A perfect presentation is not difficult to understand, but it is difficult to start using it in your communication.
This material was prepared by native English speakers themselves in a very accessible and understandable form.

What is Present Perfect

1. Present Perfect is a mix of the present tense and the past.
2. Present Perfect - makes your English richer.
3. In American English, the Present Perfect is often replaced by the Past Simple.

When is the Present Perfect used?

1. The action happened and we see the result now.
2. When it comes to our life experiences.
3. When various kinds of changes occurred in life, in the world, in oneself, etc.
4. When general achievements are mentioned.
5. When you need to emphasize the duration of accomplished facts.

Let's look at the above points in more detail.

1. The action happened and we see the result now

The main marker is the word “just”, which is not translated into Russian, but it is implied. Or when it is important for us to focus on what has been done or happened.

I (just) had breakfast. I have breakfast.
I (just) did my homework. I have done my homework.

I (just) washed my car. I have washed my car.
We (just) arrived. We have arrived.

She (just) forgot her car keys. She has lost her car keys.
The plane (just) landed. The plane has landed.

2. When it comes to our experience

For example: he never ate frogs, she never went to America, they flew on a plane, we never got chickenpox, etc.

The main marker is the word “once, before” or “never”, which are also not translated, but are implied by the context.

I've seen this movie (before). I have seen this movie.
Have you ever been in love? Have you ever fallen in love?

She had never seen snow. She has never seen snow.
Have you ever driven a Ferrari? Have you ever driven on a Ferrari?

I was (once, before) in Paris. I have visited Paris.
I've never been sick (before). I've never been sick before.
I've seen this world. I've seen the world.

3. When various kinds of changes occurred in life

What could it be: gasoline prices have risen, a new house has been built nearby, a child has grown up, you have learned more words in English, a new president has been elected, etc.

She has lost weight. She has lost some weight.
Our son learned to read. Our son has learned how to read.

Gasoline prices have increased significantly. Gas prices have increased a lot.

My dream has come true. My dream has come true.

Since I moved to Canada, my English has really improved.
My English has really improved since I moved to Canada.

Vanechka has grown since the last time I saw him.
Ivan has grown since the last time I saw him.

4. When talking about overall achievements

Apple released a new iPhone, a man flew to Mars, a new cure for cancer was invented, and the ideal car was finally created in Russia.

Doctors have discovered drugs for many diseases.
Doctors have discovered cures for many diseases.

Man has been to the moon. Man has been to the moon.

The computer made it possible to study online.
The computer has made it possible to learn online.

5. When to emphasize the duration of accomplished facts

Everything is simple here: we have been in a relationship for 5 years, I have lived in Australia since 1990, I have not seen him for 2 years, she has been working in this company for 10 years, etc..

I haven't been on vacation this year. I haven’t had a holiday this year.
I have known Anya for 5 years. I have known Anna for 5 years.

Sam has been working here for 7 years. Sam has worked here for 7 years.
I haven't seen my brother since last year. I haven’t seen my brother since last year.
We've been dating for 3 months. We have been in a relationship for 3 months.

Important nuance!
If you are taking an exam or focusing on American English, remember:
In American English, present perfect is often replaced by past simple.

I have just seen him. Bre
I saw him.

I just saw him. Amer
I saw him.

She has never seen snow. Bre
She had never seen snow.

She never saw snow. Amer
She had never seen snow.

Formation of the Present Perfect

have/has + verb ending - ed - or irregular verb from the third column -V3-

Simple sentence

Negation in Present Perfect

Questions in the Present Perfect

Perfect time meaning and translation.

Perfect denotes an action that precedes a specific moment or another action in the past, present or future tense. The main goal is to express precedence (pre-past, pre-present and pre-future).
There is no form similar to Perfect in the Russian language, so in order to correctly translate a sentence you need to think about its meaning.

Example:
Present Perfect: I have bought a lamp. I bought a lamp.
Past Indefinite: Yesterday. I bought a lamp. Yesterday I bought a lamp.

The first sentence with the Present Perfect already shows the result of the action: I bought a lamp. The lamp has already been purchased by now.
The second sentence, where the verb in Past Indefinite simply tells about a fact that happened yesterday.

