This document provides information about and examples of using the present perfect and present perfect continuous tenses in English. It explains that the present perfect is used for actions that started in the past and have relevance to the present, without specifying a time. Examples include personal experiences and recent events. The present perfect continuous is used for actions that began in the past and are ongoing or have recently finished. It also contains exercises for students to practice using these tenses in sentences.

1. The Present Perfect
Simple and Continuous

2. Present Perfect SIMPLE
How?
SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + PAST PARTICIPLE (3rd
column) + COMPLEMENTS
Example:
I + HAVE + STUDIED + A LOT FOR THE EXAM

3. When?
1. An action in the past is important in the
present
2. Recent events without saying when
3. Personal experiences without saying when
4. An action started in the past which continues
in the present and which is not finished

4. Let’s see these cases in more detail...

5. Personal experiences without saying when
• I have lived in the USA.
• I have been married five times.
• Have you ever been to London?
• I have never learnt to ride a bike

6. Recent events without saying when
• Susan has bought a new TV!
If you want to emphasise, use just, recently, lately:
• Melanie has just got married!!!
• I haven’t seen Tom recently.
• Ann has been really happy lately.

7. An action started in the past which
continues in the present and which is
not finished
• I haven’t eaten anything since Wednesday. 
I still haven’t eaten anything.
• My brother has been going out with this
stupid girl for ten years!  They are still
together

8. When do we use Past Simple and not
Present Perfect?
• Past Simple  it is used with definite time
expressions, we SAY WHEN exactly something
happened.
When I was a child, I was very happy.
Yesterday my teacher did something great!
Two weeks ago my friend from Germany came
to Terrassa to pay me a visit.

9. When do we use Past Simple and not
Present Perfect?
• Present Perfect  it is used with indefinite
time expressions, we DO NOT SAY WHEN
something happened, because it’s not
important.
Have you ever been to the USA?
Mark and Sarah just got married!
Since we came back from England we drink.

10. Exercise
Complete the sentences with the Present Perfect or the Past Simple
1. Mary ____________ a new car. She ________
it last week.
2. - _____ you ______ Tay? (meet)
- Yes, we _______ when we were at university.
3. - I _____________ that man before!
- Really?! When ______ you ______ him?
- I _______ him on Monday at the airport.

11. Present Perfect CONTINUOUS
How?
SUBJECT + HAVE/HAS + BEEN + -ING+ COMPLEMENTS
Example:
I + HAVE + BEEN + STUDYING + A LOT FOR THE EXAM

12. When?
1. An action started in the past and is still going
on.
2. An action started in the past, has just
stopped and has results.
It is typically used when we talk about situations
which are about to finish or may change, or
when we talk about how long a situation has
lasted.

13. Let’s see these cases in more detail...

14. An action started in the past and is still
going on.
• How long have you been waiting fo me???
• I have been working here all day.
• It has been raining since I left the office.
• Sarah has been living with her boyfriend for ten years. She is
going to leave him today because he mistreats her.
• My grandmother has been having piano lessons every two
weeks, but she will make it once a month from now on,
because it is too expensive.

15. MY LIFE
1990 1996 2000 2007 NOW
London Barcelona Norway Berlin Berlin
In 1990 I was living in London with my family. In 1996 my wife and I got
divorced, and I moved to Barcelona. I liked the city and I found a job as a
sales manager, which I really liked. Because of my job, I moved to Norway
in 2000. It was beautiful but a bit too cold for me. Also, after seven years I
was tired from the job and wanted to do something new. In 2007 I came to
Berlin to find a better job. I have been living here since then, and I love my
job as a Spanish teacher!
I think of it and say «WOW, I am only 30 years old and I have lived in four
different countries!»

16. Exercises
Complete the sentences using the Present Simple, the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect
Continuous.
1. Linda and Frank are married. They _________________ married since
1989.
2. Catherine works in a bank. She ______________ in a bank for five years.
3. ____________ you ever ____________ (pass) an English exam with an A?
4. I am learning English! I ________________ for three years!
5. Christina is reading a newspaper. She ________________ reading it for
two hours!
6. How long _______________ (go out) with Tom? You make a wonderful
couple!
7. Ann knows Paris well. She’s ________________ there many times.
8. I _________________ (live) in this house for five years.
9. We haven’t seen Jane ________ 1992!
10. We haven’t seen Jane ________ a very long time!

17. I hope this PowerPoint was useful and that now
you understand the Present Perfect! We are
going to practice a bit more on our last day of
class before the exam!

Alexandra