Biographies Characteristics Analysis

Recently in what tense is used. Where to put markers in a sentence? Auxiliary words Present Perfect

Present Perfect is the present perfect tense of English. This tense is used to refer to events that have ended up to the present time or completed in the present time period. See below the rules for forming the Present Perfect, a list of auxiliary words and examples of the use of the present perfect in English.

Education Present Perfect

In affirmative sentences, the Present Perfect is formed by using the auxiliary word have (1 and 2 persons) or has (3 persons 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 -ed or in 3rd form

The noun and the 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 has 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 -ed or in 3rd form

The auxiliary verb can merge with not to form have not or has not. Examples of negative sentences:

I have not seen you for years! "I haven't seen you in 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 put in advance of the sentence. rule:

Have / Has + noun + verb with -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 tense markers are listed 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 present

Unspecified Time Before Now

Present Perfect is usually used to describe what 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, because when using this time, the emphasis is on experience, and not on the time when the event occurred. In this case, the use of auxiliary words is used (see the table above). examples:

I have been to France. — I was in France.

I think I have met him once before. “I think I once met him.

Nobody has ever climbed that mountain. Nobody has ever climbed this mountain.

You have grown since the last time I saw you. You have grown since the last time I 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 time, 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 given here, but the emphasis is on how many times the person has seen the movie.)

II use case: the action takes place to the present day

Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

The Present Perfect is also used with Non-Continuous Verbs or Mixed Verbs. In this case, the present perfect tense describes an action that began in the past and continues to the present. In this case, the use of phrases like for five minutes, for two weeks, since Monday and others is typical. examples:

I 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.

In Russian, yet, already, still and so far are translated as: "still / already", "already", "still" and "up to the present moment". English learners usually encounter these words for the first time when times are tough.

How not to get confused in them? Let's look in detail and with examples, when and how they are used.

Yet

Pronunciation and translation:

Yet / [yet] - already, more

Meaning of the word:
Before the moment of speech or a certain time in the past; after the moment of speech or a certain time in the past

Use:
Usually, yet used in questions or negatives. In questions it is translated as "already", and in negations - as "still". However, yet is always placed at the end of the sentence.

For example, questions: Have you made a decision already (yet)? Have you met new colleagues already (yet)?

Negative examples: I haven't completed this email yet (yet). We haven't been to this museum yet (yet).

Example:

Have you completed your renovation yet?
You already finished your renovation?

Have they announced anything yet?
They are already anything announced?

I haven't talked to the boss yet.
I more didn't talk to the boss.

She hasn't seen these bills yet.
She is more I haven't seen those accounts.

Already

Pronunciation and translation:

Already [ɔ: l "redi] / [olre'di] - already

Meaning of the word:
Before the moment of speech or a certain moment in the past

Use:
We use already when the event has already happened at the moment of speech or has already happened at some point in the past. As a rule, already is used in statements (that is, not in questions). For example: By the time the guests arrived, I had already (already) prepared everything. We already (already) discussed this issue. John is already (already) here, let's go say hello.

Sometimes already is used in questions. This is done in two cases.

1) To express surprise that something happened too quickly: How, is it midnight already (already)?

2) When we expect to hear “yes” in response to a question: Have you already prepared a presentation (already)? Have you called your mom already (already)?

Example:

We have already found a solution.
We already found a solution.

I have already told you everything I know.
I already told you everything I know.

Have you finished already? I wish I were so fast!
You already finished? If only I could be as fast!

Have you visited the dentist already? You told me last week that you were going to.
You after all already went to the dentist? You told me last week that you were going to.

Still

Pronunciation and translation:

Still / [style] - still, still

Meaning of the word:
About an action or state that is still ongoing and has not yet ended

Use:
We use still when we want to emphasize that the situation at the moment is not over yet. For example: I am still (still) waiting for your answer. My son is still (still) at school.

It can also be about a certain moment in the past: Yesterday at 10 pm I was still (still) at work. Last week I was still (still) ill and therefore stayed at home.

If we have a negative sentence, then this may mean something that has not yet come (although it should have). For example: We still (still) have not decided anything. He still (still) has not prepared a report.

Example:

I'm still waiting for your reply.
I all more waiting for your reply.

We're still not sure what to do.
We all more not sure what to do.

so far

Pronunciation and translation:

So far / [seu fa '] - up to the current moment, for now

Meaning of the word:
About something that happened or continues up to the current moment (what will happen next is unknown)

Use:
We use so far when talking about a certain situation that continues until the moment of speech, however, things may change in the future.

