From the school desk, students are frightened by difficult-to-understand times of English that need to be crammed, otherwise you will not communicate and understand the language even at a minimal level. In fact, the stiff English have only three times, as in our great and powerful language: present, past and future. However, it should be understood: each time has its own characteristics, in other words, types. In this article, we will consider the present tense and its form Present Perfect Simple.

English present tense

The present tense in English has 4 types:

1. present perfect.
2. present simple.
3. Present Perfect Continuous.

Exercises usually help to consolidate all the complexities of using these forms. It should be understood that these are not disparate rules, they have a certain system. The main thing in learning is to understand the essence of each tense, when it needs to be put into practice in writing, and when in a live conversation.

Time Formula

The name of the temporal form Present Perfect Simple is translated as "present perfect tense". The perfect form is one of the most commonly used in communication among the inhabitants of England and America, although in the speech of the latter we will hear it less often. This type of present tense is formed according to the following formula: auxiliary + main verb in form 3.

The third form for regular verbs is formed by adding, and for irregular verbs there is a form, which is usually given in dictionaries.

For example:

I have already cleaned my room. - "I have already cleaned my room" (the verb clean is correct).

He has already drunk his tea. - "He has already drunk his tea" (the verb drink is incorrect).

Thus, we can say that the present perfect tense is quite simple in education, the main thing is to know whether you use the correct form of the verb or not.

The third part of the table in dictionary editions and textbooks contains the third form of the verb. For example: the verb be (translated as to be, to exist) has the following forms: be/was (were)/been.

Using the present perfect tense

Present Perfect Simple is used when it is necessary to express exactly the result of an action that has already been completed. With the help of this tense, attention is focused on the result and thus it is clear that the action has already been completed. We also use Simple when talking about an action that happened in an unfinished period of time. Remember that the main thing for understanding the perfect is the connection with the present moment and the fact that the action is completed. For example: " I have already eaten melon." - I have already eaten melon. That is, it means the result of the action itself, the actual result.

These two types of temporary forms refer to the present time, but have different meanings. Present Simple is used when it comes to events that occur usually and everyday. The main pointers for it are the following words: always (always), usually (usually), seldom (rarely), often (often). Present Perfect expresses an action that has already been completed and there is a certain result at the time of the speaker's speech. Also, these two tenses have different education formulas. Simple tense is used in live communication much more often than the perfect. He has many words - pointers, that is, words that directly say that it is necessary to use the perfect tense.

The difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple

In learning English, the question always arises when it is necessary to use the Present Perfect, and when the Past Simple. It is necessary to understand the basic postulates of the use of these forms of time. The most important thing to remember: "Past simple" is the past tense, it talks about those events that have already happened. "Present perfect" - present tense, it talks about what was started earlier and has not yet been completed, or finished, but has a relationship with today. Sometimes you can understand from the meaning of the text itself that it is necessary to use the perfect. You should choose the time depending on what you need to say to the speaker, based on the situation that has arisen.

Timing Rules

If the situation or time period in question is over and has no connection with the present, then you should use "Paste simple". When using the Past Simple time, this may mean that the person can no longer carry out any action. If you do not say in more detail about the reason for choosing this time in a conversation, then you might think that the person is no longer alive.

She always loved watching TV. - "She always liked to watch TV" (meaning that now she doesn't watch it anymore, because she died).

She has always loved watching TV. - "She always liked to watch TV" (she loved before and still loves).

Etymology of the word

The word perfect comes from the Latin language and is translated as "completion", and the meaning of "perfection", in the sense of the absence of flaws, acquired much later. In fact, the word perfect acquired the meaning of "perfect" by expanding its former meaning, because something created is completed when it no longer has flaws. Perfect tenses are so named because they refer to actions that are completed relative to the present, for example: "I ate bread" is an action that is currently completed. However, not every use of the present perfect is associated with the idea of ​​completion. In fact, there is a perfect form in many European languages, including our Russian.

English is not difficult. The rules are easy to remember and there aren't many of them.

It is the turn of Present Perfect Tense - Present Perfect Tense.

Formation of the Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb have + (third column on the table of irregular verbs)

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Pay attention to the formula for the formation of R.R.T. indicated in the table. As you can see, the Present Perfect Tense is formed using the verb and the past participle, and the participle is a fixed part of the formula, and the verb have changes depending on the person and number of the subject and acts as an auxiliary verb in this tense.

When forming an interrogative form, the auxiliary verb have (has) is placed before the subject. When translating interrogative sentences, follow the established word order of the interrogative sentence 1 - interrogative word (for example, who? when? what?), 2 - auxiliary verb (have or has), 3 - subject, 4 - predicate (in this case participle)

• Have you ordered pizza? - Did you order pizza? (there is no question word, so the question starts with have)
• Where has he put my glasses? Where did he put my glasses?

