Perfect how it is formed. When to use: beginner level

(have, has) and past participle forms: I have done, he has played. Past Participle (participle) of regular verbs is formed by adding the ending to the infinitive –ed: to invite- invite ed. When added to a verb –ed sometimes there are changes in its spelling: to stop – stopp ed. Past Participle of irregular verbs must be remembered: to tell – told – told. More about .

Abbreviated forms:

‘ve= have
's=has
haven't= have not
hasn't= has not

Using the Present Perfect

1. An action that has taken place to date, the result of which is obvious. The speaker’s emphasis is to draw the interlocutor’s attention to the result of the action taking place (there is always a connection between the past and the present).

Examples: I have lost my luggage. - I lost my luggage. (I now have no baggage - the speaker reports a specific result of an action have lost; This idea can also be expressed with the following sentence: My luggage is lost. – My luggage is lost.)
I have read a new book. – I read a new book. (I have already read the book)
She has bought a new car. - She bought a new car. (she has a new car now)

2. With adverbial words denoting periods of time that have not yet expired ( today - today, this week/month/year - this week, this month/year, this afternoon - this afternoon)*

Examples: I haven't read your documents today. – I didn’t read your documents today.

3. Often with adverbs of indefinite time ( ever - ever, never - never, already - already, yet - yet, often - often, so far - yet, until now, not yet - not yet, ever - ever)*

Examples: I 've never been there before. - I've never been here.
They haven't finished dinner yet. - They haven't finished lunch yet.

* Please note that the absence or presence of the above adverbs (3) or adverbial words (2) in a sentence is not a clear indicator present usage Perfect.

4. Always used with adverbs lately – (for/in) lately and just – just now.

Examples: They have just finished. - They just finished.
Have you heard from her lately? – Have you heard about her lately?

5. Actions performed during a certain period of time up to the present moment with verbs that do not have the Continuous form. Often used with prepositions for ( for an hour - for an hour, for two weeks - for two weeks, for a long time - for a long time) and since ( since twelve o’clock - from twelve o’clock, since 12 April - from April 12, since May - from May). More about .

Examples: I have known her mother for 10 years. – I’ve known her mother for 10 years.
He has been here since 3 o'clock. – He’s been here since 3 o’clock.

6. Never used to refer to past moments or periods of time ( yesterday - yesterday, last week - on last week, an hour ago - an hour ago, on Sunday - on Sunday, in 2005 - in 2005), with questions starting with when – When. These marker words indicate the need to use.

Examples:When did he draw this portrait? – When did he paint this portrait?
I came here an hour ago. – I came here an hour ago.

7. In circumstances subordinate clauses time and conditions ( after conjunctions when - when, while, after - after, as soon as - as soon as, if - if, until - not yet) instead to express an action that will end at a certain point in the future. Translated into Russian by the future tense.

Examples:After he has been repaired the washing machine, he'll be paid. - After he fixes it washing machine, he will be paid.
I'll come as soon as I have finished writing this letter. “I’ll come as soon as I finish writing this letter.”

The concept of present tense in English does not always coincide with ours. One of the most striking examples of such a difference is the Present Perfect.

In this article we will understand what the Present Perfect is, how it is formed, in what cases it is used, what rules it obeys, and we will consolidate our knowledge with real examples of sentences with translation.

What is Present Perfect Tense?

Present Perfect Tense(Present Perfect) is the present perfect tense in English. It denotes an action that has completed at the current moment in time.

This is the main difficulty of the Present Perfect tense for students. In Russian there is no tense similar to the Present Perfect. For us, if something happens now, it is the present, and if it has happened, it is already the past.

But not for the British. They perceive time a little differently. According to the logic of native speakers, the action may well end in the present or close to the present moment. The Present Perfect exists to express such a connection between the past and the present.

Because of these features in the understanding of actions and time - in Russian Present language Perfect is usually translated with a verb in the past tense.

I have already done my homework - I have already done my homework

This example uses the Present Perfect tense (have done) because we are talking about the fact that the action (working on homework) ended very recently.

But we translate the sentence into Russian using the past tense (already done).

How is the Present Perfect formed?

The Present Perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and Past Participle (the third form of the semantic verb: V3).

The auxiliary verb changes depending on the subject:

I / You / We / They → have (for 1st, 2nd person and forms plural)
She / He / It → has (for 3rd person singular)

The construction of the Present Perfect tense is completed by a semantic verb in the third form (V3).

If the semantic verb is of the correct form, then its third form (V3) is formed using the ending -ed.

If the semantic verb is irregular, then we take its third form (V3) from the table of irregular verbs.