All Perfect tenses are formed using the auxiliary verb to have in the appropriate tense (present, past and future) and the 3rd main form of the verb.

Present Perfect (Present Perfect)

Present Perfect expresses the connection between the past and the present. This connection can be expressed in two ways:
firstly, the presence of the result of a previously performed action;
secondly, the continuation in the present of an action that began in the past;

Present Perfect can be used in the following cases:

1. To express an action that has completed at the time of speech, therefore it can be called pre-present. The time of action, as a rule, is not important, since the very fact of performing the action to the present moment or its result is important.

Kate has read this book. Anna (already) read this book.
Do not go to the shop, I have bought bread. Don't go to the store, I bought bread.
I have seen the film and I think it’s dull. I (already) watched the movie and think it's boring.

Note:

The Present Perfect is often used with adverbs such as:
- just (just now);
- already (already);
- lately (recently);
- of late (lately);
- yet (in negative sentences);

2. To express an action that has already taken place for the period in which it occurred, is still ongoing and can be denoted by the time circumstance today, this week, this month, this year, this century.

I have seen the film twice this week. I've already watched this movie twice this week.

I have written a letter this morning. I already wrote a letter this morning.

3. To express an action that began in the past, continued up to the present time and continues in the present, that is, an action that covers a whole period of time, including the present moment.

I have always been in love with you. I have always loved you (I loved you before, I love you now).
I have known him all my life. I've known him all my life. (I knew it before, I know it now).

Past Perfect

The past perfect (Past Perfect) expresses a past action that preceded a specific moment in the past or completed before another action in the past, which preceded the past. Translated in the past tense, sometimes with the addition of already.

The Past Perfect can be used in the following cases:

1. To express a past action that has already taken place before a certain point in the past. A given point in time can be indicated by a time circumstance. (by 6 o’clock, by Saturday, by that time, by the end of the week)

He had left by the 5th of January. He left before January 5th.
I had never seen him before yesterday. I never saw him until yesterday.
I had cleaned the office by 7 o’clock. By seven o'clock I had cleaned the office.

2. To express a past action that has already been performed before another, later past action, expressed by a verb in the Past Indefinite, i.e., the past perfect (Past Perfect) is used in complex sentences.

He had already gone when I arrived. He had already left when I showed up.
My mother had visited Moscow before, and so the city was not new for her. My mother had visited Moscow earlier, and therefore the city was not unfamiliar to her.

After she cried, she felt better. After she cried, she felt better.

Future Perfect

The Future Perfect is used to express a future action that will end before a certain point in the future (pre-future).

The point in the future before which an action will end is expressed as:

A) An adverb of time with the preposition by. (by 6 o’clock, by the end of the week)
B) Another future action, expressed by Present Indefinite in a subordinate clause of time and condition with the following conjunctions: before, when.

When they meet next time, he will have read this book. The next time they meet, he will read this book.
I shall have finished this work before you return. I'll have finished this job before you get back.

The Future Perfect is used with already and other adverbial words, these words are placed after shall.

By the end of this week my friend will already have written his report. By the end of the week my friend will write his report.

Note:

The Future Perfect is not used to express future action in adverbial clauses of time and condition, which are introduced by the words after, when, as soon as, if and others. In these cases, the Present Perfect is used instead of the Future Perfect.

She will go to the country as soon as she passed her exams. She will go to the village as soon as she passes her exams.
I shall give you the book after I have read it. I'll give you the book after I read it.
They will start at 7 o’clock if it has stopped raining by that time. They will leave by seven o'clock if the rain stops by then.

Present Perfect (Present Perfect Simple) – present perfect tense. It has no equivalent in the Russian language. It may be difficult for us to understand Present Perfect, because English-speaking people perceive the concept of time differently. From the point of view of the Russian language, an action in the present tense cannot end, that’s why it is present. If the action is completed (passed), then the time must be past. The English language adheres to a different logic: in it, an action in the present can end, and an example of this is Present Perfect.

How is the Present Perfect formed?

