Intermediate English Grammar for ESL Learners - Robin Torres-Gouzerh 2016

The present perfect
5 The perfect tenses

The perfect tenses are formed with the auxiliary verb have + a past participle. The perfect tenses express the idea that an action was begun in the past and continued until a later time.

The present perfect

The present perfect tense is so named because the auxiliary have is conjugated in the present tense. )t is used to describe an action that began in the past and continues until the present.

She has drawn her mom a picture every day for the past two weeks.

I haven’t met anyone interesting since I moved into this apartment complex.

I have navigated a sailboat many times.

He has already showered.

When combined with prepositional phrases that start with since or for, the present perfect can also express an action or situation that began in the past and that is still taking place in the present. Note that the concept of an action in progress or incomplete is expressed in the present perfect by a verb formed in the progressive.

I have had these red gloves for three years.

I have liked Harold and the Purple Crayon since I was five years old.

I have been living on this island for two years.

I have been standing here since eight o’clock.

Exercise 5.1 Complete each sentence, using either the simple past or the present perfect tense

of the verb in parentheses.

Example He has been (be) to many conferences since June.

1. Up to now, Mrs. Rosenthal ... (give) us few tasks. I thought she would be more demanding than this.

2. So far this month, I ... (smoke) only two cigarettes.

3. We ... (know) each other for almost ten years now.

4. In my whole lifetime, I ... (never + see) such a violent storm.

5. Last November, I ... (feel) heartbroken for the first time in my life.

6. Try not to talk too loudly again before the end of the movie.

You ... (already + annoy) the people sitting behind us.

You ... (get) us in trouble the last time we came to this

theater.

7. Henry ... (be) here since the Easter holidays.

8. Olivia ... (land) in Hawaii four hours ago.

9. Alicia ... (break) the door last weekend, but it was an

accident.

Exercise 5.2 Practice forming past participles by beginning each sentence with I have never + the past participle of the verb in parentheses.

Example I have never left (leave) my shoes in a restaurant.

1. ... (feed) a tiger.

2. ... (read) Lord of the Flies.

3. ... (wreck) my car.

4. ... (understand) Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

5. ... (think) about Darwin’s theory of evolution.

6. ... (build) a house.

7. ... (fly) a kite.

8. ... (hold) a baby.

9. ... (sleep) in a tent.

10. ... (travel) to Russia.

11. ... (teach) English.

12. ... (vote) for local representatives.

13. ... (listen) to Charles Mingus.

14. ... (catch) a butterfly.

15. ... (make) a blueberry pie.

16. ... (win) the lottery.

17. ... (send) an e-mail to the chief of staff of the U.S. Army.

18. ... (eat) chicken ice cream.

19. ... (steal) a bike.

20. ... (fall) off a cliff.

21. ... (bring) a penguin to class.

22. ... (forget) my name.

23. ... (drink) absinth.

Chronological references

Certain references to time require the use of a specific tense. The present perfect tense is used when the chronological reference is to an action begun in the past and continuing into the present. The simple past tense indicates that the action was completed in the past. Following are examples of chronological references that suggest the use of the present perfect tense.

I have worked here since the beginning of November.

Have you lived here for a long time?

During the past year, Pedro has seen several accidents at this corner.

The progressive form of the present perfect can be used to emphasize that an action is in progress or continues over a long period of time.

In the last few weeks, we have been traveling over much of Europe.

Compare these chronological references with ones that suggest the use of the simple past tense.

Helena bought several new blouses yesterday.

Were you in Boston again last week?

She stayed in the old house for only a few days after her grandmother died.

Bill lost over a hundred dollars while in Las Vegas.

Exercise 5.3 Complete each sentence with appropriate chronological references. Use any reference you wish (for example, dates, days, or years), as long as it makes sense in the sentence.

Examples Today is the 12th of January. I first met my English teacher five months ago. I have known him since September. I have known him for five months.

Today is Monday. I first met my English teacher last week. I have known him since Tuesday. I have known him for six days.

1. Today is ... . I bought this book ... . I have had this book since ... . I have had it for ... .

2. I first decided she was my best friend ... . I have known her for ... . I have known her since ... .

3. It is 200 ... . I started going to school in 19../200.. . I have been a student for ... . I have been a student since ... .

4. Yesterday was ... . I moved to this town ... . I have been living in this town since ... . I have been here for ... .

Exercise 5.4 Complete each sentence, using either the simple past or the present perfect tense of the verb in parentheses.

Example What has she bought (she + buy) since she walked in (walk in) the store?

1. Since the end of the nineteenth century, scientists ... (make) many important discoveries.

2. Thanks to new techniques and new discoveries, medical analysis ... (advance) a great deal in the twentieth century.

3. Economic systems are different from those implemented in the 1800s. For example, the information gathered to conduct analysis ... (change) greatly through the years. In the 1800s, these systems ... (be) mainly focused on national indicators. Today, however, international economies (become) efficient, and it is necessary to take them into account. In the 1800s, domestic economies ... (be) self-sufficient and could survive with little trade. Today, all economies, small and large, are connected.

4. It’s undeniable that she ... (get) older since we last saw her, but one can’t deny she ... (also + get) wiser. She also seems to ... (become) funnier.

5. Yesterday, my father and I ... (have) some free time, so we ... (go) to watch the movie Hotel Rwanda. We then headed out to a coffeehouse and (talk) about it for hours.

6. What ... (you + learn) since you ... (begin) reading this chapter?

7. How many people ... (you + meet) who only spoke English? I hope you ... (already + meet) many interesting people.

8. Paul: Do you like beef jerky?

Laura: I don’t know, I ... (never + taste) it before.

9. ... (you + ever + meet) my friend Dolly?

10. Richard: Are you taking Professor Snape’s class this semester?

Nicole: No, I ... (already + take) it twice. I ... (fail) it in October, and I ... (take) it again last semester.

11. Pierre: Do you do much traveling?

Martha: Yes, it’s really one of those things that make me happy.

Pierre: What countries ... (you + go) to?

Martha: Well, when I was a child, my dad’s job required that we travel a lot. I ... (be) to England, Turkey, Madagascar, Spain, and portugal.

Pierre: I ... (never + be) to Turkey or Madagascar.

When ... (you + be) in Madagascar?

Martha: Three years ago. I ... (also + visit) the neighboring islands. I ... (take) a boat tour that lasted two weeks.

Pierre: What were the names of the islands that ... (you + visit) ?

Martha: I can’t remember anymore. The names ... (be) quite difficult to pronounce, so I ... (have) a very difficult time memorizing them.

Pierre: I ... (always + want) to go abroad, but I ... (not + have) the opportunity to do so. I ... (go) to Senegal three years ago, but I ... (not + travel) since then.