The present perfect tense, or Present Perfect Tense, is a rather complex tense form for a Russian-speaking person. But the whole point is that in Russian there is no equivalent to this grammatical form. We are immediately confused by the fact that the Present Perfect refers to both the present and the past tense. How is this possible? Let's find out!
What is Present Perfect Tense?
Present Perfect Tense (Present Perfect Tense) is a tense form of a verb that expresses the connection of a past action with the present time. That is, the present perfect tense conveys an action performed in the past, but the result of this action is visible at the present moment. For example:
- We've bought a new car. — We bought a new car → At the moment we have a new car, that is, the action took place in the past, but the result is visible at the present moment.
Present Perfect is translated into Russian in the same way as Past Simple - in the past tense. For example:
- Present Perfect: I’ve written many letters - I wrote a lot of letters
- Past Simple: Last month I wrote many letters - Last month I wrote a lot of letters
The difference in the meaning of these tenses is that the Past Simple expresses a past action, timed to a specific moment in the past and not related to the present. The Present Perfect expresses a past action that is not confined to any moment in the past and has a result in the present. The difference in the meanings of the Past Simple and Present Perfect tenses can be seen in the following example:
- What have you done? - What have you done? (The questioner is interested in the result)
- I’ve cooked dinner - I prepared lunch (Lunch is ready now)
- What did you do an hour ago? - What were you doing an hour ago? (The questioner is interested in the action itself, not its result)
I cooked dinner - I was preparing lunch (It doesn’t matter whether dinner is ready at the moment)
If the time of a past action is indicated by time circumstances or context, the Past Simple is used. If the time of a past action is not indicated by time circumstances and is not implied by the context, the Present Perfect is used.
The Present Perfect is primarily used in colloquial speech to describe events in the present tense that are the result of past actions.
Rules for the formation of Present Perfect Tense
Mean + have/ has + Past Participle …
In the interrogative form of Present Perfect Tense, the auxiliary verb to have is placed before the subject, and the Past Participle of the main verb is placed after the subject.
Have/Has + Mean. + Past Participle...?
The negative form is formed using the negation not, which comes after the auxiliary verb and, as a rule, merges with it into one whole:
- have not → haven’t
- has not → hasn’t
Mean + have/ has + not + Past Participle …
Conjugation table for the verb to lie in Present Perfect Tense
| Number | Face | Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| Unit h. | 1 2 3 |
I have (I"ve) lied You have (you"ve) lied He/ She/ It has (He"s/ She’s) lied |
Have I lied? Have you lied? Has he/ she/ it lied? |
I have not (haven"t) lied You have not (haven"t) lied He/ She/ It has not (hasn"t) lied |
| Mn. h. | 1 2 3 |
We have (we"ve) lied You have (you"ve) lied They have (they"ve) lied |
Have we lied? Have you lied? Have they lied? |
We have not (haven"t) lied You have not (haven"t) lied They have not (haven"t) lied |
Rules for using Present Perfect Tense:
1. To express a past action associated with the present tense, if the sentence does not contain any time circumstances. Examples:
- I’ve seen wolves in the forest - I saw wolves in the forest
- We've heard so much about them - We've heard so much about them
- The snow has stopped, you can leave - The snow has stopped, you can leave
- I have fallen off a horse - I fell from a horse
- You’ve got nine - You got nine
- He has become part of our life - He has become part of our life
2. If the sentence contains such adverbial words or adverbs of indefinite time and repetition as:
- ever - ever
- never - never
- often - often
- always - always
- yet - yet
- rarely - rarely
- already - already
- rarely - rarely
- several times - several times
- I haven’t had lunch yet - I haven’t eaten lunch yet
- He has already made good progress - He has already made good progress
- She’s always been hardworking person - She has always been a hardworking person
- Have you ever been to London? - Have you ever been in London?
- No, never - No, never
3. If in the sentence the period of time indicated has not yet ended at the time of speech with such detailed words and adverbs of a specific time as:
- today - today
- all day - all day
- this morning - this morning
- this month - this month
- just - just now
- I haven’t had time to look at the paper today - I didn’t have time to look at the papers today
- She hasn’t seen me today - She didn’t see me today
- They must be there, I’ve just seen them - They must be there, I just saw them
Present Perfect use with a preposition 4. If the sentence contains such time circumstances that indicate the period during which the action took place (starting from a certain moment in the past to the present):
- for a long time - for a long time
- for the past two years (days, months, hours) - during the last two years (days, months, hours)
- for three days (hours, months, years) - within three days (hours, months, years)
- for ages - an eternity
- how long - how long
- up to now - until now
- up to the present - until now
- lately - recently
- Have you bought anything new lately? — Have you bought anything new recently?
