I am sure that many people who study a language on their own reach the Present Perfect and... this is where their study ends, because according to the explanations from the textbook, not everyone can understand How is it? and Why is this? In this article I will not rewrite the rules, I will try to clearly and clearly explain what Present Perfect is.

First of all, let me remind you of the formation of this time.

We form the statement using auxiliary verb have or has and the main verb in the third form, which in grammar is called Past Participle. If the verb is regular (regular), then the ending is added to it -ed, if the verb is irregular (irregular), then we take the third form from the third column of the table of irregular verbs. In this article I will denote Past Participle as V3:

In negation, a negative particle is added to the auxiliary verb not:

For education interrogative form the auxiliary verb is placed before the subject ( Subject):

Not all special questions can be asked in the Present Perfect. For example, a question with a word is impossible, so in the Present Perfect interlocutors are only interested in the result. If we are interested in time, then we need to use another grammatical construction to express actions in the past.

Using the Present Perfect

Present Perfect - present perfect tense. From the name it is clear that this tense denotes an action that was performed in the past, but is connected with the present. How is it connected to the present? How do we understand that it is connected?

From theory, you probably remember that this tense should be used when talking about the result of an action; if the action began in the past, but is still ongoing; and also if we talk about our life experiences; when the action took place in a period of time that has not yet ended... Surely you have already read about this many times in books or heard from a teacher.

I will try to explain to you step by step and clearly in what cases English language Present Perfect is used. I will try to give situations from life that you encounter every day, and in which it is appropriate and even necessary to use Present Perfect. In this article I will give you small tasks, by completing which you will be able to see the importance of using this time. I would like to note that my explanation will be significantly different from those you read in grammar books.

What makes the Present Perfect different from other tenses? These are his markers (they are also called qualifiers, time indicators). Let us highlight the main markers of this time:

I'm going to tell you about each of them because each marker reflects the main points of time use.

1. Just (just now)

The tense indicator just is often used with Present Perfect and indicates that an action has just occurred and there is a certain visible and significant result.

In the statement, the place of just is after the auxiliary verb:

Just is not used in negatives. IN general issues rarely.

Just is used in special questions with question words ( , Why, etc.) You may encounter questions like this with just :

What has just happened? - What just happened?

What has he just done/ said? - What did he just do/say?

What just happened? Someone just broke a cup.

When did this action take place? In the recent past, we don't know exactly when.

What do we know? We only know the result of an action. And we can say this in Present Perfect:

What did they just do? They just cleaned the room.

We don't know the exact time, but we have a visible result - the room is clean.

They have just cleaned the room.

What did he just do? He just woke up.

The time of his awakening is unknown to us (although there is a clock in the photo), but we see the result: he is no longer sleeping.

He has just woken up.

What did you just do? You just read the explanation. The action is completed, there is a result: you learned about the word just.

You can say:

I have just read the explanation.

Exercise: Having performed some action and received a result, talk about its completion:

I have just had my breakfast.

You can look out the window and comment on what just happened there:

The tall man has just crossed the street. Two girls have just entered the shop.

2. Already/ yet (already; yet)

Present Perfect is used to describe an action that has already happened or has not yet happened. In these cases, we are invariably interested in the result, not in time. To make it clearer, let's look at an example from life.

Imagine that you come to a store with a shopping list.

Having already done some shopping, you stop to see what you have already purchased.

Let's consider different situations.

You read and translate complex text. You have only translated ten pages so far. You are still working with the text. You say:

I have translated ten pages so far. - I have translated ten pages so far.

Your friend is a writer. He writes novels. He has published one novel so far and continues to write. About him you will say:

He has published one novel so far. - He has published one novel so far.

The company you work for is expanding rapidly. At the moment, you have opened twenty new offices throughout the country and the company continues to grow:

Our company has opened twenty new offices so far. - Our company has opened twenty new offices at the moment.

All the actions described above took place in the past, but we evaluate their results at the moment while the action continues.

Question: How many paragraphs of this article have you read so far?