For example:

to try → tried (try) to cook → cooked (cook) to finish → finished (finish)
to get → got to keep → kept to see → seen

Statement:

An affirmative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and the semantic verb ending in -ed for regular verbs or the third form irregular verb(V3) according to the formula:

I / You / We / They + have + Ved (V3)
She / He / It + has + Ved (V3)

I have decided - I decided

You have played - You played

He has done - He did

It has turned on - It turned on

In sentences and everyday speech you can often find a shortened form of the auxiliary verbs have / has. It is formed by adding ‘ve (for have) or ‘s (for has) to the subject:

I have = I've
You have = You've
We have = We've
They have = They've

She has = She's
He has = He's
It has = It's

I’ve done my tasks - I completed my tasks

He’s washed the dishes - He washed the dishes

Negation:

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect are formed by adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb have / has, but before the main semantic verb. The formula looks like this:

I / You / We / They + have not + Ved (V3)
She / He / It + has not + Ved (V3)

I have not done my homework - I didn’t do my homework

They have not come - They did not come

She has not finished her tasks - She did not complete her tasks

It has not turned on - It did not turn on

In negation, the particle not can be shortened by joining it to the auxiliary verb have / has:

Have not = haven’t
Has not = hasn’t

I haven’t washed my hair - I didn’t wash my hair

She hasn’t been to London yet - She hasn’t been to London yet

Question:

An interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed by placing the auxiliary verb have / has at the beginning of the sentence. The formula will be like this:

Have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
Has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)

Have I bought all the presents? - Did I buy all the gifts?

Have you finished the classes? -Have you finished your classes?

Has she just arrived home? - Has she just arrived home?

Has it turned on? - Did it turn on?

Special questions are formed using question words. Such as when (when), how (how), what (what), where (where) and others. The following is the same word order as in the question.

QW + have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
QW + has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)

What has he just said? - What did he just say?

How long have you been knocked on the door? - How long have you been knocking on the door?

When is the Present Perfect used?

Now let’s look at the most common cases of using and using the Present Perfect tense in speech:

Completed action in the present

In this case, the emphasis is on the result of the completed action. In other words, when the result of an action is visible in the present.

I have cooked a good dinner - I prepared a good dinner (the action is completed, the result is a good dinner)

I know Nina. We have already met - I know Nina. We have already met (the meeting took place in the past, but we are interested in the result in the present)

Unfinished action in the present

The Present Perfect tense is used when we describe an action that began in the past, has not yet ended in the present, but the result is obvious.

I've written five pages of the new book this morning - I wrote five pages of a new book this morning (the morning is not over yet, he can write a few more pages)

She has finished watching “Harry Potter” this week - She finished watching “Harry Potter” this week (the week is still going on, but she has already finished watching the film)

Fact of action / personal experience

If it is important for the speaker to emphasize the fact of some accomplished event without an exact indication of the time, the Present Perfect also comes to the rescue. This tense is often used when we talk about our past experiences or when we ask our interlocutor about it.

I have been to Bratislava - I was (was) in Bratislava

In a question when we are interested in a fact from someone’s life, we also use the Present Perfect:

Have you ever been to France? -Have you ever been to France?

Present Perfect tense markers

Present Perfect is used with imprecise expressions and words that indicate a period of time that has not yet ended

never (never)
ever (ever)
already (already)
yet (yet) / not yet (not yet)
often (often)
lately (lately)
just (just now)
once (once)
recently (recently)
before (before)
today (today)
this week (this week)
this year (this year)
for an hour (within an hour)
for a long time (long time)
since two o’clock - from two o’clock
ince December – from December

Examples of Present Perfect sentences with translation

Affirmative:

I’ve studied English since my childhood - I have studied English since childhood

She has visited this beauty shop recently - She recently visited this cosmetics store

People have walked on the Moon - People walked on the Moon.

We’ve just eaten, so we don’t want to go to the cafe - We just ate, so we don’t want to go to the cafe

I have just cut my finger - I just cut my finger

Negative:

He has not returned from school yet - He has not yet returned from school

I haven’t bought the new car. This is my old one - I didn’t buy a new car. This is old

Jane hasn’t been to Asia yet - Jane hasn’t been to Asia yet

I have not been at university this week because of the flu - I was not at the university this week because of the flu

I haven’t replaced the batteries in the doorbell - I did not replace the batteries in the doorbell

Interrogative:

Have you seen this film about space? -Have you seen this film about space?

Has Jimmy bought the tickets yet? - Jimmy already bought tickets?

How many deals has she made at the moment? - How many deals has she concluded so far?

How much coffee have you drunk today? - How much coffee did you drink today?

How long have you known Mary? - How long have you known Mary?

