Prepared by Ilona Stryzhko,

FORM

Examples:
Youhave seenthatmoviemanytimes.
Haveyouseenthatmoviemanytimes?
Youhave not seenthatmoviemanytimes.

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

WeusethePresentPerfecttosaythatanaction
happenedatanunspecifiedtimebeforenow.Theexact
timeisnotimportant.
YouCANNOTusethePresentPerfectwithspecific
timeexpressionssuchas:yesterday,oneyearago,last
week,whenIwasachild,whenIlivedinJapan,atthat
moment,thatday,oneday,etc.
WeCANusethePresentPerfectwithunspecific
expressionssuchas:ever,never,once,manytimes,
severaltimes,before,sofar,already,yet,etc.

How Do You Actually Use the Present

Perfect?
Theconceptof"unspecifiedtime"canbevery
confusingtoEnglishlearners.Itisbestto
associatePresentPerfectwiththefollowing
topics:

TOPIC 1. Experience
YoucanusethePresentPerfecttodescribeyour
experience.Itislikesaying,"Ihavetheexperience
of..."Youcanalsousethistensetosaythatyou
haveneverhadacertainexperience.ThePresent
PerfectisNOTusedtodescribeaspecificevent.

TOPIC 2. Change Over Time

WeoftenusethePresentPerfecttotalkabout
changethathashappenedoveraperiodoftime.
Example:
Youhave grownsincethelasttimeIsawyou.

TOPIC 3. Accomplishments
WeoftenusethePresentPerfecttolistthe
accomplishmentsofindividualsandhumanity.
Youcannotmentionaspecifictime.
Examples:
Manhas walkedontheMoon.
Oursonhas learnedhowtoread.
Doctorshave curedmanydeadlydiseases.
Scientistshave splittheatom.

TOPIC 4. An Uncompleted Action You Are

Expecting
WeoftenusethePresentPerfecttosaythatan
actionwhichweexpectedhasnothappened.
UsingthePresentPerfectsuggeststhatweare
stillwaitingfortheactiontohappen.
Examples:
Jameshas not finishedhishomeworkyet.
Susanhasn't masteredJapanese,butshecan
communicate.

TOPIC 5. Multiple Actions at Different

Times
WealsousethePresentPerfecttotalkabout
severaldifferentactionswhichhaveoccurredin
thepastatdifferenttimes.PresentPerfectsuggests
theprocessisnotcompleteandmoreactionsare
possible.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect it
means that something has happened at
some point in our lives before now. The
exact time the action happened is not
important.

NOTICE

"Lastyear"and"inthelastyear"areverydifferentin
meaning."Lastyear"meanstheyearbeforenow,andit
isconsideredaspecifictimewhichrequiresSimple
Past."Inthelastyear"meansfrom365daysagountil
now.Itisnotconsideredaspecifictime,soitrequires
PresentPerfect.
Examples:
IwenttoMexicolast year.
I went to Mexico in the calendar year before this one.
Ihave beentoMexicoin the last year.
I have been to Mexico at least once at some point
between 365 days ago and now.

USE 2. Duration From the Past Until

Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

WithNon-ContinuousVerbsandnon-continuoususes
ofMixedVerbs,weusethePresentPerfecttoshow
thatsomethingstartedinthepastandhascontinued
upuntilnow."Forfiveminutes,""fortwoweeks,"
and"sinceTuesday"arealldurationswhichcanbe
usedwiththePresentPerfect.
Examples:
Ihave hadacoldfortwoweeks.
Shehas beeninEnglandforsixmonths.

ADVERB PLACEMENT
Theexamplesbelowshowtheplacementfor
grammaradverbssuchas:always,only,never,
ever,still,just,etc.
Examples:
Youhaveonlyseenthatmovieonetime.
Haveyouonlyseenthatmovieonetime?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE

Examples:
Manytouristshave visitedthatcastle.Active
Thatcastlehas been visitedbymany
tourists.Passive