- She hasn’t written to me up to now - She hasn’t written to me until now
- Where have you been for the past two years? — Where have you been for the last two years?
- We haven’t seen each other for ages - We haven’t seen each other for ages
Or if the sentence contains time circumstances that indicate only the beginning of such a period:
- since - since, since then, since
- They have been partners since 2005 - They have been partners since 2005
- I have owned this flat since my parents bought it for me - I have owned this apartment since my parents bought it for me
- I haven’t seen you since May, have I? “I haven’t seen you since May, have I?”
This was the basic information on the topic of Present Perfect Tense. As you can see, everything is not so complicated. It is important to learn adverbial words and adverbs that indicate the present perfect tense, and then everything becomes much easier. You will comprehend other nuances of this time of the English language in the process of improving the language.
In all the variety of tenses in the English language, Perfect tenses (perfect or complete) are notable for the fact that you will not find their analogues in Russian grammar. Perhaps for this reason, many people have difficulty mastering perfect tenses. Let's learn to understand and use these useful and interesting English verb tenses.
Strictly speaking, in English there are only two tenses (tense), where only the semantic verb is present: present (We walk) And past (He left).
All other tenses of verbs in English, and there are about thirty of them, use auxiliary verbs.
There are six main tenses, which, once understood, will help you understand the entire temporal structure of English verbs.
- Present Simple (Present Indefinite): We play. - We play.
- Present Perfect: We have played. - We played.
- Past Simple (Past Indefinite): We played. - We played.
- Past Perfect: We had played. - We played (before a certain event in the past).
- Future Simple (Future Indefinite): We will play. - We will play.
- Future Perfect: We will have played. - We'll play (until a certain event in the future).
Students of English as a foreign language most often experience problems with perfect tenses. This is due to the fact that they are formed a little more complex than their “simple” counterparts: with the help of an auxiliary verb and the past participle (III form of the verb).
- Run (run)- run - run
- Play (play)- played - played
Auxiliary verbs are usually forms of the verbs be, can, do, may, must, ought, shall, will, have, has, had. It is these verbs and their forms that should be given attention.
Present Perfect Tense (present perfect tense)
Tom will repair his car on Monday. (Future Simple) - Tom will be repairing his car on Monday.
She hopes that Tom will have repaired his car by Monday evening. (Future Perfect) - She hopes Tom will have his car repaired by Monday evening.
Present Perfect- present perfect tense of English. This tense is used to denote events that have completed to date or have completed during the present time period. See below the rules for forming the Present Perfect, a list of auxiliary words and examples of using the present perfect tense in English.
Education Present Perfect
In affirmative sentences, the Present Perfect is formed by using the auxiliary word have (1st and 2nd person) or has (3rd person singular) and adding the ending -ed to the verb. If the verb is irregular, then the 3rd form is used - Past Participle.
Education formula:
Noun + have / has + verb ending in -ed or 3rd form
A noun and an auxiliary verb have can merge and form I’ve, they’ve, etc. Examples of affirmative sentences in the Present Perfect:
He has just finished playing football. — He just finished playing football.
They’ve started doing their homework already. — They have already started doing their homework.
To form a negative sentence in the Present Perfect, after the auxiliary verb, you must add the particle not. rule:
Noun + have / has + not + verb ending in -ed or 3rd form
An auxiliary verb can be combined with the not part to form have not or has not. Examples of negative sentences:
I have not seen you for years! - I haven't seen you for a long time!
She has not made her work yet. “She hasn't done her job yet.”
To form an interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect, the auxiliary verb must be placed before the sentence. rule:
Have / Has + noun + verb ending in -ed or 3rd form
Examples of interrogative sentences:
Has there ever been a war in the United States? — Was there ever a war in the United States?
Have you ever met him? -Have you ever met him?
Auxiliary words Present Perfect
When forming sentences in the Present Perfect, auxiliary words are often used. These present perfect marker words are given below:
Cases in which the Present Perfect is used
Below are various examples of using the Present Perfect tense that you may find useful.