5. Never / ever (never / ever)

If you decide to indulge in memories and talk about your life experience, then without time Present Perfect you can't get by.

Do you love to travel? What countries have you visited?

I have been to France. - I was in France.

I have been to Italy. - I was in Italy.

I have been to Spain. - I was in Spain.

It doesn’t matter at all when you went to these countries, the main thing is that you visited there, got impressions, and can talk about it.

Which countries have you never been to? You can use negation or the word never to talk about it. The place of never in a sentence is after the auxiliary verb have/has:

I haven't been to India. - I have never been to India. - I've never been to India.

I haven’t been to China. - I have never been to China. - I have never been to China.

I haven't been to Japan. - I have never been to Japan. - I've never been to Japan.

If the word never is used, then the negative particle not is not needed because never itself has a negative meaning.

You want to ask questions to your interlocutor. Use the word ever:

Have you ever been to London? - Have you ever been in London?

I really hope that my explanation helped you understand the essence of the Present Perfect tense. Send your feedback

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How do you like this phrase: “No one is perfect, that’s why pencils have erasers.” - “No one is perfect, that’s why there are erasers on pencils”? However, “Perfect” still exists, and it is “Present”. What is “Present Perfect”?

To begin with, it is worth noting that there is simply no equivalent to this tense or the Present Complete in the Russian language - this is where the whole difficulty of understanding lies. But hold on! We're here to sort it all out. Let's go!

Rules for the formation of the Present Perfect

Let's look at an example:

I have seen this film before.

We have first place subject(subjects or subject), then auxiliary verb(auxiliary) - have or has + Past Participle = seen.

Using the Present Perfect

• When we talk about experience and achievements ( experience & achievements):

I have jumped with a parachute!- I jumped with a parachute!
I’ve just graduated from University and got a diploma!- I just graduated from university and received a diploma!
She has started to walk!- She started walking!

• To show some changes:

You've lost weight!- You've lost weight!

• When an action happened in the past, but we do not know when exactly, or time does not matter. The main thing is not when the action occurred, but its result in the present:

Have you read this book?- Did you read this book? (Ever?)
Nick has traveled a lot. - Nick traveled a lot.

• In sentences with Stative/State verbs when an action began in the past, continues in the present and may continue in the future. Words that can be used in these sentences are: since(since) and for(during):

I’ve known him for ten years.- I have known him for 10 years (I knew him in the past, I know him now, and maybe I will know him in the future).
I haven’t felt well since Monday.- I haven't been feeling well since Monday.

• When the time of action is determined by words just(just now), already(already), yet(more). Precise connection with the present:

I’ve just seen an interesting movie.- I just watched an interesting film.
She has already left.- She's already gone.
The show has not begun yet.- The show hasn't started yet.

• When an action took place during a period that has not yet ended. These periods include: today(Today), this morning(this morning), this week(this week), this month(this month), this year(this year), etc.:

She has called her best friend this morning.- She called her to the best friend in the morning (the morning is not over yet).
I have never been to China.— I have never been to China. (I have never been to China in my entire life.)

• Description of events of the recent past. Usually in such cases the words are used recently(recently), lately(V Lately, recently):

We have come back recently.- We just returned.
You've worked hard lately.- You've been working a lot lately.

• When the action occurs for the first (second, third, etc.) time:

It’s the first time I have done it.- I did this for the first time.
It’s the second time I have driven a car.- I drove the car for the second time.
It's the third time she has called him this morning.“She called him this morning for the third time.”

Peculiarities of using been and gone in the Present Perfect: examples

« Been" And " gone» are past participles (the third form of the verb), gone is the past participle form of the verb go, and been is the past participle form of the verb be. Everything seems clear, but when translating into or from Russian, students have many problems. Let's look at examples:

Is Ann in the office? No, she has just been to Great Britain. And she is at home today relaxing. She'll be here tomorrow.

Is Ann in the office? No, she has just gone to China. She is spending there one month supervising the work of our subsidiary and is coming back on the 25th.

