In this section, you will use the present perfect to discuss experiences with other cultures. When you relate to different cultures for the first time, these differences can be shocking.
The present perfect tense can be used to describe this kind of experiences. Regarding grammar, it is formed as follows:
I |
Have |
eaten Chinese food |
|---|---|---|
Subject |
auxiliary have/has |
past participle of the main verb |
As a verb tense, the present perfect is used to express:
Meanings communicated by the present perfect |
||
|---|---|---|
1 |
To talk about past events in your life. |
I have eaten Chinese food. |
2 |
To declare that an event started in the past and continues in the present. |
She has studied English for 5 years. |
3 |
To talk about an event that happened in the past and has a result in the present. |
I have lost my book. (I don’t have my book now) |
In this section, you will focus on the way the present perfect is used to describe something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not significant. It has a relationship with the present. You will also use the words since, for, yet, already, just, recently, lately, ever and never.
By the end of the topic you will:
Concentrate on the way the present perfect is used to describe something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not significant. It has a relationship with the present. You will also use the words since, for, yet, already, just, recently, lately, ever and never to communicate more effectively.
Use have/has + past participle 
Affirmative |
I have played videogames. |
Negative |
I have not played videogames |
Yes/No Questions |
Have you played videogames?
|
Wh-Questions |
What have you played? |
Don’t forget!
Some verbs are regular and others are irregular:
|
Regular |
Irregular |
to play → played |
to speak → spoken |
Use the present perfect to talk about past experiences your life. It’s not important when these experiences happened.
To ask about past experiences, use the present perfect and word ever:
You can also use ever with superlatives. Look at the following sentences:
In negative sentences, you can use never. Drop the word not when you use never.
I have never eaten Chinese food.
I have not never eaten Chinese food.
Use the present perfect and the words since/for to talk about activities that started in the past and continue in the present.
Use for with periods of time (hours, months, years, etc.)
Use since to talk with specific moments or times (a date, a month, a year, etc.)
To ask about an activity that continues in the present, use the phrase How long. You can answer with for or since.
Use the present perfect to talk about events that happened recently and have a result in the present.
You can use the word just to specify that the events happened very recently.
Use the word already to emphasize that the event happened before now.
Use the word yet to ask if an event has already happened.
You can also use the word yet in negative sentences to say something hasn’t happened (but we think it will happen at some point).
Activity 1
In this activity, you will read an entry in a web-forum. The people who participate in it are discussing their life experiences and recent travel plans. It will help you see the way they use the present perfect for those purposes.
First, you need to do a little warm up. Look at the words in the box. Drag and drop the words into the correct column.
Now, read the following web-forum entry. Identify the sentences where the present perfect is used. Classify the cases where the present perfect is used according to their use.
Now, complete the chart:
When you’ve finished, download the answer key file and compare it with yours.
Now, answer the following questions:
Exercise 2
Now, you have studied how to use the present perfect and the words ever and never to discuss past events. The following activity is more practice on this topic. The following texts are an advertisement and an email about holidays in Italy. Identify the words that are missing and complete the advert.
Drag and drop the words from the box. Click on the “Check” button to check your work.
Activity 2
Let’s use what you have learned about the present perfect to talk about your own experiences. In the following activity, you will find scrambled words that form questions. You need to order the words to write questions. Then, answer the questions with your own words. Look at the following example:
Example:
eaten /ever /you /Mexican /Have /food /?
Answer:
Have you ever eaten Mexican food?
Your answer:
Yes, I have. I ate tacos last week.
First, download the activity worksheet and open it using a word processor. Then write your answers.
After typing your activity on a word processor, save it to your computer. Check the use of Present Perfect in writing. Try to use this structure 5 times at least and self-evaluate using the checklist.
Activity 3
You have just used the present perfect to talk about yourself! Now, let’s pay attention to pronunciation. In this activity, you will use the questions you wrote previously to identify the pronunciation of auxiliary have/has by comparing sentences with the help of text-to-speech (TTS) tools. Then, you will record your own sentences and compare your pronunciation to the one in the TTS tool.
Listen to the following example.
Example
Exercise 3
Listen to the pronunciation of the following phrases. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the auxiliary.
Click here to listen to the audio.
|
|
When have and has are main verbs (left column) they are stressed. When have or has are auxiliary verbs, they are not stressed; the stressed syllable is in the main verbs.
Exercise 4
Listen to the pronunciation of the next sentences. Click on the button to play the audio.
Click here to listen to the audio.
I have a cat. |
I have seen a cat. |
We have a friend from France. |
We have met people from France. |
She has a ticket. |
She has bought a ticket. |
The verbs have and has are pronounced differently. In the left column, have and has are stressed. In the right column, have and has are not stressed.
What is stress?
When a syllable is stressed, it means that syllable has a stronger, longer sound. For instance, in the word árbol in Spanish, the syllable ar- is stressed and the syllable –bol is not stressed. When you say árbol, it sounds ARbol and not arBOL.
