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In English we use the present perfect simple to talk about the following situations :
When we use the present perfect, there is a connection with now. The action in the past has a present result.
Notes for use of present perfect simple :
We can use the words 'just', 'yet' and 'already' with the present perfect simple. We use 'just' to mean a short time ago, 'yet' to mean until now, when the speaker is expecting something to happen, and 'already' when something happened sooner than expected. We use 'just' and 'already' between the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'has' and the main verb in positive sentences. We use 'yet' at the end of negative sentences and questions.
When we start a sentence with the phrase "It's the first time", "It's the second time", etc, we continue with the present perfect simple tense.
The verb 'go' has two past participles : Been / Gone
In English we use 'been' when we talk about going somewhere and coming back and we use 'gone' to indicate the person is still there.
The table below shows the different forms of present perfect simple :
| Example verb : Go | I / You / We / they | He / She / It |
| Positive | ...'ve gone ... | ...'s gone ... |
| Negative | ... haven't gone ... | ... hasn't gone ... |
| Questions | Have ... gone ...? | Has ... gone? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... have. / No, ... haven't. | Yes, ... has. / No, ... hasn't. |
Present Perfect Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Perfect Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Perfect Simple :
Question Examples of Present Perfect Simple :
In English we often use the present perfect simple with 'ever' and 'never'. 'Ever' means at any time in your life until now. It is often used in questions for emphasis.
Examples Sentences :
'Ever' is also used with nothing and nobody to talk about things that haven't happened.
Example Sentences :
'Ever' is also used with 'the first time' for first experiences.
Example Sentences :
'Never' is originally the contraction of 'not ever'. Never means the subject hasn't had a certain experience before.
Example Sentences :
In English 'Never' can be used in negative questions to show surprise that someone hasn't had a particular experience before.
Example Questions :
In English we use the present perfect simple with superlatives.
Example Sentence :
In English we also use the present perfect simple to describe change.
Example Sentence :
In English we often use the present perfect simple tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started in the past and continues in the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). We usually use 'for' or 'since' with this structure.
Example Sentences :
We use 'for' to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.
We use 'since' to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.
Example Sentences :
In English, 'For' can be used with all tenses. 'Since' is usually used with perfect tenses only.
Although the above use of present perfect simple is normally limited to non-continuous verbs and non-continuous uses of mixed verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach," and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though they are NOT non-continuous verbs.
In English we don't usually use the present perfect continuous with verbs that talk about short actions such as start, find, lose, break, buy, stop, etc. Then we use present perfect simple.
| Present perfect simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Hello, Mike darling, how are you? Where have you been? | Hola, Mike querido, ¿cómo estás? ¿Dónde has estado? |
| How is Jen doing, have you sorted out your problems yet? | ¿Cómo le va a Jen, habéis resuelto ya vuestros problemas? |
| Yeah, she is very pretty... Have you talked to Diego about moving? | Sí, es muy bonita... ¿Has hablado con Diego sobre mudarnos? |
| Have you found anything you like, dear? | ¿Has encontrado algo, querido? |
| It's the first time we've come to this vet, actually. | Es la primera vez que venimos a este veterinario, en realidad. |
| Have you found it yet? | ¿Ya lo encontraste? |
| Have you made a decision, dear? | ¿Ya has tomado una decisión, querido? |
| Of course, but you haven't finished the wine in your glass yet. | Por supuesto, pero no has terminado el vino de tu vaso todavía. |
| I'm not sure yet, we haven't had any time to talk about it. | Aún no estoy seguro, no hemos tenido tiempo de hablar sobre eso. |
| Where have you been? It's been half an hour! | ¿Dónde has estado? ¡Ya pasó media hora! |
| Telling me her sister has decided to come to London. | Y me dijo que su hermana ha decidido venir a Londres. |
| You are the first woman I've heard snoring in real life. | Eres la primera mujer que he escuchado roncar en mi vida. |
| Yes, it's been exactly 3 years! | Sí, ¡han sido exactamente 3 años! |
| That sounds better! Have you decided what to order? | ¡Eso suena mejor! ¿Ya decidiste qué ordenar? |
| Where is the lucky girl, has she left already? | ¿Dónde está la afortunada, ya se ha marchado? |
| I can't believe how it has turned into my fault now! | ¡No puedo creer que ahora resulte que es mi culpa! |
| One of my friends has opened a small pub around here. | Uno de mis amigos ha abierto un pequeño pub cerca de aquí. |
| Don't exaggerate mate, it's just been a couple of months. | No exageres amigo, solo han pasado un par de meses. |
| Hi Rocco, we want some chardonnay, but it seems you've run out. | Hola Rocco, queríamos un poco de Chardonnay, pero parece que se acabó. |
| I haven't had that problem before. | No he tenido ese problema antes. |
