What verbs do not use the present perfect. Using the Present Perfect - Squeeze
Present Perfect (present perfect) is used to denote an action that took place in the past and has a result in the present.
Education Present Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect is formed with the help of the auxiliary verb to have in the present tense ( have, has) and past participle forms of the semantic verb. This form of the verb is also called the "third form of the verb" and is conventionally denoted as V3 (verb 3). For regular verbs, this is the infinitive with the ending -ed, for irregular verbs - the third column in ):
I have played.
He has played.
We have played.
Interrogative form: have (has) + subject + V3:
Have I played?
Has he played?
Have we played?
In a special question, have (has) is preceded by the necessary interrogative pronoun:
Where have I played?
Why has he played?
With whom have you played?
In a question to the subject, an interrogative pronoun who is placed before the predicate instead of the subject itself (in this question, the auxiliary verb has is always used):
Who has worked?
Negative form: have (has) + not + V3:
I have not played.
He has not played.
We have not played.
Interrogative-negative form: have (has) + subject + not + V3 or haven "t (hasn" t) + subject + V3:
Have I not played?
Has he not played?
Have we not played?
In colloquial speech, abbreviations are used:
have not = haven"t = "ve not
has not = hasn"t = "s not
have = "ve
has="s
I haven't played. = I've not played.
I"ve played.
Haven't I played?
| affirmative form | negative form |
|---|---|
| I have play ed He (she, it) has play ed We have play ed You have play ed They have play ed | I have not play ed He (she, it) has not play ed We have not play ed You have not play ed They have not play ed |
| Interrogative form | Interrogative-negative form |
| Have I played? Has he (she, it) play ed ? Have we play ed ? Have you play ed ? Have they play ed ? | Have I not play ed ? Has he (she, it) not play ed ? Have we not play ed ? Have you not play ed ? Have they not play ed ? |
Using Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect is used:
1. To express an action that took place in the past, but has a result in the present. The presence of such a result connects the past action with the present:
I have lost my keys. I lost my keys.
(lost in the past, but there is a result - now I don't have them, I can't open the door)
Has the rain stopped? Has the rain ended?
(interested in the lack of rain at the moment)
The time of action may not be indicated (as in previous sentences) or may be expressed in adverbs just, ever, never, already, yet(in questions and negatives), lately, lately, recently recently. At the same time, the sentence should not contain adverbs indicating the past tense:
I have never been in London. I've never been to London.
He hasn "t come home yet. He hasn't come home from work yet.
But compare:
My mom has already cooked dinner. Mom has already cooked dinner.
My mom already cooked dinner yesterday. Mom already cooked dinner yesterday. (yesterday
indicates the past tense, so it is used )
Note. With the adverb just now, Past Simple Tense has just been used:
I broke it just now. I just broke it.
2. To express both a single action and an action repeated several times in the past (there may be words in the sentence often twice etc.) and in sentences answering the question how much / many how much:
I have read that book twice. I have read this book twice.
I have been in London three times. I have been to London three times.
I "ve ironed 8 skirts. I ironed 8 skirts.
3. Present Perfect is used with adverbs denoting periods of time that have not yet elapsed today today, this week this week, this month this month, this year etc.:
Have you listened to the radio today? Have you listened to the radio today? (not expired today)
It has not expected this week. It didn't rain this week. (this week has not expired)
But if the specified period of time has already ended, then the Past Simple Tense form is used:
I have drunk coffee this morning. I drank coffee this morning.(said in the morning)
I drink coffee this morning. I drank coffee this morning.(the morning has already passed, it is said, for example, in the afternoon or in the evening)
4. Present Perfect is used to express an action that began in the past and continued until the moment of speech or is still ongoing at the moment of speech. The sentence should contain the prepositions since with (from some past moment to the present) or for during. At the same time, the Present Perfect can be translated both in the present tense and in the past, depending on the situation.
a) with verbs that are not used in Continuous (for more details, see):
I haven "t seen you for ages. I haven't seen you for ages.(did not see and just saw at the moment of speech)
Has not been here since two o "clock. He (is) here since two o'clock.(started at two o'clock and is still here)
I have known him for three years. I know him for three years.
b) with some verbs instead of Present Perfect Continuous, if the speaker wants to focus not on the duration, but on the fact of the action.
