2. How to form the present perfect
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S + have/has + past participle
Affirmative
PRESENT
PERFECT
I have found a new flat.
Lara has lost her keys
Interrogative
S + have/has + NOT + past
participle
Negative
I haven’t found a new flat.
Lara hasn’t lost her keys
have/has + S + past participle
Have you found a new flat?
Has Lara lost her keys?
4. When do we use present perfect?
When we say that ‘something has
happened’, this is usually new
information:
Ow! I’ve cut my finger!
The road is closed. There’s been an
accident.
(from the news) The police have arrested
two men in connection with the crime.
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When we use the present perfect, there is a
connection with NOW. The action of the past
has a result now.
Where is your key?
I don’t know. I’ve lost it. (=I don’t have it now)
He told me his name, but I’ve forgotten it.
(=I can’t remember it now)
Is Sally here? No, she’s gone out.
(=She is out now).
5. When do we use present perfect?
When we talk about a period of time that
continues from the past until now, we
use the present perfect (have been/ have
travelled)
A period until now.
Past. Now
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When the actions happened in a period of time in
the past which is not specified. (Note the
difference with the simple past, in which the
moment in the past must be specified)
David has learnt how to read. (and now he know
how to read, that’s the result)
Doctors have found a new treatment (and they
are using it).
VS
Doctors found a new treatment in 2019. (simple
past).
6. o James is on holiday. He has
gone to Italy.
(=He is there now or in his way there)
o Jane is back home now. She has
been to Italy.
(=She has now come back)
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Difference between BEEN and GONE
8. Just, already, yet.
Just: a short time ago
➢ + and - sentences.
➢ It comes between the
auxiliary (have/has) and
the past participle.
Are you hungry? No, I’ve
just eaten.
Hello. Have you just
arrived?
Already: sooner than expected
➢ + sentences.
➢ Already can come between
the auxiliary and the main
verb or at the end of the
clause.
Don’t forget to pay the bill.
I’ve already paid it.
What time is Mark leaving?
He has already left.
Yet: until now
➢ Yet shows that the speaker
is expecting something to
happen.
➢ Only + and ? sentences.
➢ It comes at the end of the
sentence.
Has it stopped raining YET?
I’ve written the e-mail, but I
haven’t sent it yet.
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9. ➢ EVER = For question.
➢ NEVER = Negative answers but using affirmative
form. DON’T USE A DOUBLE NEGATIVE:
▻ Have you ever eaten caviar?
▻ No, I’ve never eaten caviar.
Ever and Never
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10. They describe a period of time that
continues until no
➢ RECENTLY
Have you heard anything from Brian
recently?
➢ IN THE LAST FEW DAYS
I’ve met a lot of people in the last
few days.
➢ SO FAR (finora):
Everything is going well. We haven’t
had any problems so far.
Time expressions
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➢ FOR (duration)
We haven’t seen each other for a
long time/ for ten years.
➢ SINCE (moment when the period
starts)
I’m hungry. I haven’t eaten since
breakfast/ since 8 o’clock.
12. Pay attention to the differences
between Simple past and Present
perfect!
It might be tricky sometimes
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13. Simple past
➢ The time of the action is
specified (yesterday, ago, last)
➢ The actions ended in the past.
➢ The actions happened in the
past and their consequences
are still in the past.
Dean cut his hair a month ago
(it’s long now)
➢ Actions that started and ended
in the past
Simple past VS Present perfect
Present perfect
➢ The time of the action is not specified or
recent
➢ The period of time of the action has not
ended.
➢ The actions happened in the past but
their results are visible in the present.
Dean has cut his hair. (and now it’s short.
➢ Action that started in the past but
continue in the present.
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16. How to form the present perfect
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S + have/has + been + v-ing
Affirmative
PRESENT
PERFECT
I have been running
Lara has been living
Interrogative
S + have/has + NOT + been + v-
ing
Negative
I haven’t been eating a lot lately.
Lara hasn’t been studying
have/has + S + been + v-ing
Have you been running?
Has Lara been laughing?
17. When do we use present perfect
continuous?
We use the present perfect
continuous for an activity that
has recently stopped or just
stopped. There is a connection
with NOW.
You’re out of breath. Have you
been running? (= you’re out of
breath now)
Why are your clothes so dirty?
What have you been doing?
Talking about recent actions,
when we want to emphasize
and highlight that the action
has been repeating for a long
time. (more emphasis than the
present perfect.
Paul is very tired. He has been
working very hard. (= he’s tired
now)
He has been playing the drums
all day.
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Actions that started in the past
and last up to now, but with
more emphasis than the
present perfect.
I have been dusting the
furniture for hours!
DON’T USE PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS WITH STATIVE
VERBS!
18. Look at these situations
➢ It began raining two hours ago and it is still raining.
How long has it been raining? It has been raining for two hours.
We use the present perfect continuous in this way especially with ‘How long, for…. and
since…. The activity is still happening (as in example) or has just stopped.
How long have you been learning English? (= you’re still learning it)
Tim is still watching tv. He’s been watching tv all day.
Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for the last half hour.
Christ hasn’t been feeling well recently.
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