Present Perfect

Definition
⦿ Present Perfect describes a situation that
happened in the past, but has a certain
effect in the present.
Uses
⦿ To talk about events in the past, but not specifying the
exact time. When the time is specified, we use past
simple.

Present
Past Simple
Perfect
I went to Brazil last year I have been to Brazil

He didn’t go to Brazil last year He hasn’t been to Brazil

Uses
⦿ We can also use it to express if the action has
happened during a lifetime. In this case, it must
be a positive sentence.
We use the most probable
adverbs of frequency, NEVER
and ALWAYS, to express if the
action happened.
I have never played the guitar
Have you ever played the guitar?
I have always liked rock music
 Uses
⦿ We also use the present perfect tense, when
something happened in the past, but it is still
true now.
To express the time, we use these
prepositions:

FOR: Expresses the amount of

time I have worked here for ten years, I still
do
SINCE: Expresses the time the
action started I haven’t worked here since 2010
Uses
⦿ We can use it with “just” if the action happened
early before.

I have just finished the career

Uses
⦿ We can use it with “yet” at the end of a
negative sentence to express that something is
not done, but you expect it to be soon.

He hasn’t finished packing up yet

Uses
⦿ We can use it with “already” if the sentence
was made before the time expected. It can be
put before the main verb or at the end of the
sentence

I have already done the homework

He has solved the problem already

Structure
I HAVE WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT
V. Past
Sub Have Complement
Participle

I HAVE NEVER WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT

V. Past
Sub Have Adverb Complement
(Optional Participle
)

I HAVE WORKED AS AN ASSISTANT SINCE 2009

V. Past
Sub Have Adverb Complement
(Optional Participle
)
Forms – Positive and
Negative
Forms - Questions
If expresses a past
event with an
unespecified time
period.

If the question is to Present Perect: Question with “for/since” Answer

know the time duration How long have I/you/we/the worked Here? For ten years
or the beginning of the y
activity has He/she/it worked Here? Since 2006

If the question is to Present Perect: Question with “yet” Answer

know if the activity has Have I/you/we/they made dinner yet? Not yet
been done.
Has He/she/it made dinner Yet? Not yet