Present Perfect Tense-Structure II

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).