present perfect. Time Present Perfect

One of the most common difficulties of the English language for a Russian-speaking person is the difference between Present Perfect and. Is it really that important? Is there any difference between the following sentences?

Ivan Taraskin was born in 1970.
Ivan Taraskin went to school in 1976.
Ivan Taraskin was in London 3 times.

Born, went, was All three verbs are in the past tense. Therefore, I will use Past Simple for all 3 sentences and at first I will be outraged when they tell me that in English they will sound like this.

Ivan Taraskin was born in 1970. (Past Simple)
Ivan Taraskin went to school in 1976. (Past Simple)
Ivan Taraskin has been to London 3 times.

Imagine if you said:

Ivan Taraskin went to London 3 times

This mistake would have cost him his life! Why? Yes, because in English the past tense is used when an action can no longer be repeated in a specified period of time. And in our case, it cannot be repeated only if the person is no longer in the world.

Ivan Taraskin has been to London 3 times (so far he has been to London 3 times and may go there again)
Ivan Taraskin went to London 3 times (can't go there anymore)

When you want to say that you have watched (at the time of speaking) 4,000 films, ate 50 kg of chocolate, or met 100 people, you need to use the Present Perfect, that is, have / has (for he / she / it) + 3 form of the verb.

The present completed tense is a stumbling block for many English learners. Firstly, because it is not as transparent and understandable as or . Indeed: simple time -, single, regular simple actions; extended time - extended, long actions. But the completed time is by no means always a finished action. Therefore, this is the not uncommon case when you just need to memorize cases of using time.

Secondly, time itself is called PRESENT completed, and it denotes actions in the PAST.

And third, between present perfect and there is a very thin line, and it must also be observed.

So, let's analyze each of these three contradictions separately.

1. What activities do we call completed? These actions must be in the past, completed recently, just now, etc. That is, those actions that are relatively close to the present time. That is why it is called so - PRESENT completed, because it has a connection with the present and must be completed by now.

2. As we have just agreed, the present completed tense is called so because it denotes actions in the past that are somehow related to the PRESENT tense:

These actions can have a tangible result or proof in the present tense: Anna has graduated from university. (Anna graduated from the university. The result - now Anna has a diploma, you can touch it, for example).

This action is news, new information that you tell someone: The police have caught the thief. (The police caught the thief. This is news).

I have prepared for the seminar in biology. (I prepared for a seminar on biology. The result is that now I have some information on biology in my head, you can hear it).
The grandfather has painted the roof. (Grandfather painted the roof. The result is the roof is now a different color, you can see it).
Jack has finally got his driver's license! (Jack finally got the rights! This is new information that you tell a friend, colleague, etc.)

3. What's the difference between Past simple and present perfect if both these tenses convey actions in the past? Schematically Past simple can be depicted like this:

Now let's see how the action is located in time space in present perfect.

See the difference? Actions in the present completed - only those that are sooooo close to the present moment in time, have a connection with it and ARE NOT SIGNED WITH A CERTAIN TIME.

What is the structure present perfect ? In this tense we have an auxiliary verb - have . This means that after the pronouns he/she/it it changes to has . The main verb comes with the ending -ed (if it is correct), or in the third form / participle form (if it is). So it’s not in vain that our impressive list of irregular verbs is still learning! Consider the examples first with the correct verb:

Grandpa painted the roof. - The grandfather has painted the roof.
Grandpa didn't paint the roof. - The grandfather has not painted the roof. - The grandfather hasn't painted the roof.
Grandpa painted the roof? Has the grandfather painted the roof? - Yes, he has. / No, he hasn't.

And now with the wrong one:

We bought a car (this is news). - We have bought a car.
We didn't buy a car. - We have not bought a car. - We haven't bought a car.
Have you bought a car? - Have you bought a car? - Yes, we have. / No, we haven't.

Complete the exercise to reinforce the material.

