Present Perfect Simple
1. Time name
Present Perfect Simple
2. Method of education
3. Changefinal letters
Tat (short vowel syllable) + ed = tatted
Silent e + ed = ed
Ty + ed = tied
4. Formation approval
Subject + have\has + V3 + minor members of the sentence
5. Formation of the question
Have\has + subject + V3 + minor members of the sentence?
6. Formation of denial
Subject + have\has + not + V3 + minor members of the sentence
7. Words are indicators of time
Ever, never, yet (the word yet in interrogative sentences comes last), already, just, since, for (non-continuous verbs) not only lately, recently, the first (second) time, superlative degree of comparison.
8. Time value
An action that just happened.
The action took place in the past, but we see the result now.
An action that began at a certain moment in the past and continues to this day or has just ended (non-continuous verbs) or state verbs.
An action that began at a certain moment in the past and is repeated to this day.
Something that never happened.
With a superlative degree of comparison.
An action that happened 1, 2, 3... times.
9. Modal verbs and constructions
Modal verbs:
- Can - have\has\had to
No constructions are used.
Present Perfect - Present Complete
We have already gone through 2 present tenses, which we called “simple” and"long". Now we'll look at present complete - Present Perfect. It sounds paradoxical, but in English some types of completed actions can refer to the present tense rather than the past tense. Such actions are referred to in the context of a period of time that has not yet ended. For Russian-speaking students, this phenomenon may present some difficulties, because... we convey it using the past tense. However, the situation will become clearer after you understand the difference. Look at the following pair of sentences in Russian that used the past tense:
In English, these two sentences will be used in 2 different tenses.- I traveled to the USA last spring.-- refers to the Simple Past, which we have already gone through. the key phrase is " last spring ", i.e. a period of time that has already been completed. -I went to the USA last spring
- I have traveled to the USA three times in my life.-- refers to the Present Complete, because time interval " in all my life " has not yet been completed, despite the fact that the action has already been completed. - I have gone to the USA three times in my life
- For education Present Perfect You need to place after the subject the verb “Have” in the form corresponding to the subject (Have / Has), and after that the verb, to which the ending “ed” is added. It should be noted that the verb have in the Present Perfect is auxiliary and does not mean “to have”. It simply helps form the Present Perfect Tense.
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| be | was, were | been |
| become | became | become |
| begin | began | begun |
| blow | blew | blown |
| break | broke | broken |
| bring | brought | brought |
| build | built | built |
| burst | burst | burst |
| buy | bought | bought |
| burst | burst | burst |
| catch | caught | caught |
| choose | chose | chosen |
| come | came | come |
| cut | cut | cut |
| deal | dealt | dealt |
| do | did | done |
| drink | drank | drunk |
| drive | drove | driven |
| eat | ate | eaten |
| fall | fell | fallen |
| feed | fed | fed |
| feel | felt | felt |
| fight | fought | fought |
| find | found | found |
| fly | flew | flown |
| forbid | forbade | forbidden |
| forget | forgot | forgotten |
| forgive | forgave | forgiven |
| freeze | froze | frozen |
| get | got | gotten |
| give | gave | given |
| go | went | gone |
| grow | grew | grown |
| have | had | had |
| hear | heard | heard |
| hide | hid | hidden |
| hold | held | held |
| hurt | hurt | hurt |
| keep | kept | kept |
| know | knew | known |
| lay | laid | laid |
| lead | led | led |
| leave | left | left |
| let | let | let |
| lie | lay | lain |
| lose | lost | lost |
| make | made | made |
| meet | met | met |
| pay | paid | paid |
| quit | quit | quit |
| read | read | read |
| ride | rode | ridden |
| run | ran | run |
| say | said | said |
| see | saw | seen |
| seek | sought | sought |
| sell | sold | sold |
| send | sent | sent |
| shake | shook | shaken |
| shine | shone | shone |
| sing | sang | sung |
| sit | sat | sat |
| sleep | slept | slept |
| speak | spoke | spoken |
| spend | spent | spent |
| spring | sprang | sprung |
| stand | stood | stood |
| steal | stole | stolen |
| swim | swam | swum |
| swing | swung | swung |
| take | took | taken |
| teach | taught | taught |
| tear | tore | torn |
| tell | told | told |
| think | thought | thought |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| understand | understood | understood |
| wake | woke (waked) | woken |
| wear | wore | worn |
| win | won | won |
| write | wrote | written |
