The present perfect

Present perfect

The present perfect is formed with the auxiliary have or has and the past participle. It is usually used to talk about the past in relation to the present. The present perfect has a connection between something that happened in the past and a present time. It often refers to an action that happened in the past and which has a result now:

I’ve hurt my hand. (I hurt my hand in the past but it hurts now too.)
They’ve prepared dinner for us. (They prepared dinner in the past and we can eat it now)

The present perfect can be used to report something that occurred just before the present time:
I’ve got a new job.
John and Mary have broken up. They’re no longer in a relationship.
I’ve missed the bus.
This is why the present perfect is used with ‘already’ and ‘just’.
I’ve just got a new job.
I’ve just missed the bus.
John and Mary have already broken up.
‘Just’ and ‘already’ are placed before the main verb.

The present perfect can be used to talk about actions that happened more than once
In the past and could happen in the future too.
We've been to Spain many times for our holidays.
I've been to that cafe.
I've explained this to you before.

The present perfect is used with stative verbs to refer to a situation that started in the
Past and still exists in the present.
I've lived in this city all my life.
I've known Alex for as long as I can remember.
He's been here since 2010.

For this reason the present perfect is used with time expressions that show this period – all my life, for as long as I can remember, since 2010.

But the present perfect cannot be used with time expressions that only indicate a past time.

I hurt my hand last week.
I got a new job two days ago.
John and Mary broke up last weekend.

Present perfect continuous

The present perfect continuous is used to describe a situation or action that started in the past and continued up to the time of speaking. It is used to focus on duration.
I’ve been living here for ten years.
It’s been raining all week.
They’ve been working hard to finish the house.

The present perfect highlights a result.
They’ve worked hard to finish the house. – The result is the house.

The present perfect continuous looks at the process.
They’ve been working hard in the garden and they’re covered in mud. – the process.

Lesson by Tristan, teacher at EC Malta English school

Now choose the best version for these sentences:

• 1) I ___ the whole morning at the bank.
  
  have just spent
  spent
  
  
• 2) He ___ four chess tournaments and is preparing for a fifth.
  
  already won
  has already won
  
  
• 3) I ___ the whole day shopping yesterday.
  
  spent
  have spent
  
  
• 4) We ___ to Thailand several times.
  
  went
  have been
  
  
• 5) How long ___ here?
  
  have you been living
  have you lived
  
  
• 6) I ___ to this city six years ago.
  
  moved
  have moved
  
  
• 7) They ___ all week to complete the presentation and they're almost done.
  
  have been working
  have worked
  
  
• 8) He ___ Peter since they were children.
  
  has known
  knew