Present Perfect

FORM

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

• You have seen that movie many times.
• Have you seen that movie many times?
• You have not seen that movie many times.

Complete List of Present Perfect Forms

USE 1 Unspecified Time Before Now

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.

How Do You Actually 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 Experience

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.

TOPIC 2 Change Over Time

We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

Examples:

• You have grown since the last time I saw you.
• The government has become more interested in arts education.
• Japanese has become one of the most popular courses at the university since the Asian studies program was established.
• My English has really improved since I moved to Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

Examples:

• Man has walked on the Moon.
• Our son has learned how to read.
• Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.
• Scientists have split the atom.

TOPIC 4 An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting

We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.

Examples:

• James has not finished his homework yet.
• Susan hasn't mastered Japanese, but she can communicate.
• Bill has still not arrived.
• The rain hasn't stopped.

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.

Examples:

• The army has attacked that city five times.
• I have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.
• We have had many major problems while working on this project.
• She has talked to several specialists about her problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Expressions with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect it means that something has happened at some point in our lives before now. Remember, the exact time the action happened is not important.

Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking in for an experience. We can do this with expressions such as: in the last week, in the last year, this week, this month, so far, up to now, etc.

Examples:

• Have you been to Mexico in the last year?
• I have seen that movie six times in the last month.
• They have had three tests in the last week.
• She graduated from university less than three years ago. She has worked for three different companies so far.
• My car has broken down three times this week.

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Everyday actions

This is a good picture to put on the bulletin board.
You can explain to the student the daily activity and to ask them to make some sentence using the word given .

What do you think we can fit this picture in the classroom ??

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Simple Present Tense

                                                                  Simple Present Tense

                                                                                                                                    takes

 I work at Uptime(+)                                            He works at Uptime(+)

I don't work at Uptime(-)                                     He doesn't work at Uptime(-)

Do I work at Uptime?                                         Does he work at Uptime?

You do the dishes(+)                                         She does the dishes(+)

You don't do the dishes(-)                               She doesn't do the dishes(-)

Do you do the dishes?                                Does she do the dishes?

We go to work at 8am(+)                    It goes to the park at night(+)

We don't go to work at 8am(-)     It doesn't go to the park at night(-)

Do we go to work at 8am?                       Does it go to the park at night

They have breakfast everyday(+)       She has breakfast everyday(+)

They don't have breakfast everyday(-)       She doesn't have breakfast evryday(-)

Do they have breakfast everyday?              Does she have breakfast everyday?

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Modal Verb

The modal verbs are can, could, may, might, shall, should, will and would.

The modals are used to show that we believe something is certain, probable or possible:

Possibility:

We use the modals could, might and may to show that something is possible in the future, but not certain:

They might come later. (= Perhaps/Maybe they will come later.)
They may come by car. (= Perhaps/Maybe they will come by car.)
If we don’t hurry we could be late. (= Perhaps/Maybe we will be late)

We use could have, might have and may have to show that something was possible now or at some time in the past:

It’s ten o’clock. They might have arrived now.
They could have arrived hours ago.

We use the modal can to make general statements about what is possible:

It can be very cold in winter. (= It is sometimes very cold in winter)
You can easily lose your way in the dark. (= People often lose their way in the dark)

We use the modal could as the past tense of can:

It could be very cold in winter. (= Sometimes it was very cold in winter.)
You could lose your way in the dark. (= People often lost their way in the dark)

Impossibility:

We use the negative can’t or cannot to show that something is impossible:

That can’t be true.
You cannot be serious.

We use couldn’t/could not to talk about the past:

We knew it could not be true.
He was obviously joking. He could not be serious.

Probability:

We use the modal must to show we are sure something to be true and we have reasons for our belief:

It’s getting dark. It must be quite late.
You haven’t eaten all day. You must be hungry.

We use must have for the past:

They hadn’t eaten all day. They must have been hungry.
You look happy. You must have heard the good news.

We use the modal should to suggest that something is true or will be true in the future, and to show you have reasons for your suggestion:

Ask Miranda. She should know.
It's nearly six o'clock. They should arrive soon.

We use should have to talk about the past:

It's nearly eleven o'clock. They should have arrived by now.

Ability:

We use can to talk about someone’s skill or general abilities:

She can speak several languages.
He can swim like a fish.
They can’t dance very well.

We use can to talk about the ability to do something at a given time in the present or future:

You can make a lot of money if you are lucky.
Help. I can’t breathe.
They can run but they can’t hide.