As you can see from the context in the first case, Anna was in the UK, but has already returned. Her journey has just ended.

In the second case, on the contrary, her journey has just begun, she has left and will stay in China for another month.

It follows that the Present Perfect with " been" means back and forth action, and the Present Perfect with " gone" means action only there.

Conclusion

After all of the above, the question arises: “Why then? Past Simple, if there is a Present Perfect?”

There is a huge difference between Past Simple and Present Perfect. Past simple happened in the past. We know when, and the time is over. This means that the present is not included in it. Yesterday, last year, two minutes ago. All this already finished time.

And if unfinished time? Today, this week, over these ten years (all these periods of time include the moment “now”), then we use Present Perfect. Let's compare:

I've fed a tiger today. I fed ten tigers yesterday.
She went to Europe last summer. I’ve never been to Europe in my life.
We've had many customers this week. We didn't have so many customers last week.

I lived here for ten years. I’ve lived here for ten years.

In what case am I still here? I live? Of course, I’ve lived here for ten years because it means that the action started in the past and is still ongoing. I lived here for ten years means I lived a long time ago, but have already moved. So you walk past the house in which you once lived a long time ago, and say: I lived here for ten years a long time ago.

We hope that now you have no doubts! Have a great English and evolve!

We invite you to familiarize yourself with other tenses of the English language

Big and friendly EnglishDom family

The concept of present tense in English does not always coincide with ours. One of the most striking examples of such a difference is the Present Perfect.

In this article we will understand what the Present Perfect is, how it is formed, in what cases it is used, what rules it obeys, and we will consolidate our knowledge with real examples of sentences with translation.

What is Present Perfect Tense?

Present Perfect Tense (Present Perfect) is the present perfect tense in English. It denotes an action that has completed at the current moment in time.

This is the main difficulty of the Present Perfect tense for students. In Russian there is no tense similar to the Present Perfect. For us, if something happens now, it is the present, and if it has happened, it is already the past.

But not for the British. They perceive time a little differently. According to the logic of native speakers, the action may well end in the present or close to the present moment. The Present Perfect exists to express such a connection between the past and the present.

Because of these features in the understanding of actions and time, the Present Perfect is usually translated into Russian as a verb in the past tense.

I have already done my homework - I have already done my homework

This example uses the Present Perfect tense (have done) because we are talking about the fact that the action (working on homework) ended very recently.

But we translate the sentence into Russian using the past tense (already done).

How is the Present Perfect formed?

The Present Perfect tense is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and Past Participle (the third form of the semantic verb: V3).

The auxiliary verb changes depending on the subject:

• I / You / We / They → have (for 1st, 2nd person and plural forms)
• She / He / It → has (for 3rd person singular)

The construction of the Present Perfect tense is completed by a semantic verb in the third form (V3).

If the semantic verb is of the correct form, then its third form (V3) is formed using the ending -ed.

If the semantic verb is irregular, then we take its third form (V3) from the table of irregular verbs.

For example:

• to try → tried (try) to cook → cooked (cook) to finish → finished (finish)
• to get → got to keep → kept to see → seen

Statement:

An affirmative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb have / has and the semantic verb with the ending -ed for regular verbs or the third form of an irregular verb (V3) according to the formula:

• I / You / We / They + have + Ved (V3)
• She / He / It + has + Ved (V3)

I have decided - I decided

You have played - You played

He has done - He did

It has turned on - It turned on

In sentences and everyday speech you can often find a shortened form of the auxiliary verbs have / has. It is formed by adding ‘ve (for have) or ‘s (for has) to the subject:

• I have = I've
• You have = You've
• We have = We've
• They have = They've

• She has = She's
• He has = He's
• It has = It's

I’ve done my tasks - I completed my tasks

He’s washed the dishes - He washed the dishes

Negation:

Negative sentences in the Present Perfect are formed by adding the particle not after the auxiliary verb have / has, but before the main semantic verb. The formula looks like this:

• I / You / We / They + have not + Ved (V3)
• She / He / It + has not + Ved (V3)