I use case: Indefinite time before the present moment
Unspecified Time Before Now
The Present Perfect is usually used to describe something that happened relatively recently and at an inopportune time. The use of the following words such as yesterday, one year ago, last week, at that moment, that day, one day and others in the Present Perfect is prohibited, since when using this tense the emphasis is placed on the experience, and not on the time when the event occurred. In this case, the use of auxiliary words is used (see table above). examples:
I have been to France. — I was in France.
I think I have met him once before. “I think I met him once.”
Nobody has ever climbed that mountain. - No one has ever climbed this mountain.
You have grown since the last time I saw you. “You’ve grown up since I last saw you.”
James has not finished his homework yet. — Jace hasn't finished his homework yet.
Have you been to Mexico in the last year? — Have you been to Mexico in the last year? ('In the last year' (as opposed to 'last year') means 'in the last 365 days', so it is an indefinite tense, requiring the use of the Present Perfect)
I have seen that movie six times in the last month. — I saw this film six times last month. (The time is indicated here, but the emphasis is on how many times a person has seen this film.)
Use case II: the action takes place to this day
Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)
The Present Perfect is also used with verbs that are not continuous (Non-Continuous Verbs) or with mixed verbs (Mixed Verbs). In this case, the present perfect tense describes an action that began in the past and is still ongoing. In this case, it is typical to use phrases like for five minutes, for two weeks, since Monday and others. examples:
I have had a cold for two weeks. — I’ve had a cold for two weeks now.
She has been in England for six months. — She has been in England for 6 months.
Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl. — Mary loves chocolate since childhood.
Any tenses of the Perfect category indicate the perfection of the action, that the situation is complete, and not long-term or permanent. As for The Present Perfect Tense - ‘this is a tense that is certainly associated with the present action, as evidenced by its name.
general information
The main feature of this type of tense form is that in sentences with the Present Perfect we are talking about a completed action, the result of which has a direct connection with the current time. Very often there is a time where there is no emphasis on connections with the present, and it is based solely on the fact of the event that occurred.
Here are examples of sentences that show how the present perfect tense looks and is used in English:
· You have done more than stay young; you have stayed a child - You did more than just stay young - you remained a child
· I have made you a bed upstairs, make yourself at home - I made you a bed upstairs, make yourself at home
As can be seen from these examples, the present perfect tense, as it is called in Russian transcription, is used to express not just an event that took place in the past, but reflects the result of a completed action that is relevant now.
Education Present Perfect
The present completed tense often causes difficulties for those who are still at the stage of learning English, because here several nuances come into force at once, which are extremely important to take into account. Firstly, the Present Perfect is necessarily formed using auxiliary verbs. These are auxiliary verbs such as have and has (the latter is used only for third person pronouns used in the singular - he, she, it). Secondly, this verb in the present perfect tense is followed by a main verb, which is in the form Past Participle, or Participle II (popularly the third form of the verb). Here it is important to navigate the list of irregular verbs, but for regular verbs everything is simpler, because the ending –ed is simply added to the word.
Therefore, the classic Present Perfect formula looks like this:
Have
Has + V(3) (–ed)
· I have never had a chance to meet anyone here – I have never had the opportunity to meet anyone here
· She has worked in this company for 3 years already – She has worked in this company for 3 years already
Questions and denials
Interrogative sentences
here they are formed with the same auxiliary verbs have and has, which in a general question, that is, in one to which the answer can be “yes” or “no,” are in the original position:
· Have you already finished your course work? – Have you finished your coursework yet?
· Has he just returned from his trip? – Has he just returned from his trip?
Special questions
at the beginning of which there is a question word like when, why, how, etc., are formed according to a similar principle, with the only difference being that these interrogative words occupy the initial position:
· How long has she been here? – How long has she been here?
· Why has he written so many articles today? – Why did he write so many articles today?
Present Perfect formula in a negative sentence
practically no different from the affirmative form. Here the grammar provides for the simple use of the particle not after the auxiliary verb, where have not = haven’t, hasn’t = has not. Negation looks like this:
· I haven’t completed my daily report yet – I have not yet completed my daily report
· He still hasn’t brought us money - He still hasn’t brought us money
Note: the rule provides for the use of this tense in special interrogative and negative constructions with the inclusion of the phrase “ever”, where the Present Perfect time markers used are the adverbs ever or never:
· Have you ever been to Bangkok? – Have you ever been to Bangkok?
