PRESENT PERFECT

• HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE

• I have written a letter• She hasn’t been to Paris• Have they left?

PRESENT PERFECT USES• We use the Present

Perfect to talk about past events that happened at an indefinite time in the past (LIFE EXPERIENCES)

• Have you ever met a famous person?

• Yes, I’ve met Brad Pitt.• No, I’ve never met Brad

Pitt.

Present perfect vs. Past simple• We use the Present

Perfect to talk about the experience in general. When and where are not important.

• I’ve eaten sushi.• We use the Past Simple

to talk about more details.

• I ate it last week in Japan

PRESENT PERFECT: Past & present

• The present perfect shows a connection between the PAST and the PRESENT.

• The plane has landed = The plane is on the ground NOW

GIVING NEWS• We often give a

piece of news in the present perfect

• We’ve bought a new car!

• Your parcel has arrived.

• The Police have arrested the two criminals.

JUST, ALREADY & YET• JUST: “A short time ago”: I’ve just had an idea. (+)• ALREADY: “Sooner than expected”: My brother has already crashed his new car. (+)

• YET: “Something that hasn’t happened, but we are expecting it” : have you finished breakfast yet? no, I haven’t finished yet. (-, ?)

• ALREADY & JUST: come before the PAST PARTICIPLE.• YET: comes at the end of a question or a negative

sentence.

FOR or SINCE?• We use PP for

states that began in the past and continue into the present. The states are unfinished.

• How long have you had your pet?

• I’vee had it FOR many years.(a period of time)

• I’ve had it SINCE my sixteenth birthday.(a specific point in time)

THE ENDMónica Redondo Arias