| Subject | have/has (not) | Past Participle | Abbreviations |
| I | have (not) | written | I"ve (not) (I haven"t) |
| you | have (not) | worked | you"ve (not) (you haven"t) |
| he | has (not) | understood | he"s (not) (he hasn't) |
| she | has (not) | played | she"s (not) (she hasn't) |
| it | has (not) | broken | it"s (not) (it hasn't) |
| we | have (not) | cooked | we"ve (not) (we haven"t) |
| they | have (not) | met | they"ve (not) (they haven"t) |
Questions:
| Where | have
|
I/you/we/they
|
been? |
| Have | you | been | to Ukraine? | Yes, I have |
| Has | she | written | a letter? | No, she hasn't |
| Have | they | visited | their parents? | Yes, they have. |
I am sure that many people who study a language on their own reach the Present Perfect and... this is where their study ends, because according to the explanations from the textbook, not everyone can understand How is it? and Why is this? In this article I will not rewrite the rules, I will try to clearly and clearly explain what Present Perfect is.
First of all, let me remind you of the formation of this time.
We form the statement using the auxiliary verb have or has and the main verb in the third form, which in grammar is called Past Participle. If the verb is regular (regular), then the ending is added to it -ed, if the verb is irregular (irregular), then we take the third form from the third column of the table of irregular verbs. In this article I will denote Past Participle as V3:
In negation, a negative particle is added to the auxiliary verb not:
To form the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject ( Subject):
Not all special questions can be asked in the Present Perfect. For example, a question with a word is impossible, so in the Present Perfect interlocutors are only interested in the result. If we are interested in time, then we need to use another grammatical construction to express actions in the past.
Using the Present Perfect
Present Perfect - present perfect tense. From the name it is clear that this tense denotes an action that was performed in the past, but is connected with the present. How is it connected to the present? How do we understand that it is connected?
From theory, you probably remember that this tense should be used when talking about the result of an action; if the action began in the past, but is still ongoing; and also if we talk about our life experiences; when the action took place in a period of time that has not yet ended... Surely you have already read about this many times in books or heard from a teacher.
I will try to explain to you step by step and clearly in what cases the Present Perfect is used in English. I will try to give situations from life that you encounter every day, and in which it is appropriate and even necessary to use Present Perfect. In this article I will give you small tasks, by completing which you will be able to see the importance of using this time. I would like to note that my explanation will be significantly different from those you read in grammar books.
What makes the Present Perfect different from other tenses? These are his markers (they are also called defining words, time indicators). Let us highlight the main markers of this time:
I'm going to tell you about each of them because each marker reflects the main points of time use.
1. Just (just now)
The tense indicator just is often used with Present Perfect and indicates that an action has just occurred and there is a certain visible and significant result.
In the statement, the place of just is after the auxiliary verb:
Just is not used in negatives. In general matters it is extremely rare.
Just is used in special questions with question words ( , Why, etc.) You may encounter questions like this with just :
What has just happened? - What just happened?
What has he just done/ said? - What did he just do/say?
What just happened? Someone just broke a cup.
When did this action take place? In the recent past, we don't know exactly when.
What do we know? We only know the result of an action. And we can say this in Present Perfect:
What did they just do? They have just cleaned the room.
We don't know the exact time, but we have a visible result - the room is clean.
They have just cleaned the room.
What did he just do? He just woke up.
The time of his awakening is unknown to us (although there is a clock in the photo), but we see the result: he is no longer sleeping.
He has just woken up.
What did you just do? You just read the explanation. The action has been completed, there is a result: you learned about the word just.
You can say:
I have just read the explanation.
Exercise: Having performed some action and received a result, talk about its completion:
I have just had my breakfast.
You can look out the window and comment on what just happened there:
The tall man has just crossed the street. Two girls have just entered the shop.