Stress in auxiliaries
Click to listen on the button to play the audio again.
Click here to listen to the audio.
I have a cat. We have a friend from France. She has a ticket. |
I have seen a cat. We have met people from France. She has bought a ticket. |
When have and has are main verbs (left column) they are stressed. When have or has are auxiliary verbs, they are not stressed; the stressed syllable is in the main verbs.
Now, use your questions and answers from Activity 3 – Let’s talk about you to practice pronunciation.
First, record yourself reading the questions and answers.
You can go to this website: ttsreader. It has a free online tool to convert text to speech. Copy your sentences in the box, click on the play button and listen. Then compare it with your own recording.
You can use the following checklist to guide you:
Activity 4
You have studied how to use the present perfect for things that happened at least once in your life. Now you will practice this structure for situations in the recent past that have a result in the present.
In this activity, you will identify the use of the words just, yet, and already to talk about recent events by writing sentences in according to context information provided.
Use the word just to say that something happened a short time ago. Look at the following examples:
Context |
Example with just |
|---|---|
Now, you are working in activity number 5. |
You have just finished activity number 4. |
We are still on board the plane. |
The plane has just landed. |
Maria’s luggage is still unpacked. |
Maria has just returned from France. |
Use the word already in affirmative sentences when an event happens before you expect it.
Context |
Example with already |
|---|---|
You know how to use the present perfect. |
I’ve already learned how to use the present perfect. |
Your parents returned from a trip two days before planned. |
My parents have already come home. |
A friend from France brought you a movie but you’re a big fan of French cinema. |
I have already seen that movie. |
Use yet in questions and negative sentences when something hasn’t happened or you don’t know.
Context |
Example with yet |
|---|---|
You don’t understand the present perfect. |
I haven’t learned the present perfect yet. |
You don’t know when Maria comes back from her trip. |
Has Maria come home yet? |
Maria is not home. |
No, Maria hasn’t come back yet. |
Now, download the worksheet and answer the exercises 1 and 2. In Exercise 1, you have to put the words in the correct order. In Exercise 2, you have to write a sentence according to the context.
When you are finished, download the answer key and check your work.
Activity 5
You have learned how to use the words just, yet and already in combination with the present perfect to talk about past events with results in the present. It’s time to put your knowledge to the test!
In this activity, you will identify the use of just, yet and already in a short text about someone who travels a lot. Drag the words and drop them in the correct spaces.
The life of a traveller
NA. (2014). Viajera. Taken from: https://pixabay.com/es/fot%C3%B3grafo-tur%C3%ADsticos-instant%C3%A1nea-407068/
Exercise 5
Now that you know how to use the present perfect to talk about past events that have a result in the present, it’s time to see how to talk about events that started in the past and continue in the present.
To talk about events that started in the past and continue in the present, we use the present perfect and the words for and since.
Don’t forget: we use since with specific times and for with time periods. Look at the examples.
for
|
I have studied English for five years. We have lived in Mexico City for 6 months. Mary has been in the museum for two hours. |
since
|
I have studied English since 2012. We have lived in Mexico City since January. Mary has been in the museum since one o’clock. |
In this exercise, you will identify the use of the words for and since in sentences about events that started in the past and continue in the present. Drag the words to the correct space in the sentences.
Activity 6
NA. (2014). Dawson, N. (s.f). Grandmother [photo]. Taken from https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/10/13/15/18/ice-cream-986307_960_720.jpg
You have finished studying the grammar aspects of the present perfect and their uses. Now it’s time for some listening practice.
In this activity, you have to identify specific information from an interview with a seventy-year-old woman named Hannah Smith. Listen to the audio track. Then read the questions and choose the correct option.
Activity 7
NA. (2015). Emisora de TV. Taken from: https://pixabay.com/es/emisoras-de-televisi%C3%B3n-celebridades-721546/
What do you think about Hannah Smith? She sounds like a pretty interesting person, don’t you think? What would you like to know about her?
In this activity, you are going to ask six questions that you would like to ask Hannah, using the present perfect. Look at to the following examples:
Have you always traveled alone?
No, I haven’t always traveled alone.
How long have you been a traveler?
I have been a traveler for ten years.
What’s the most interesting place you have ever visited?
Sri Lanka is the most interesting place I have ever visited.
Click here to listen to the interview again and get some ideas for your questions.
Click here to listen the audio.
Prepare six questions and then record them. Once you have finished the recording, listen to your questions. Then use the checklist to evaluate your work.
Activity 8
You have formulated questions for Hannah Smith, the travelling grandma. Now it’s time to listen to another part of the interview.
In this activity, you will identify what the interviewer and Hannah say. You will listen to another part of the interview and choose if the following statements are True (T) or False (F). When you finish, push the “Check” button to evaluate your answers.
Click here to listen to the audio.
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