Statement

Predicate in Present Perfect consists of an auxiliary verb have (has) and the main verb. With pronouns I, you, we, they and plural nouns we use have, with pronouns he, she, it and singular nouns – has.

As the main verb in Present Perfect we use the third form of the verb. There are two ways to get it: if the verb is correct, we add the ending -ed to the base. If the verb is irregular, we take the form from the third column.

Negation

In order to construct a negative sentence in Present Perfect, we need to put a negative particle between the auxiliary verb and the main one not.

Verb to have (has) can take abbreviated forms. In an affirmative sentence have (has) is combined with a pronoun, in abbreviated form have looks like ' ve, has How ' s:

• We've gone.
• He's decided.

In a negative sentence have (has) combines with not, the abbreviated forms look like haven't, hasn't:

• I haven't started.
• She hasn't done.

In colloquial speech, abbreviated forms are more common than full ones.

Question

Learn all the functions of time at once Present Perfect is almost impossible, so we decided to divide all functions into 3 convenient groups according to the level of English proficiency: beginner (green frame), intermediate (yellow frame), advanced (red frame).

Using the Present Perfect

First level

1. We use Present Perfect, when we want to show the result of an action that has already been completed. By using Present Perfect we focus on the result and from it we see that the action has already been completed. It is much easier to understand what the result means using the example of the verbs “to do” and “to do”:
   • I did This - I did it. (Past Simple- the action was in the past)
   • I did This - I have done it. (the action is over, which means there is a result)

   An action with a result includes:

   • Action with adverbs already(already), just(just now), yet(already, yet). They indicate that an action happened recently and that something has changed as a result.
     

     I know Jane. We have already met. - I know Jane, we already met. (we met in the past, so as a result, I know her now)

     I don't want to go to the café, I 've just eaten. - I don’t want to go to the cafe, I I just ate. (I'm not hungry, it's a result of what I ate recently)

     Adverb yet used in questions and negatives. In a negative sentence yet translated as “yet”, in the question – “already”. Yet usually comes at the end of a sentence.

     – Is Jim here? – Is Jim here?
     – No, he hasn't arrived yet. - No he haven't arrived yet.

     Have you been to the new supermarket yet? - You already been in the new supermarket?

   • An action that happened in the past, no matter when, but the result is visible in the present.
     

     I have bought a new car. - I bought new car. (I have already made a purchase, we don’t know when this happened, but we see the result - a new car)

     They aren't at home, they have gone shopping. - They are not at home, they went shopping. (it doesn’t matter when they left, what matters is that they are gone now)

     Another result of an action can influence the present:

     She has lost her keys, she can’t get home now. - She lost keys, now she can't get home. (because she lost her keys in the past, she cannot open the door in the present)

   • An action that occurred in an unfinished period of time. The words indicate to us the unfinished period today(Today), this morning/week/month/year(this morning/this week/this month/this year). Our action already has a result, but today, this week / this month / this year has not ended yet, that is, we will have time to complete the action or repeat it again during this period.
     

     Today he has visited two galleries. – Today He visited in two galleries. (today is not over yet and he can go to the third gallery)

     I haven't been at work this week because of sickness. - I was not At work this week because of illness. (but the week is not over yet and I can go to work this week)

2. Present Perfect used when we talk about our personal experiences. This function is often called “life experience.”
   

   I 've been to England but I haven't been to Scotland. - I was in England, but was not in Scotland. (at this point in my life I have visited England and haven't had time to visit Scotland, but I still hope to visit there)

   • Such sentences do not indicate the exact time. But you can emphasize how many times the action happened:
     

     – Have you read this book? - You read this book?
     – Yes, I have read this book twice already. - Yes I read this book twice already.

     I have eaten in this restaurant many times. - I ate in this restaurant many times.

     Or you can speak in general, without specifying the exact number of times:

     – Have you read this book? - You read this book?
     – Yes, I have read this book. - Yes I read this book.

     I have eaten in this restaurant. - I ate at this restaurant.

   • Adverbs ever(someday) and never(never) often occur when we talk about life experiences. They show what we did or didn't do in our lives. note that never replaces a particle not.
     