2. Already/ yet (already; yet)
Present Perfect is used to describe an action that has already happened or has not yet happened. In these cases, we are invariably interested in the result, not in time. To make it clearer, let's look at an example from life.
Imagine that you come to a store with a shopping list.
Having already done some shopping, you stop to see what you have already purchased.
Let's consider different situations.
You read and translate complex text. You have only translated ten pages so far. You are still working with the text. You say:
I have translated ten pages so far. - I have translated ten pages so far.
Your friend is a writer. He writes novels. He has published one novel so far and continues to write. About him you will say:
He has published one novel so far. - He has published one novel so far.
The company you work for is expanding rapidly. At the moment, you have opened twenty new offices throughout the country and the company continues to grow:
Our company has opened twenty new offices so far. - Our company has opened twenty new offices at the moment.
All the actions described above took place in the past, but we evaluate their results at the moment while the action continues.
Question: How many paragraphs of this article have you read so far?
5. Never / ever (never / ever)
If you decide to indulge in memories and talk about your life experience, then without time Present Perfect you can't get by.
Do you love to travel? What countries have you visited?
I have been to France. - I was in France.
I have been to Italy. - I was in Italy.
I have been to Spain. - I was in Spain.
It doesn’t matter at all when you went to these countries, the main thing is that you visited there, got impressions, and can talk about it.
Which countries have you never been to? You can use negation or the word never to talk about it. The place of never in a sentence is after the auxiliary verb have/has:
I haven't been to India. - I have never been to India. - I've never been to India.
I haven’t been to China. - I have never been to China. - I have never been to China.
I haven't been to Japan. - I have never been to Japan. - I've never been to Japan.
If the word never is used, then the negative particle not is not needed because never itself has a negative meaning.
You want to ask questions to your interlocutor. Use the word ever:
Have you ever been to London? - Have you ever been in London?
I really hope that my explanation helped you understand the essence of the Present Perfect tense. Send your feedback
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Greetings, my dear readers.
How different do you think our Russian and English perceptions of time are? I'll tell you this: it's like two opposites. Just look at Present Perfect Tense. There is no analogue to such a phenomenon in our speech. But the British cope with this easier. So today I will teach you this magic trick.
Today we will look at all the rules of the Present Perfect. We will discuss the rules of formation and rules of use. We've got plenty of example sentences and tips ahead to help you tackle this topic more easily.
How is it formed
Let's look at the sentence structure:
Subject + auxiliary verb have\has + predicate in 3rd form + objects and circumstances.
I have finished the presentation already. - I have already finished the presentation.
She doesn’t go to school because she has fallen from the horse. - She doesn't go to school because she fell off her horse.
Just by looking at the examples, you can already notice an important aspect of this tense - the use of an auxiliary verb have.
- For the first and second person (I, we, you, you, they) - we use an auxiliary verb have .
- For the third person (he, it, it) - comes into play has .
And to understand how forms are formed in all types of English sentences, we have a wonderful table below.
The negative form is formed due to the particle not.
|
Negative form |
|
| I have not participated. | We have not participated. |
| You have not participated. | You have not participated. |
| He\She\It has not participated. | They have not participated. |
And to form a question, you need to send the auxiliary verb have to the beginning of the sentence.
Understanding the rules of education is only half the battle. Now we need to understand when to use it.
When to use: beginner level
- When we want to show the result of an action that has already happened.
They have sold their house. - They sold their house.
I don’t want to see him in person. I have talked to him on the phone recently. That's enough. - I don't want to see him in person. I talked to him on the phone recently. It's enough.
- Often this tense is used with the indicators already - already, recently - recently, just - just now, yet - yet, already.
I haven’t seen her recently. - I haven't seen her lately.
- The action took place during a period that has not yet ended. This is usually expressed as today\this week\month\year.
We have lived in 8 countries this year. - We lived in 8 countries this year.
I have spent four hours drawing princesses with my little sister today. - Today I spent four hours drawing princesses with my little sister.
- When talking about personal experience. The verbs commonly used are to go, to be, to read, to try, to visit, etc.
Have you ever been to Sweden? -Have you ever been to Sweden?
I have never tried Thai cuisine. - I have never tried Thai cuisine.
