PRESENT PERFECT

 

FORM:

He told me his name but I have forgottten it

"have forgotten" is the  Present Perfect : 

AFFIRMATIVE

 I / We / they/ you      have ( I've, you've..)  broken

 decided

 gone
          He/ She / It       has  (He's, she's...)

INTERROGATIVE

       have       I / We / they/ you  broken ?

 decided?

 gone?
       has        He/ She / It

NEGATIVE

 I / We / they/ you      have NOT  (haven't)  broken

 decided

 gone
          He/ She / It       has  NOT   (hasn't)

 

USE

1.          Mrs Cabal is a teacher. She became a teacher in 1990.

            1990                                                            Now
                                                   
            Past _____________________________________Present
                                PRESENT PERFECT

Mrs Cabal has been a teacher since 1990

 We use the Present Perfect  to talk about something that started in the past and continues up to the present:

I have had my car since 1996 ( I still have the car)
How long have you worked  as a teacher? ( you still work as a teacher)

 

2. We often use  FOR and SINCE with the Present Perfect to say how long something has continued. Compare:

        We've been here for 2 days       We've been here since Monday

FOR is used  to say how long something has been going on; it's followed by a period of time.       She has worked here for 35 years

SINCE is used to say when something started ; it's followed by a period of time.
                She's worked here since 1970

 

3. We also use the  Present Perfect to talk about experiences in our lives, up to now.

I have never been to Australia (= in my life)
I've seen that film  (= in my life)

 We often use EVER and NEVER with  the  Present Perfect.

Have you ever driven a Ferrari? (= at any time in your life?)
Some people have never seen the sea. ( at no time in their lives)

 

4. We also use the  Present Perfect to talk about a past action , when we can see the result of the action now.In this sense it is used to give new information  or to announce a recent happening

My  friend Tina has had a haircut  (her hair is shorter now)

We often use  JUST, ALREADY and YET with the  Present Perfect

JUST= a short time ago
                         Hello! have you just arrived?

ALREADY= to say that something has happened  sooner than expected
                 What time is Christina  leaving? She's already left

YET = it means "until now" and shows that the speaker is expecting something to happen. Only in questions and in negative sentences
                Has it stopped raining yet?
                It's 10.00 ,but Bim hasn't woken up yet

 

5. We use the Present Perfect with today, this morning, this evening... when these periods  are not finished at the time of speaking.

I've eaten three cheese cakes today (perhaps I'll have some more)

6. We also use the Present Perfect to say  "it is the first , second ...time something has happened"

It's the first time she has driven a car