     – Have you ever seen this film? - You have you ever seen This movie?
     – No, I have never seen this film before. - No, I never saw this movie before.

     – Has he ever been abroad? - He ever been Abroad?
     – No, he hasn't. - No, was not.

     I have never eaten mango - I never eaten mango.

• This is not the most complete list of words and expressions used in the Present Perfect. This time has a lot of satellites - read about them in our article “”.

When else is the Present Perfect used?

Average level

1. In addition to the result, Present Perfect shows a continuous action that is still current: it began in the past, but continues in the present and may continue in the future. Usually in these cases there are prepositions for(during) and since(since, since). For indicates how long the action lasts, since shows that an action began at a certain point in the past and is still ongoing. You might say it's a function of time. It is true, but Present Perfect also used in this meaning in several cases:
   • C, which are almost never used with band tenses Continuous.
     

     We 've known each other since school years. - We we know each other since school.

     She has wanted to become an actress since her childhood. - She dreams become an actress from childhood.

   • With verbs that themselves convey a continuous action ( to live- live, to work- work, to study- study, to sleep- sleep, to wait- wait). In this case we can use like Present Perfect, so Present Perfect Continuous, but the meaning of the sentence will not change.
     

     I 've studied English for 5 years. - I I teach English for 5 years. (I started 5 years ago, I continue now and perhaps I will teach in the future)

     I 've lived in the suburbs since childhood. - I I live in the suburbs since childhood. (I started living as a child and continue to live in the suburbs now)

   • In negative sentences, when we report something that we have not done for some time.
     

     I haven't heard of him for the last 3 years. - I don’t know anything about him haven't heard the last three years.

     We haven't been to Rome since our honeymoon. - We were not in Rome since our honeymoon.

   For verbs to be And to go V Present Perfect There are additional shades of meaning: have been means that the speaker was somewhere, went or traveled somewhere and has now returned from there. A has gone means that the speaker has gone somewhere or left and has not yet returned.

   She has been to Madrid. - She was in Madrid. (but she's home now)

   She has gone to Madrid. - She left to Madrid. (she's still in Madrid)

2. We use Present Perfect, when we want to emphasize how many times the action was performed. For this purpose the design is used it is (that is) the first/second/third time something has happened– this is the first/second/third time something happened.
   

   It is the first time I have driven a car. = I have never driven a car before. – I drove for the first time car.

   That is the fifth time Bill has phoned his girlfriend this evening. = He has called his girlfriend five times this evening. – Bill called to his girlfriend for the fifth time already for the evening.

Complex cases of using the Present Perfect

High level

1. Present Perfect used in conjunction with P ast Simple in complex sentences. In order to show the exact time when the action began, we use a subordinate clause with the conjunction since / ever since(since). This subordinate clause will be in Past Simple, the main proposal is in Present Perfect.
   

   He hasn't played the cello since he broke his bow. - He does not play on cello since then, How broke the bow.

   I 've lived like this ever since I moved to London. - I just I've been living since then, How moved to London.

   We can use Present Perfect in a subordinate clause if the action in the subordinate clause began in the past and continues in the present.

   Have you invited any of your friends since you 've lived in your new apartment? - You invited one of your friends since then, how are you in a new apartment?

• The Present Perfect tense is often confused with the Past Simple tense. You can learn how to avoid such confusion from the article “”

As you can see, Present Perfect It doesn’t seem so illogical and incomprehensible if you look into it. In addition, this tense has a lot of companion words - adverbs that help us recognize the present perfect tense. Yes, Present Perfect can be called the most difficult topic in studying English times, but if you have mastered it, then all other times will seem like a mere trifle to you.

In order to consolidate the knowledge gained, we recommend taking the test and downloading a cheat sheet with the rules of education Present Perfect.

(*.pdf, 186 Kb)

​

Test

Present perfect in translation is the present completed tense. Used in English to describe actions that began in the past, without a precise start time, and whose completion is closely related to the present. They have ended by the current moment or in a period that can be called the present. Problems often arise with understanding this tense, at least due to the fact that sentences in the Present perfect are translated into Russian in the past tense, and in English it is Present - present tense. And you also don’t immediately understand how a completed action can be in the present tense.