She has been to London twice this month. - She was in London twice this month.
- Situations and events that started earlier and are still relevant.
He has been a member of the team for 3 years already. - He has been a member of the team for 3 years.
- Actions that have just completed.
I have just received my exam results. - I just received the results of my exam.
When to use: Professional level
The English language can be difficult at times. We will now find out what difficulties the Present Perfect has in store for us.
- We cannot use some verbs in the present continuous tense. For example, know, want. But in the Present Perfect they can be used without problems.
We have known each other for 15 years. - We have known each other for 15 years.
He has dreamed of becoming a biker since he was 5. - He dreamed of becoming a biker since he was 5.
- When we say we are doing something for the first, second or third time. To do this, we use the construction it is the first\second\third time I have done something.
It is the sixth time Jane has called her parents for the evening. - Jane called her parents six times this evening.
It is the first time I have read the book so fast. That's because it is amazing. - This is the first time I read a book so quickly. It's because she's gorgeous.
Peculiarities
Very often, a terrible confusion between Present Perfect and Past Simple matures in the minds of students. This is understandable, because for us everything that happens in the past should be shaped by the past. And here is some kind of past in the present. Go figure it out.
But to avoid such confusion, I have for you, where exercises and theory will help you sort out the answers to your questions and then consolidate them.
In short, the most important difference is the meaning and time indicators. If you see the words ago, yesterday, last week...- this will be Past Simple. If you catch your eye already, never, just, yet, since - feel free to use the Present Perfect.
You didn’t text me yesterday. - You didn't write to me yesterday.
They haven't been texted recently. - They haven't written lately.
That's all for me, my dears. Remember that without practice you will not master the lesson 100%. So hurry up and go. Interesting tasks and tests with answers await you.
And I say goodbye to you for today.
P.S. Ask your questions in the comments, and I will be happy to answer them and help you understand the topic. And if you don’t want to miss the latest materials that I share with my subscribers first of all, subscribe to the blog newsletter. I promise you won't regret it.
Present perfect in translation is the present completed tense. Used in English to describe actions that began in the past, without a precise start time, and whose completion is closely related to the present. They have ended by the current moment or in a period that can be called the present. Problems often arise with understanding this tense, at least due to the fact that sentences in the Present perfect are translated into Russian in the past tense, and in English it is Present - present tense. And you also don’t immediately understand how a completed action can be in the present tense.
2. Education Present perfect
2.1. Affirmative form
Verb conjugation table in an affirmative sentence
More examples can be found in the article.
Rules for forming statements
The affirmative form of the present completed tense is formed as follows: after the subject there is an auxiliary verb have (has), plus the main verb in the 3rd form (past participle).
Both pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and nouns (boy, cars, snow) can be used as subjects.
The auxiliary verb have is almost always used, but in the 3rd person singular, that is, for pronouns he, she, it and singular nouns (boy, snow), has is used (see the conjugation table above).
Shortened forms of the auxiliary verbs have and has: ‘ve and ‘s respectively. For example, I have worked = I’ve worked, He has worked = He’s worked. Please note that 's is also used to shorten the verb is. Which word is abbreviated in such a record will have to be understood from the context.
The third form of the verb is a verb ending in -ed if the verb is regular. If the verb is irregular, then its third form must be remembered.
You can see the list of irregular verbs. You are now only interested in column 3, but we recommend learning all three forms at once. The second part of that article provides a life hack for more convenient memorization of irregular verbs.
The ending -ed is also not as simple as it seems at first glance; the rules for writing it are described in the article.
General scheme
S + have (has) + V3
Where S (subject) is the subject (pronoun or noun)
V3 (verb) – verb in 3rd form
2.2. Interrogative sentences
2.2.1. General issues
Example of verb conjugation in interrogative form
Rules for constructing a question
To form an interrogative sentence, it is enough to move the auxiliary verb have (has) to the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.
The main verb remains in the 3rd form.
Has is used in the same cases as in an affirmative sentence, that is, it depends on the subject.
Question formula in the present completed tense
Have (Has) + S + V3?
