The Present Perfect

This is a mixture of present & past. Its strongly connected with present time and is mainly used in: conversations, letters, newspapers and TV and radio reports.

TIME EXPRESSIONS - ever / never - just - already - yet - for / since

FORM

have/has + past participle (V3). Examples:

Affirmative: I have read the instructions. Negative: I havent had breakfast yet. Interrogative: Have you seen my glasses?

Present Perfect Tense

Present perfect tense expresses an action completed at the present time (perfect means complete) or begun in the past and continuing into the present. Examples:

He has written a letter to his uncle. (completed action) They have lived here for seven years. (continuing)

The P. Perfect with JUST

It is placed between have/has and the main verb.

Ive just seen your dad (I saw him a few minutes ago).

It is mainly used in the affirmative, but we can also find it in the interrogative form:

Has he just gone out?

Translation: acabar de

FOR and SINCE

FOR: is used with periods of time. Examples: for 6 days, for a long time, for a year. Dont use before expressions beginning with all.

I have lived in Seville for four years.

SINCE: it is used with a point in time. Examples: since 1997, since 6 oclock, since last week, since I left university.

I have been married since 1997.

YET & ALREADY

YET: it is used in interrogative and negative sentences. It is placed at the end.

Have you seen Intruders yet? No, I havent seen it yet.

ALREADY: it is used in affirmative. It is placed between have/has and the main verb.

I have already studied for the test.

MORE TIME EXPRESSIONS

LATELY

(ltimamente) RECENTLY (recientemente, hace poco) ALWAYS SEVERAL TIMES (varias veces) SO FAR (hasta ahora, de momento)

RECAP

Lo usamos para hablar de acciones que estn conectadas con el momento presente:

Ive lost my ID.

Para preguntar si algo ha sucedido alguna vez, con ever o never, o para decir cuntas veces ha sucedido:

Have you ever been to Australia? Yes. Ive been twice.

Para acciones que empezaron en el pasado y todava continan:

Ive been here for an hour.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

FORM: have/has + been + vb-ing

USES:
Ive

for an action which started in the past and is still continuing.

A repeated action or a very recent one

been trying to break the codes for weeks.

Ive been writing letters since breakfast. Ive been polishing the car.