I was constantly confused in English tenses, and it was very difficult for me to understand in what cases to use this ill-fated Present Perfect. Today I will try to explain as clearly and simply as possible in which cases it is necessary to use the Present Perfect, and not some other English tenses.

Indefinite time in the past

We use the Present Perfect to say that an event happened at an unspecified time in the past. That is, we do not say when exactly this happened. We only say that it was in the past. It is not necessary to name a specific time. You cannot use the Present Perfect with expressions such as yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. And with expressions that do not name a specific moment in time, Present Perfect is just what you need to use. These are expressions ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Let's look at a few examples:

I have seen that movie twenty times.(I have seen this movie 20 times).

I think I have met him once before.(I think I met him once).

There have been many earthquakes in California.(California has had many earthquakes).

People have traveled to the Moon.(People flew to the moon).

People have not traveled to Mars.(Humans have not gone to Mars.)

Have you read the book yet?(Have you read this book yet?)

Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.(No one has ever climbed that mountain.)

A: Has there ever been a war in Russia?(Has Russia ever had a war?)

B: Yes, there has been a war in Russia.(Yes, there was a war in Russia).

Note that none of the examples named a specific point in time.

Still, such a formulation as “indefinite point in time” may not be clear to you. Let's then divide the use of the Present Perfect by topic.

1. Mentioning someone's experience

You can use the present perfect tense when talking about your experience. This is the same as the phrase " I have the experience of…» Accordingly, if you have not had a similar experience to this day, you can say it using the same tense. However, you cannot use the Present Perfect to mention a specific event.

I have been to France.(It means that you have had the experience of being in France. Perhaps you have been there once, and maybe several times).
I have been to France three times.(You can put as many times as you like at the end of the sentence.)
I have never been to France.(Here it says that you had no experience of traveling to France.)
I think I have seen that movie before. I have seen this movie before (You have already had this experience).
He has never traveled by train. He never rode a train (no such experience)
Joan has studied two foreign languages. Joan learned two foreign languages. (She knows them now).
A: have you ever met him?(Have you met him?)
B: No, I have not met him.(No, I haven't.)

2. Changes over a period of time

You have grown since the last time I saw you.(You've grown since the last time I saw you.)
The government has become more interested in art education.(The state became more interested in arts education.)
Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program has been established.(Japanese has become one of the most popular languages in universities since the introduction of Asian programs.)
My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.(I have improved my English a lot since I moved to Australia.)

3. Achievements

Present Perfect is used when we mention the achievements of a person or mankind. But we do not name a specific moment.

Man has walked on the Moon.(Man landed on the moon.)

Our son has learned how to read.(Our son has learned to read.)

Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.(Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.)

Scientists have split the atom.(Scientists have split the atom.)

4. An event that has not yet occurred that we expect

By using the present incomplete tense, we mean that we are waiting for some event to happen.

James has not finished his homework yet.(James didn't finish his homework.)

Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.(Susan is not yet a Japanese speaker, but she can communicate.)

Bill has still not arrived. (Bill hasn't arrived yet.)

The train hasn't stopped .(The train didn't stop.)

5. Multiple activities at different times

We use the Present Perfect to talk about events that happened several times at different times in the past. The use of this particular time indicates that the process has not yet ended and can happen again.

For example:

The army has attacked that city five times.(The army attacked the city several times.)

I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.(I had four quizzes and five tests this semester.)

We have had many major problems while working on this project.(We had a lot of big problems while working on the project.)

She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.(She has spoken to several specialists about her problem, but no one knows what she has.)

Time Expression with Present Perfect

Let me remind you once again that the use of the Present Perfect characterizes some time in the past. To name some exact moment in time is not so important. Sometimes we want to limit a period of time in the past by talking about our own or someone else's experience.

For example:

have have you been to Mexico in the last year? Have you been to Mexico at least once in the past year?

I have seen that movie six times in the last year. I have watched this movie 6 times in the last year.

They have had three tests in the last week. They had 3 tests in the last week.