For example: So far (so far) everything is going well. So far (so far) I have done only part of the work. So far (so far) he has not given us an answer.

Example:

So far the weather has been good.
up to before current moment the weather was good.

All our attempts to find him were unsuccessful so far.
All our attempts to find him were unsuccessful. Bye what.

What is the difference?

Yet- translated as "already" (in questions), "still" (in denials). For example: We haven't discussed this issue yet (yet).

Already- translated as "already" (in statements). For example: I already (already) ordered a pizza.

In questions, it expresses surprise or betrays our inner conviction that something did happen. For example: Are you leaving already (already)?

Still- we use it when we say - something is still going on (and this is the main thing). For example: I am still (still) waiting for my pizza.

Sofar- we use it when something continues up to the current moment, but the situation may change in the future. For example: So far (so far) the day has been productive.

Note: this word is very similar to yet! In negative sentences they are interchangeable:

yet.
Police more did not find the stolen car.

The police haven't found the stolen car so far.
Police Bye what did not find the stolen car.

In positive statements yet simply cannot be used, so there is only possible so far:

The police have caught 4 members of the gang so far.
So far, the police have caught four members of the gang.

! The police has caught 4 members of the gang yet.

Sometimes so far can be confused with still. It is important here that using still, we, first of all, want to convey that the action is still ongoing and there is no end in sight:

I still feel bad about what happened.
I all more I worry about what happened.

You still haven't answered my question!
You still didn't answer my question!

For so far more important is the tone “so far the state of things is this, but in the future everything can change.”

So far I feel really bad about what happened but I'm sure I'll calm down in a couple of days.
So far I'm very worried about what happened, but I'm sure I'll calm down in a couple of days.

So far he hasn't answered any questions, but the tabloid journalists are very persistent.
So far, he has not answered a single question, but the yellow press is very persistent.

Reinforcement task

Insert the correct words in the following sentences. Leave your answers in the comments below the article.

1. I ___ waiting for you at the station! Where are you?!
2. We didn't have any problems ___. Although, we have only completed the easiest part of the project.
3. Have you made a decision ___?
4. Like an hour ago, John ___ is in traffic.
5. No thanks, I ___ ate.
6. ___ we are having a good time in Spain, but we are running out of money…
7. How?! He is here?!
8. I did not receive your letter ___.

Perfect tenses don't seem to be the easiest for English learners. In Russian, it is far from always possible to find a successful analogue, especially for the Present Perfect tense. Hence there is a misunderstanding of what this form is and in what cases it is used.

The Present Perfect satellites, markers characteristic of this time, will help to figure it out. They often accompany the verb in sentences, so knowing the present perfect indicators makes it easier to determine the context where this form should stand.

Such indicators may not always unambiguously determine the right time, but they point to a model that usually describes the situation.

Introduction to the Present Perfect

Before learning to determine in which cases this time should be set and what satellites the Present Perfect has, let's figure out what this form is. It is formed typical of all perfect forms: the construction involves the verb to have (which is here in the present tense have / has, taking into account the indicator of the person) and the action verb itself, put in the third form.

Present Perfect is one of the tenses of the present. Therefore, it describes the plan of the present: what turns out to be true at the moment of making a speech refers to the present moment. But the present perfect is also connected with the plan of the past, it concerns the previous situation. Such atypical Present explains the difficulties that arise in the development of time.

The connection with the past is explained by the perfect meaning of the form: it is based on the idea of ​​fixing the result. The result can be intermediate - and then the situation continues in the present, or finished when the event itself happened in the past - in this case, Present Perfect emphasizes the consequences that are important for the current state of affairs.

That is, Present Perfect is, first of all, emphasizing the result of an event at the present moment. This is its main characteristic, which determines many Present Perfect time indicators. For this form, it is not the fact of the action that is important, but how it is displayed in the present situation.

The main meanings of the present perfect

From understanding the general idea, we move on to the specifics. There are three Present Perfect values, each of which has its own time markers. The first two are directly related to the idea of ​​effectiveness embedded in this temporary form.

  • The event originates in the past, continues to last and has a result by the current moment.

    Mary have lived in Japan for six years - Mary has lived in Japan for six years

  • The event happened in the past, but has an obvious result now: the consequences of the past event are important for the present.

    My father has bought a new house - My father bought a new house

    These two meanings do not refer to the past (even though Present Perfect is often translated into Russian in the past tense), but determine the situation of the present. And of course, past events have already led to this situation.

