PRESENT PERFECT TENSE SIMPLE / INDEFINITE

The Present Perfect Tense Simple / Indefinite expresses the link between the
past and the present: an action happening within a period of time which includes both the
past and the present, stretching between the two of them. It is considered “past with
current relevance.” Present Perfect often occurs with time and frequency expressions
specific to it.
Present Perfect can be translated into Romanian in two ways:
 PERFECT COMPUS (in most cases)
He has never come across such a difficult problem.
(N-a dat niciodatǎ peste o problemǎ atât de grea.)
 PREZENT
They have had the house for ten years.
(Au casa de zece ani.)
For the Romanian speaker it is especially difficult to deal with the Present Perfect
Simple because its structure resembles that of the Romanian PERFECT COMPUS, which
nevertheless means both an action happening at a definite moment in the past or over a
past period of time (Past Tense) and an action happening within a period of time that
stretches between the past and the present (Present Perfect).
L-am vǎzut ieri. (I saw him yesterday.)
L-am vǎzut azi. (I have seen him today.)
PRESENT PERFECT PATTERNS
Affirmative
The affirmative forms are achieved with the auxiliary to have in the present tense
and the Past Participle of the verb.
SUBJECT + Aux. HAVE + VERB
(Present Tense) (Past Participle)
I have crossed – I’ve crossed
you have crossed – you’ve crossed
he has crossed – he’s crossed
we have crossed – we’ve crossed
you have crossed – you’ve crossed
they have crossed – they’ve crossed
Negative
The Present Perfect negative inserts the negation not between the auxiliary to
have in the present tense and the verb in the past participle.
SUBJECT + Aux. HAVE + NOT + VERB
(Present Tense) (Past Participle)
I have not thought – I’ve not thought / I haven’t thought
you have not thought – you’ve not thought / you haven’t thought
he has not thought – he’s not thought / he hasn’t thought
we have not thought – we’ve not thought / we haven’t thought
you have not thought – you’ve not thought / you haven’t thought
they have not thought – they’ve not thought / they haven’t thought
 Interrogative
The interrogative is formed by inversion of the subject and the auxiliary to have in
the present tense.
Aux. HAVE + SUBJECT + VERB ?
(Present Tense) (Past Participle)
have I dreamt? have we dreamt?
have you dreamt? have you dreamt?
has he dreamt? have they dreamt?
Interrogative-negative
The interrogative-negative form is achieved with the negation not inserted
between the subject and the past participle of the verb and inversion of the subject and
auxiliary to have. In the short form the auxiliary is conjunct with the negation.
Aux. HAVE + SUBJECT + NOT + VERB ?
(Present Tense) (Past Participle)

Aux. HAVE + NOT + SUBJECT + VERB ?

(Present Tense) (Past Participle)
have I not forgotten? – haven’t I forgotten?
have you not forgotten? – haven’t you forgotten?
has he not forgotten? – hasn’t he forgotten?
have we not forgotten? – haven’t we forgotten?
have you not forgotten? – haven’t you forgotten?
have they not forgotten? – have they not forgotten?
Usage
The Present Perfect Simple is used in the following situations:

1. When a past action is placed within an indefinite period of time, with no time
reference. The speaker does not know exactly when the action happened. Nevertheless,
the action has a current relevance.
He hasn’t paid his taxes.
(i.e. up to now or his last taxes)
Have you made this flute yourself?
(i.e. the flute is here)
2. When the reference is to an action happening a relatively short time before the
present. In this case we use the adverb just, inserted between the auxiliary and the verb.
NOW

He has just gone out.

but: He went out a minute ago.
They have just got married.
but: They got married last year.
The two countries have just signed the treaty.
 but: The two countries signed the treaty two years ago.