She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far. She graduated from university less than three years ago. During this time she worked for three different companies.

my car has broken down three times this week. This week my car broke down 3 times.

IMPORTANT NOTE. "last year" and "in the last year" have different meanings. "Last year" means "last year", which is a specific point in time, so the Past Simple is used. "in the last year" is 365 days ago, that is, on any of these days. This does not imply a specific point in time, so the Present Perfect is used.

I went to Mexico last year. I went to Mexico last year (one year ago).

I have been to Mexico in the last year. I was in Mexico on at least one of the 365 days between today and last.

Duration from past to present

Relevant for verbs that do not form ing-forms (non-continuous verbs), as well as for mixed verbs (mixed verbs). In this case, we use the Present Perfect to refer to events that began in the past and continue to the present. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" can all be used with the present perfect tense.

I have had a cold for two weeks. I've had a cold for two weeks. I got sick in the past, but still continues to get sick.

She has been in England for six months. She has been in England for 6 months. Arrived in the past and hasn't left yet.
Mary has loved chocolate since she was a little girl. Mary loves chocolate since childhood.

Sometimes verbs that form ing forms can also be used with the Present Perfect: For example, the verbs "live," "work," "teach," and "study."

Present perfect - it is not difficult to understand, it is difficult to start using it in your communication.
This material was prepared by native English speakers in a very accessible and understandable way.

What is Present Perfect

1. Present Perfect is a mix of present and past.
2. Present Perfect - makes your English richer.
3. In American English, Present Perfect is often replaced by Past Simple.

When is the Present Perfect used?

1. The action happened and we see the result now.
2. When it comes to our life experiences.
3. When various kinds of changes took place in life, in the world, in oneself, etc.
4. When shared achievements are mentioned.
5. When it is necessary to emphasize the duration of accomplished facts.

Let's analyze the above points in more detail.

1. The action happened and we see the result now

The main marker, the word "just", which is not translated into Russian, but it is implied. Or, when it is important for us to focus on what has been done or happened.

I (just) had breakfast. I had breakfast.
I (just) did my homework. I have done my homework.

I (just) washed my car. I have washed my car.
We have (just) arrived. We have arrived.

She (just) forgot her car keys. She has lost her car keys.
The plane (just) landed. The plane has landed.

2. When it comes to our experience

For example: he never ate frogs, she was never in America, they flew on a plane, we never had chickenpox, etc.

The main marker, the word "once, before" or "never", which are also not translated, but are implied by the context.

I saw (before) this movie. I have seen this movie.
Have you ever been in love? Have you ever fallen in love?

She has never seen snow. She has never seen snow.
Have you ever driven a Ferrari? Have you ever driven on a Ferrari?

I was (once, before) in Paris. I have visited Paris.
I've never been sick (before). I've never been sick before.
I have seen this world. I've seen the world.

3. When there were various kinds of changes in life

What it could be: Gasoline prices have risen, a new house has been built nearby, a child has grown up, you have learned more words in English, you have chosen a new president, etc.

She lost weight. She has lost some weight.
Our son has learned to read. Our son has learned how to read.

Gasoline prices have risen sharply. Gas prices have increased a lot.

My dream has come true. My dream has come true.

Since I moved to Canada my English has really improved.
My English has really improved since I moved to Canada.

Vanya grew up from the moment I saw him for the last time.
Ivan has grown since the last time I saw him.

4. When it comes to overall achievements

Apple released a new iPhone, a man flew to Mars, a new cure for cancer was invented, in Russia they finally created the perfect car.

Doctors have discovered drugs for many diseases.
Doctors have discovered cures for many diseases.

Man has been to the moon. Man has been to the moon.

The computer made it possible to study online.
The computer has made it possible to learn online.

5. When to Emphasize the Duration of Accomplished Facts

Everything is simple here: we have been in a relationship for 5 years, I have been living in Australia since 1990, I have not seen him for 2 years, she has been working in this company for 10 years, etc.

I haven't been on vacation this year. I haven't had a holiday this year.
I have known Anya for 5 years. I have known Anna for 5 years.

Sam has been working here for 7 years. Sam has worked here for 7 years.
I haven't seen my brother since last year. I haven't seen my brother since last year.
We have been dating for 3 months. We have been in a relationship for 3 months.

An important nuance!
If you are taking an exam, or focusing on American English, remember:
In American English, the present perfect is often replaced by the past simple.

I have just seen him. Bre
I saw him.

I just saw him. amer
I saw him.

She has never seen snow. Bre
She has never seen snow.

She never saw snow. amer
She has never seen snow.

Formation of Present Perfect

have/has + verb ending -ed - or irregular verb from the third column -V3-

Simple sentence

I You We They	have	cooked dinner.
He She It	has	cooked dinner.

Negation in Present Perfect

I You We They	have not - haven't	lived in Moscow
He She It	has not - hasn't	lived in Moscow

Questions in Present Perfect

have	I You We They	seen that?
Has	He She It	known about..?

The present perfect tense, or Present Perfect Tense, is a rather complicated tense form for a Russian-speaking person. And the thing is that in Russian there is no equivalent of this grammatical form. We are immediately confused by the fact that the Present Perfect tense refers to both the present and the past tense. How is this possible? Let's figure it 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 tense. That is, the present perfect tense conveys an action committed 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, i.e. the action happened 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 - 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 many letters

The difference in the meaning of these tenses lies in the fact that the Past Simple expresses a past action, timed to a certain moment in the past and not related to the present. Present Perfect expresses a past action that is not timed to any moment in the past and has a result in the present. The difference between the Past Simple and Present Perfect times 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 cooked dinner (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 cooked dinner (It doesn't matter if dinner is ready at the moment)

If the time of the past action is indicated by the circumstances of the time or context, the Past Simple is used. If the time of the past action is not indicated by the circumstances of the time and is not implied by the context, the Present Perfect is used.

Present Perfect is mainly used in colloquial speech when describing events in the present tense that are the result of past actions.

Rules for the formation of Present Perfect Tense

Subl. + 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 + Gen. + Past Participle …?

The negative form is formed by negating 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

Subl. + have / has + not + Past Participle ...

Conjugation table of 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) lie He/ She/ It has (He "s/ She's) lie	Have I lied? Have you lied? Has he/ she/ it lie?	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) lie You have (you "ve) lie 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 the past action associated with the present time, if the sentence does not contain any circumstances of time. 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 off 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 circumstantial words or adverbs of indefinite time and repetition as:

ever - ever
never - never
often - often
always - always
yet - still
seldom - rarely
already - already
rarely - rarely
several times - several times

I haven't had lunch yet - I haven't had 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 to London?
No, never - No, never

3. If in the sentence the indicated period of time has not yet ended by the time of speech with such circumstantial words and adverbs of a certain time as:

today - today
all day - all day
this morning - this morning
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 paper 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 preposition 4. If the sentence contains such circumstances of time that indicate the period during which the action took place (starting from a certain moment in the past and up to the present):

for a long time - for a long time
for the past two years (days, months, hours) - over the past 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
up to the present - until now
lately - recently

Have you bought anything new lately? Have you bought something new recently?
She hasn't written to me up to now - She hasn't written to me yet
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 circumstances of time 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 flat 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 present perfect tense (Present Perfect Tense). As you can see, everything is not so difficult. It is important to learn circumstantial words and adverbs that indicate the present perfect tense, and then everything is simplified at times. Other nuances of this time of the English language you will comprehend already in the process of improving the language.

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 whatwith did? - passed, committed ( but not what have you been doing? - handed over).

Present Perfect Tense is used:

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 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 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 now. most recently e.g. The taxi has just arrived. The taxi has just arrived. IMPORTANT!!! with an adverb just now just now 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 is) 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 is) 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
(colloquial speech)
?-

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?

Exercise. 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.