Questions to the subject begin with the word Who?

• Who has painted this picture? - who painted this picture?

When is Present Perfect Tense used?

The present perfect tense, although it belongs to the group of present, but denotes an action that has already happened, completed by the present moment. This tense is used when self is important. fact of an action.

• I have already bought bread - the action has already taken place, no matter when it happened - I have bought some bread

The action expressed by Present Perfect is translated into Russian perfect past tense verb (What did you do?)

The time of the action is either not indicated at all, or covers a period of time that has not yet elapsed (that is, the period has not yet ended, but the action has already taken place ): today ( today), this morning, afternoon or evening ( this morning/ afternoon/ evening), this week ( this week), this month ( this month), this year ( this year)

• Peter has washed his car today - Peter washed the car today (still today, but the car has already been washed)
• I have met her twice this week - This week I met her twice (the week is still going on, and I have already met her twice)

Often adverbs are used with the Present Perfect:

• I have already finished reading this newspaper.- I have already finished reading the newspaper
• Have you posted the letter yet? Have you sent the letter yet?

• The adverb already in questions conveys surprise and means not “already”, but “really ... already”. Compare:
  Has your brother arrived yet? "Has your brother arrived yet?" and
  Has your brother already arrived? “Has your brother already arrived?”
• Note that the adverb yet is always placed at the end of a sentence.

The verb to be is used in the present perfect tense in the sense of "to visit, go, visit" and is accompanied by the preposition of the direction to:

• Have you ever been to London? -Have you ever been to London?
• I have been to Japan twice - I have been to Japan twice

For and Since

Verbs in the Present Perfect tense can also denote actions that began long before the moment of speech, but still have not ended. In this case, verbs are used with such circumstances of time as for - during and since - since (as long as)

In this case, the verb is translated into Russian in the present tense:

• • She has known my brother for five years - She has known my brother for five years
  • I've known her sister since 1992 - I've known her sister since 1992

Present Perfect or Past Simple?

In Russian, verbs in both Past Simple and Present Perfect are translated by past tense verbs, so it is sometimes difficult for English learners to determine what time to use in a given situation. The following table will help you better understand the difference between these two English tenses:

25.12.2014

For many who study English, the time presentPerfect creates fear and confusion. And all because in Russian there is no such tense of the verb.

In fact, there is nothing terrible in this time and you should not be afraid of it.

In today's article, I will talk about the formation and use of the Present Perfect in English, and I hope that you will be able to "make friends" with this unusual tense of the English verb.

Let's first consider in what cases this time should be used.

Using Present Perfect

The fact is that the Present Perfect expresses an action that began in the past and ended at the time of speech.

The time of action is not important to us, it is not indicated. We care about the result of this action or the very fact of its commission.

Often, time markers help us determine that this is the case: just, already, yet, recently, lately etc.

For example:

• Jane has already read this book. - Jane had already read this book (before the moment when they started talking about it).
• We haven't seen each other recently. We haven't seen each other lately.

When we talk about a repeated action between the past and the present, the use of the Present Perfect is more relevant than ever:

• I have visited Rome 3 times. - I've been to Rome three times.
• We have eaten at this restaurant many times. We have eaten at this restaurant many times.

The Present Perfect or Present Perfect can also describe an action that started in the past and continues into the present. For example:

• They have known each other for 3 years. - They have known each other for 3 years.
• I have studied English since childhood. - I have been studying English since childhood.

In the case when the period in which the action occurred has not yet ended, and can be indicated by the words today, this week, this month, this year, we also use the present perfect tense. See examples:

• Ellie has written 20 articles this month. Ellie has written 20 articles this month.
• My sister has finished painting her room this week. This week my sister finished painting her room.

And the last rule for using Present Perfect: when we talk about our experience so far. For example:

• Have you ever been to London? - Have you ever been in London?
• He has never been to Japan. - He has never been to Japan.
• We have never spent so much time together. - We've never spent so much time together.

In this case, adverbs of time such as: ever, never, so far,uptonow, untilnow.

We must not forget that in sentences with presentPerfectTense there cannot be exact time indicators, by type yesterday, 5 years ago, last summer,at 3 o’ clock and so on. The use of Past Simple will be appropriate here.

Education Present Perfect

Now let's see how the simple perfect tense is formed in English.

The scheme is quite simple: have/has + past participle/V-ed.

This means that you need to take the verb have or has, depending on the person performing the action and add a semantic verb to it in the form of the past tense, that is, add the ending -ed, if the verb is correct, or choose the appropriate form from the third column of the table, if the verb is irregular.