· I have never seen such a beautiful landscape! – I have never seen such a beautiful landscape!
Using the Present Perfect
The use of the Present Perfect is typical for the following situations:
1. Completed action
In order to display a completed action, which has a clear echo in the present tense and, unlike the simple tense, is used to express completeness. Companions of the Present Perfect in such situations are specific adverbs already, ever, never, yet (typical for interrogative and negative sentences, where its frequent position is at the end of the phrase), just, for (shows the duration of the action), as well as those time frames which show that the action is not yet completed (this year, today, etc.).
· He hasn’t called me for ages – He hasn’t called me for ages
· We have already found out the latest news - We have already found out the latest news
· I have done much this year - This year I have done a lot (in the sense that the year is not over yet)
Note: in the Present Perfect just, this is one of the markers that translates as “just now.” But if the construction just now is used, then it is typical to use the Past Simple, despite the fact that the translation will be identical:
· I have just cooked breakfast - I just cooked breakfast
· I cooked breakfast just now - I just cooked breakfast
Note: the so-called American English, which has become an integral part of modern life, very often does not provide for the use of the Present Perfect, even in such obvious situations when there are special helpers in the form of adverbs or there are other factors regulating the use of the Perfect. In this version, the perfect is ignored, although classical grammar does not approve of this:
I have lost my key – I lost my key (I lost the key)
2. With the preposition “since” + Past Simple
The situation deserves special attention when with the Present Perfect since, the preposition, which is translated as “from”, “from the moment”, is used in the same sentence together with. With this sense, the construction of the sentence is constructed as follows:
I haven’t seen her since I left for Sydney - I haven’t seen her since I left for Sydney
In this example, the first part of the sentence uses the Present Perfect, and the second uses the Past Simple. Very often in such sentences it is recommended to look for the so-called starting point, i.e. the action from which it all began. In this example, this is the part “since I left for Moscow.” The use of Perfect is relevant here for the reason that the action is performed (or not performed from then until now, which shows the result to this day). In the Present Perfect, examples of such situations are not uncommon, and the English language in this case provides a well-founded reason for such use.
3. In subordinate tenses
The use of this tense is also typical for those cases when the perfect is part of the subordinate parts of time. The present perfect marker words in this case are the same as in (Conditional I): these are conjunctions unless, when, as soon as, before, after, etc. The main feature here is that the emphasis is on the completeness of the event, and not on its fact. Present Perfect sentences here could be as follows:
· I will not call him until you have told me everything - I won’t call him until you tell me everything
· They will come as soon as I have finished my work - They will come as soon as I finish work
Note: There is an exception to this rule. Provided that if the verbs in the Present Perfect here belong either to the category of movement (arrive, come, return, etc.) or sensory perception, then using the present perfect tense with them is undesirable; it would be correct to put the usual Present Simple, more often used in a conditional sentence first type:
· I will be glad when he comes - I will be glad when he comes
· She will get in a fury when she hears my words – She will get furious when she hears my words
But even here the Present Perfect is possible when there are indicators that the speaker is deliberately emphasizing completeness and not expressively emphasizing it; the translation in this case will prove the relevance of the use of the perfect:
I will learn the poem by heart when I have heard it a few times - I will learn the poem by heart when I listen to it several times(completeness, performed several times, is expressively emphasized)
Let's sum it up
As it becomes clear from all of the above, phrases in the perfect are formed and used when there is an intention to demonstrate the completeness of an action or to display the period of time that it occupies up to the present moment. The formation scheme for Present Perfect is quite simple, although it requires memorization. Like any other type of tense form, Present Perfect Tense has very clear rules for use, so the main thing is to strictly follow all the instructions, and then this time will not cause any inconvenience.
English grammar is often confusing. But a dead end does not mean hopelessness: you can always return to the starting point and start again. A clear explanation of the rules for the formation and use of the Present Perfect Simple tense - one of the most difficult sections of English grammar for children in grade 5 - will help you choose the right direction and avoid dead-end situations.
General information
Before moving on to explaining the basic rules and nuances of using the Present Perfect tense, it is necessary to understand how this tense form is translated into Russian and what it means: its basic differences from other tenses. Present Perfect Tense is the Present Perfect tense used to describe completed, accomplished actions that have a direct connection with the present, the result of these actions affects the present. The main impulse to use the tense form in question is marker words indicating the uncertainty of time. That's it in a nutshell. Now, in more detail on each point: how to understand what time and how to use it.
