Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Banja Luka
SEMINAR TOPIC
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
Mentor:
Tatjana Ponorac
Student:
Lotinja Zoran 454/08
Banja Luka,December 2008
CONTENTS
Introduction....................................................................................................................................2
Main part:
Signal Words of Present Perfect, Certain verbs, Time Adverbs, Just..3
Duration..........................................................................................................................................4
Exercise on Present Perfect Simple :Exceptions in Spelling when adding ed,have or has..5
Exercise on since and for .....................................................................................................6
Positive Sentences in Present Perfect Simple..............................................................................7
Negative Sentences in Present Perfect Simple............................................................................8
Sentences with 'never' in Present Perfect Simple.......................................................................9
Questions in Present Perfect Simple..........................................................................................10
Questions with Interrogative Particles in Present Perfect Simple..........................................11
Conclusion....................................................................................................................................12
Bibliography.................................................................................................................................13
Introduction
The present perfect simple tense is made have/has + the past participle
Present Perfect Simple connects past and present. We use the Present Perfect Simple mainly to
express that an action is completed or to emphasise the result.
Both the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous relate a past action to the
present, but the present perfect simple suggests a completed action and focuses more on
achievements and results. Consider the following:
'Ive completed my English and geography homework, but I havent started my maths
assignment yet.'
'Shes travelled to many countries, but shes never been outside Europe.'
'Have you ever tried Japanese food?' 'No, never. Whats it like?'
Note that the present perfect is often used in conjunction with adverbs such as: 'ever', 'never',
'already', 'just', ''still', 'yet':
'Do you want me to clean the kitchen this afternoon?' 'No thanks, Ive already done it.'
'Ive just fed the baby but she seems to be hungry again
Use of Present Perfect Simple:
Recent Past: He has just arrived.
Result (what / how much / how often)
I have written 5 letters. / I have been to London twice
Experience: Ive been to Spain three times.
Persisted situation: Ive lived in Belgrade all my life.
Certain verbs
The following verbs are usually only used in Present Perfect Simple:
Duration
We use the present perfect simple to describe the duration ('How long...') of a state which is true
now. For example, compare:
I've lived here for eight years. (I live here now.)
I lived in London for two years. (We don't know where I live now.)
Like all the other examples of the present perfect, we are being told something about the present
in the first sentence. The second sentence tells us only about the past, although we would
probably assume that the speaker doesn't live in London now.
The present perfect continuous is used to describe the duration of an activity or action which is
happening now. For example:
They've been watching TV since three o'clock. (They are watching TV now)
They were watching TV for three hours.
Both forms, simple and continuous, are common in questions with How long...?
How long have you had your present job?
How long have you been waiting?
The present perfect simple and continuous should also be compared with the present simple and
continuous:
I've lived in Sabadell for eight years.
I live in Sabadell.
They've been watching TV since three o'clock.
They're watching TV.
In both cases, the perfect form tells us the duration of the state/activity, the non-perfect form only
tells us that it is true/happening now. It is incorrect to use the present simple/continuous to
describe duration, as in the following:
INCORRECT: *I live in Sabadell for eight years.*
carried a box.
rained a lot.
called us.
9. The girls haveWith I, you, we, they or plural nouns, we use have.
10. John and Sophie haveWith I, you, we, they or plural nouns, we use have.
NOte: John and Sophie are both singular nouns, but together they are 2 people (=plural),
that's why we use have
URL: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple/exercises?03
-since
-if
the
starting
point
is
given
(two
o'clock,
last
Friday,
1998)
- for - if the period of time is given (twenty minutes, two days, one year)
1. I have been waiting sinceUse since if the starting point is given.
4 o'clock.
2. Sue has only been waiting forUse for if the period of time is given.
20 minutes.
3. Tim and Tina have been learning English forUse for if the period of time is given.
six
years.
4. Fred and Frida have been learning French sinceUse since if the starting point is given.
1998.
5. Joe and Josephine have been going out together sinceUse since if the starting point is
given.
Valentine's Day.
last July.
7. Mary has been saving her money forUse for if the period of time is given.
8. I haven't eaten anything sinceUse since if the starting point is given.
many years.
breakfast.
9. You have been watching TV forUse for if the period of time is given.
hours.
10. We have been living here forWUse for if the period of time is given.
2 months.
URL: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/since-for
10
11
Conclusion
For example:
Q) Where's Jane?
A) She has gone out. She should be back in an hour.
We form the present perfect simple by using the auxilliary verb have/has and the -ed form of the
regular verb (the past participle) irregular verb forms have to be learned:
Statements
+
Statements
-
Questions
Short answer
+
I've worked.
I haven't worked.
Have I worked?
Yes, I have.
No, I haven't.
He's worked.
He hasn't worked.
Has he worked?
Yes, he has.
No, he hasn't.
She's worked.
It's worked.
It hasn't worked.
Has it worked?
Yes, it has.
No, it hasn't.
You've worked.
We've worked.
We haven't worked.
Have we worked?
Yes we have.
Short answer
-
No, we haven't.
They've worked. They haven't worked. Have they worked? Yes they have. No, they haven't.
12
Bibliography
www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/present-perfect-simple
www.englishpage.com
13