Grammar | The Present perfect tense | Basic rule and examples

 

English Grammar

The Present perfect tense

We use the Present Perfect Tense with have / has and the Past Participle.

Basic rule to keep in mind:

The Present Perfect is not really a Past Tense; it is a mixture of Past and Present as its name clearly indicates (PRESENT + PREFECT (PAST)) There is always a connection with now. 

The Simple Past is contrast, always indicates an action that is really cut off from now.

USES:

 The Present Perfect likes the Past with the Present. The Present Perfect Simple has got three major USES:

PAST------------------------------------------------------------------------------>PRESENT.

I) IT IS USED FOR PAST ACTION WHOSE TIME IS NOT PROVIDED AND DEFINITE = INDEFINITE TIME:

a) The commonest indefinite time expressions are yet, already, before, ever, never, still.

All these expressions have a strong connection with the Present.

- Have you YET been to Brazil? In your life until now.

- I have ALREADY broken three cups.

b) Other indefinite expressions are today, this morning, this afternoon, this evening, this week, this month, this year....

These time expressions with Present Perfect denote an incomplete period of time.

- I have seen john twice this week. The week is not over yet and i can still see john once or twice before the end of week; still frame of this week.

- I saw john twice this week. Today is Sunday and I can't see him anymore this week because this week is almost over.

c) This is the first/ second/ third (..)time that (..).

- This is the first time that I have ever travelled by plane.

- This is the second time that they have attended her class.

II) THE PRESENT PERFECT IS USED WHEN AN ACTIVITY OR SITUATION STARTED IN THE PAST AND STILL CONTINUES IN THE PRESENT:

- He has worked in the same company for twenty years. He still works there now.

- I have lived there for three years. I still live here now.

III) RECENT PAST ACTION ( Just ):

The Present Perfect is used with JUST to indicate a recent Past action.

- He has just started his English courses.

- We have just started the Present Perfect Tense.

_JUST NOW means the started thing as JUST but it's used with the simple past.

_JUST can also mean simply ONLY ; in this case, other tenses can be used.