The Present Perfect

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Contents

The meaning(s)

What is the present perfect?

Pronunciation

Asso

ciat

ed

adve

rbsThe form

Ideas for teaching it

Remember it is formed with…

havePast participle

(in present tense- have, has)

Present perfect simple

Have you seen my keys?

Present perfect continuous

I haven’t been living here long. have + been + -ing

Problems with the form? Irregular past participles

seen

flew

gone

thought

cut

Problems with the pronunciation? Contractions

Have you been there? =/həvjəbɪn/

I have=I’veWeak auxiliaries

But the main problem is …………

The Monster Tense!

Why is this so difficult?

Many languages simply don’t look at time in this way…..

English – She went….She has gone

Chinese – She go yesterday….

Some languages use the same form, but the meaning is different…..

Ich haben ihn gesehen (I) (have) (him) (p.p. of ‘see’)

means…

‘I saw him’

Some languages have the same meaning but use different forms to express it

English – He’s lived there for two years

Spanish – He lives there for two years

MeaningWhat is the time reference?

• I’ve been to China• He’s lived there for two years.• I’ve had a cup of coffee, thanks.• I’ve written three letters this morning.

I’ve been to China

Experience in the non-specified past

Now? ? ? ? ? ?

He’s lived there for two years.

Unfinished action continuing to the present

He’s lived here for two years.

Unfinished action continuing to the present

Now2 years ago

I’ve had a cup of coffee, thanks.

Finished action in the recent past

Now

How recent is ‘recent’?

‘You’ve changed your hair style!’

When?

Often used in the news…

The next leader of Britain’s top public schools has warned parents to stop hothousing children

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Education/article1224538.ece

I’ve written three letters this morning.

Finished action in unfinished timeNow

Specified time

Meaning – continuous form

What is the time reference?

• She’s been playing the recorder for a while now.• She’s been running- she’s tired.

She’s been playing the recorder for a while now.

Unfinished action continuing to the present

Now

Continuous or regular action

She’s been running- she’s tired.

Recently finished action With a current result

Now

So we have…..

Present Perfect Simple• Experience (at a non-specified past time)

• Action started in the past continuing to now• Recent action (news)

• Action in an unfinished time

Present Perfect Continuous• Action started in the past continuing to now• Longer actions that have recently ended (with a present result)

Task: Think of an example for each (not the same as mine!)

Michael Swan‘Basically speaking, the present perfect deals with finished events that are connected to the present.’

Practical English Usage. Swan; 2005

But…..

….learners find this ‘connection with the present’ idea very difficult.

Simple pastOR

Present perfect simple?

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I saw him this morning.I have seen him this morning.

(What time is it?)

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I cooked the meat for three hours.I’ve cooked the meat for three hours.

(When did I start cooking?)

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

Granny baked many cakes over the years.Granny has baked many cakes over the years.

(Is Granny alive)

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I bought a new Ferrari.I’ve bought a new Ferrari!

(When did I buy it? How do I feel?)

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

Have you eaten sushi?Did you eat sushi?

(Which refers to a specific time?)

Present perfect simpleOR

Present perfect continuous?

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I’ve been living here for a month.I’ve lived here for a month.

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I’ve been doing the washing up.I’ve done the washing up.

‘Teacher, what’s the difference between..’

I’ve been reading ‘War and Peace’ I’ve read ‘War and Peace’.

Adverbs can help

Adverbs commonly associated…

With the present perfectYet, already, this (morning/ year/ decade), since, for, ever, never, before, recently.

With the simple pastYesterday, ago, last ___, then, in 2007 (any specific time reference)

Teaching the present perfect

Which do we teach first?

Obviously there’s no set-in-stone order, but generally……….

Present perfect with unfinished time

Late elementary

How many e-mails have you received this week?What other personalised questions could you ask them using the same form and meaning?

What have you done this year?

Present perfect for experience: Pre-Int

I’ve ridden a camel.vs I was very sore afterwards!!

(ride) a horse (eat) snake (see) the Pyramids

(go) to London (oversleep) (fall) in love

(learn) another foreign language

(swim) in the sea at night

(play) chess

Have you ever……

Present perfect simple and continuous with ‘for’, ‘since’ and other time expressions.

I’ve lived here since 2001I’ve been playing in a band since January.

How long have you …….?

Now

What have you been doing?!

Now

He has already cut the grass.He hasn’t mended the garage door yet.

C.Granger and J.Plumb 1995 Heinemann

IntermediatePresent perfect cf simple pastRead this brief biography of Barack Obama. Which is the correct tense?

Barack Obama ____ (have) an interesting life. He _____ (be born) on

August 4th 1961 in Honalulu. His father _____ (be) from Kenya, but

Barack __________ (never live) there. He _____ (go) to Harvard Law

School) and he _______ (be) a university lecturer as well as a lawyer. He

______ (be involved) in many elections since 1996, and he ______ (be

elected) as the 44th President of the USA in January 2009.

Do this exercise – which tense and why?

What’s the pattern?

Three climbers, missing for thirty hours, have been found safe and well by rescue teams in Scotland. The three, two men and a woman, who are all from Glasgow, had been climbing in the Highlands, when they were forced to take shelter, by the bad weather. They were found early this morning.

IntermediateNews: Present perfect cf simple past

Upper levels

Review/ contrast of all uses and differences between simple and continuous forms;

Guided discovery approach works well

I’ve lost some money/ I’ve been losing money.She’s studied/ been studying a lot lately.She’s forgotten/ been forgetting so much recently.

_____ is used to talk about things that happened more than once.____is used to emphasise the process.____is used to emphasise the finished action.