Education
The basic rules for the formation of affirmative, interrogative, and negation forms are presented in the following table. With its help, you can understand how the Present Perfect formula is formed and how it “works” in practice.
|
Present Perfect Tense Present Perfect tense |
|
|
Subjects + have/has + main verb + -ed (3rd form of regular verbs) |
|
|
I have visited - I visited You have visited - you visited He (she, it) has visited - he (she, it) visited |
We have visited - we visited You have visited - you visited They have visited - they visited |
|
Subjects + have/has + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs) |
|
|
I have done - I did You have done - you did He (she, it) has done - he (she, it) did |
We have done - we did You have done - you did They have done - they did |
|
Subjects + have/has + not + main verb + ed (3rd form of regular verbs) |
|
|
I have not visited - I did not visit You have not visited - you did not visit He (she, it) has not visited - he (she, it) did not visit |
We have not visited - we did not visit You have not visited - you did not visit They have not visited - they did not visit |
|
Subjects + have/has + not + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs) |
|
|
I have not done - I didn’t do You have not done - you didn’t do He (she, it) has not done - he (she, it) did not do |
We have not done - we didn’t do You have not done - you didn’t do They have not done - they didn’t do |
|
Have/has + subjects + main verb + ed (3rd form of regular verbs) |
|
|
Have I visited? - I visited? Have you visited? - did you visit? Has he (she, it) visited? - did he (she, it) visit? |
Have we visited? - We visited? Have you visited? - did you visit? Have they visited? – did they visit? |
|
Have/has + subjects + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs) |
|
|
Have I done? - I did? Have you done? - did you do it? Has he (she, it) done - did he (she, it) do? |
Have we done? - we did? Have you done? - you did? Have they done? - they did? |
Use
The Present Perfect Simple tense occupies a special place in English grammar.
There are no analogues of Present Perfect Simple in Russian.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand and remember in what cases this tense is used:
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- To denote an action that occurred in the near past, but its result is observed in the present. In other words, the speaker is not interested in the time when the action occurred, one thing is important to him - the result that connects this event that happened in the past with the present: She is not at home, she has gone to the library - She is not at home, she went to the library (She left and the result in the present is her absence);
- To convey “life experience”. Such sentences often emphasize how many times the action took place: When have you been to Europe? I have been to Italy three times already - When were you in Europe? I've been to Italy three times already;
- To denote an action that occurred in an unfinished period of time. To emphasize this incompleteness in the sentence, the phrases this morning (this morning), this evening (this evening), this month (this month), today (today) and others are used: This week she has come to his house twice - This week she came to his house twice.
Companion words
The Present Perfect time usually cannot do without the help of its companions - time indicators that indicate that the action began in the past and ended not so long ago:
- Never- never (I have never been to England - I have never been to England);
- Ever- ever (Have you ever read a detective story? - Have you ever read a detective story?);
- Already- already (She has already finished her work - She has already completed her work);
- Just- exactly, just, only (He has just called him up - He just called him);
- Before- before, before (We have heard this strange story before - We heard this strange story before);
- Not...yet- not yet, still not (My mother has not heard news yet - My mother has not heard the news yet);
- Lately- recently, a long time ago, recently (She has lately read many books - She has recently read a lot of books);
- So far- for this hour, by now, up to this moment, already (Her temper has so far been good - Her mood has been good so far);
- Of late- recently, recently, recently (This wonderful trip has been my dream of late - This wonderful trip has been my dream lately);
- By now- by now (He has confessed by now - He confessed at the moment);
- Recently- recently, recently (She has not had any difficulties recently - She has not had any difficulties recently);
- Up to now- until now, until now (She has not believed people up to now - She did not believe people until now);
- By now- by now (It always takes 5 minutes to get home after By now I have always been at home at 5 o’clock - The road home after work always takes 5 minutes. By now I have always been at home at 5 o’clock).
In English, double negatives are excluded from sentences. Therefore, the adverb never (never) is used in an affirmative sentence. The adverb yet is placed at the end of interrogative or negative sentences. It is not used in affirmatives.
What have we learned?
We got acquainted with the Present Perfect tense - Present Perfect. We examined the basic rules of education, signs and cases of use of this tense. This summary on the topic “Present Perfect Tense” gives a clear explanation, and is an excellent guide for dummies, that is, for beginners learning English, and for advanced students.
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