Present perfect Tense
What is the present perfect tense?
The present perfect tense, also known as the present perfect simple tense, is a grammatical construction used to describe an action or event that occurred at an unspecified time in the past, but which has relevance to the present moment. It is formed by combining the present tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (or “has”, when used with third-person singular pronouns) with the past participle of the main verb. Although it is called the “present perfect”, it is not limited to describing actions that have occurred only recently. Instead, it is used to give general information about something that happened at any point in the past, but that is not limited to a specific point in time.
Here are a few examples of sentences using the present perfect tense:
- I have read that book three times.
- She has visited her grandparents twice this month.
- They have been married for ten years.
- I have seen that movie at least 5 times.
- He has finished his homework already.
- We have traveled to Europe twice.
- I have been learning French for two years.
- He has just arrived home.
- They have been friends since they were kids.
- I have had breakfast already.
In all these examples, the present perfect tense is used to talk about an action that happened at an unspecified time in the past but still has relevance to the present moment.
Present Perfect vs. Past Simple
The present perfect tense and the past simple tense are both used to talk about actions or events that occurred in the past, but they have different uses and connotations.
The present perfect tense is used to describe an action or event that occurred at an unspecified time in the past, but which has relevance to the present moment. It is formed by combining the present tense of the auxiliary verb “have” (or “has”, when used with third-person singular pronouns) with the past participle of the main verb (for example, “I have eaten” or “He has gone”). The present perfect is often used to describe experiences or changes that have occurred over a period of time or to describe the current state of something that began in the past.
Examples:
- I have read that book three times. (I have the experience of reading that book three times)
- They have been married for ten years. (They are currently married and have been for ten years)
On the other hand, the past simple tense is used to describe a specific action or event that occurred at a specific point in time in the past. It is formed by using the second form of the verb (also called past simple) (for example, “I ate” or “He went”).
Examples:
- I read that book yesterday. (I read that book at a specific point in time)
- They got married in 2011. (They got married at a specific point in time)
In summary, the present perfect is used to talk about something that has happened at any point in the past and still has relevance to the present moment, while the past simple is used to describe something that happened at a specific point in the past and the time is important.
True in the past and still true now
In English, the present perfect simple is used with prepositions such as “for” and “since” to indicate that an action or event started in the past and is still true or relevant in the present. “For” is used to specify the duration of time leading up to the present, while “since” indicates the point in time at which something began.
For example:
- “I have been working here for 5 years.” (I started working here 5 years ago and I am still working here now)
- “We have been married since 2012” (We got married in 2012 and we are still married now)
It is important to note that even though a point in time is being specified, we still use the present perfect because the information in the sentence is still true now. The “for” and “since” connect the past situation to the present one.
If we were to use the past simple tense, “for” would change to mean the duration of the event before it finished and we would not be able to use “since” at all.
For example:
- “I worked here for 5 years.” (I no longer work here)
- “We were married for 5 years” (we are no longer married)
- “We became friends in 2006.” (we are no longer friends)
In summary, the present perfect simple is used with “for” and “since” to indicate that an action or event started in the past and is still true or relevant in the present, while the past simple tense is used to indicate that an action or event is finished and no longer relevant to the present.
Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Continuous Tense
The present perfect tense is used to indicate an action that began in the past and continues to the present. For example, “I have been living in this city for 10 years.” In this sentence, the action of living in the city began 10 years ago and continues to the present.
The present perfect continuous tense is used to indicate an action that began in the past, continues to the present, and may continue into the future. For example, “I have been studying for my exam for the last two weeks.” In this sentence, the action of studying for the exam began two weeks ago, continues to the present, and may continue into the future until the exam takes place.
So in short:
- Present Perfect Tense: an action that began in the past and continues to the present.
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense: an action that began in the past, continues to the present, and may continue into the future.
Before now or not long ago
The present perfect tense is used to indicate an action that is recent or ongoing, without specifying the exact time it occurred. For example, “I’ve lost my keys” implies that the keys were lost recently or just before now. In contrast, the past simple tense is used to indicate a specific time in the past, such as “I lost my keys yesterday.” The present perfect is often used in response to a question or in situations where the exact time is not important, while the past simple is used to specify a specific time. For example:
- A: “Why are you late?” B: “I’ve lost my keys.” (recently)
- A: “What did you do yesterday?” B: “I lost my keys.” (specific time)
- “I’m not hungry, I’ve had lunch.” (recently)