2. We use the Present Perfect Simple to talk about:
Things/ experiences that have happened in our
lives up to now. We don’t say when they
happened.
I have been to Paris.
I have cut my finger!
3. Have you ever eaten Japanese food?
A: Have you read Hamlet?
B: No, I haven‟t read any
of Shakespeare‟s plays.
Susan loves that film. She‟s seen it
eight times!
4. The action in the past has a result
now.
“Where is your key?”
“I don‟t know. I‟ve lost it.” (I don‟t have it now)
He told me his name, but I‟ve forgotten. (I can‟t
remember it now)
I can‟t find my bag. Have you seen it? (Do you
know where it is now?)
5. Present Perfect with adverbs:
JUST – a short time ago
„Are you hungry?‟ „No, I‟ve just had lunch.‟
ALREADY – something happened sooner than expected
„Don‟t forget to send the letter.‟
„I‟ve already sent it.
YET – until now – only in negative sentences and
questions
Has it stopped raining yet?
I‟ve written the letter, but I haven‟t sent it yet.
7. When we talk about a period of time that
continues from the past until now, we use the
present perfect.
Have you heard from Joe recently?
Everything is going well. We haven‟t had any
problems so far.
I am hungry. I haven‟t eaten anything since
breakfast.
It‟s good to see you again. We haven‟t seen each
other for a long time.
8. We use the present perfect with today/ this
evening/ this week etc… when these
periods are not finished at the time of
speaking.
Have you had a holiday this year?
I haven‟t seen Tom this morning. Have
you?
Rob hasn‟t studied very hard this term.
9. When we say it‟s the first time something has
happened.
Don is having a driving lesson. It‟s his first one.
It‟s the first time he has driven a car.
He has never driven a car before.
10. We use the Present Perfect Continuous for an
action that started in the past and continues up to
now.
How long have you been learning French?
I‟ve been learning French for 7 years.
I‟ve been learning French since 2006.
Tim is still watching TV. He‟s been watching TV all
day.
11. An action that started in the past and finished
recently but the results are evident in the present.
You are out of breath. Have you
been running?
Paul is tired. He has been
working very hard.
Why are you so dirty?
What have you been doing?
12. Present Perfect Simple x Past Simple
Study this example situation:
Tom is looking for his key. He can‟t find it.
He has lost his key. (present perfect)
This means that he doesn‟t have his key now.
TEN MINUTES later…
Now Tom has found his key. He has it now.
He lost his key (past simple)
but now he has found it.
13. The present perfect is a present tense. It always
tells us about the situation now.
„Tom has lost his key‟ = he doesn‟t have his key
now.
The past simple tells us only about the past.
„Tom lost his key‟, this doesn‟t tell us whether he
has the key now or not. It tells us only that he lost
his key at some point in the past.
14. Use the past simple for things that are not recent
or new.
Mozart was a composer.
He wrote more than 600
pieces of music.
Who invented the telephone?
15. Present Perfect x Simple Past
It hasn‟t rained this week. It didn't rain last week.
I have never played golf. I didn‟t play golf last summer.
Ian lives in London. He Ian lived in Scotland for 10
has lived there for 7 years. years.Now he lives in London.
We have been waiting We waited for an hour.
for an hour.
16. We use the present perfect to give new
information. BUT if we continue to talk about it, we
normally use the past simple.
A: Look! Someone has spilt
coffee on the computer.
B: Well, it wasn‟t me. I didn‟t
do it.
A: Ow! I‟ve burnt myself.
B: How did you do that?
A: I picked up a hot dish.
17. Images from Google images.
Adapted from: MURPHY, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Third Edition. United Kingdom:
Cambridge, 2004. Pages 14,16,18, 26 and 28.
Source: MURPHY, Raymond. English Grammar in Use. Fourth Edition. United Kingdom:
Cambridge, 2012. Page 300.