I have not done my homework - I didn’t do my homework

They have not come - They did not come

She has not finished her tasks - She did not complete her tasks

It has not turned on - It did not turn on

In negation, the particle not can be shortened by joining it to the auxiliary verb have / has:

• Have not = haven’t
• Has not = hasn’t

I haven’t washed my hair - I didn’t wash my hair

She hasn’t been to London yet - She hasn’t been to London yet

Question:

An interrogative sentence in the Present Perfect is formed by placing the auxiliary verb have / has at the beginning of the sentence. The formula will be like this:

• Have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
• Has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)

Have I bought all the presents? - Did I buy all the gifts?

Have you finished the classes? -Have you finished your classes?

Has she just arrived home? - Has she just arrived home?

Has it turned on? - Did it turn on?

Special questions are formed using question words. Such as when (when), how (how), what (what), where (where) and others. The following is the same word order as in the question.

• QW + have + I / You / We / They + Ved (V3)
• QW + has + She / He / It + Ved (V3)

What has he just said? - What did he just say?

How long have you been knocked on the door? - How long have you been knocking on the door?

When is the Present Perfect used?

Now let’s look at the most common cases of using and using the Present Perfect tense in speech:

• Completed action in the present

In this case, the emphasis is on the result of the completed action. In other words, when the result of an action is visible in the present.

I have cooked a good dinner - I prepared a good dinner (the action is completed, the result is a good dinner)

I know Nina. We have already met - I know Nina. We have already met (the meeting took place in the past, but we are interested in the result in the present)

• Unfinished action in the present

The Present Perfect tense is used when we describe an action that began in the past, has not yet ended in the present, but the result is obvious.

I’ve written five pages of the new book this morning - I wrote five pages of a new book this morning (the morning is not over yet, he can write a few more pages)

She has finished watching “Harry Potter” this week - She finished watching “Harry Potter” this week (the week is still going on, but she has already finished watching the film)

• Fact of action / personal experience

If it is important for the speaker to emphasize the fact of some accomplished event without an exact indication of the time, the Present Perfect also comes to the rescue. This tense is often used when we talk about our past experiences or when we ask our interlocutor about it.

I have been to Bratislava - I was (was) in Bratislava

In a question when we are interested in a fact from someone’s life, we also use the Present Perfect:

Have you ever been to France? -Have you ever been to France?

Present Perfect tense markers

Present Perfect is used with imprecise expressions and words that indicate a period of time that has not yet ended

• never (never)
• ever (ever)
• already (already)
• yet (yet) / not yet (not yet)
• often (often)
• lately (lately)
• just (just now)
• once (once)
• recently (recently)
• before (before)
• today (today)
• this week (this week)
• this year (this year)
• for an hour (within an hour)
• for a long time (long time)
• since two o’clock - from two o’clock
• ince December – from December

Examples of Present Perfect sentences with translation

Affirmative:

I’ve studied English since my childhood - I have studied English since childhood

She has visited this beauty shop recently - She recently visited this cosmetics store

People have walked on the Moon - People walked on the Moon.

We’ve just eaten, so we don’t want to go to the cafe - We just ate, so we don’t want to go to the cafe

I have just cut my finger - I just cut my finger

Negative:

He has not returned from school yet - He has not yet returned from school

I haven’t bought the new car. This is my old one - I didn’t buy a new car. This is old

Jane hasn’t been to Asia yet - Jane hasn’t been to Asia yet

I have not been at university this week because of the flu - I was not at the university this week because of the flu

I haven’t replaced the batteries in the doorbell - I did not replace the batteries in the doorbell

Interrogative:

Have you seen this film about space? -Have you seen this film about space?

Has Jimmy bought the tickets yet? - Jimmy already bought tickets?

How many deals has she made at the moment? - How many deals has she concluded so far?

How much coffee have you drunk today? - How much coffee did you drink today?

How long have you known Mary? - How long have you known Mary?

