This is a ppt. presentation for Italian students explaining the Present perfect simple and continuous tenses. The explanations are followed by examples and pictures which can allow students to understand this past tense. Hope it will be useful.

1. PRESENT PERFECT/ = PASSATO
PROSSIMO
Hello! Have
you ever
read one of
my stories?

2. FORM
• Positive: HAVE /
HAS + PAST
PARTICIPLE (3a
Colonna
paradigma)
• Negative: HAVE
NOT / HAS NOT +
PAST PARTICIPLE
• Interrogative:
HAVE / HAS +
Subject + PAST
PARTICIPLE?
• We have seen
that film / She
has seen that film
• I haven’t seen
that film / She
hasn’t seen that
film
• Have you seen
that film? / Has
he seen that
film?

3. We use the PRESENT
PERFECT:
USES

4. To express the idea that
something happened at an
unspecified time in the
past. The exact time is not
important.
• Ex. They have lived in
Germany
• She has bought a new car
• I’ve met a friend of mine

5. To give GENERIC
INFORMATION about
things happened recently
It is often used with the
adverbs RECENTLY /
LATELY (ultimamente)
• Ex. She has bought a new car
recently
• I haven’t seen John lately

6. For actions that have
happened recently when the
result is important in the
present. (L’enfasi è
sull’azione e non sul tempo
in cui è avvenuta)
• I’ve lost my wallet. I can’t
find it now.
• NON IMPORTA QUANDO L’HO PERSO MA
IMPORTA IL FATTO CHE NON SO DOVE
SIA ADESSO.

7. For actions occurring in a period of
time is not finished. Often with time
markers like TODAY, THIS
MORNING/AFTERNOON/EVENING/WEEK/M
ONTH/YEAR/CENTURY, UP TO NOW, SO
FAR, IN THE LAST FEW
DAYS/WEEKS/MONTHS/YEARS
• Ex. He has studied a lot in the
last month
• I’ve heard this song a lot
today
• She hasn’t called so far

8. To talk about experiences we
have or haven’t had at some /
any time in our lives up to
now. Risponde alla
domanda:
Have you ever…?
• Ex. I have been to London (in
my life) recently.
• She has never been to
England

9. EVER / NEVER
• It indicates at some / any time in your
live up to now.
• It is used in questions.
• POSITION: Have / has + subject + EVER
+ past participle.
• It is used in affirmative sentences.
• POSITION: Have / has + NEVER + past
participle.
EVER
NEVER

10. BEEN VS GONE
• HAVE BEEN means ‘have gone
to a place and come back’
• She has been to the supermarket this
morning (è stata al supermercato, non è
più là ora)
• HAVE GONE means ‘have
gone to a place and still be
there’
• She has gone to the supermarket (è
ancora là)

11. To indicate HOW MANY TIMES
a person has had a certain
experience, or to talk about the
repetition of an activity. Often
with expressions like:
ONCE/TWICE/THREE
TIMES/MANY TIMES
• Ex. I’ve seen this film three
times this month

12. We use the PRESENT
PERFECT with the following
TIME ADVERBS:

13. JUST = APPENA
• Just indicates a very short time before
now.
• The event or action has just finished.
Look!! The
car has just
broken
down!!

14. ALREADY / YET
• It indicates at some time before now.
• The action or event may has happened
sooner than expected.
• It is used in affirmative sentences.
• POSITION: have / has + ALREADY + past
participle.
• MEANING: GIA’
• It indicates that the action or event expected
hasn’t happened, not until now.
• It is used in negative and interrogative
sentences.
• POSITION: at the end of the sentence.
MEANING : ANCORA/GIA’
ALREADY
YET

15. EXAMPLES
• Have you studied yet? (Hai
già studiato?)
• Yes, I’ve already studied (Sì,
ho già studiato)
• Yes, I’ve just finished (Sì, ho
appena finito)
• No, I haven’t studied yet (No,
non ho ancora studiato)

16. CONTRAST BETWEEN THE PRESENT
PERFECT AND THE PAST SIMPLE
• We are interested in a
fact that happened in
the past.
• We often use specific
time expressions such
as yesterday, two
weeks ago, last year,
etc. [AZIONE FINITA
NEL PASSATO]
• Ex: Mike didn’t go
skiing because he
broke his arm last
week.
• We are not interested
in the time of the
action but in the
results of that action
which is connected to
the present.[NON CI
INTERESSA IL TEMPO]
• Ex: Mike can’t go
skiing because he
has broken his
arm.
PAST SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT

17. TIME EXPRESSIONS that indicate an
unfinished time period.
• today
• this week
• this month
• this year
• this morning
• etc
Where is Snowy?... I have heard
enough bad news this morning!...
Snowy!... Snowy!... Oh, he has
gone out …
Early this
morning
Still this
morning
Outside

18. Compare the previous example
with this one:
• When the time period we are referring is
finished, then we use the Past Simple.
This morning I didn’t hear any
good news this
morning!!
This evening

19. PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
I have been
reading
stories since
this morning

20. FORM
• Positive: HAVE /
HAS + BEEN +
VERB + ING)
• Negative: HAVE
NOT / HAS NOT +
+ BEEN + VERB +
ING
• Interrogative:
HAVE / HAS +
Subject + + BEEN +
VERB + ING?
• We have been
writing letters
for two hours
• We haven’t been
writing letters
for long, just 20
minutes. (FALSA
NEGATIVA)
• Have you been
watching TV since
2 p.m.? You
should have done
your homework
instead!

21. We use the PRESENT
PERFECT CONTINUOUS:
USES

22. To describe an action that
began in the past and has
been in progress up to now,
with emphasis on the
duration of the action.
• She has been saving money for
weeks because she wants to buy
a new car.
• I have been standing at the bus
stop for an hour
• Julia has been talking on the
phone since this morning

23. In Italian this use of the
present perfect continuous
is translated with the
PRESENTE INDICATIVO
• Risparmi da settimane perché
vuole comprarsi un’auto
nuova.
• Sono in piedi alla fermata del
bus da un’ora
• Julia parla/sta parlando al
telefono da questa mattina

24. With how long, FOR or
SINCE to emphasize the
duration of the action.
• How long have you been watching
TV? I have been watching TV
since I got home / for half an hour
• Da quanto tempo guardi la TV?
Guardo la TV da quando sono
arrivato a casa/da mezz’ora

25. FOR / SINCE (prepositions)
• When we mention
the length of a
period of time.
• Ex: How long have
you been waiting?
Just for 20
minutes (Da quanto
tempo aspetti/stai
aspettando/per
quanto hai
aspettato? Solo da
20 minuti)
• When we mention
the starting point
of time.
• Ex: How long have
you been waiting? I
have been waiting
since this morning!
(Da quanto stai
aspettando/aspetti
/per quanto hai
aspettato? Aspetto
da questa mattina)
FOR SINCE

26. We do not use the
CONTINUOUS form with
• Stative verbs (to know)
• Verbs expressing emotions and
feeling, and mental activity (to think)
• Verbs expressing short actions
(begin/stop/start/break/finish)
• The verb TO HAVE with the meaning
of POSSEDERE
• I’ve had this car for ages / Possiedo questa macchina da una vita
• With HOW MUCH/HOW
MANY/HOW OFTEN
• How many rooms have you painted? We have painted three of them

27. FOR / SINCE (prepositions)
• When we mention
the length of a
period of time.
• Ex: How long have
you been a doctor?
For 10 years. (Da
quanto tempo fai il
dottore? Da 10
anni)
• When we mention
the starting point
of time.
• Ex: How long have
you known each
other? Since 1997
or Since we were
27. (Da quanto vi
conoscete? Dal
1997 o da quando
avevamo 27 anni)
FOR SINCE

28. To emphasize the continuous
nature of an action started in the
past, whether completed or not
that has a result / consequence
/ impact in the present.
• I’m exhausted. I’ve been working too
hard.
• You look so sad, what’s up? Oh, I’ve
been quarrelling with my boss this
afternoon.
• Your garden looks amazing! Yes, we
have been doing a lot of work in it
this spring (CI ABBIAMO LAVORATO =
PASSATO PROSSIMO)

29. COMPARISON
• It gives emphasis
on the result of an
action which is
concluded/finished
.
• Ex: We have painted
our flat. (Abbiamo
dato il bianco al
nostro
appartamento)
• It gives emphasis to
the action itself which
started in the past and
can be concluded or
not.
• Ex: We have been
painting the house. It’s
taking a long time.
(Stiamo dando/Abbiamo
dato il bianco in casa. Ci
vuole molto tempo)
PRESENT PERFECT
PRESENT
PERFECT
CONTINUOUS