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 name exact date and time, but simply tells 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;

For example:

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 of the meeting he had already grown a beard. In such sentences the second verb is used in Past form Simple (saw).

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 in this example It is clear that the team’s games have been played 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 Past Simple auxiliary verb did, and in the Present Perfect - 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 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 initial form words add the ending -ing.

Cases when used given time:

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.

From the school desk, students are intimidated by difficult to understand parts of English, which must be crammed, otherwise you will not communicate and understand the language even at a minimal level. In fact, the prim Englishmen have only three tenses, as in our great and mighty language: present, past and future. However, you should understand: each time has its own characteristics, in other words, types. In this article we will look at the present tense and its form Present Perfect Simple.

English present tense

The present tense in English has 4 types:

Present Perfect.
Present Simple.
Present Perfect Continuous.

Exercises usually help to reinforce the complexities of using these forms. It should be understood that these are not isolated rules, they have a certain system. The main thing in studying is to understand the essence of each tense, when it needs to be applied in practice in writing, and when in live conversation.

Time formula

The name of the tense form Present Perfect Simple is translated as “present perfect tense”. The perfect form is one of the most used in communication by residents of England and America, although we hear it less often in the speech of the latter. Formed this type present tense according to the following formula: auxiliary + main verb in 3rd form.

The third form for regular verbs is formed by adding and for irregular verbs there is its own form, which is usually given in dictionaries.

For example:

I have already cleaned my room. - “I have already cleaned my room” (the verb clean is correct).

He has already drunk his tea. - “He has already drunk his tea” (the verb drink is incorrect).

Thus, we can say that the present perfect tense is quite simple to form; the main thing is to know whether you are using the correct form of the verb or not.

The third part of the table in dictionary publications and textbooks contains the third form of the verb. For example: the verb be (translated as to be, to exist) has the following forms: be/was (were)/been.

Using the present perfect tense

Present Perfect Simple is used when it is necessary to express exactly the result of an action that has already been performed. With the help of this tense, attention is focused on the result and thus it is clear that the action has already been completed. We also use Simple when we talk about an action that happened in an unfinished period of time. Remember that the main thing for understanding the perfect is the connection with the present moment and the fact of completion of the action. For example: " I have already eaten watermelon." - I have already eaten melon. That is, we mean the result of the action itself, the actual result.

These two tense forms refer to the present tense, but have different meanings. Present Simple is used when talking about events that happen usually and every day. The main indicators for it are the following words: always (always), usually (usually), rarely (rarely), often (often). The Present Perfect expresses an action that has already been performed and has a certain result at the time of the speaker’s speech. Also, these two times have different formation formulas. The simple tense is used in live communication much more often than the perfect tense. He has many words - pointers, that is, words that directly say that it is necessary to use the perfect tense.

Difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple

When learning English, the question always arises of when to use the Present Perfect and when to use the Past Simple. It is necessary to understand the basic postulates of using these forms of time. The most important thing to remember: " Paste simple" - this is the past tense, it talks about those events that have already happened. "Present perfect" is the present tense, it talks about what was started earlier and has not yet been completed, or has ended, but has a relationship with today. Sometimes you can understand from the meaning of the text itself that it is the perfect that must be used. The tense should be chosen depending on what needs to be said to the speaker, based on the situation that has arisen.

Timing Rules

If the situation or time period in question has ended and has no connection with the present, then “Past Simple” should be used. When using Time Past Simple this may mean that the person is no longer able to carry out any action. If you do not say in more detail during the conversation about the reason for choosing this time, then you might think that the person is no longer alive.

She always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (meaning that she doesn’t watch TV anymore because she died).

She has always loved watching TV. - “She always loved watching TV” (she loved it before and still loves it).

Etymology of the word

The word perfect comes from the Latin language and is translated as “completion”, and the meaning of “perfection”, in the sense of the absence of flaws, acquired much later. In fact, the word perfect acquired the meaning of “flawless” by expanding its previous meaning, because something created is completed when it no longer has flaws. Perfect tenses are so called because they refer to actions that are completed relative to the present tense. For example: “I ate the bread” is an action that is currently completed. However, not every use of the present tense perfect form associated with the idea of completion. In fact, the perfect form exists in many European languages, including our Russian language.

English is not difficult. The rules are easy to remember and there are not many of them.

English grammar is often confusing. But a dead end does not mean hopelessness: you can always return to the starting point and start again. A clear explanation of the rules for the formation and use of the Present Perfect Simple tense - one of the most difficult sections of English grammar for children in grade 5 - will help you choose the right direction and avoid dead-end situations.

