The 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).
1. 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.
Examples:
·
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].
2. 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.
Example:
·
I studied
all night/yesterday/on Wednesday.
3. With adverbs beginning in the past
and going up to present, we would use the present perfect.
Example:
·
I have
studied up to now/lately/already.
4. An adverbial time-marker such as
"today, this month," or "for an hour" can take either the simple
past or present perfect
Example:
·
I worked/have
worked hard today.
5. We tend to use the Present Perfect
when reporting or announcing an event of the recent past.
Example:
·
The
company's current CEO has lied repeatedly to her employees.
6. But we tend to use the Simple Past
when reporting or announcing events of the finished, more distant past.
Example:
·
Washington
encouraged his troops. 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].
Functions
of the Present perfect
The Present Perfect is used to
indicate a link between the present and the past. The time of the action is before
now but not specified, and we are often more interested in the result
than in the action itself.
The
Present Perfect is used to describe:
- An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
- An action performed during a period that has not yet finished. She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the week isn't over yet.)
- A repeated action in an unspecified period between the past and now. We have visited Portugal several times.
- An action that was completed in the very recent past, expressed by 'just'. I have just finished my work.
- An action when the time is not important. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his reading is important).
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