Present Perfect

for & since

Present Perfect vs. Simple

Past

The boy was 1m10 tall one year ago. Now he is 1m11 tall.

He has grown one millimeter in one year.

Tom is looking for his key. He can’t find it. He has lost his key. (=He lost it and he still hasn’t got it)

FORM(+) S + have/has + past participle

(PP)Ex: Tom has lost his key.

(-) S + have/has + not + PPEx: Tom has not lost his key.

(?) Have/Has + S + PP?Ex: Has Tom lost his key?

LONG FORMS AND SHORT FORMS

• Affirmative

• Negative

Long form Short form

I, you, we, theyI have done

I, you, we, themI’ve done

He, she, itHe has done

He, she, itHe’s done

Long form Short form

I, you, we, themI have not done

I, you, we, themI haven’t done

He, she, itHe has not done

He, she, itHe hasn’t done.

USE AND DIAGRAM

An action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present.

Ex: He has played football since he was a child.

An action when the time is not important, it is expressed as an experience.

Ex:

We have never traveled by train.

An action was completed in the very recent

past, expressed by 'just' and 'recently'.

Ex:

She has just broken her leg.

Action is repeated in an unspecified period between the past and now.

Ex:

I have seen that movie three times.

SIGNAL WORDS

just (not) yetalready

evernever

so far up to now recently

sincefor

EXERCISES

1. Emma _________ this film on TV (not/to see)

2. When ______ she ______ the office ? (to phone)

3. I ___________ a new laptop. (to buy)

4. ______ you ever _______ to New York? (to be)

5. Andy ____________ his sister’s bike. (not/to repair)

6. The students __________ their homework. (not/to forget)

7. What _______ you _______ in the kitchen? (to drop)

hasn’t seenhas phone

dhave bought

Have been

hasn’t repaired

haven’t forgot

have

dropped

Exercise 1: Use the Present Perfect Present Perfect and the verbs in brackets to complete these sentences.

Look at pictures and complete the sentences using Present Perfect with “just”

She ______________asleep.

They _______________ out.has just been have just gone

What have they just done?

He ______________ lottery. They _____________ married.has just won

have just got

for is used with a period of time: for six days, for a long time…

Ex: I have lived here for ten years.

since is used with a point in time and means “from that point to the time of speaking”.

Ex: She has been here since six o’clock.

EXERCISES Use forfor or sincesince to complete the sentences below

1. Sarah has lived in London ______ 1985.

2. _______ Christmas, the weather has been quite good.

3. The house is very dirty. We haven’t cleaned it _____ ages.

4. They’ve known each other _______ they were at school.

5. I haven’t had a holiday _____ ten years.

since

Since

for

since

for

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PAST

- Just, already, not yetEx: She has just arrived in Tokyo.

- Certain time in the past.Ex: She phoned him 2 minutes ago

- Whether/How often till nowEx: Have you ever been to Rome? I have been to Rome twice.

- Certain event in the past Ex: He went to Rome in 1990.

- Emphasis on resultEx: I have bought a new bike. (I actually want to express that I have a new bike now.)

- Emphasis on action Ex: I bought a new bike. (just telling what I did in the past.)

just, already, up to now, until now, till now, ever, (not) yet, so far, lately, recently…

yesterday, ago, in 1990, the other day, last …

EXERCISES

1. I __________ (have) these shoes since my 18th birthday.

2. I ________ (tidy) my desk, but now it’s in a mess again.

3. The last time I ______ (go) to Brighton was in August.

4. I’d like to meet a ghost, but I _________________ (never/see) one.

5. I’ve finished my homework. I ______(do) it before tea.

have had

tidied

went

have never seen

did

Exercise 1: Use the correct tense to complete these sentences.

1. I’ve lost my key. I can’t find it anywhere. RIGHT

2. Have you seen the news on television last night? WRONG: Did you see the news on television last night?

3. I’ve bought a new car last week. WRONG: I bought a new car last week.

4. I’m very hungry. I haven’t eaten anything today. RIGHT

5. When has this book been published? WRONG: When was this book published?

Exercise 2: Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the wrong ones.