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?