- Differences between the Past Tense and the Present Perfect Tense
- Forming the Present Perfect Tense
- Using the Present Perfect
- Prepositions and Adverbs associated with the Present Perfect
- Present Perfect Continuous
- Forming the Present Perfect Continuous
- Using the Present Perfect Continuous
- Differences between Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous
1 Differences between Past Simple and the Present Perfect Tense
We do not have the Present Perfect tense in Czech so it is difficult for us to
distinguish this tense from the Past Simple.
The main difference is that the Past
Simple describes an event that happened in the past.
I was born in 1988. – it happened in the past
X
The Present Perfect is more connected with the present or at least the time of the action is in
the present.
I have found it. – I see the result here and now in the present.
I have lost it. – I see here and now that I don’t have it.
| Past Simple tense | Present Perfect |
|---|---|
| - contains the detail of when the event occurred. - Time is an important part of the sentence. | - does not indicate when the event occurred - the exact time is not relevant - it may be the event had already happened (a thing of the past) but it happened during the time that is still running, e.g. today, this week, etc. |
| I saw her yesterday. | I've seen her today. |
| - the period ended | - the period has not yet ended |
| They got married last year. | They have been married for two years. |
| - the exact time of the event in the past | - repeated events |
| I was in Berlin in 2014. | I have never been to Berlin. |
| - without a relation to the presence - simple storytelling | - Something now is the result of what happened. - The relation to the present |
| I broke my hand when I was a child. | I've broken my hand and I can't play. |
| LANGUAGE: five days ago, last year, yesterday, last week, in 1998 | LANGUAGE: just, already, a not yet, this week/year, so far, today, ever, never |
2 Forming the Present Perfect Tense
How to correctly create sentences in the Present Perfect tense?
subject + have / has + past participle + rest of the sentence
| Positive form: | ||
|---|---|---|
| I | have seen | two films today. |
| You | have been | a teacher for 4 years. |
| He | has bought | a fast car. |
| She | has eaten | all my breakfast. |
| We | have met | five actors in our life. |
| You | have done | a good job. |
| They | have lived | in Prague since 1998. |
We use the short form in conversation and the full form in formal correspondence.
- We create the negative Present Perfect by adding NOT to the auxiliary verb have / has.
| Negative form: | ||
|---|---|---|
| I | haven't seen | this film yet. |
| You | haven't given | me the right book. |
| He | hasn't told | me so far. |
| She | hasn't come | yet. |
| We | haven't seen | them for ages. |
| You | haven't got | my idea. |
| They | haven't had | a good time. |
- Another way to create a negative of the Present Perfect is to use the word “never”.
Never forms a negative sentence and so we no longer use the negative NOT after
the auxiliary verb HAVE.
I have never cried in the cinema. I have not never cried in the cinema.
I’ve never eaten an octopus.
- When creating a question in the Present Perfect tense, we just switch the subject and the
auxiliary verb have / has.
| Question: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Have | I | said it right? |
| Have | you | ever read this book? |
| Has | he | apologized yet? |
| Has | she | told you about the baby? |
| Have | we | ever seen each other? |
| Have | you | ever arrived late for a date? |
| Have | they | ever met their boss? |
3 When to use the Present Perfect
There are complicated definitions and theories for using the Present Perfect tense in English which most students can’t wrap their heads around. But please don’t worry! We will explain this tense in an easy to understand way.
Three basic rules will be enough for correct use:
1) The time we are talking about is not over yet
I have seen my friend today.
She has won three tournaments this year.
2) We do not specify time at all
Have you seen my car keys?
3) Using ever and never
I have never been to Prague.
Have you ever eaten an octopus?
4 Prepositions and Adverbs associated with the Present
Perfect Tense
The Present Perfect tense in English is characterized by the frequent use of the following
prepositions and adverbs.
- JUST
indicates that the event took place a short while ago
| I’m not hungry. I’ve just had lunch. |
| I’ve just been on a trip to France. |
| It can’t be ready. They’ve only just started. |
- ALREADY
we often use already if something happens before we expected
| I’ve already told him. |
| A: When are you going to do your homework? B: No worries, I’ve already done it. |
- YET
shows that the speaker expects something to happen
| I’ve written the letter, but I haven’t sent it yet. |
| I haven’t spoken to her yet. |
| He hasn’t finished yet. |
- RECENTLY
we want to say that only a brief moment has passed since something happened
| She has recently bought a new car. |
| Have you seen any good films recently? |
- FOR
the time during which something happens
| He’s been married to Annie for 5 years. |
| I have worked in England for ten years. |
| I haven’t seen you for ages. |
- SINCE
the moment from which something happens
| She’s been married to Thomas since 2014. |
| The country has been independent since 1948. |
| England has not won the football World Cup since 1966. |
- EVER SINCE
something happens from a certain moment to the present
| He started working for the company when he left school, and has been there ever since. |
| I’ve felt fine ever since. |
- SO FAR
something happens from a certain moment to the present
| I haven’t done it so far. |
| So far we’ve made £32,000. |
5 Present Perfect Continuous
Unlike the Present Perfect, which focuses on the outcome of the event, the Present Perfect Continuous focuses on the course of the activity.