3. When the reference is to an action beginning at a moment in the past and

stretching up to the present or very near to the present.
NOW

In this case we must use time expressions, most of them with the preposition for
(=de), followed by a period of time, the preposition since (=din, de la), followed by a
moment in the past, or the conjunction since (=de când), followed by a time clause.
I have known him for ten years.
We haven’t talked to them since last week’s meeting.
He has done no work since he fell ill.
In a time clause connected by since we can use both the past tense and the present
perfect, depending on the type of reference: a past moment or a period of time.
They haven’t eaten anything since they started. (past moment)
He has been a liar since I have known him. (period of time)
* FOR is easily confused because it occurs in two different structures:
He has worked in London for two years.
(i.e. he still works in London now)
(Lucreazǎ în Londra de doi ani.)
He worked in London for two years.
(i.e. he no longer works in London)
(A lucrat în Londra timp de doi ani.)
FOR + Present Perfect [de]
FOR + Past Tense [timp de]

* The adverbial structures for a long time and for ages, as well as the adverb
long, inserted between the auxiliary and the verb, are translated into Romanian by de
mult (=de mult timp) and they have the function of adverbials of time (complemente
circumstanţiale de timp), which answer the question since when? (de când?). Compare
with the adverb demult (=cândva, în trecut, pe vremuri), which builds an adverbial of
time answering the question when? (când?), in English once, in the past, formerly.

Present Perfect HOW LONG?

Past Tense WHEN?

Some frequent adverbial structures requiring a Present Perfect are:

for hours / days / weeks / months / years
since then
ever since
so far / up to now / till//until now / as yet
lately
 recently
in recent / late days / weeks / months / years
these last (few) days / weeks / months / years
these past (few) days / weeks / months / years
I haven’t had news of my brother for years. Now he has finally written.
She was seen on Saturday night but nobody has seen anything of her ever
since.
She has proved a highly conscientious office worker so far.
We have met in recent years but haven’t had a proper talk.
He has long ceased to be my friend, since he told me to my face that he found
me and
my stories boring.
She has made a lot of progress in her study of Japanese lately.
There last few days he has simply been insufferable.
4. When the reference is to a past action happening within an unfinished period of
time (a period which includes the present moment).
NOW

In this case we use time expressions of this type:

today
tonight
this morning (if it is up to 12a.m. at the moment of speaking)
this afternoon
this evening
this week
this month
this year
Compare:
He has worked a lot this morning.
(i.e. it is still morning now)
and
He worked a lot this morning.
(i.e. it is past 12a.m. now)
Further examples:
The President has given a short statement during an unexpected press
conference.
She has made several mistakes this week, so I’ll expect they’ll fire her.
There have been a lot of lay-offs this year.
5. When the reference is to a past action that has an effect upon the present.
NOW

I have had some unforeseen expenses, so I can’t lend you any money.
 A dangerous criminal has escaped from prison and all the local police are
looking
for him.
6. When the reference is to an action that happened repeatedly in the past and is
likely to happen in the future too.
NOW

In this case we use adverbs and numerals of frequency of the type:

once several times
once or twice many times
more than once countless times
twice a few times
three / four / five, etc. times repeatedly
I have repeatedly warned you against taking strangers into your car.
She has twice tried to catch your eye. Maybe she wants to talk to you.
He has only once made his appearance at our meeting.
7. When the reference is to a past action, with adverbs of frequency as
determiners. Most of the adverbs of frequency are inserted between the auxiliary and the
verb.
ever seldom
never rarely
often always
frequently already
‘Have you ever been to Monte Carlo?’ ‘No, actually I have never been
abroad, let alone on the French Riviera.’
She has already made holiday plans for next year, although she has
only just got back from this year’s holiday.
She has seldom shown any signs of weakness.
He has always believed in ghosts and spirits.
I’ve often reproached her for being lazy, but to no avail.
The adverb yet has different meanings, according to the type of sentence in which
it appears: încǎ, when it is placed at the end of a negative sentence; deja, when it is
placed at the end of an interrogative sentence (at the beginning of a sentence, yet
expresses concession and it means totuşi). There is a difference between yet in this
context and already, which expresses a degree of surprise on the speaker’s part.
Compare:
Has he come yet?
and
Has he come already?
(i.e. he is astonished at his coming)
8. When the reference is to a past action involving a creator (writer, painter,
musician, etc.) who is still alive.
 Compare:
My friend has written two plays.
(i.e. my friend is obviously alive)
and
Shakespeare wrote thirty-seven plays.
9. When a piece of news is first introduced to the reader / hearer / viewer, in the
press / on the radio / on TV.
Tonight’s news is quite distressing. Ten people have died in a terrible railway
accident. Hundreds of casualties are still being rushed to nearby hospitals.
10. In a Time Clause, instead of the Future Perfect, to express a future action
happening before another future action (anteriority).
NOW Future

Usually the Time Clause is connected by after, once, as soon as, when:
I’ll give him the money after I have checked the whole matter.
Once he has finished one job he’ll start on another.

THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

CONTINUOUS / PROGRESSIVE

The Present Perfect Tense Continuous / Progressive is a present tense, which

expresses an action beginning at a moment in the past and going on uninterruptedly up to
the present, being likely to stretch into the future too.
NOW
‿ ‿ ‿ ‿ ‿ ▶‿ ‿ ‿▶
⁀ ⁀ ⁀ ⁀ ⁀ ⁀ ⁀
It can be translated into Romanian by PREZENT, frequently accompanied by the
adverb tot, in order to indicate the uninterrupted character of the action.
It has been raining for four days / since Monday.
(i.e. It started to rain on Monday. It is Friday now, it is still raining and it is
likely to rain for some time in the future too.)
(in Romanian: Tot plouǎ de patru zile / de luni.)
Very often the Present Perfect Continuous is built with for and since expressions.
They have been driving for ten hours and they still have two or three hours’
driving ahead of them.
It is especially difficult for a Romanian speaker to translate this structure from
Romanian into English. The speaker is usually unable to comprehend why a verb in the
present, which appears as one word only, should be translated by a group of words which
express an action connected in some way to the past.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PATTERNS
Affirmative
The Present Perfect Continuous is formed with two auxiliaries: to have in the
present tense, as an auxiliary of the perfective, and to be in the Past Participle, as an
auxiliary of the Continuous Aspect. The verb itself is in the Present Participle (the ING-
form).
SUBJECT + Aux. HAVE + Aux. BE + VERB
(Present Tense) (Present Participle)
I have been reading – I’ve been reading
you have been reading – you’ve been reading
he has been reading – he’s been reading
we have been reading – we’ve been reading
you have been reading – you’ve been reading
they have been reading – they’ve been reading
Negative
The negative inserts the negation not between the first auxiliary, to have, and the
second auxiliary, to be.
SUBJECT + Aux. HAVE + NOT + Aux. BE + VERB
(Present Tense) (Present Participle)
I have not been calling – I’ve not been calling / I haven’t been calling
you have not been calling – you’ve not been calling / you haven’t been calling
he has not been calling – he’s not been calling / he hasn’t been calling
we have not been calling – we’ve not been calling / we haven’t been calling
you have not been calling – you’ve not been calling / you haven’t been calling
they have not been calling – they’ve not been calling / they haven’t been
calling
Interrogative
The interrogative form is achieved by inverting the subject and the first auxiliary,
to have.
Aux. HAVE + SUBJECT + Aux. BE + VERB ?
(Present Tense) (Past Participle) (Present Participle)
have I been growing? have we been growing?
have you been growing? have you been growing?
has he been growing? have they been growing?
Interrogative-negative
The interrogative-negative uses the negation not, inserted between the subject and
the second auxiliary, to be, as well as inversion between the subject and the first
auxiliary, to have. The short form has a different word order, using the conjunct form of
to have and not.
Aux. HAVE + SUBJECT + NOT + Aux. BE + VERB ?
(Present Tense) (Past Participle)(Present Participle)

Aux. HAVE + NOT + SUBJECT + Aux. BE + VERB ?

(Present Tense) (Past Participle)(Present Participle)
have I not been lying? – haven’t I been lying?
have you not been lying? – haven’t you been lying?
has he not been lying? – hasn’t he been lying?
 have we not been lying? – haven’t we been lying?
have you not been lying? – haven’t you been lying?
have they not been lying? – haven’t they been lying?
Further examples:
They have been trying to decide what to do for too long: soon they’ll lose
everything.
I started to live on my own at 20 and I’ve been doing it ever since.
The client is here and is seething with fury: he has been waiting for you these past
two hours.
Prices have been steadily going up lately, haven’t they? I suppose this will be
going on for quite a time.
He hasn’t been smoking for two hours. I give him another two hours. I bet he’ll
take it up again in less than that.
Have you been learning much lately? You are probably very tired.