PERFECT TENSES

The Present Perfect Simple is a verb form used to talk about what has or hasn’t happened today, this week, this year or in our lives up to now. Examples: I’ve broken my glasses. We haven’t spoken about it yet. Structure:  

Subject + Have, has or their shortened forms ’ve and ’s + Past Participle (Infinitive form of the verb + ed or 3^rd column of table of irregular verbs)

We use the present perfect to talk about life experiences (things we have done in our life) at an unspecified time. Examples: I have been to London. Have you ever tried sushi before?

To talk about multiple actions at different times, number of times you have done something, repeated events in the past until now. Examples: I have eaten at Mac Donald several times. I have been to London three times. They have had three cars in the past two years.

To express finished actions with present result. Example: I have lost the keys so I can’t come into my house.  

To express duration, how long? Unfinished actions from past until now. Often the present perfect is used in this way with stative verbs (verbs that are not used in the –ing form). Examples: I have been a teacher for six years. I’ve known Peter since 2008. She’s lived in New York for five years. 

To talk about news, recent events or recently completed actions. Examples: I have just finished my homework. The king has given a speech. Peter has won the race.

To describe unfinished actions or situations, and uncompleted actions that are expected to happen. Examples: I have read half of the book. I haven’t seen him this week. We still haven’t arrived to Sydney. She hasn’t finished her dinner yet.

Accomplishments. Examples: I have passed the exam. Peter has won the tournament.

Changes over time. Examples:  Your English has improved so much since last year. Prices have grown a lot lately. 

The verb “have” is used as an auxiliary to help the main verb to create the perfect tense. Examples: I have read a lot of books. He has never been to America. They have already eaten.  As an auxiliary, have and has are frequently contracted to the forms 've and 's when possible.

The standard negative forms of the auxiliaries have and has are haven't (have not) and hasn't (has not). Example: She hasn’t finished her homework yet.  

Questions: Auxiliary Verb Have or Has + Subject + Past Participle. Examples: Have you ever seen the Northern lights? Yes, I have. No, I haven’t. Hasn't the rain stopped yet? Has she ever been to London? Yes, she has. No, she hasn’t. Where have you been last summer? I have been in Vietnam.  

The Past Perfect Simple (had + past participle) is used to describe a completed action before another past action. Example: When my wife got home, I had already made dinner.

To describe an action happened before a specific time in the past. Example: I had already been to London before our school trip. She had never tried sushi before last night.

To describe the duration of an action or situation started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past. Example: We have owned our house for ten years before we sold it.

To describe cause and effect (combined with past simple). Example:  I got late at the meeting because there had been a lot of traffic.  

To emphasize the result of an activity in the past. In the “if” clause of the third conditional. Examples: I’m so tired! I wish I hadn’t gone to bed so late yesterday. If I had studied more, I wouldn’t  have failed the exam. 

Reported speech.  Examples: She told me that she’d never tried sushi before. The teacher said that he hadn’t corrected the exams yet.    

The Future Perfect Simple (will have + past participle) is used to express an action expected to be completed before a certain time in the future or before another event takes place. Example: By next summer, I will have built my new house. When you come home, I will have cleaned everything. He will have learnt English before he moves to London. When you get up, I will have already taken the children to school. 

To express duration before to a point in the future. Example: By Friday, they will have had a whole week to study for the test.

To express conviction that something happened in the near past. Example: The guests will have arrived at the hotel by now.  

 

Can you write some sentences using the simple perfect tenses learnt in this topic?