You can see the table of irregular verbs in the article The Past Simple: how it is formed and when it is used. This table should be memorized.

Below you will see an example of the formation of an affirmative, negative and interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect with the correct verb work- work.

Accordingly, the particle not helps to form a negative sentence and is placed after the verb have/has.

They can also be shortened: have+ not= haven’ t; has + not = hasn’ t. For example:

• I haven't asked you to come and yell at me. - I didn't ask you to come and yell at me.
• It hasn't stopped raining until today. It hasn't stopped raining until today.

To form a general question, move have/has at the beginning of the sentence:

• Have you cleaned the room yet? - Have you already cleaned the room?
• Has she bought that dress? - Did she buy that dress?

If you want to ask a question to a specific member of the sentence, put have/has after the interrogative word, then comes the subject, and after it the semantic verb. Examples:

• What has Zoe sent you? What did Zoe send you?
• Why have you done that? - Why did you do that?

But remember the following: if you want to know information about the time (question with the word when), use Past Simple instead of Present Perfect.

• When did you come here? - When did you come here?
• When did they meet? - When did they meet?

To train Present Perfect time in everyday life, mentally pronounce the actions that you just did, for example: I have just read this article.My friend has already shared it with our group.

See you soon!

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, and so on. 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, and so on.

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."

Many people call the present perfect tense a "tautology". And no wonder, because an action committed in the past is called the present. Why and why? Switching to "you" with Present Perfect is not difficult if every nuance of use, education and special cases is analyzed and understood in detail.

Let's start our acquaintance with the idea, look into the depth of this shade. Like any tense in English, Present perfect tense reflects action. But its specificity is that the action has already taken place, and we see the result from it. In this situation, we do not focus on when an event happened, we are not interested, doesn't matter, and we are now talking about what it entailed, what it led to. For example:

Have you found the place on the map? Have you already found this place on the map? (We are not interested in: how much I searched, when I started; the result - I found it or not)

I can't walk. I think I have sprained my ankle. — I can't go. I think I sprained my ankle. (We do not note, we are not interested in: when I dislocated, how I dislocated; the result - I can’t walk).

Of course, this is the main characteristic or, as it is also called, a function. We will consider all cases of use, comparisons below.

Education

According to the rules for the Present Perfect, we need auxiliary verbs has/have, and we will put the semantic in V3 (Ved). Remember that all English verbs are divided into regular and irregular. To form this time, we will add the ending -ed to the correct ones, and the irregular ones have a special form that will have to be learned (3rd column of the table of irregular verbs).

With subject in 3rd person singular(if the subject is a pronoun or a noun meaning: she, he, it) we use has. With everyone else - have. The negation is formed with the help of "not", which is placed after the auxiliary verb, and in the question have / has it changes with the subject places. As you can see, nothing new needs to be added or removed, only some permutations in the proposal itself.

Abbreviated forms:

I have = I've, She has = she's, we have = we've, they have = they've, you have = you've.

have + not = haven't, has + not = hasn't

Use

The present completed (perfect) tense has several uses in situations. Let's take a look at each separately. All actions can be divided into completed and incomplete.

1. Action completed in the past(signal words are: already, yet, still, recently, lately, just).

• If the situation has just ended (before the moment of the conversation), or earlier, and it is connected with the present , then this is the case when you should use the Present Perfect. In other words, if the result is important to you, interesting and necessary for further conversation, which serves as a starting point, then here we use the present perfect tense. The exact moment is not specified.

He has already published your poem in a local paper. He has already published your poem in the local newspaper.

I have recently bought this bycicle, but now it is broken. I recently bought this bike, but now it is broken.

• To highlight the repetitive actions their repetition, with the words several times, twice. Also, such a grammatical phenomenon occurs in complex attributive sentences, where ordinal numbers, the superlative degree of adjectives, the phrase "the only" are used.

It is one of the happiest days I have ever spent with my mother. This is one of the happiest days I have ever spent with my mom.

It is the only time my father has been away for holiday. - This is the only time when dad was not at the party.

My friends went to England again. They have been there several times. — My friends went to England again. They have been there several times already.

2. Action unfinished in the past(signal words are: this week, this year, today, this morning, since, for, never, ever).

• If we want to highlight long period of time where the action of interest to us has not been completed by the time of the conversation.

He has written two books this year. He has written two books this year (the year is not over yet).

Have you seen Mary this morning? Did you see Mary this morning?

• It is worth remembering that there are verbs that are not used in Continuous (which can be read in our other article of the same name about non continuous verbs). With given state verbs use Present Perfect instead of Present Perfect Continuous. Very often in this situation the preposition is used for , which indicates the duration of the action.