I have lived in Moscow for five years. I have been living in Moscow for five years.(important fact)
I have been living in Moscow for five years. I have been living in Moscow for five years.(duration, process is important)
The Present Perfect is also used with since since. In this case, the Present Perfect is used in the main clause, and in the subordinate clause starting with since, the Past Simple is used:
I have written only one letter to my relatives since I left. I have only written one letter since I left.
I haven't letters received from him since he left. I haven't received a letter from him since he left.
Present Perfect is also used with the adverb since since:
We moved to a new flat last year, and we haven't met our friends since. We moved last year and haven't seen our friends since.
5. Present Perfect is used to express a perfect future action instead of Future Perfect in adverbial clauses of time and conditions that are introduced by conjunctions after, when, as soon as, until (till), if etc. At the same time, Present Perfect is translated by the future tense of the perfect form:
He will wait for you until you have come. He will wait for you until you arrive.
Cases of using Present Perfect Tense
- Action, the result of which is available in the present tense (in Russian it corresponds to the past tense).
- An action repeated several times in the past.
- With circumstantial words denoting periods of time that have not yet elapsed.
- To express an action that began in the past and continued until the moment of speech or still ongoing at the moment of speech: instead of Present Perfect Continuous (in Russian it corresponds to the present and past tense).
- Future perfect action in subordinate clauses of time and condition (in Russian it corresponds to the future tense).
Present perfect (Present Perfect)- the tense of English verbs, which connects the past with the present - the present complete tense. This is where some confusion begins for a Russian person. There is no such tense in our language.
How to use Present Perfect
Let's watch a video in which Irina Shipilova, as always very cheerfully, dynamically, explains in detail this rather complicated construction for us - a present perfect.
A clear link between the past and the present. Place Present Perfect
Rules for constructing a present perfect (Present Perfect)
Auxiliary have/has + Past Participle. Instead of the full form have/has very often the British use the abbreviated (contracted) option ‘ve /’s - I’ve been there, She’s been there.
Pay special attention to abbreviations she has=she's, he has = he's - here it is important not to confuse with another form - she is, he is, which in the abbreviated version looks and sounds exactly the same. Can be distinguished by application Past Participle after she has,he has, as well as out of context.
Table of Education Present Perfect (Present Perfect)
Present Perfect means: before
present moment, no matter when
specifically. If there were a specific time, we would have to use
Use Present perfect. Examples and text.
1. To express a past action that has a result in the present.
The action usually took place recently:
We 've lost our key. (We haven't got it now) - We lost our key (now we don't have it) What have you done to your dress? (It looks strange) - What did you do with your dress? (It looks weird) Jane ‘s had her baby! Jane has a baby! I 've ruined the meal. It's burnt. — I ruined the food. She burned out. The train hasn't arrived. (We are still waiting for it) - The train has not arrived (We are still waiting for it)The present perfect is often used with indefinite adverbs that help remember the acronym JEANY
Here it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that these adverbs are placed before Past Participle except YET, which is placed after Past Participle:
I haven't done my work yet(Negative) - I haven't done my job yet She hasn't been to Harrods yet(Negative) - She hasn't been to Harrods yet Has doctor been yet? (Question) Was there already a doctor? I ‘ve already done my homework— I have already done my homework2. To express an action that started in the past and is still going on.
Often used in this for, since and how long
We ‘ve lived in the same flat for twenty years - We have been living in the same apartment for twenty years He has worked as a teacher since 2010 - He has been a teacher since 2010 How long has she known him? How long has she known him?3. To express the experience that we once gained in life.
The action was committed in the past and has already been completed, but the effect of it remains. Again, it doesn't matter when this action was performed, the time is not specified, otherwise you need to use the Past Simple.
He ‘s written a book - He wrote a book have you ever had an operation? - Have you ever had an operation? Irina has lived in China. — Irina lives in China How many times have you been married?- How many times have you been married?
Text
Exercises, tests.
1. Present Perfect
elementary level
Start QuizOne of the most difficult English tenses to understand is Present perfect tense(present perfect tense). For almost every person who learns English, it causes difficulties.
Very often this time is confused with the simple past (past simple). After all, sentences in these tenses are translated similarly, and sometimes even the same way.
In this article, I will talk in detail about the Present Perfect: when it is used, how it is formed and how it differs from the past simple.
From the article you will learn:
- Rules for using Present Perfect in English
- Formation of negation in time Present Perfect in English
- Formation of questions in time Present Perfect in English
The difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple tenses
To make it easier for you to understand when to use the Present Perfect tense, we will compare it with the Past Simple tense, with which it is often confused.
