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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
Yes, I have.
Many times.
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
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: