How and when to use the Present Perfect in English. Intended for Intermediate ESL students.

1. The present perfect
By Elena Vázquez

2. PRESENT
PERFECT
SIMPLE
FInished
Unfinished

3. USE
- Life experience
- Unfinished time word
- Present result
- News / recent events
- How long
- Been and gone

4. Life experience
- Actions or events that happened during a person's life
- We don't say when the experience happened
- The person must be alive
- We often use the words 'ever' and 'never'
They have visited London three times
I have never seen that film
Have you ever eaten fried grasshoppers?

5. Unfinished time word
- With words like this month, this week, this year, today
- The period of time is still continuing
I haven't seen her this month
She has drunk three cups of coffee today
I have already moved house twice this year!
- We CAN'T use the present perfect with a finished time word
I have seen him yesterday

6. Present result
- Something that happened in the past with a present result or
consequence
- We focus on the result
- It's true or important now
I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house now)
She has hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today)
They have missed the bus (so they will be late)

7. News / recent events
- Something that happened recently (even with no clear present
result) but we don't mention the time it happened
- Common giving news
- We often use the words just, yet, already, recently
I have just seen Lorraine
The Mayor has announced a new plan for the beaches
Look! There has been an accident recently

8. How long
- Unfinished actions, states or habits
- We want to say 'how long'
- We often use stative verbs
- We need 'for' and 'since'
I have known her since 2004
She has lived in Ibiza for three years
They have worked here for six months

9. Since and for
SINCE
A fixed time in the past (2004, April 23, last year, since I was a child,
since I arrived …)
I have known Susan since I was a child
She has been here since 2.00pm
FOR
- A period of time (2 hours, three years, six months …)
She has been waiting for 3 hours
I have lived here for 10 years now

10. Been and gone
Both are used as the past participle of verb 'go' but …
BEEN
- The person visited the place and came back
I have been to Paris but now I live in London
She has been to school today but now she is home
GONE
- The person is still at the place
Julie has gone to the shops (she is at the shops now)
They've gone to Japan for 3 weeks (they're in Japan)