These are still the present perfect tenses, thus the events we describe in this way have started in the
past and are still in existence.
Here’s an example:
I have been drawing a picture. – Here we emphasize that we are drawing a picture, not whether it is already done, so we will use the Present Perfect Continuous. (The event began sometime in the past, and now it continues. However, its result is not important, nor whether it has ended.)
x
I have drawn a picture. – Here we are interested in the fact that the picture is already finished and therefore we will use the Present Perfect. We’re just saying we’ve finished the activity. (Even this
form connects the past with the present. I have drawn a picture (it happened, the finished event, the past) – the picture is now finished (impact on the present).
6 Forming the Present Perfect Continuous
How to correctly form a sentence in the Present Perfect Continuous?
subject + have / has + past verb “to be” + gerund (-ing) + rest of the sentence
| Positive form: | ||
|---|---|---|
| I | have been repairing | my car. |
| You | have been searching | for it for two hours. |
| He | has been playing | tennis. |
| She | has been doing | her homework since 5 o'clock. |
| We | have been running | for half an hour already. |
| You | have been painting | the room for ages. |
| They | have been training | since their last defeat. |
- The negative of the Present Perfect Continuous is created by adding the negative NOT to the auxiliary verb have / has.
- For example: I haven’t been talking on the ‘phone all evening!
- It is rarely used, for example, when we want to say that instead of doing one thing we were doing something different.
- A: You have been lying in your bed since this morning!
B: I haven’t been lying in my bed, I’ve been repairing the car in the garage.
- A: You have been lying in your bed since this morning!
- If we use a negative in the Present Perfect, we show that the activity has not taken place at all, it has not been taking place – thus the emphasis on activity is disappearing, and therefore we use a simple variant of the Present Perfect.
- For example:
We haven’t been dancing since the last ball.x We haven’t danced since the last ball. – We are not trying to show that the activity has not taken place at all, but that it has not been taking place.
- For example:
| Negative form: | ||
|---|---|---|
| I | haven't been teaching | since last September. |
| You | haven't been using | your tools recently. |
| He | hasn't been listening | for the last five minutes. |
| She | hasn't been sleeping | well for some time. |
| We | haven't been taking | our medicine for that long. |
| You | haven't been walking | your dog for ages. |
| They | haven't been doing | anything all day. |
- As we already know from the Present Perfect, another way to form a negative in the Present Perfect tenses is to use the word “never”. The same rule can be applied for the Present Perfect Continuous.
Never forms a negative in the sentence and therefore we no longer use the negative NOT after the auxiliary verb HAVE.
I have never been working so hard. I have not never been working so hard.
I’ve never been running for so long.
| Question: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Have | I | been doing it right? |
| Have | you | been waiting for him? |
| Has | he | been running recently? |
| Has | she | been sleeping well? |
| Have | we | been studying enough? |
| Have | you | really been repairing the car for that long? |
| Have | they | ever been running in the town? |
7 Using the Present Perfect Continuous
We use the Present Perfect Continuous:
a) When we talk about an activity (event), which started sometime in the past and is still going on.
Example: I have been sitting here for ten minutes.
b) If we focus on the course and not on the outcome.
Example: She has done her homework. x She has been doing her homework.
- In the first case, the activity is finished – the homework is already done, so we use the Present Perfect. In the second example, the activity is likely to continue – the person started doing their homework in the past and (probably) is still doing it.
Therefore, we use the Present Perfect Continuous.
c) If we are talking about an activity (event) that has led to something that is happening at the same time.
Example: I am prepared because I have been training – In this example I do not mention the exact time when the activity was going on, but I just mention it as the reason for the current state. We use the Present Perfect Continuous because we indicate that the course of the activity is the reason for the current state.
8 Differences between the Present Perfect and the Present Perfect Continuous
| The Present Perfect Continuous | The Present Perfect |
|---|---|
| - I started in the past, I haven't finished yet - emphasis on the action | - a simple statement that I did something - emphasis on the result |
| I have been writing a letter for two hours. | I’ve written a letter. |
| I have been picking mushrooms. | I have picked five mushrooms so far. |
| - It doesn't matter how many mushrooms I have, but that I collected them - Emphasis on the action, I just say I collected them | - the most important point is the result - how many mushrooms I already have. |
| - The event that repeats for some time that still lasts | - a simple announcement that something has happened (we don't mention when |
| He’s been losing his keys regularly. | He’s lost his keys. |