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Present Perfect

Although the present perfect is often compared to the passato prossimo in Italian and mostly thought
of for talking about the past, it is actually a present tense and is best thought of as something which
expresses a relationship between the past and the present.
We use the present perfect tense to talk about:
an activity, action or event which took place at an unspecified time in the past (exactly when it
happened is not important)
I have read that book before.
There have been several earthquakes in California.

You may wonder how the idea of something which took place at an unspecified time in the past
has a relationship with the present. The present perfect, and the link it represents between the
past and the present, is important for talking about the following things:
experience
You can use the present perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the
experience of..." You can also use this tense to say that you have not had a certain
experience. It is often used with the words ever and never.
I have been to England.
I havent been to Mexico.
Have you ever eaten frog legs?
No, I have never eaten frog legs.
change over a period of time

Have you ever


been to Rome?

Yes, I have.
Many times.

Have you ever


been to Japan?
No, Ive never
been to Japan.

We often use the present perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period
of time. It is often used with since.
You have grown since the last time I saw you.
The university has become more interested encouraging students to study a second
language.
My English has really improved since I started this course.

accomplishments1
We often use the present perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity.
You cannot mention a specific time.
Man has walked on the moon.
I have graduated from university.
Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
Scientists have split the atom.

compimento, realizzazione

an action which is incomplete but which you are expecting to be completed


We often use the present perfect to say that an action which we expected has not
happened. Using the present perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action. It is
often used with yet and still.
She hasnt finished the exercise yet.
Sara hasn't mastered English, but she can communicate.
Bill has still not arrived.
multiple actions at different times
We also use the present perfect to talk about several different actions which occurred in
the past at different times. Present perfect suggests the process is not complete and more
actions are possible.
The army has attacked that city five times.
We have had many major problems while working on this project.
She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.
To limit the time we are talking about in the past without referring to the exact time. Expressions
such as "in the last week," "in the last year," "this week," "this month," "so far" and "up to now" can
be used to narrow the time we are looking in for an experience.
Have you been to Mexico in the last year?
I have seen that movie six times in the last month.
They have had three tests in the last week.
She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different
companies so far.
This week my car has broken down three times.
Note that "last year" and "in the last year" are very different in meaning. "Last year" means the
year before now. "In the last year" means from 365 days ago until now.
I went to Mexico last year. (I went to Mexico in 2005.)
I have been to Mexico in the last year. (I have been to Mexico at least once at some point
between 365 days ago and now. We do not know exactly when).
duration of an event or action from the past until now
We can use the present perfect to show that something started in the past and has continued up
until now. "For five minutes", "for two weeks" and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be
used with the Present Perfect.

I have been in Italy for a little over one year.


He has lived in Lecce since he started university.

The present perfect is formed using the relevant form of have as an auxiliary verb and the past
participle of the main verb:
subject auxiliary verb (have) past participle of main verb
I
you (singular)
we
you (plural)
they
he/she/it

have

has

been
worked
seen
had
helped

See the following pages to understand more about and practice using the present prefect in English:

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