  • An event that precedes an event in the future.
    The third meaning is not directly related to the result of the action, but acts as a link between two situations. The Present Perfect can denote a previous event in relation to the future tense and appear in a subordinate clause.

    I will give you a toy as soon as you have eaten all your dinner - I will give you a toy as soon as you eat your dinner

Present Perfect Indicators

Time markers depend on the meaning of the situation described in the sentence. Therefore, it is more convenient to consider present perfect pointers on the basis of the highlighted meanings that this verb form has.

1. The event originates in the past, continues to last and has a result by the current moment.

Markers characteristic of such a value emphasize the duration of the action and fix the time period. Such Present Perfect indicators include since (from what moment) and for (for how long).

Since my visit this summer, little has changed - Little has changed since my arrival this summer
This house has been empty for nine years - This house has been empty for nine years

For Present Perfect time indicators since and for are typical in such situations, which are simply impossible to cancel. For example, the present perfect is used when we say that we know a person:

She has known me since I was a child - She has known me since
how i was a child
She has known me for many years - She has known me for many years

2. The event happened in the past, but has an obvious result now: the consequences of the past event are important for the present.

With long-term processes, the action of which is valid in the present, sorted out. Although the markers characterize the previous period of time, the situation applies to the current moment (the house is still empty, she still knows me).

But in the second meaning of the Present Perfect, situations related to the past appear. In Russian, such situations are most often translated in the past tense, which is even more confusing.

Here, markers play a special role, which help to determine the context for the present perfect. It is they who explicitly connect the situation with the present moment. For example, in Present Perfect recently (recently) shows that the event has just happened and it is too early to attribute it to the plan of the past. And as we remember, the meaning of the perfect is to emphasize the significance of what happened for what is being discussed now.

Present Perfect time indicators that refer to the current moment:

  • just (just now): She has just finished a portrait of a young lady - She has just finished a portrait of a young girl
  • already (already): They have already constructed three new buildings in this area - They have already built three new buildings in this area
  • so far (by now): There have been no problems so far
  • yet (yet): I really haven't decided where to go yet - I really haven't decided where to go yet
  • before (before): I have not thought about it before - I didn’t think about it before
  • by now (by now): I have translated four pages by now - I have translated four pages by now
  • recently (recently): She has recently completed a course at Liverpool University - She recently completed a course at Liverpool University
  • lately (lately): You "ve been so busy lately - Lately you have been so busy

A few formal clarifications can be said about these markers. For example, yet is inextricably linked with negation in a sentence and is used in final positions. And in the so far indicator, the time point can be specified relative to another event:

So far in our case studies we have examined only one side of this political situation - At this stage of the study, we have considered only one side of this political situation

Other markers characterize the frequency of action. The present in this case acts as a feature in relation to which the event is considered. For example, clarifications at what time the event occurs (It's the first / second time ...) are good hints - explicit Present Perfect pointers.

  • never (never): I "ve never seen anything like It - I've never seen anything like it
  • ever (ever): I doubt they "ve ever considered this opportunity - I doubt that they have ever considered such an opportunity
  • always (always): I "ve always believed in life after death - I always believed in life after death
  • often (often): I "ve often spoken to you about my childhood - I often told you about my childhood
  • seldom (rare): I have seldom seen children so eager to learn - I have rarely seen children who are so eager to learn
  • X time (certain time): It's the second time he's been here - He's here for the second time

For the Present Perfect, the companions accompanying the situation are the words once (once) / twice (twice).

I "ve seen this movie twice - I saw this movie twice
I "ve seen this movie several times - I saw this movie several times

Present Perfect markers can also be indications of the time range in which the event occurs. This includes expressions such as today (today), this morning (this morning) and others. A feature of these indicators is that in this case the specified period of time is directly related to the present. And if you use them with Present Perfect, then it has not ended yet.

I "ve heard so much gossip this morning - I heard so much gossip this morning(and it's not finished)

If the morning has already ended, and you want to leave it in the past, use the past tense:

I heard so much gossip this morning - I heard so much gossip this morning(and it's already gone)

Therefore, circumstances such as all my life (my whole life) will act as indicators of the present perfect.

All my life I "ve wanted to see dragons - All my life I dreamed of seeing dragons

3. An event preceding an event in the future tense.

This case is clearly different in its meaning from the idea of ​​efficiency. And for this value, the present perfect time indicators will differ from the examples discussed above.