Where Have (Has) is an auxiliary verb
S – subject
V3 – verb in 3rd form
2.2.2. Answer to a common question
2.2.3. Special questions
Construction rules
A special question is formed from a general question by adding a question word (who, what, when, where) before the auxiliary verb have (has).
Formula for creating a special question
Wh + have (has) + S + V3?
Where Wh is a question word
have (has) – auxiliary verb
S – subject
V3 – verb in 3rd form
Table with examples of special questions
Rules for writing negatives
To form a negation from an affirmative sentence, you must write the negation particle not after the auxiliary verb. The auxiliary verb remains the same, the main verb remains in 3rd form.
The abbreviations for have not and has not are haven’t and hasn’t, respectively.
Reinforce the mastered rules for forming questions and negatives by completing.
General scheme of negation in the Present perfect
S + have (has) + not + V3
Where S is the subject
have (has) – auxiliary verb
not – particle of negation
V3 – verb in 3rd form
3. Use of the Present perfect and examples with translation
The present completed tense is used in the following cases:
3.1. When the fact that the action completed with a certain result is important, but the exact time when it happened is not important
I have bought a new skirt - I bought a new skirt. Now I have it, no matter when I bought it.
If you want to focus on the fact that you bought it at a sale on the weekend, that is, indicate the time, then you should use: I bought a new skirt last weekend.
3.2. If the action has recently completed and now its result affects the present
I'm not hungry. I have just eaten. I'm not hungry, I just ate.
Note that just is used in these cases.
3.3. When we talk about personal experience
I have been to London, but I haven’t been to Moscow - I was in London, but I wasn’t in Moscow. Some time in the past, it doesn’t matter when exactly, I was in London, this is a complete fact, but I was not in Moscow, although I can visit there.
Again, as soon as you want to indicate the exact time of your visit, you will need to use Past simple: I was in London 2 years ago.
When you talk about your experience, you can also focus on the fact that this happened more than once.
The concept of present tense in English does not always coincide with ours. One of the most striking examples of such a difference is the Present Perfect.
In this article we will understand what the Present Perfect is, how it is formed, in what cases it is used, what rules it obeys, and we will consolidate our knowledge with real examples of sentences with translation.
What is Present Perfect Tense?
Present Perfect Tense (Present Perfect) is the present perfect tense in English. It denotes an action that has completed at the current moment in time.
This is the main difficulty of the Present Perfect tense for students. In Russian there is no tense similar to the Present Perfect. For us, if something happens now, it is the present, and if it has happened, it is already the past.
But not for the British. They perceive time a little differently. According to the logic of native speakers, the action may well end in the present or close to the present moment. The Present Perfect exists to express such a connection between the past and the present.
Because of these features in the understanding of actions and time, the Present Perfect is usually translated into Russian as a verb in the past tense.
I have already done my homework - I have already done my homework
This example uses the Present Perfect tense (have done) because we are talking about the fact that the action (working on homework) ended very recently.
But we translate the sentence into Russian using the past tense (already done).
How is the Present Perfect formed?
The Present Perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and Past Participle (the third form of the semantic verb: V3).
The auxiliary verb changes depending on the subject:
- I / You / We / They → have (for 1st, 2nd person and plural forms)
- She / He / It → has (for 3rd person singular)
The construction of the Present Perfect tense is completed by a semantic verb in the third form (V3).
If the semantic verb is of the correct form, then its third form (V3) is formed using the ending -ed.
If the semantic verb is irregular, then we take its third form (V3) from the table of irregular verbs.