Past Simple Tense
Past Simple is translated as "past simple" tense.
When we use:We use it when we talk about events that happened in the past.
What we show: The very fact of an action that once happened.
For example:
I lost my keys.
I was losing your keys.
You lost your keys sometime in the past and now talk about it as a fact that once happened to you. For example, at lunch you told a friend that you lost your keys last week.
Present perfect tense
Present Perfect is translated as "present perfect (completed)" tense.
When we use: We use the Present Perfect when we talk about an action that happened in the past, but it matters now.
What we show: The result of an action done in the past.
Let's look at an example:
I have lost my keys.
I lost your keys.
For example, you call your wife and ask her when she will come home from work so that she can open an apartment. She asks you why you don't do it yourself. And here you answer that you have lost the keys (this has already happened) and therefore you cannot enter the apartment (the result of the fact that you have lost the keys).
We are seeing the result of this action right now. : I am now without keys and cannot get into the apartment.
How to distinguish the present perfect from the past simple
Look at the following pictures:
For example, you cooked dinner yesterday. And now you are saying it as a fact. This action has nothing to do with the present moment.
For example, you invite your family to dinner. You say you have cooked dinner (past action). But you are focusing on the result - now you have dinner ready.
Look at the comparison table Past Simple and Present Perfect:
| Past Simple Tense | Present perfect tense |
|
We use: We show: |
We use: We show: |
|
Example: I bought a bag. For example, I say |
Example: I have bought the bag. For example meshowing |
Let's look at another example.
past simple:
I ate.
I'm eating.
For example, to the question: “Did you eat yesterday?”, I say yes, I ate. It is simply a fact of the action itself in the past: I ate yesterday, but during this time I have already managed to get hungry and now I can still eat.
Present Perfect:
I have eaten.
I ate.
I want to say with this sentence that I ate and, as a result, now I am full. This is important to me at the moment, because now I don’t want to eat anymore.
Now let's take a closer look at the use cases of Present Perfect Tense.
Rules for using Present Perfect in English
Let's see in which cases we use the completed tense:
1. The end / result of the action is visible right now
This means that the action you are talking about has just ended. And the result of this action is visible right now.
For example:
I cleaned the room (just finished cleaning, still clean).
She cooked dinner (right now you see the finished dinner).
2. We care about the result, not the time when something was done
We only care about the result - what we have done. The time it was done is irrelevant.
For example:
She did her homework (she has a notebook with homework ready at the moment (result), we don't care when exactly she did it).
He prepared a presentation (right now the presentation is ready, when he prepared it is not important for us).
3. Talk about your life experiences
That is, you are talking about what has or has not happened to you by now. In this case, the words are often used: ever, never, several (one, two, three, etc.) times.
For example:
He has never skydived (he has not jumped by now).
She has been to New York twice (so far, this is her life experience).
4. Talking about an unfinished period of time
That is, the time period you are talking about (week, month, year) has not ended, and you have the opportunity to do the action a certain number of times.
For example:
I fed the cat twice today (the day is not over yet and you can feed her again).
He has skated three times this winter (winter is not over yet and he can skate more).
Rules for the formation of time Present Perfect Tense
The present perfect tense is formed with have/has and the past form of the verb.
There are regular and irregular verbs in English. Depending on the verb, this form is formed as follows:
- if the verb is correct, then we add the ending -ed to it: cook - cooked, finish - finished.
- if the verb is irregular, then we put it in the 3rd form: do - done, eat - eaten.
There is no rule by which one can determine the correct or irregular verb in front of us. The only way to find out is by looking it up in a dictionary or memorizing it. The same is true for forms of irregular verbs. They must be memorized or looked up in a dictionary.
Now let's look at the scheme of such a proposal:
Actor + has/have + regular verb ending in ed or 3rd form of an irregular verb
When we talk about someone in the singular (he - he, she - she, it - it), we use has. In all other cases - have.
| I | ||
| You | ||
| We | have | done |
| They | cooked | |
| She | bought | |
| He | has | |
| It |
They have bought a new flat.
They bought a new apartment.
She has broken her arm.
She broke her arm.
Abbreviations
We can abbreviate has and have in sentences. It will look like this:
has='s
have= ‘ve
The rule for adding the ending -ed
When we add the -ed ending to a verb, there are a few things to keep in mind.
