The Present Perfect
The present perfect is used to talk about an
event that began in the past and continues up
to the present.
He has lived in Sorocaba for two years.
(He began living in Sorocaba two years ago and he still
lives here.)
Present Perfect Tense
1- Recent events: It is used to describe recent
events without a definite time. The idea of time or
place in the speaker’s mind makes the event
recent. A time expression may emphasize
recentness: just, recently, lately
Why are they so happy?
They have just won a prize so they are
really pleased.
Present perfect
2- Personal experiences: It is used to express
personal experiences, there is not a definite time
given. The time expressions ever and never are
very often used with this meaning
I have never been to Japan.
Have you ever been there?
Present Perfect Tense
3- It is used to express actions that started in the past and
continue to the present, the time period is not finished.
We use for and since with this meaning. We use for
with periods of time and since with points of time.
I haven’t eaten since yesterday
morning. I am really hungry.
I haven’t drunk anything for
two days. I am terribly thirsty.
Present Perfect Tense
FORM: have / has + past participle
Affirmative: I have seen the film before.
She has seen the film before.
Interrogative: Have you seen the film before?
Has she seen the film before?
Negative: They haven’t seen the film before.
He hasn’t seen the film before.
I Negative: They have not lived here.
have Interrogative? Have they lived here?
You
He
She has play played played
lived
It drive drove driven
We buy bought bought
You have cut cut cut
They
I have finished my homework.
Mas
I finished my homework one hour ago.
Present Perfect II
They have just arrived from London.
They have already arrived.
Have they already arrived?
They haven´t arrived yet?
Have they arrived yet?
I have seen that movie many times.
Have they arrived yet? Vem sempre no final da frase.
Vem antes do verbo principal.
They have already arrived.
• I have spent a lot of money recently.
• Have you ever been to Miami?
• I have never been to Miami.
• I have lived here since 1984.
• I have lived here for 20 years.
I have worked hard. (Trabalhei; Tenho trabalhado muito.)
I have worked here since 2002 (trabalho aqui desde 2002.)
Present Perfect or Simple Past
I worked hard yesterday. (= simple past)
I have worked hard. (=present perfect)
Contrast between Present
Perfect and Past Simple
We use definite expressions with the Past simple
tense: yesterday, last week, … ago etc, while we
don’t use definite time expressions with the Present
perfect tense.
I have been to France three times.
When did you go there last?
I went there last Summer.
Irregular
Regular past participles
past participles
be been
do done
call called eat eaten
hike hiked go gone
jog jogged
have had
try tried
make made
see seen
Present Perfect; already, yet
The present perfect is formed with the verb have + the
past participle form of a verb.
-Have you been to a jazz club?
-Yes, I’ve already been to several.
-Have they seen the plat?
-No, they haven’t seen it yet.
-Has she gone on a riverboat tour?
-Yes, she’s gone twice this week.
-Has he called his parents lately?
-No, he hasn’t called them.
Going out
Ted: Are you enjoying your trip to New
Orleans?
Brenda: Oh, yes. I really like it here.
Ted: Would you like to something tonight?
Brenda: Sure. I’d love to.
Ted: Let’s see. Have you been to a jazz
club yet?
Brenda: Yes. I’ve already been to several clubs
here.
Ted: Ok. What about an evening riverboat
tour?
Brenda: Uh, actually, I’ve gone twice this week.
Ted: So, what do you want to do?
Brenda: Well, I haven’t been to the theater in a
long time.
Ted: Oh, Ok. I hear there’s a terrific show
at the Saenger Theater.
Brenda: Great! Let’s make a reservation.
Contractions
I have = I´ve
Have not = Haven´t
She has = She´s
Has not = Hasn´t
(A1 = Announcer 1; A2 = Announcer 2)
A1: And here are the news headlines.
Following severe droughts in Africa, the President
of the USA has announced that he is going to send
food and provisions to the people of Somalia, who
have lost their homes and livelihood.
A2: Robert Holmes, Minister for the Environment,
has resigned. The Prime Minister has ordered an
investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a
large sum of money. A spokesman for the minister
told us that he was out of the country and not
available for comment.
A1: Schoolgirl Pauline Gates has not been allowed back into
school after the summer holidays, because she has had her
nose pierced. According to headmistress Jean Bradley,
Pauline knew that piercing was against the school rules. The
girl will be allowed back into school when she removes the
offending ring.
A2:And finally, to end on a happier note, wedding bells are
ringing for 81-year-old Max Williams, who won £16 million in
the lottery last month. He’s going to marry 22-year-old dancer
Sally Lister. The happy couple posed for photographers
outside the millionaire’s luxury home in Essex and Sally held
out her hand to show off her £10,000 engagement ring for the
cameras.