The present perfect tense

I-THE FORM
The present perfect of any verb is composed of two elements: the appropriate form of
the auxiliary verb to have (present tense), plus the past participle of the main verb. The
past participle of a regular verb is base+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. For irregular
verbs, see the Table of irregular verbs.

AFFIRMATIVE: S+HAVE/HAS+PAST PARTICIPLE. She has visited

NEGATIVE: S+HAVE/HAS +NOT+PAST PARTICIPLE. She has not visited

INTERROGATIVE: HAVE/HAS+S+PAST PARTICIPLE. Has she visited?

II-THE USE
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 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)

-It is generally used with adverbs such as: since, for, yet, already, recently, ever, never.
 PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

II-THE FORM
The present perfect continuous is made up of two elements: the present perfect of the
verb 'to be' (have/has been), and main verb +ing.

Subject has/have been verb+ing

She has been swimming

Affirmative: She has been running.

Negative: She hasn't been running.
Interrogative: Has she been running?

II-THE USE
The present perfect continuous is used to refer to:

ACTIONS THAT STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUE IN THE PRESENT

She has been waiting for you all day (= and she's still waiting now).
I've been working on this report since eight o'clock this morning (= and I still haven't
finished it).
They have been travelling since last October (= and they're not home yet).

ACTIONS THAT HAVE JUST FINISHED, BUT WE ARE INTERESTED IN THE

RESULTS

She has been cooking since last night (= and the food on the table looks delicious).
It's been raining (= and the streets are still wet).
 EXERCISE
1. We………………......................... (Stand) in this queue for an hour now. 

2. It…………………………………… (Move) much, has it? 

3. Maybe the shop assistant……………………………………… (go) somewhere. 

4. John has been learning irregular verbs all day but he…………………………………….
(Learn) only ten. 

5. Bill has been cutting onions. That's why he's crying. He…………………………… (cut)
his finger, too. 

6. Susan………………………………………… (write) a short story. 

7. I…………………………………… (read) it lately but I haven't read all of it yet so I can't

tell you if it's any good. 

8. It seems that for the last few months he……………………………… (write) a novel. 

9……………………………………………. (you, wait) long? I'm sorry I'm late. 

10. That's O.K. I……………………………………………. (look through) some magazines

your daughter gave me. 

11……………………………………………….. (She, show) you round the house? 

12. Yes, she has and I………………………………………. (think) It is rather expensive,

you know. 

13. Well, yes, but it's a nice house. My family and I…………………………………… (live)
here for twenty years. 
14. What………………………………………… (you, do) with my shoes? 
15. I ………………………………………… (put) them under the bed.