Affirmative form The Present Perfect is formed using the auxiliary verb to have in the corresponding person and number (has - for the 3rd person singular, have - for all other persons in the singular and all persons in plural) and past participle (Participle II - participle II) of the semantic verb.

to have + Participle II

I have translated the text. I translated the text.
He has written two letters. He wrote two letters.

Interrogative form is formed by moving the auxiliary verb, which is placed before the subject. If there is a question word, it is placed before the auxiliary verb.

Have did you translate this text? Have you translated this text?
What have did you translate? What did you translate?

Have I cooked?	Have we cooked?
Have you cooked?	Have you cooked?
Has he / she / it cooked?	Have they cooked?

Abbreviations:

Along with full form are also used, especially in colloquial speech, abbreviated versions of the affirmative, negative and interrogative-negative forms.

• 1. B affirmative form The spelling and pronunciation of the auxiliary verb have/has changes:

I've = I have
He's =He has
We've = We have

• 2. In negative form - two options for abbreviation:

a) negative particle not remains unchanged, only the auxiliary verb is reduced:

I've not = I have not
He's not = He has not
We've not = We have not

b) negative particle not loses the letter o and merges with the auxiliary verb:

I haven't= I have not
He hasn't= He has not

The same change occurs in the interrogative-negative form:

Haven't did you work?
Hasn't he written?

Using the Present Perfect

Present Perfect is used:

• 1. To express an action that has already taken place in the previous period before the moment of speech, but has a direct connection with the present moment. This connection to the present moment manifests itself:

a) as a result of an action that is available at the moment of speech:

I've read this article. I have read this article. (I know its contents, I can tell you.)
Doesn't have a letter written. He wrote a letter. (The result is a letter that can be read and sent.)

b) in sentences with words denoting an unfinished period of time: today - Today, this morning - this morning, this week - this week, this month - this month etc., as well as with adverbs of indefinite time: ever - ever, never - never, often - often, already - already, yet - Bye, more, just - just now, lately - recently(behind last days, weeks), recently - recently(in recent months or years), recently, up to now - still, rarely - rarely, once - one day, once upon a time etc. (most of them are more often used in interrogative and negative sentences).

I haven’t seen her this week. I haven't seen her this week.
I've never seen her before. I've never seen her before.
Has she come back yet? Is she already back?
She has published a new book recently. She recently published a new book.
Have you ever been to London? Have you ever been to London?

Please note:
In the above cases, the verb in the Present Perfect is translated into Russian by a verb in the past tense.

• 2. To express an action that began in the past, but has not yet ended (continuing), often with verbs that are not used in the Continuous form. At the same time, an unfinished period of time is often indicated by circumstances of time with the preposition for - during(for years - for many years, for ages - for ages, for three weeks - within three weeks etc.), with the preposition since - With(since Sunday - from Sunday, since 10 o'clock - from 10 o'clock, since 1990 - since 1990 etc.), as well as a subordinate clause with the conjunction since - since then.

I haven’t seen you for ages. We haven't seen each other for ages.
Has not been here for three weeks already. He's been here for three weeks now.
I haven’t heard from him since August. I haven't heard from him since August.
We have known her since 1990. We have known her since 1990.

Please note:
In this case, verbs in the Present Perfect can be translated into Russian by verbs in the past or present tense - depending on the context.

Note also the following:

The difference in the use of Present Perfect and Simple Past/Past Indefinite is that Simple Past/Past Indefinite is always associated with a past period of time (which may be indicated or clear from the context) and expresses an action-fact, while Present Perfect is always associated with present and expresses the action-result or experience acquired as a result of the action.

Compare:

The Present Perfect is not used if there is an exact indication of time in the past (yesterday, last night, etc.), since in this case the connection with the present moment is broken. The presence of this connection is a prerequisite for using the Present Perfect. If there is no such connection, then Simple Past/Past Indefinite is used.

Compare:

a) I have heard his speech and I liked it. I heard his performance and I liked it.
b) I heard his speech last night. I heard him speak last night.

