1. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

2. 1. Use.
• We use the Present Perfect Tense to talk about
experiences. It is important if we have done it in
our lives or not. It is not important when we did
it.
Examples:
I have been abroad two times.
Anna has never broken a leg.

3. • We use the Present Perfect Tense to talk
about an action which started in the past
and continuous up to now.
Examples
I have been a teacher for more than ten
years.
We haven't seen Janine since Friday.
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4. • We also use the Present Perfect Tense to
talk about a past action that has the result
in the present.
Examples
I have lost my wallet. = I don't have it now.
Jimmy has gone to South America. = He
isn't here now.
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5. 2. Formulas
• Affirmative sentence:
I / We / + have + past participle + complement
You / They verb
I have eaten octupus.
He / She / It + has + past participle + complement
verb
She has heard about you.
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6. • Negative sentence:
I / We + haven't + past participle + complement
You/They verb
We haven't done our jobs.
He / She / It + hasn't + past participle + complement
verb
It hasn't eaten its bone.
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7. • Interrogative sentences:
(Wh-)+ Have + person + past participle+ C + ?
Has verb
Have you learnt English? Yes, I have. No, I haven't.
What has she done? She has done her homework.
(This answer is an affirmative sentence)
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8. 3. Present Perfect with For and Since
• We use For with a period of time, for
example: a few days, half an hour, two
years.
Example:
I have had this computer for about a year.
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9. • We use SINCE with the time when the action
started, for example: last year,
June 8, I met you.
Example:
I haven't seen Julia since September.
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10. Exercise 1: Complete with For or
Since.
1. I haven't phoned home ______
Christmas.
2. We've been here______ nine o'clock.
3. I have worked for International House____
more than eight years.
4. I haven't visited my home town _____ I left
school.
5. I haven't been to the cinema_____ ages.
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11. 6. I have studied non-stop ______ 9.15.
7. I have had a driving licence ______ I was
eighteen.
8. She hasn't had a day off ______1999.
9. Johan has been in England ______more
than two weeks now.
10. Peter has been my best friend ______we
were nine.
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12. Exercise 2: For or Since?
1. ________ last weekend
2. ________ ten seconds
3. ________ Christmas Eve
4. ________ a decade
5. ________ I finished school
6. ________ couple of days
7. ________ my birthday
8. ________ a long time
9. ________ ten centuries
10. ________ the 70s
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13. 11. ________ I was a boy
12. ________ August
13. ________ the last month
14. ________ fifteen years
15. ________ the accident
16. ________ then
17. ________ we bought this house
18. ________ last month
19. ________ a millennium
20. ________ I met you
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14. Material selected and created by
Danitza Lazcano Flores
Teacher of English
2007
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