1. If the verb ends in -e, then the verb is added only -d
change e- chang ed- change
clos e-clos ed- close
2. If the verb ends into a consonant, in front of which stressed vowel, then the consonant is doubled
sto p- sto pped- stop
ba n-ba nned- forbid
Exceptions: verbs ending in -x and -w:
fi x- fi xed- fix
flo w- flo wed- flow
Note: in British English when the verb ends in -l, it is doubled no matter where the accent falls
travel l- travel lled- travel
American version:
travel l- travel led- travel
3. If the verb ends with -y and preceded by a consonant, y changes to i + ed
cr y-cr ied- cry
tr y-tr ied- try
Important: if -u is preceded by a vowel, then the ending -ed is added without change letters
sta y-sta yes- stay
pla y-pla yes- play
Time Pointers Present Perfect Tense
In English, there are words that are very often used in the present perfect tense. Here are the main ones:
- never - never
- just - just now
- yet - not yet / already
- already - already
- lately / of late - lately
- recently - recently
- ever - ever
- this week/month/year - this week/this month/this year
They have moved recently.
They have recently moved.
She has just finished.
She just finished.
But we never use the following words in Present Perfect time:
- yesterday - yesterday
- last week/year/month - on (in) the last week/year/month
Why are they not used?
After all, these words focus on when we performed the action, and not on the news/result of the action itself. We use them in Past Simple.
Formation of negation in time Present Perfect
A negative sentence is constructed in the same way as an affirmative one. Only after the auxiliary verb have/has do we put the negative particle not.
The scheme of such a proposal would be as follows:
Actor + has/have + not + regular verb ending in ed or 3rd form of an irregular verb
| I | |||
| You | |||
| We | have | done | |
| They | not | cooked | |
| She | bought | ||
| He | has | ||
| It |
We have not done my homework.
We haven't done our homework.
She has not cooked dinner yet.
She hasn't cooked dinner yet.
Reduction
We can abbreviate have/has and not as follows:
have + not = haven't
has + not = hasn't
Formation of questions in time Present Perfect
To ask a question in this tense, we need to put have/has first in the sentence. Let's look at the diagram:
Have/has + character + regular ed verb or 3rd form of an irregular verb?
| I | ||
| you | ||
| have | we | done? |
| they | cooked? | |
| she | bought? | |
| Has | he | |
| it |
have they finished?
Are they finished?
Has he met his friend?
Did he meet his friend?
The answer to the question can be positive or negative.
Also we can give:
- short answer
- full answer
Short positive answer contains the word yes, the protagonist and the auxiliary verb:
have did they do it? Yes, they have.
They did it? Yes.
Has he read it? Yes, he has.
Did he read it? Yes.
Short no answer starts with no, and we add not to the auxiliary verb.
have did they do it? No, they have not.
They did it? No.
Has he read it? No, he has not.
Did she read it? No.
Full positive response looks like an affirmative sentence, only at the very beginning we put yes.
have they wrote a letter? Yes, they have written a letter.
Did they write a letter? Yes, they wrote a letter.
Has did she buy the dress? Yes, she has bought the dress.
Did she buy this dress? Yes, she bought this dress.
Full negative answer looks like a negative sentence, only at the very beginning we put no.
have they wrote a letter? No, they haven't written a letter.
Did they write a letter? No, they didn't write a letter.
Has did she buy the dress? No, she hasnt bought the dress.
Did she buy this dress? No, she didn't buy this dress.
So, we got acquainted with the time of Present Perfect. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below the article. And now, to consolidate the theoretical part, let's move on to the practical task.
Reinforcement task
Translate the following sentences into English. Leave your answers in the comments.
1. He bought a car.
2. She finished her work.
3. They haven't cleaned the room yet.
4. Have you read these books?
5. He has not started yet.
6. We fixed the car.
7. They went to the cinema yesterday.
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 tenses used in the English language. denotes someone's action that took place (began) 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. For instance:
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 reviewed. 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 simple 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 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.
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. I.e whatfrom did? - passed, committed ( but not what have you been doing? - handed over).
Present Perfect Tense is used:
- 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 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.
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; these days, 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. most recently e.g. The taxi has just arrived. The taxi has just arrived. IMPORTANT!!! with an adverb just now just 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(is 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(is 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?
The task. 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.