When it comes to using the Present Perfect as a precedence, the markers are the allied words in the subordinate clause:

  • when (when): I will write to him when I "ve come home - I will write to him when I get home
  • after (after): I "ll call you after I" ve talked to Mr. Jones - I'll call you after I talk to Mr. Jones
  • as soon as (as soon as): We will inform you as soon as we have received a response to our request - We will inform you as soon as we receive a response to our request
  • till (until): I won "t talk to you till my lawyer has arrived - I won't talk to you until my lawyer arrives
  • until (yet): I won't tell you the story until you have promised me to keep it secret - I won't tell you a story until you promise me to keep it secret

One 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 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:
When we talk about events
that happened in the past.

We show:
fact of action,
which once happened.

We use:
When we talk about events
that happened in the past.
However, this action
matters now.

We show:
The result of the action
which we received

Example:

I bought a bag.
I bought a bag.

For example, I say
that I bought a bag in response to the question:
"What did you do yesterday?"
I say this as a fact of action - I
Yesterday I was shopping for a bag.

Example:

I have bought the bag.
I bought a bag.

For example meshowing
a bag to a friend, brag to her
exactly
at present.
That is to me
the result is important
actions
- purchased bag.

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 in -y and preceded by a consonant, y changes to i + ed

cr y-cr ied- cry
tr y-tr ied- sample

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.

The English language is "rich" in its own tenses. Remembering all the cases of their use is quite difficult, but time indicators come to the rescue. Today, the focus is on the Present Perfect pointer words.

Present Perfect tense

Present Perfect or Present Perfect is one of the incomprehensible tenses for those who study English. The reason is understandable - there is no such time in the Russian language, so it is impossible to draw a parallel and understand what is at stake.

The Present Perfect tense is formed using two verbs: auxiliary have/has and main in 3rd form. Auxiliary verbs are not translated and change:

has for he (he), she (she), it (it), and have - for I (I), you (you, you), we (we), they (they).

The main verb, on the contrary, is translated and does not change. The only thing is, the 3rd form for regular verbs is a verb + ending -ed (to watch - watched, to use - used, to smile - smiled), and for irregular ones - the 3rd column from the table of irregular verbs (to be - been, to hear - heard, to bring - brought):

It is a pity, but I have never been to Paris - It's a pity, but I've never been to Paris.

He has brought beautiful flowers today - He brought beautiful flowers today.

Meaning

As can be seen from the examples, this tense form is translated into Russian with the help of verbs in the past tense. It turns out that the meaning of Present Perfect (Present Perfect) is very close to Past Simple (Simple Past). And yet there is a difference between them. Unlike Past Simple (Simple Past), which describes ordinary, repetitive actions in the past, Present Perfect (Present Perfect) offers to "plunge" into past events, the result of which affects the present:

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She has already cooked her dinner. It smells tasty - She has already cooked dinner. Smells tasty.

This example shows that the first action (has cooked - cooked) caused the second (smells - smells), and the second - a consequence of the first. It seems that everything is simple and clear. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Under the "dark water" more complex cases and rules are hidden, and it is not always possible to find them. It's time to take advantage of the tips that the English language itself offers for free - words with Present Perfect markers.

Words-satellites of time

Present Perfect Time Markers are adverbs of time that answer the question “When?”, indicate that the event occurred in an indefinite period, and emphasize the connection of the past with the present. These include time indicators:

The indicators of time yet (still) and before (earlier) are used only at the end of a sentence.

  • Already- already (The teacher has already explained a difficult grammar rule - The teacher has already explained a difficult grammar rule);
  • Just- just, just, exactly (My son has just finished drawing his first picture - My son just finished drawing his first picture);
  • Ever- ever (Have you ever seen the ocean? - Have you ever seen the ocean?);
  • Never- never (She has never mentioned his name - She never mentioned his name);
  • Before- before, before (This artist has painted only women before - This artist painted only women before);
  • Recently- recently, recently (He has helped many immigrants recently - Recently helped many immigrants);
  • Not…yet- not yet, still not (The police has not arrested him yet - The police have not arrested him yet);
  • Lately- recently, long ago, recently (My father has lately made much for me - My father has recently done a lot for me);
  • so far- at this hour, by now, up to this point, already (His progress in studies has so far been slow - His progress in studies up to this point has been slow);
  • By now- by now (My son has read much by now - By now, my son has read a lot);
  • Up to now- until now, until now (She has not known his name up to now - Until now, she did not know his name);