PRESENT PERFECT without stress!
The simplest way to know when, how, and why
we use the PRESENT PERFECT in English
The verb tense PRESENT PERFECT creates a headache for most non-English speakers. I remember so many times my students have asked me why they struggle so much with PRESENT PERFECT in English and how it is still not clear to them. It is sometimes difficult to understand when it is used. In elementary and high school, they bombarded you with all sorts of explanations, sometimes too complicated to be able to understand at all.
Now I will introduce you to the simplest way when, how, and why we use PRESENT PERFECT in English
First, you need to know the construction.
Present Perfect is formed from HAVE (HAS for 3rd person) and the third column (below) of the verb.
Eg: I have lived, I have spoken, I have eaten, she has driven, he has forgotten, etc.
Do not forget that HAVE and HAS always goes with the verb from the third column . Never from the first or second, but always from the third.
In a sentence, if the action is over and the time is over, we use Past Simple (the second column of the verb).
- I ate chicken yesterday. ('yesterday' is over )
- I spoke to you last week. ('last week' is over )
- I drank coffee 3 hours ago. ('3 hours ago' ended )
However, if the action is over but the time is still running, then we use Present Perfect.
- I have eaten chicken three times this week. ('this week' is still going on )
- I have spoken to you today. ('today' still lasts )
- I have never drunk coffee. ( 'never' has no end, still lasts )
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So, we are not only looking at whether the action, which was mentioned in the sentence, is over, but it is important that the time mentioned is still in progress. Today, this week, this month, this year - it's all still going on. Also, we always use ever / never with Present Perfect.
I haven't eaten anything today.
I have been to the cinema three times this week.
Have you ever driven a car?
I have never spoken to him.
For the following examples, there’s no difference at all between Past Simple and Present Perfect:
I drank coffee yesterday.
I had coffee today.
It doesn't matter, I drank it.
However, in English, the time (when you did it) that you mention in the sentence is important.
I drank coffee yesterday. ('yesterday' is over)
I have drunk coffee today. ('today' still in progress)
Note the fact that I’ve already ‘drank coffee’ in both sentences, and that doesn’t mean both sentences will be in Past Simple. The second sentence is in Present Perfect because ‘today’ is still going on, I can still drink coffee later, which I can’t do in the first sentence because it’s all over, I can’t change what happened yesterday anymore.
If something happened, but you didn’t mention when at all, we’re back to Present Perfect again.
If you want to say that you were in Paris, but do not say when (it may not matter for the situation), then the sentence in Present Perfect - 'I have been to Paris'. You can use Present Perfect for any experience you’ve had before if you don’t mention when.
I have flown in a plane.
I have tried sushi.
She has seen The Rolling Stones in concert.
All of this has happened in the past, but if we don’t say at what particular time it happened we can’t classify them as Past Simple. As soon as we determine the exact time at which the action took place, the sentence is placed in the Past Simple.
I went to Paris 2 years ago.
I tried sushi last weekend.
She saw The Rolling Stones in concert 3 months ago.
The action is over, the time is over - it remains in the Past Simple (verb in the second column).
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Another mistake that people make is doing a literal translation when we talk about how long something lasts.
For example:
I have been married for 10 years.
I have been living in Sydney for 5 years.
I've been in the room for 20 minutes.
I've known you for 2 years.
In English, these sentences must somehow be understood to be in one part in the past and another in the present.
If we take for example the sentence ‘I have been married for 10 years’ - 10 years have been and passed, but that marriage is still going on.
'I have been living in Sydney for 5 years' - I have lived here for five years and I still live there.
‘I’ve been in the room for 20 minutes’ - 20 minutes have passed and I’m still here.
‘I’ve known you for 2 years’ - we’ve known each other for two years, and we still know each other.
Therefore:
❌WRONG - I am married 10 years .
✅CORRECT - I have been married for 10 years.
❌WRONG - I live in Split 5 years.
✅CORRECT - I have lived in Split for 5 years.
❌WRONG - I am in this room 20 minutes.
✅CORRECT - I have been in this room for 20 minutes.
❌WRONG - I know you 2 years.
✅CORRECT - I have known you for 2 years.
Mostly, when you ask someone how long something is going on, you’re usually interested in an action that’s still going on. If you find out that someone is married, then you can ask ‘How long have you been married for?’. If you see someone waiting for you in the office, you can ask ‘How long have you been here for?’.
Of course, this is all clear and understandable to us local speakers. The next time you watch a show on Netflix in English, try to notice when they use Past Simple and when Present Perfect. It may still be a problem for you, but the only way to use your time without thinking, and to become natural, is to speak. Speak to locals, students, people in bars, and cafes! You can study for hours and memorize the differences between Past Simple and Present Perfect, but it is all passive knowledge. You must use them in speaking to become an active and fluent English speaker.
I hope this blog will be useful to you and encourage you to speak English!
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Credit: https://inicijativa.biz/present-perfect-u-engleskom-jeziku/