In the first case (a), the time of the action is not specified, but it happened in the past and the connection with the present is expressed by the fact that you like it (the performance) even now - the Present Perfect is used. In the second case (b) the duration of action is indicated, and therefore Simple Past/Past Indefinite is used.

Compare also:

a) I have seen her this morning. I saw her this morning.
b) I saw her this morning. I saw her this morning.

In the first case (a), this can be said if the conversation takes place in the morning, the morning time has not yet expired. In the second case (b), this can be said if the conversation takes place during the day or evening, the morning time has already expired. With the expression this morning, the Present Perfect can only be used if the action took place before one o'clock in the afternoon. If it happened later, for example, at one thirty (13.30), then Simple Past/Past Indefinite is used, since, according to the British, “morning” lasts only until one o’clock in the afternoon.

• 3. The Present Perfect is also used in sentences in which the action, although it happened in the past, can be repeated.

I have seen wolves in this forest. I saw wolves in this forest. (It is implied that they can be found there and now.)
I saw wolves in this forest. I saw wolves in this forest. (The use of the Simple Past expresses a statement of fact.)

Compare also:

a) Pushkin wrote many wonderful poems. Pushkin wrote many beautiful poems.
b) Yevtushenko has written many wonderful poems. Yevtushenko wrote many beautiful poems.

In the first sentence (a) we used Simple Past/Past Indefinite - wrote, since Pushkin is no longer alive and the possibility of repeating the action, i.e., writing more poetry, is excluded. In the second sentence (b) the verb in the Present Perfect is used - has written, since the author is alive and, perhaps, will write many more beautiful poems.

• 4. The Present Perfect is used in answers to a question asked in the Present Perfect (unless the tense is specified in the answer). If the time of action in the answer is specified, then it is given in Simple Past/Past Indefinite.

Have you seen the new English film? Have you seen the new English film?
Yes, I have (seen the new English film). Yes, I saw (the new English film).
But: Yes, I saw it yesterday. Yes, I saw him yesterday.

Please note:

If the dialogue is not limited to one question and answer, but continues, then the first one or two questions and answers are used in the Present Perfect, and the conversation continues in the Simple Past / Past Indefinite, because The main thing is not actions, but circumstances.

Husband: Where have you been? Husband: Where have you been?
Wife: I’ve been at the sales. Wife: I was in the store (at a discount sale).
Husband: What have you bought? (What did you buy?) Husband: What did you buy?
Wife: I’ve bought (I bought) yellow pajamas. Wife: I bought yellow pajamas.
Husband: Why did you buy yellow? I told you never to buy yellow for me. Husband: Why yellow? I told you to never buy yellow for me.
Wife: I couldn't resist it. They were very much reduced. Wife: I couldn't resist. They were so cheap. (They were greatly discounted).

Place of adverbs in sentences when used with the Present Perfect form

• 1. Adverbs ever, never, often, rarely, just, as a rule, are placed before the semantic verb.

I have never read that book. I've never read this book.
Doesn't have often been there. He visited there often.
They have just left the house. They just left.

• 2. Adverb already also placed before the semantic verb in affirmative sentences, and in interrogative sentences, as a rule, at the end of the sentence and usually expresses surprise in the latter case (already with a connotation of the meaning “so soon”).

Have you translated the article already?
Have you really (so soon) translated the article?

• 3. Adverbs lately, recently, once and combinations up to now, many times, as a rule, are placed at the end of the sentence.

I haven’t received any letters from him lately. I haven't received any letters from him lately.
We have seen him recently. We saw him recently.

• 4. Adverb yet is used in negative sentences in the sense of “still” and is usually placed at the end of the sentence. In interrogative sentences it means “already” and is also placed at the end of the sentence.

Hasn’t finished his work yet. He hasn't finished his work yet.
Have they come back yet? Have they returned yet?

Circumstances in English are minor members sentences that indicate in what place, at what time, how or under what circumstances (when, where, why, why, etc.) an action is performed or this or that state occurs.

Many people call present perfect time a “tautology”. And it is not surprising, because an action committed in the past is called the present. Why and why? Switching to “you” with the Present Perfect is not difficult if every nuance of use, education and special cases is analyzed and understood in detail.