For example:
- to try → tried (try) to cook → cooked (cook) to finish → finished (finish)
- to get → got to keep → kept to see → seen
Statement:
An affirmative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and the semantic verb with the ending -ed for regular verbs or the third form of an irregular verb (V3) according to the formula:
- I / You / We / They + have + Ved (V3)
- She / He / It + has + Ved (V3)
I have decided - I decided
You have played - You played
He has done - He did
It has turned on - It turned on
In sentences and everyday speech you can often find a shortened form of the auxiliary verbs have / has. It is formed by adding ‘ve (for have) or ‘s (for has) to the subject:
- I have = I've
- You have = You've
- We have = We've
- They have = They've
- She has = She's
- He has = He's
- It has = It's
I’ve done my tasks - I completed my tasks
He’s washed the dishes - He washed the dishes
Negation:
Negative sentences in the Present Perfect are formed by adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb have / has, but before the main semantic verb. The formula looks like this:
- I / You / We / They + have not + Ved (V3)
- She / He / It + has not + Ved (V3)
I have not done my homework - I didn’t do my homework
They have not come - They did not come
She has not finished her tasks - She did not complete her tasks
It has not turned on - It did not turn on
In negation, the particle not can be shortened by joining it to the auxiliary verb have / has:
- Have not = haven’t
- Has not = hasn’t
I haven’t washed my hair - I didn’t wash my hair
She hasn’t been to London yet - She hasn’t been to London yet
Question:
An interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed by placing the auxiliary verb have / has at the beginning of the sentence. The formula will be like this:
- Have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
- Has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)
Have I bought all the presents? - Did I buy all the gifts?
Have you finished the classes? -Have you finished your classes?
Has she just arrived home? - Has she just arrived home?
Has it turned on? - Did it turn on?
Special questions are formed using question words. Such as when (when), how (how), what (what), where (where) and others. The following is the same word order as in the question.
- QW + have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
- QW + has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)
What has he just said? - What did he just say?
How long have you been knocked on the door? - How long have you been knocking on the door?
When is the Present Perfect used?
Now let’s look at the most common cases of using and using the Present Perfect tense in speech:
- Completed action in the present
In this case, the emphasis is on the result of the completed action. In other words, when the result of an action is visible in the present.
I have cooked a good dinner - I prepared a good dinner (the action is completed, the result is a good dinner)
I know Nina. We have already met - I know Nina. We have already met (the meeting took place in the past, but we are interested in the result in the present)
- Unfinished action in the present
The Present Perfect tense is used when we describe an action that began in the past, has not yet ended in the present, but the result is obvious.
I’ve written five pages of the new book this morning - I wrote five pages of a new book this morning (the morning is not over yet, he can write a few more pages)
She has finished watching “Harry Potter” this week - She finished watching “Harry Potter” this week (the week is still going on, but she has already finished watching the film)
- Fact of action / personal experience
If it is important for the speaker to emphasize the fact of some accomplished event without an exact indication of the time, the Present Perfect also comes to the rescue. This tense is often used when we talk about our past experiences or when we ask our interlocutor about it.
I have been to Bratislava - I was (was) in Bratislava
In a question when we are interested in a fact from someone’s life, we also use the Present Perfect:
Have you ever been to France? -Have you ever been to France?
Present Perfect tense markers
Present Perfect is used with imprecise expressions and words that indicate a period of time that has not yet ended
- never (never)
- ever (ever)
- already (already)
- yet (yet) / not yet (not yet)
- often (often)
- lately (lately)
- just (just now)
- once (once)
- recently (recently)
- before (before)
- today (today)
- this week (this week)
- this year (this year)
- for an hour (within an hour)
- for a long time (long time)
- since two o’clock - from two o’clock
- ince December – from December
Examples of Present Perfect sentences with translation
Affirmative:
I’ve studied English since my childhood - I have studied English since childhood
She has visited this beauty shop recently - She recently visited this cosmetics store
People have walked on the Moon - People walked on the Moon.
We’ve just eaten, so we don’t want to go to the cafe - We just ate, so we don’t want to go to the cafe
I have just cut my finger - I just cut my finger
Negative:
He has not returned from school yet - He has not yet returned from school
I haven’t bought the new car. This is my old one - I didn’t buy a new car. This is old
Jane hasn’t been to Asia yet - Jane has not yet been to Asia
I have not been at university this week because of the flu - I was not at university this week because of the flu
I haven’t replaced the batteries in the doorbell - I did not replace the batteries in the doorbell
Interrogative:
Have you seen this film about space? -Have you seen this film about space?
Has Jimmy bought the tickets yet? - Jimmy already bought tickets?
How many deals has she made at the moment? - How many deals has she concluded so far?
How much coffee have you drunk today? - How much coffee did you drink today?
How long have you known Mary? - How long have you known Mary?