Present Perfect (Theory)

Present Perfect
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FORM Present Perfect

[HAS / HAVE] + [past participle]

EXAMPLES:
I have seen that movie many times.

I have never seen that movie.

NOTE: When you are using a verbtense with more than one part such as Present Perfect (have seen), adverbs usually come between the first part and the second part (have never seen).

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USE 1 Unspecified Time BeforeNow    [pic]

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with time expressions such as"yesterday," "one year ago," "last week," "when I was a child," "when I lived in Japan," "at that moment," "that day" or "one day." We CAN use the Present Perfect with expressions like "ever," "never,""once," "many times," "several times," "before," "so far," "already" and "yet."

EXAMPLES:


I have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.

There have been manyearthquakes in California.

Has there ever been a war in the United States?
Yes, there has been a war in the United States.

People have traveled to the moon.

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IMPORTANT How do youactually use the Present Perfect?

The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following topics:


TOPIC 1 ExperienceYou can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..." You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. ThePresent Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.



EXAMPLES:

I have been to France.
(This sentence means that you have the experience of being to France. Maybe you have been once, orseveral times.)

I have been to France three times.
(You can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.)

I have never been to France.
(This sentence means that you have not had the...