Let's start our acquaintance with the presentation, let's look into the depths of this shade. Like any tense in English, Present Perfect Tense reflects the action. But its specificity is that the action has already been completed, and we see the result from it. In this situation, we do not focus on When an event occurred, we are not interested in it, doesn't matter, but we are now talking about what it entailed and what it led to. For example:

Have you found the place on the map? —Have you found this place on the map yet? (We are not interested in: how much you searched, when you started; the result - whether you found it or not)

I can't walk. I think I have sprained my ankle. - I can't go. I think I sprained my ankle. (We don’t note, we are not interested in: when I sprained it, how I sprained it; the result is that I can’t walk).

Of course, this is the main characteristic or, as it is also called, function. We will consider all cases of use and comparison below.

Education

According to the rules for the Present Perfect, we will need auxiliary verbs has/ have, and we will put the semantic one in V 3 (V ed). We remember that everything English verbs divided into correct and incorrect. To form this tense, we will add the ending -ed to the regular ones, and the irregular ones have a special form that will have to be learned (3rd column of the table of irregular verbs).

With 3rd person singular subject(if the subject is expressed by a pronoun or a noun implying: she, he, it) we use has. With everyone else - have. Negation is formed using “not”, which is placed after the auxiliary verb, and in the question have/has is interchanged with the subject. As you can see, there is no need to add or remove anything new, just some rearrangements in the sentence itself.

Short forms:

I have = I’ve, She has = she’s, we have = we’ve, they have = they’ve, you have = you’ve.

have + not = haven’t, has + not = hasn’t

Use

The present completed (perfect) tense has several uses in situations. Let's look at each one separately. All actions can be divided into completed and unfinished.

1. Action completed in the past(signal words are: already, yet, still, recently, lately, just).

• If the situation ended just now (before the moment of conversation), or earlier, and it is connected with the present , then this is the very case when you should use the Present Perfect. In other words, if the result is important to you, interesting and necessary for further conversation, which serves as a starting point, then here we use the present perfect tense. The exact moment is not specified.

He has already published your poem in a local paper. — He has already published your poem in the local newspaper.

I have recently bought this bycicle, but now it is broken. — I recently bought this bicycle, but now it is broken.

• To highlight the repetitive actions their repetition, with the words several times, twice. Also, this grammatical phenomenon occurs in complex qualifying sentences where ordinal numbers, superlative adjectives, and the phrase “the only” are used.

It is one of the happiest days I have ever spent with my mother. — This is one of the happiest days I have ever spent with my mother.

It is the only time my father has been away for holiday. - This is the only time when dad was not at the holiday.

My friends went to England again. They have been there several times. — My friends went to England again. They've been there several times already.

2. Action unfinished in the past(signal words are: this week, this year, today, this morning, since, for, never, ever).

• If we want to emphasize long period of time where the action we are interested in is not completed by the time of the conversation.

He has written two books this year. — He wrote two books this year (the year is not over yet).

Have you seen Mary this morning? —Have you seen Mary this morning?

• It is worth remembering that there are verbs that are not used in the Continuous (which can be read in our other article of the same name about non continuous verbs). With given stative verbs We use Present Perfect instead of Present Perfect Continuous. Very often in this situation the preposition is used for , which indicates the duration of the action.

I haven’t had a holiday for 4 years. — I haven’t had a vacation for 4 years.

My parents have been married for 25 years. — My parents have been married for 25 years.

• with the word "since", which indicates last time, before anything (before conversation)

She has been off work since the accident. “She hasn’t worked since she had an accident.”

• with the circumstances “ever, never, always, all my life, so far” - which emphasize an indefinite period of time, incompleteness.

I have never driven a car. — I've never driven a car.

My brother has always dreamed of laptop. — My brother always dreamed of a laptop.

Have you ever gone to Italy? —Have you ever traveled to Italy?

They ate a lot yesterday but they haven’t eaten much so far today. - Yesterday they ate a lot, but today they haven’t eaten yet.

