PRESENT PERFECT TENSE |
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Present perfect tense is used when there is a connection with the past and with the present. It is used when the action is complete or has ended. The exact time when the action happened is not important and hence, it is not mentioned in this tense.
• Structure for Present Perfect •
subject |
auxiliary verb |
main verb |
subject |
has/have |
past participle |
I |
have |
gone to college. |
• Structure for Negative sentence •
subject |
auxiliary verb |
main verb |
subject |
has/have + not |
past participle |
I |
have not |
gone to college. |
• Structure for interrogative sentence •
auxiliary verb |
subject |
main verb |
Has/Have |
subject |
past participle |
Have |
you |
gone to college? |
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. e.g. We are not interested in when you did homework. We only want to know if you did homework:
We use the present perfect tense to:
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talk about experience, |
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talk about change, |
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talk about continuing situation. |
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USES OF PRESENT PERFECT TENSE |
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To indicate completed activities in the immediate past: |
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Examples |
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He has just gone out. |
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It has just struck ten. |
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To express past actions whose time is not given and not definite: |
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Examples |
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Have you read ‘Gulliver’s’ Travels? |
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I have never known him to be angry. |
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The following adverbs (or adverbs phrases) can be used with the present perfect:
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Examples |
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Adverbs phrases |
just, often, never, ever (in question only), so far, till now, yet (in negative and question), already, since-phrases, for today, this week, this month, etc. |
Note that the Present Perfect is never used with adverbs of past time. We should not say, e.g., “He has gone to Calcutta yesterday.” In such cases Simple Past should be used (“He went to Calcutta yesterday.”) |
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PRESENT PERFECT TENSE TABLE |
AFFIRMATIVE |
NEGATIVE |
INTERROGATIVE |
I have gone. |
I have not gone. |
Have I gone? |
You have gone. |
You have not gone. |
Have you gone? |
We have gone. |
We have not gone. |
Have we gone? |
He/She has gone. |
He/She has not gone. |
Has he/she gone? |
They have gone. |
They have not gone. |
Have they gone? |
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