We use could to talk about past time:

She could speak several languages.
They couldn’t dance very well.

We use could have to say that someone had the ability/opportunity to do something, but did not do it:

She could have learned Swahili, but she didn’t have time.
I could have danced all night [but didn't].

Permission:

We use can to ask for permission to do something:

Can I ask a question, please?
Can we go home now.

could is more formal and polite than can:

Could I ask a question please?
Could we go home now?

may is another more formal and polite way of asking for permission:

May I ask a question please?
May we go home now?

We use can to give permission:

You can go home now if you like.
You can borrow my pen if you like.

may is a more formal and polite way of giving permission:

You may go home now, if you like.

We use can to say that someone has permission to do something:

We can go out whenever we want.
Students can travel free.

may is a more formal and polite way of saying that someone has permission:

Students may travel free.

Instructions and requests:

We use could you and would you as polite ways of telling or asking someone to do something:

Could you take a message please?
Would you carry this for me please?
Could I have my bill please?

can and will are less polite:

Can you take a message please?
Will you carry this for me please?

Suggestions and advice:

We use should to make suggestions and give advice:

You should send an email.
We should go by train.

We use could to make suggestions:

We could meet at the weekend.
You could eat out tonight.

We use conditionals to give advice:

Dan will help you if you ask him.

Past tenses are more polite:

Dan would help you if you asked him.

Offers and invitations:

We use can I… and to make offers:

Can I help you?
Can I do that for you?

We can also use shall I …

Shall I help you with that?
Shall I call you on your mobile?

We sometime say I can...or I could ...or I’ll (I will) ...to make an offer:

I can do that for you if you like.
I can give you a lift to the station.
I’ll do that for you if you like.
I’ll give you a lift to the station.

We use would you like (to) ...for invitations:

Would you like to come round to morrow?
Would you like another drink?

We use you must or we must for a very polite invitation:

You must come round and see us.
We must meet again soon.

Obligation and necessity

We use must to say that it is necessary to do something:

You must stop at a red light.
Everyone must bring something to eat.
You can wear what you like, but you must look neat and tidy.
I’m sorry, but you mustn’t make a noise in here.

We use had to for this if we are talking about the past:

Everyone had to bring something to eat.
We could wear what we liked, but we had to look neat and tidy.

modals + have

We use a modal verb with have and the past participle:

Subject	Modal	Have	Past Participle
They	will	have	arrived	by now
You	might	have	seen	the film
Jack and Jill	would	have	been	late

We use a modal verb with have to refer back:

•      … from a point of time in the past:

We were very worried. Someone might have taken the car.

•      … from the present

It is nearly eight o’clock. They will have arrived by now.

•      …or from the future:

We won’t eat until they arrive. They might not have had supper.

•      or to refer to past time:

You should have helped her when she asked.

They might have got lost. Nobody knows where they are.

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The beautiful fragility of language

Alas, this is not how my first day of kindergarten went.
Credit: Creative Commons, Archives New Zealand.

I remember my first day of school with such clarity that it might as well have happened last week. I was five, and I was starting in the local kindergarten, along with all the other kids my age. Except for one difference: I didn’t speak a word of English. Not a one. The only thing I knew how to do was write my own name—M-A-R-I-A—so that I could recognize it if the need arose. I practiced it over and over in the days leading up to that morning. It was my one safety net, the only thing I knew I could be sure of.

I was ushered off the school bus—my parents had walked me to the stop and fed me to the yellow monster, despite my protestation of a (very real, might I add) stomachache—and into a mob of other lost-looking little people. We made our way downstairs in a wobbly attempt at a line, and I was shown into a bright room with a sandbox in the corner. In the middle was a table with laminated cards on pieces of string. Our name cards. We were to find ours and put it on, that much I gathered from the flurry of activity. I was prepared. M-A-R-I-A.

But when I got to the table, M-A-R-I-A was not to be found. I looked again. I walked around to the other side of the table. I watched as the supply of cards dwindled down to one. And still I didn’t have my name. I could feel the threatening rumble of tears in the corners of my eyes, and it was all I could do not to burst out crying in front of my new classmates. The teacher, sensing my imminent distress, bent over and took the remaining card from the table. She handed it to me with an encouraging smile. I shook my head. That wasn’t me. She tried again, thinking I didn’t understand, motioning for me to put the string over my head. But I understood only too well. My card was irretrievably lost. I wasn’t the somebody she thought I was. I burst into tears.

