the present perfect tense

The present perfect tense

It is used to refer to :

·         An action or situation which began in the past and is still current

·         An action or event whichtook place in the past, where the exact time of the event is not specified or not clear

·         An action or event which has just happened

1.verbal  statement

(+) s+have/has +v3+o/c

I have taught english here for ten years

 (-)s+have/has +not/v3+o/c

i have not taught english here for ten years

(?)have/has +s+v3+o/c?

Have you taught english here for ten years?

2.Nominal statement

(+) s +have/has +been+c

She has been in bali since 2009

(-) s+have/has +not+been+c

She has not been in bali since 2009

(?)have/has+ s+been+c?

Has she been in bali since 2009

We use the present perfect tense

1.          To talk about life experiences

Examples:

John has traveled all over the world

I’ve never stayed overnight in a hospital

2.   To talk about change over a period of time,contrasting the past with the present

Examples:

They have made the exams more difficult

The climate has got warmer

3.    To talk about achievements

Examples:

Man has walked on the moon

Scientists have identified all the genes in human DNA

4.   To talk about mulitiple actions repeated at different times.

Examples:

 we’ve won six matches this season

 I’ve seen this fillm three times