General information

Before moving on to explaining the basic rules and nuances of using the Present Perfect tense, it is necessary to understand how this tense form is translated into Russian and what it means: its basic differences from other tenses. Present Perfect Tense is the Present Perfect tense used to describe completed, accomplished actions that have a direct connection with the present, the result of these actions affects the present. The main impulse to use the tense form in question is marker words indicating the uncertainty of time. That's it in a nutshell. Now, in more detail on each point: how to understand what time and how to use it.

Education

Basic rules for the education of affirmative, interrogative forms, as well as negations are presented in the following table. With its help, you can understand how the Present Perfect formula is formed and how it “works” in practice.

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect tense

Subjects + have/has + main verb + -ed (3rd form of regular verbs)

I have visited - I visited

You have visited - you visited

He (she, it) has visited - he (she, it) visited

We have visited - we visited

You have visited - you visited

They have visited - they visited

Subjects + have/has + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs)

I have done - I did

You have done - you did

He (she, it) has done - he (she, it) did

We have done - we did

You have done - you did

They have done - they did

Subjects + have/has + not + main verb + ed (3rd form of regular verbs)

I have not visited - I did not visit

You have not visited - you did not visit

He (she, it) has not visited - he (she, it) did not visit

We have not visited - we did not visit

You have not visited - you did not visit

They have not visited - they did not visit

Subjects + have/has + not + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs)

I have not done - I didn’t do

You have not done - you didn’t do

He (she, it) has not done - he (she, it) did not do

We have not done - we didn’t do

You have not done - you didn’t do

They have not done - they didn’t do

Have/has + subjects + main verb + ed (3rd form of regular verbs)

Have I visited? - did I visit?

Have you visited? - did you visit?

Has he (she, it) visited? - did he (she, it) visit?

Have we visited? - did we visit?

Have you visited? - did you visit?

Have they visited? – did they visit?

Have/has + subjects + main verb in 3rd form (irregular verbs)

Have I done? - did I do it?

Have you done? - did you do it?

Has he (she, it) done - did he (she, it) do?

Have we done? - did we do it?

Have you done? - did you do it?

Have they done? - did they do it?

Use

The Present Perfect Simple tense occupies a special place in English grammar.

There are no analogues of Present Perfect Simple in Russian.

Therefore, it is necessary to understand and remember in what cases this tense is used:

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To denote an action that occurred in the near past, but its result is observed in the present. In other words, the speaker is not interested in the time when the action occurred, one thing is important to him - the result that connects this event that happened in the past with the present: She is not at home, she has gone to the library - She is not at home, she went to the library (She left and the result in the present is her absence);
To convey “life experience”. Such sentences often emphasize how many times the action took place: When have you been to Europe? I have been to Italy three times already - When were you in Europe? I've been to Italy three times already;
To denote an action that occurred in an unfinished period of time. To emphasize this incompleteness in the sentence, the phrases this morning (this morning), this evening (this evening), this month (this month), today (today) and others are used: This week she has come to his house twice - This week she came to his house twice.

Companion words

The Present Perfect time usually cannot do without the help of its companions - time indicators that indicate that the action began in the past and ended not so long ago:

Never- never (I have never been to England - I have never been to England);
Ever- ever (Have you ever read a detective story? - Have you ever read a detective story?);
Already- already (She has already finished her work - She has already completed her work);
Just- exactly, just, just (He has just called him up - He just called him);
Before- before, before (We have heard this strange story before - We heard this strange story before);
Not...yet- not yet, still not (My mother has not heard news yet - My mother has not heard the news yet);
Lately- recently, a long time ago, recently (She has lately read many books - She has recently read a lot of books);
So far- for this hour, by now, up to this moment, already (Her temper has so far been good - Her mood has been good so far);
Of late- recently, recently, recently (This wonderful trip has been my dream of late - This wonderful trip has been my dream lately);
By now- by now (He has confessed by now - He confessed at the moment);
Recently- recently, recently (She has not had any difficulties recently - She has not had any difficulties recently);
Up to now- until now, until now (She has not believed people up to now - She did not believe people until now);
By now- by now (It always takes 5 minutes to get home after By now I have always been at home at 5 o’clock - The road home after work always takes 5 minutes. By now I have always been at home at 5 o’clock).

In English, double negatives are excluded from sentences. Therefore, the adverb never (never) is used in an affirmative sentence. The adverb yet is placed at the end of interrogative or negative sentences. It is not used in affirmatives.

What have we learned?

We got acquainted with the Present Perfect tense - Present Perfect. We examined the basic rules of education, signs and cases of use of this tense. This summary on the topic “Present Perfect Tense” gives a clear explanation, and is an excellent guide for dummies, that is, for beginners learning English, and for advanced students.