I’d been right. My card was nowhere to be found. I had been, on that first day, ushered into the wrong classroom. My room and my teacher, and—hurrah—my name card had been waiting next door the whole time.

***

We tend to take language for granted. Our memories of not understanding it, of not being in control of it, of not being able to use it to communicate our needs, our wants, our desires, our emotions are, on the whole, blissfully nonexistent. As soon as we’re born, we’re able to pick out key features of the language that surrounds out—infants even a few hours old can already distinguish between different rhythmic families, reacting differently to, say, English, in contrast to French or Japanese—and long before we can say our first word, we have a fairly good idea of what’s going on around us. We’re well-oiled language-acquiring machines. It’s like that old joke that somehow never gets old, of how wonderfully little children in France (or Russia or insert your foreign country of choice) speak French. So young, and so fluent! And no accent in sight.

But if you stop to think about it for just a second, language, in all its rich complexity, is the last thing in the world that should make intuitive sense. However do we grasp it as quickly as we do? How do we remember it all (so much to memorize! so many irregularities and exceptions! but do you actually recall memorizing a single word, apart from when you were cramming for your SATs?). Where did it even come from to begin with? Some of the greatest minds of our time—Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, to name just a few—have wrestled with these questions. But when it comes to the language we speak every day, we don’t tend to ever ask. We forget that there was a moment when we, too, had to learn, when we, too, didn’t know. It just seems so, well, so simple.

It’s not. I was lucky: I was very young, and had very good teachers. For my first few years in school, I would go to an ESL program for several hours during the day—I resented it, because it set me apart from the rest of the class, but in retrospect I can appreciate its effectiveness—and by the time the end of first grade rolled around, I’d almost forgotten the pain of not having the slightest glimmer of what was going on. I never had an accent. I didn’t have time to fall behind in reading or writing. Lucky, indeed.

For others, the story of language acquisition is far more than a nice anecdote. There are the immigrants who move later in life and struggle for the rest of their lives with not being able to speak without a foreign tinge—I even know families where parents can’t communicate properly with their children: they don’t speak fluent English but never wanted the stigma of foreignness for their offspring and so made a point of not teaching them Russian; it kills me to see the contortions they go through in endless cycles of non-understanding—and there are the native speakers whose language machine is somehow thrown out of whack. Sometimes, the malfunction happens later in life—a stroke that renders someone unable to speak, painfully reacquiring the lost movements, letter by letter; a lesion that leaves its victim babbling incoherently or repeating a syllable over and over and over or trying but failing to retrieve the proper word, which he knows is right there, just out of reach; a tumor that makes the process of communication no longer simple at all—and sometimes, it’s with us from birth—the various dyslexias that make the same thing that comes so naturally to most children come not at all to others, the developmental and cognitive quirks and turns that make language a constant struggle. But whatever the specific case, the theme is constant: language is fragile. Our grasp of it, equally so. It’s not something to be taken for granted. Not at all.

***

I lied earlier. I never did forget the pain of being lost, without a single word to help me out of the confusion. That first day of kindergarten, I didn’t calm down when I was finally restored to the proper classroom. If only it were that simple. Instead, I couldn’t stop crying, no matter what anyone did or said. I was inconsolable. And so, my teacher sent for reinforcements.

In what was to become an almost daily ritual, my older sister—my selfless, eternally patient saint of an older sister—was pulled from her sixth grade classroom upstairs to come and soothe the pain. Only then did I calm down—only to erupt again on the bus ride home, when I thought the driver had missed my stop, and I had no way of telling her that if she didn’t turn the bus around, I’d never get home. The cycle continued, over and over and over. Nearly every day, I cried. And nearly every day, my sister came to make it all better.

I remember the tears. I remember the embarrassment. I didn’t want to be the girl who was always crying. I just couldn’t help myself. It was too frustrating to never be able to say what I wanted or communicate what I felt. I wasn’t used to that helplessness, after all. Up to that point, I’d been just fine in my Russian world. Everyone understood me perfectly. And now that they didn’t? It all came out through my tear ducts.

Perhaps that’s where my love of language was first born, the knowledge that I should never take a single word for granted, that the understanding that seems so natural and matter-of-fact can be taken away just as easily as it was first given. Perhaps I should be thankful for those endless tears, after all. 

Original article you may find here : maria web page

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