THE FLATMATES

Language point:
The present perfect
BBC Learning English The Flatmates

The Flatmates The present perfect

You can see this language point online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode18/languagepoint.shtml

The present perfect

The use
We use the present perfect to talk about something that happened before now but we
dont say exactly when it happened.

Alice says, She has gone for a break. The doctor isnt in the room now because she
left the room for her break some time before now.
The father says, Hes stopped breathing. The patient isnt breathing now because he
stopped breathing at some unknown time in the past.

If we refer to the time when the doctor left the room or when the patient stopped
breathing, then we use the past simple.

She went for her break at midnight.

He stopped breathing 1 minute ago.

The present perfect has two parts the main verb and the auxiliary verb.

The form - the main verb

He has stopped breathing.
She has gone for her break.

In these examples, the main verbs are to stop and to go. We use the past participle
of the main verb. Some verbs are regular you add ed to the infinitive without
to, while others are irregular. You have to learn the past participle e.g.
to go gone to take taken to find found
to see seen to give given to buy - bought

Continued overleaf/

The Flatmates BBC Learning English

Page 2 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates/archivelanguagepoint.shtml
BBC Learning English The Flatmates

The form - the auxiliary verb

The auxiliary verb is to have. When we make the present perfect we use the present
simple form of to have:
I/you/we/they have
he/she/it has..

The form is often shortened to: Ive, shes, weve, etc.

She has gone for a break.
Shes gone for a break.

We use the auxiliary to make negatives, questions and short answers.

I havent done it before.

Has she done it before?
Yes, she has.
No, she hasnt.

Adverbs of time
There are some adverbs of time that are commonly used with the present perfect.

Just This means it happened recently, not a long time ago

Shes just gone for a break.

Never This means it has not happened, not even once

Ive never given mouth to mouth.

Already This emphasises that something has happened before now

I have already called the doctor. She is coming.

The adverb goes between the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

Vocabulary:
You can hear a pin drop (idiom): It is very quiet

To catch up on something: To do something which you have not had time to do

recently

Mouth-to-mouth: A shortened version of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation trying to

help someone when s/he has stopped breathing by breathing into her/his mouth

Would you like to try an online quiz about this language point? Go to:
http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode18/quiz.shtml

Or you can download the quiz from:

http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode18/quiz.pdf
The Flatmates BBC Learning English
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates/archivelanguagepoint.shtml