gone to the skating-rink this winter.

9. Recent experience that effect the present moment

I have lost my key. ( I can’t open the door ).
My sister has stained her new dress. ( She can’t
wear it today ).
My dad has fixed his car. ( He can drive to work ).
I have finished the work. ( I can relax now ).

10. Recent experience with signal words: just, already, yet, still, so far

The plane has just landed. ( The passengers are getting off now. )
You don't need to lock the car. I have already done it.
We usually put yet at the end of a question or negative statement.
Our pizzas haven't come yet. We ordered them nearly half an hour ago!
Has your car been repaired yet?
We put still before hasn't/haven’t.
We still haven't had our exam results.
The children still haven’t finished their homework.
We can also use still in positive sentences to say that an earlier situation has
not changed.
We use the present simple or continuous, not the present perfect:
Carlos is thirty, but he still lives with his parents.
The bridge is closed; they're still repairing it.
With so far to mean 'up to now’ ( уже )
We have had four holidays so far this year, and it's only September!

11. Introducing new information

I've decided to get a new car. I'm going to look at
some tomorrow.
'Julian has passed his driving test.' 'Oh, that's good
news!'
After we have introduced new information with the
present perfect, we usually give more details with the
past simple:
Julian has passed his driving test. He took it on
Wednesday.
The art exhibition has opened in Paris. It was opened
by the Minister of Culture.

12. Unfinished actions continuing up to now

Present Perfect in all the following cases is translated as present time into Russian

13.

The action began in the past and has lasted up to
the present time.
to say how long (often with since and for)
With state verbs: be, have, know, own, belong
We use FOR to say how long this period is:
The Smiths have been married for 20 years.
My dad has owned the business for 10 years.
We use SINCE to say when the period began.
The Smiths have been married since they
graduated from university.
The Smiths have been married since 1985.
My dad has owned his business since 1995.

14. Thank you for your attention!

The presentation was prepared
by Tatsiana Petrashevich
group 1-15v