3. Quite rarely, but you can still find the Present Perfect in subordinate clauses with as soon as, before, till, until, after, when, which is used instead of the Future Perfect (in most cases it is replaced by the Present Simple, especially in colloquial speech)

We will give back your car as soon as you’ve found a new job. — We will give away your car as soon as you find a new job.

Comparison of times

We have already learned when the Present Perfect Simple is used and how it is formed (the word Simple is sometimes added, especially in English grammars, so that students do not confuse it with the Present Perfect Continuous). Everything seems to be clear. But when doing exercises and tests to formulate the required form of the verb, difficulties and mistakes often arise, and a mess forms in your head. The Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, Past Simple, Past Perfect time table will help you place emphasis on the most important differences.

Present Perfect	Present Perfect Continuous	Past Simple	Past Perfect
The result of the action is emphasized; it is noted how often, when the action was performed (how many?), the result is most often planned, since - last time	Emphasizes the duration of the action, how it proceeded; the result often appears as by-effect, since — start of action
I have done my duties about the house. Now we can have a rest. — I completed all the housework. Now I'm free. She hasn’t played the piano since childhood. — She hasn’t played the piano since childhood.	I have been doing my duties about the house for 4 hours. Now I am too tired. — I did my housework for 4 hours. I'm too tired now.She hasn’t been playing the piano since I came in. “She hasn’t played the piano since I came in.”
Always talks about the present, action in the past as the engine of a new conversation, has no clear time boundaries, action is a result, life experience		Always speaks only about a past accomplished fact, the time is clearly indicated, the frame points to the past, a statement of fact, sequential actions
I have finished my work and now I am going home. — I finished work, now I’m going home.The boss has signed the documents. Can you post them at once? — The boss signed the documents. Can you send them immediately?Has the bus arrived? No, it hasn’t. — Has the bus arrived? - No.		I finished my work and went home. — I finished work and went home. The boss signed the documents and I posted them at once. — The boss signed all the documents, and I sent them immediately. Did the bus arrive yesterday? No, it didn't. — Did the bus arrive yesterday? - No.
Even if the action is completed, it must be connected with the present. In complex sentences, the main thing is in the Present.			The action was completed before a certain moment in the past, before another event, which is expressed by the Past Simple; in complex sentences the main action is in the past
I have washed my car! Look! It is clean. — I washed my car. Look. She's clean. The house is dusty Nobody has come there for a year. — The house is dusty. No one has entered there in a year.			I had washed my car before my mother woke up. I washed my car before my mom reminded me. The house was dusty Nobody had visited there for a year. — The house was dusty. No one has entered there in a year.

Adverbs, adverbs or signal words in the Present Perfect

• So, the rules for the Present Perfect don't end there. It's also worth taking a moment to pay attention "since" and "for" , which are sometimes very close in meaning and often set traps. Since is used as a starting point for when the action was last performed. Either it indicates an action that has ended, or parallel situations that lasted a certain period of time. For - with the present perfect is used to indicate how long the action took place, its entire duration:
  

  since 8 o'clock, since 1987, since Christmas; for hours, for a week, for ages, for a long time

• Just and just now in Russian they convey the meaning just now. The first does not indicate exactly when the action occurred, the second notes: “a minute ago,” “literally a second.” With just now we use Past Simple.
• ever (ever) never (never - only in affirmative sentences), already (already - in affirmative, already - so soon - and questions), still (also in negative sentences), yet (still - in negative sentences, already - in interrogative sentences), lately (Lately), resently (recently, for last years, months, weeks)

Even after considering all cases of use, their features and comparison, the grammar of the present perfect requires consolidation and solid assimilation. To begin with, you should read and analyze sentences with this tense, which you can read in the article “Examples of sentences in the Present Perfect,” then move on to the tasks that you will also find on our website.

The Present Perfect is very often used both in speech and in exams, tests, in other words - everywhere. That is why it is necessary to firmly grasp the basics of one of the most important tenses of English grammar.