I haven't had a holiday for 4 years. I haven't had a vacation for 4 years.

My parents have been married for 25 years. My parents have been married for 25 years.

• with the word since, which indicates the last time, before something (before talking)

She has been off work since the accident. She hasn't been working since she had an accident.

• with circumstances "ever, never, always, all my life, so far" - which emphasize an indefinite period of time, incompleteness.

I have never driven a car. — I have never driven a car.

My brother has always dreamed of a laptop. My brother has always dreamed of a laptop.

Have you ever gone to Italy? Have you ever traveled to Italy?

They ate a lot yesterday but they haven't eaten much so far today. They ate a lot yesterday, but not yet today.

3. Not often, but you can still meet the Present Perfect in subordinate clauses with as soon as, before, till, until, after, when, which is used instead of Future Perfect (in most cases it is replaced by Present Simple, especially in colloquial speech)

We will give back your car as soon as you've found a new job. We will give your car away as soon as you find a new job.

Time Comparison

We have already learned when and how Present Perfect Simple is used (the word Simple is sometimes added, especially in English grammars, so that students do not confuse it with Present Perfect Continuous). Everything seems to be clear. But when performing exercises and tests for setting the desired form of the verb, difficulties, mistakes often arise, and porridge forms in the head. The time table Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Simple, Past Perfect will help to highlight the most important differences.

Present Perfect	Present Perfect Continuous	past simple	past perfect
The result of the action is emphasized; it is noted how often, when the action was performed (how much?), the result is most often planned, since - the last time	Emphasizes the duration of the action, how it proceeded; the result often acts as a side effect, since - the beginning of the action
I have done my duties about the house. Now we can have a rest. I have completed all household chores. Now I'm free. She hasn't played the piano since childhood. She hasn't played the piano since childhood.	I have been doing my duties about the house for 4 hours. Now I am too tired. I have been doing my household chores for 4 hours. now I'm too tired.She hasn't been playing the piano since I came in. She hasn't played the piano since I came in.
Always talks about the present, action in the past as the engine of a new conversation, has no clear time limits, action is the result, life experience		Always speaks only about the past accomplished fact, the time is clearly indicated, the framework indicating the past, a statement of fact, consistent actions
I have finished my work and now I am going home. I finished work, now I'm going home.The boss has signed the documents. Can you post them at once? — The chief signed the documents. Can you send them immediately?Has the bus arrived? No, it hasn't. - Has the bus arrived? - Not.		I finished my work and went home. I finished work and went home. The boss signed the documents and I posted them at once. - The chief signed all the documents, and I immediately sent them. Did the bus arrive yesterday? No, it didn't. — Did the bus arrive yesterday? - No.
Even if the action is completed, it must necessarily be connected with the present. In complex sentences, the main thing is in Present.			The action ended up to a certain point in the past, before another event, which is expressed by the Past Simple; in complex sentences, the main action is in the past
I have washed my car! look! It is clean. — I washed my car. Look. She is clean. The house is dusty. Nobody has come there for a year. - The house is dusty. No one has entered there for a year.			I had washed my car before my mother recalled. I washed my car before my mom reminded me. The house was dusty. Nobody had visited there for a year. — The house was dusty. No one has been in there for a year.

Adverbs, circumstances or signal words in the Present Perfect

• So, the rules for the Present Perfect do not end there. Still worth a minute of your attention "since" and "for" , which are sometimes very close in meaning and often set traps. Since is used as a starting point for when an action was last performed. Either indicates an action that has ended, or parallel situations that lasted a certain period of time. For - with the present perfect, it is used to indicate how much the action took place, its entire duration:
  

  since 8 o'clock, since 1987, since Christmas; for hours, for a week, for ages, for a long time

• Just and just now in Russian they convey the meaning just now. The first does not indicate exactly when the action occurred, the second notes: “a minute ago”, “literally a second”. With just now we use Past Simple.
• ever (ever) never (never - only in affirmative sentences), already (already - in affirmative, already - so soon - and questions), still (also in negative sentences) yet (still - in negative sentences, already - in interrogative ones), lately (recent times), resently (recently, in recent years, months, weeks)

Even having considered all cases of use, their features and comparing them, the grammar of the present perfect requires consolidation and lasting assimilation. To begin with, it is worth reading and analyzing sentences with this time, which you can read in the article “Examples of sentences in Present Perfect”, then proceed to the tasks that you will also find on our website.

Present Perfect is very often used both in speech and in exams, tests, in other words, everywhere. That is why, it is necessary to firmly master the basics of one of the most important tenses of English grammar.