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PRESENT PERFECT is probably the commonest tense in the English language.
- The three perfect tenses (present, past and future) express the completion or "perfection" of an action by a particular time - NOT an act done at a particular time.
- The PRESENT PERFECT expresses completion or "perfection" of an action by NOW.
- We are not interested in when the action took place - only in the PRESENT state of completion (i.e. never say "I have done it yesterday".
You form the PRESENT PERFECT by combining the present tense of "to have" with the past participle ('-ed' form) of the main verb. You can find a list of the past participle of irregular verbs here.
Practice ... complete sentences like "Today I have ....." "In my life I have been a ..."
- Since takes the PRESENT PERFECT tense when it means "from some point in the past till now".
- For takes the PRESENT PERFECT when it means "length of time till now".
Note that sometimes actions beginning indefinitely in the past are continuing in the present. HERE you need to use the PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS:
- He is lying on the floor (now)
- He has been lying there for three hours (= and is there still)
- I'm writing a letter to my friend (now)
- I've written three letters since breakfast (= completed up till now)
- I've been writing letters all the morning (= and I'm still writing now)
23.3 Complete the following with the alternatives given and since or for:
23.3 Complete the following with the alternatives given and since or for:
- I haven't seen you (Christmas/ three days)
- We've been here (an hour/January).
- She hasn't spoken to me (more than two years/last week).
- They have lived in this street (1919/a long time).
- I haven't had time to do it (I was ill/last Monday).
- We haven't eaten any meat (over a year/ I was a boy).
- There hasn't been a famine here (centuries/ the Middle Ages).
- I haven't eaten any meat (over a year/ I was a boy).
- Nobody has written to me (many weeks/ my birthday).
- You've asked the same question every day (the beginning of the year/ a fortnight).
- You haven't sent me any money (last Saturday/ fifteen days).
- She has worn the same old dress (at least a month/ the beginning of the month).
- I havn't spoken Spanish (1965/ 10 years).
- I havn't ridden a bicycle (longer than I can remember/ my childhood).
- It hasn't rained here (more than a month/ March).
23.4 Read the following and put the verbs into the present perfect continuous form
23.4 Read the following and put the verbs into the present perfect continuous form
- I (live) here since 1928.
- The cat (sit) in front of the fire since tea-time.
- I (look) at this picture for five minutes, but I cant see you in it.
- I'm afraid you (look) at the wrong one.
- I know you (talk) about grammar for the last half-hour, but I'm afraid I (not listen).
- You (wait) long for me?
- Yes! I (Stand) here in the rain for half and hour.
- He (learn) English for three years, but he can't even read a newspaper yet.
- Nobody has come to see us since we (live) in our new house.
- What you (do) while I have been out? We (sit) here writing out homework, but its not quite finished yet.
- He (work) in the Post Office for twenty years.
- Lunch is not quite ready yet, although I (cook) all the morning.
- She ought to stop work; she has a headache because she (read) too long.
- They are tired because they (work) in the garden.
- Look! that light (burn) all night.
The present perfect continuous is sometimes used to emphasise that an action has been continuous, even tho' it has stopped now.
- I'm cold because I've been swimming for an hour.
- I'm very tired; I've been running round the town all day.
23.8 Use either since or for in the blanks AND the PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE OR PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS (intermediate).
- ___ the last two years clothes (be) very dear (i.e. For .... have been)
- Coal (become) dearer ___ the end of last year.
- I (write) ten letters ___ breakfast
- ___ last year the streets (become) more crowded.
- You (see) Cyril lately?. Not ___ three or four days.
- You (take) Maisie out to tea recently? Not ___ last Wednesday.
- I (not see) him ___ more than a week.
- How long you (wait)? ___ Half an hour.
- How long that fire (burn)? ___ last night.
- You (wait) long? No, not ___ long `
- That boy (not wash) his face ___ some time.
- She (not buy) a new hat ___ six months.
- They (stay) at the same hotel every year ___ five years.
- They (build) that bridge ___ several months, but they (not finish) it yet.
- Poor old Henry (not have) a holiday ___ the year before last.
- I (wait) two hours, but she (not come) yet.
- She (practise) the piano ___ six o'clock; I hope she'll soon finish.
- Although Walter(study) at the University ___ five years, he (not got) his degree yet.
- I (not have) a good night's sleep ___ last week.
- He (lean) to drive ___ seven years now, but he still (not pass) his driving test.
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