GRAMMAR POST FIVE: Present Perfect

Hi everyone!


Here I come with the fifth grammar lesson of the blog, hope you find it easy!

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 specific 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, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc. Examples:

I have seen that movie twenty times.
I think I have met him once before.
There have been many earthquakes in California.
People have traveled to the Moon.
People have not traveled to Mars.
Have you read the book yet?
Nobody has ever climbed that mountain.
A: Has there ever been a war in the United States?
B: Yes, there has been a war in the United States.



You 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. The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event. Examples:


I have been to France.*

*This sentence means that you have had the experience of being in France. Maybe you have been there once, or several 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 experience of going to France.

I think I have seen that movie before.
He has never traveled by train.
Joan has studied two foreign languages.
A: Have you ever met him?
B: No, I have not met him.

The affirmative form of the Present Perfect is formed with the verb "To have" in present tense as an auxiliary verb and the form in Past Participle of the principal verb. Example:


I think I have seen that movie before.
He has traveled by train.
Joan has studied two foreign languages.
I have been to France three times.

The negative form of the Present Perfect is formed with the present tense of the verb "To have" in negative  and the form in Past Participle of the principal verb. Example:



He has not traveled by train.
Joan hasn't studied two foreign languages.
I have not been to France three times.

The interrogative form of the Present Perfect is formed with the verb "To have" in present tense at the beginning of the question and the Past Participle of the principal verb. Example:


Haven't you seen that movie before?
Have you ever met him?
Has Joan studied two foreign languages?
Has he traveled by train?

MOVIE POST THREE: Les Miserables

Hi everyone!

Today's movie post is about one of the most watched musical of all times, based on the book "Les Miserables" from Victor Hugo. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards this year, and won three of them. Starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter and some other great artists, and directed by Tom Hooper, the awarded director of "The King's speech". Here it goes a short synopsis:

"Several years after the French Revolution, things are going bad in the country once again as a new king rises to the throne. The rich remain rich and the poor are as bad off as ever. Amid this setting, Jean Valjean finds himself in prison for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread as well as for numerous escape attempts. There, he has been constantly harassed by prison guard Javert. Valjean is finally released, but when he returns to society he finds himself an outcast and unable to find work. He begins to turn into the thief he was unfairly labeled as. But after a religious epiphany, Valjean resolves to break his parole, create a new identity, and start his life over. 

Six years later, Valjean has become the mayor of a town and a successful businessman, but his world is turned upside down when Javert arrives in town as the new police inspector. Valjean becomes consumed with worry that he will be recognized. Unfortunately, this distracts him from the plight of one of his employees, Fantine. Harassed by the other workers and an evil manager, Fantine loses her job and is forced to become a prostitute in order to support her young daughter Cosette. Eventually Valjean learns of her plight, but he is too late to save her. Fantine dies, but not before Valjean promises to locate Cosette and care for her. But unfortunately, Javert discovers Valjean's true identity. Now on the run, Valjean must stay one step ahead of his nemesis if he's going to keep his promise."

And here it goes the trailer:
















Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway: I DREAMED A DREAM



FANTINE
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

Les Miserables, Eddie Redmayne and Amanda Seyfried, A HEART FULL OF LOVE

MARIUS
A heart full of love
A heart full of song
I'm doing everything all wrong
Oh God, for shame
I do not even know your name
Dear Mad'moiselle
Won't you say?
Will you tell?
COSETTE
A heart full of love
No fear, no regret
MARIUS
My name is Marius Pontmercy
COSETTE
And mine's Cosette
MARIUS
Cosette, I don't know what to say
COSETTE
Then make no sound
MARIUS
I am lost
COSETTE
I am found!
...

Hope you like it and see you soon!

SONG ONE: Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)

Hi everyone!


Today is Friday, and so I'm going to post a song about it. It is called "Last Friday Night" from Katy Perry, and I think it has a very cool style so I wanted to share it with you, although probably most of you know it already. So here it is, song one:


Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (TGIF)":

There’s a stranger in my bed,
There’s a pounding in my head
Glitter all over the room
Pink flamingos in the pool
I smell like a minibar
DJ’s passed out in the yard
Barbie’s on the barbeque
This a hickie or a bruise

Pictures of last night
Ended up online
I’m screwed
Oh well
It’s a blacked out blur
But I’m pretty sure it ruled
Damn

Last Friday night
Yeah, we danced on tabletops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot

Last Friday night
Yeah, we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard

Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a ménage à trois
Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we’re gonna stop
Op-oh-oh

This Friday night
Do it all again
This Friday night
Do it all again

Trying to connect the dots
Don’t know what to tell my boss
Think the city towed my car
Chandeliers on the floor
Ripped my favorite party dress
Warrant’s out for my arrest
Think I need a ginger ale
That was such an epic fail

Pictures of last night
Ended up online
I’m screwed
Oh well
It’s a blacked out blur
But I’m pretty sure it ruled
Damn

Last Friday night
Yeah, we danced on table tops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot

Last Friday night
Yeah, we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard

Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a ménage à trois

Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we’re gonna stop
Oh whoa oh

This Friday night
Do it all again
(Do it all again)
This Friday night
Do it all again
(Do it all again)
This Friday night

T.G.I.F.*
T.G.I.F.*
T.G.I.F.*
T.G.I.F.*
T.G.I.F.*
T.G.I.F.*

Last Friday night
Yeah, we danced on table tops
And we took too many shots
Think we kissed but I forgot

Last Friday night
Yeah, we maxed our credit cards
And got kicked out of the bar
So we hit the boulevard

Last Friday night
We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a ménage à trois

Last Friday night
Yeah I think we broke the law
Always say we’re gonna stop
Oh-whoa-oh
This Friday night
Do it all again

[Clapping] Whohoo!

*T.G.I.F is an abbreviation of the expression "Thank God it's Friday".

Enjoy the weekend! See you soon!