2. Education Present perfect

2.1. Affirmative form

Verb conjugation table in an affirmative sentence

More examples can be found in the article.

Rules for forming statements

The affirmative form of the present completed tense is formed as follows: after the subject there is an auxiliary verb have (has), plus the main verb in the 3rd form (past participle).

Both pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and nouns (boy, cars, snow) can be used as subjects.

The auxiliary verb have is almost always used, but in the 3rd person singular, that is, for pronouns he, she, it and singular nouns (boy, snow), has is used (see conjugation table above).

Shortened forms of the auxiliary verbs have and has: ‘ve and ‘s respectively. For example, I have worked = I’ve worked, He has worked = He’s worked. Please note that 's is also used to shorten the verb is. Which word is abbreviated in such an entry will have to be understood from the context.

The third form of the verb is a verb ending in -ed if the verb is regular. If the verb is irregular, then its third form must be remembered.

You can see the list of irregular verbs. You are now only interested in column 3, but we recommend learning all three forms at once. The second part of that article provides a life hack for more convenient memorization of irregular verbs.

The ending -ed is also not as simple as it seems at first glance; the rules for writing it are described in the article.

General scheme

S + have (has) + V3

Where S (subject) is the subject (pronoun or noun)

V3 (verb) – verb in 3rd form

2.2. Interrogative sentences

2.2.1. General issues

Example of verb conjugation in interrogative form

Rules for constructing a question

To form an interrogative sentence, it is enough to move the auxiliary verb have (has) to the beginning of the sentence, before the subject.

The main verb remains in the 3rd form.

Has is used in the same cases as in an affirmative sentence, that is, it depends on the subject.

Question formula in the present completed tense

Have (Has) + S + V3?

Where Have (Has) is an auxiliary verb

S – subject

V3 – verb in 3rd form

2.2.2. Answer to a common question

2.2.3. Special questions

Construction rules

A special question is formed from a general question by adding a question word (who, what, when, where) before the auxiliary verb have (has).

Formula for creating a special question

Wh + have (has) + S + V3?

Where Wh is a question word

have (has) – auxiliary verb

S – subject

V3 – verb in 3rd form

Table with examples of special questions

Rules for writing negatives

To form a negation from an affirmative sentence, you must write the negation particle not after the auxiliary verb. The auxiliary verb remains the same, the main verb remains in 3rd form.

The abbreviations for have not and has not are haven’t and hasn’t, respectively.

Reinforce the mastered rules for forming questions and negatives by completing.

General scheme of negation in the Present perfect

S + have (has) + not + V3

Where S is the subject

have (has) – auxiliary verb

not – particle of negation

V3 – verb in 3rd form

3. Use of the Present perfect and examples with translation

The present completed tense is used in the following cases:

3.1. When the fact that the action completed with a certain result is important, but the exact time when it happened is not important

I have bought a new skirt - I bought a new skirt. Now I have it, no matter when I bought it.

If you want to focus on the fact that you bought it at a sale on the weekend, that is, indicate the time, then you should use: I bought a new skirt last weekend.

3.2. If the action has recently completed and now its result affects the present

I'm not hungry. I have just eaten. I'm not hungry, I just ate.

Note that just is used in these cases.

3.3. When we talk about personal experience

I have been to London, but I haven’t been to Moscow - I was in London, but I wasn’t in Moscow. Some time in the past, it doesn’t matter exactly when, I was in London, this is a complete fact, but I was not in Moscow, although I can visit there.

Again, as soon as you want to indicate the exact time of your visit, you will need to use Past simple: I was in London 2 years ago.

When you talk about your experience, you can also focus on the fact that this happened more than once.

After studying Past, Present and Future Simple, this topic will seem very complex and incomprehensible. As soon as you translate this time into Russian, panic begins. How can one time unite the past and the present? This is precisely the essence of this time. Let's look at the simplest example:

I have broken my leg. - I broke my leg.

As you can see, the speaker does not give an exact date and time, but simply talks about the fact that in the past he broke his leg and is currently in a cast.

