Tenses- rules

PERFECT TENSES

PRESENT PERFECT

We make present perfect verbs with have/has + past participle (worked, seen, known): I have worked in a bank for ten years. She has broken a cup.

Verbs ending in –y:

  • vowel (a, e, o) + -y= yed (played, enjoyed)
  • consonant (d,l,r..)+ -y = ied (tried, studied)

Doubling:

  • one vowel + one consonant: stop- stopped
  • two vowels- don't double: seem- seemed
  • two consonants- don't double: want-wanted
  • double in stressed syllables: preFER- preffered
  • Irregular verbs have a special form: eaten, made, forgotten

USE

1) When we think about the past and present together: I've made a cake. Would you like some?

HOW TO MAKE QUESTIONS:

Have/has + subject + past participle

Have you paid? Where have the children gone?

HOW TO MAKE NEGATIVES:

Subject+ have/has + past participle:

Beth hasn't written to her mother yet.

We haven't told him the bad news.