Verbs (Present Perfect Tense)

Present Perfect Tense - is formed with a present tense form of "to have" plus the past participle of the
verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form). This tense indicates either that an action was
completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past or that the action extends to the present.

I have walked two miles already [but I'm still walking].

I have run the Boston Marathon [but that was some time ago]

The critics have praised the film saving Private Ryan since it came out [and they continue to do so].

a. The choice between Present Perfect and Simple Past is often determined by the adverbial
accompanying the verb. With adverbs referring to a period gone by, we would use the simple past:

I studied all night/yesterday/on Wednesday.

b. With adverbs beginning in the past and going up to present, we would use the present perfect:

I have studied up to now/lately/already.

c. An adverbial time-marker such as "today, this month," or "for an hour" can take either the simple
past or present perfect:

I worked/have worked hard today.

d. We tend to use the Present Perfect when reporting or announcing an event of the recent past:

The company's current CEO has lied repeatedly to her employees.

e. But we tend to use the Simple Past when reporting or announcing events of the finished, more
distant past:

Washington encouraged his troops.

f. Because the time limits for Present Perfect are relatively elastic (stretching up to the present), it is
somewhat less definite than the Simple Past:

Brett has worked with some of the best chefs of Europe [in the course of his long and
continuing career].

Brett worked with Chef Pierre LeGout [when he lived in Paris].

*(Notice how the topic of Brett's work is narrowed down as we move from Present Perfect to Simple Past.)

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Verbs (Present Perfect Tense)

Tips for learning Present Perfect Tense:

1. Use Timelines to Stress the Uses

Timelines are a great visual when introducing the different uses for Present Perfect. One of the best
things about them is once you introduce them, you can continue to refer back to them and make it a
point to have students do a timeline when they are struggling. It is one of the best ways to show the
differences in usage that are usually so slight it can be hard to concretely define. A timeline shows the
tense in a picture format for you, and once students get used to seeing them, they will begin to
reference them for this point and other more advanced tenses. Be sure to provide several examples
with your timelines, and using different colored markers will help accentuate your point. Also, timelines
should always have a marker for now. Here are some examples of timelines that display their uses for
Present Perfect tense.

The present perfect is used to discuss events that have just been completed at the moment of
speaking.

I have just finished my homework:

*It is often used to suggest that a past action still has an effect upon something happening in the
present.

He has been in a car accident. (So now he is in the hospital)

*It is often used to discuss events that have been happening over a period of time, but aren't finished
yet.

Mary has worked as a teacher for 25 years.

2. Compare to Past Tense

The biggest issue students will have is the big decision between using Past tense and Present Perfect
tenses. They will need constant comparisons, and the language you use will also help them to analyze
what tense they need. There are lots of activities where students need to use both tenses accurately,
and you can take that one step further by asking them to tell you why they have made which choice.
Past tense is only used to express actions that are completed in the past with a time marker. That’s it.
Present Perfect tense has several uses depending upon what you are trying to express. You can compare
sentences and discuss how the meaning has changed with the tense choice. You may also want to
discuss the time markers associated with each tense.

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Verbs (Present Perfect Tense)

Examples to analyze:

I went to school yesterday.

I ate dinner late last night.
I have been at school since 7 a.m.
I have already eaten dinner tonight.

3. Have You Ever….?

‘Have you ever done something’ is my favorite way to introduce and review Present Perfect tense. It
can be used over and over again, in different formats, with different experiences. It also creates a
natural way in which to use the tense and again offers some distinction between how it is different
from using past tense. This is also a good way to show the negative uses and short answers.

Here are some examples:

Have you ever been to India? Yes I have. No I haven’t.

Have you ever eaten sushi? No, I haven’t ever eaten sushi. No, never.
Have you ever been angry at your brother? I sure have.

*The possibilities for this activity are endless, and you can use worksheets, do mingling activities or do
simple Q and A in rounds.

4. Yet, For, and Since

The time markers for Present Perfect tense are very important and need not be overlooked. Yet, for and
since can confuse learners, so provide good examples for each usage where it applies.

• Yet is used to talk about an action that isn’t completed, but it will be soon.

I haven’t eaten lunch yet. (this implies that you will do so shortly).
I haven’t seen John yet today.

• For is used to express the length of an activity.

I have studied for 10 years.

I have worked for 2 hours so far.

• Since is used to express the specific time an activity start.

I have been a teacher since 1995.

I haven’t written a letter since last year.

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