Present Perfect (present perfect tense) is formed thanks to the verb have, which appears as an auxiliary verb and a perfect participle. These are the forms that are located in the 3rd column of irregular verbs.

Have (has) + V3.

If you carefully examine the formula, it becomes clear that the past participle is an unchanged part in the sentence, but have (has) will change depending on the person and number of the speaker. In any tense, including the Present Perfect, the rules must be taught in such a way that you can remember them at any time. If you memorize the above diagram, then no problems will arise in solving the exercises. But we shouldn’t stop at one scheme, so let’s move on.

Present Perfect: rules and examples

This time marks the action that has completed at the time of the story. The difficulty of perceiving the Present Perfect tense is that when translating a sentence into our language, verbs indicate the past tense. You should not miss the point that the verbs being translated refer to the present tense, since they are connected with the result of the action performed. Based on this, it is concluded that the action in the Present Perfect was performed in a certain period of time, which is not indicated in the sentence and is not so important.

All rules concerning the Present Perfect state that in this time it is strictly forbidden to use words indicating a specific past time:

At that moment;

Such time adverbials are used only in the Past Simple. But in the Present Perfect, the rules allow the use of helping words that indicate this time:

Many or several times;

Eg:

I have run into him several times in the summer camp. “I ran into him several times at summer camp. (That is, the speaker saw the person, but does not name a specific date and time).

It is worth noting that the rules characteristic of the Present Perfect are most difficult for beginners to learn English. Let's try to understand them in more depth.

When is this tense used?

This tense expresses the following concepts:

I have been to Italy.

Here the speaker means that he has already been to Italy. This means he has experience traveling to this country.

2. Changes that occurred over a period of time.

He has grown a beard since the last time I saw him.

This example shows an action that occurred in a certain period of time. The speaker did not see the other person for a certain period of time, and by the time they met, the other person had already grown a beard. In such sentences, the second verb is used in the Past Simple (saw) form.

3. Achievements.

Our son has learned to play piano.

This sentence indicates the guy’s achievements, but at what time he achieved this is not indicated.

4. Unfulfilled but expected action.

Nick has not arrived yet.

That is, the process is still ongoing and is awaiting completion. The sentence is about a guy who at the time of the dialogue has not yet arrived, but soon he will arrive and the process will be completed. Pay attention to the last word yet. At the beginning of studying the topic, it was said that the Present Perfect tense has its own helper words. This word is one of them. It already serves as a signal that this sentence refers to the Present Perfect Tense.

5. Several actions in the past.

The team has led the game 5 times so far.

In this example, it is clear that the team has played games 5 times so far, but at the time of the story it is still continuing the game.

In the Present Perfect tense, the rules allow the use of the following tense adverbials:

This week (month).

Present Perfect or Past Simple

Present Perfect, Past Simple - the rules for using these tenses are completely different. If in the first case the action that occurred has a connection with the present time, then in the second there is no connection. In the Past Simple the auxiliary verb is did, and in the Present Perfect it is have or has. In the first case, time plays no role. What is important here is the result or the fact that the action was completed. In the second, only the time when the action occurred is important.

Below are examples of the use of these tenses:

Present Perfect Continuous Simple. Rules of use

Present Perfect Continuous Simple implies a certain process that began in the past time and is still ongoing at the time of the story. To put it simply, this is an action that began in the past tense and by the time of the conversation has either just ended or is still in progress.

How is the Present Perfect Continuous Simple formed?

Affirmative sentences:

I have been reading.

Interrogative sentences:

Have I been reading?

Negative Suggestions:

I have not/haven’t been reading.

To indicate this time, you need to put the verb to be in the Present Perfect (have been or has been). Then the participle is added to it. To get it, you need to add the ending -ing to the initial form of the word.

Cases when this tense is used:

1. The process began in the past and by the time of the conversation is not completed, but continues.

2. An action that began in the past lasted a certain amount of time, and by the time of the conversation it had already ended.

Even though this is a rather complex topic, you should not give up. English grammar is not “Chinese grammar”. You just need to be careful when studying this topic, analyze examples, perform exercises of varying complexity, and remember the rules. Only then will you be able to master the entire grammar of the English language.