REPORT RESUMESED 020 500TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES.

BY- WALKER, RALPH H.

EDRS PRICE MF.40.25 HC-$0.72 16P.

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PUB DATE DEC 67

DESCRIPTORS- *ENGLISH (SECOND LANGUAGE), *INSTRUCTIONmLMATERIALS, *TEACHING TECHNIQUES, *VERBS, NON ENGLISH

SPEAKING, INTERFERENCE ..(LANGUAGE LEARNING),

THE SIMPLEPRESENT PERFECT AND PRESENT PERFECT

CONTINUOUS ARE FOR THE NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISH TWO OFTHE MOST TROUBLESOME TENSES IN THE ENGLISH VERB SYSTEM. THEYARE SOMETIMES CONFUSED WITH A PRESENT TENSE AND SOMETIMESWITH A PAST, ONE OFTEN HEARS A NON-NATIVE SPEAKER OF ENGLISHUSE A SIMPLE PRESENT WHERE HE SHOULD USE A SIMPLE PRESENTPERFECT, A PRESENT CONTINUOUS WHERE HE SHOULD USE A PRESENTPERFECT CONTINUOUS, OR A SIMPLE PRESENT PERFECT.WHERE HESHOULD USE A SIMPLE PAST. SOMETIMES THIS IS JUST A CARELESSMISTAKE,BUT MORE OFTEN IT IS A SUBSTITUTION WHICH THESPEAKER REGULARLY MAKES, TRANSFERRING A STRUCTURE FROM HISNATIVE LANGUAGE INTO ENGLISH. HE MAKES THIS TRANSFERENCEBECAUSE HE LACKS AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF THESE TWO

TENSES, WHICH ARE NEITHER WHOLLY PRESENT NOR WHOLLY PAST, BUTPARADOXICALLY BOTH PRESENT AND PAST. A DESCRIPTION OF THESETWO TENSES, DRILLS AND EXERCISES INVOLVING THEIR USE, ANDEXERCISES TO CONTRAST THE TWO ARE PRESENTED. THIS ARTICLEAPPEARS IN "TESOL QUARTERLY," VOLUME 1, NUMBER 4, DECEMBER1967, PUBLISHED BY TEACHERS OF ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHERLANGUAGES, AT THE INSTITUTE OF LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS,GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20007. (AUTHOR/AMM)

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TESOL QUARTERLYVolume 1 December 1967 Number 4

Table of Contents

Charles Carpenter Fries, 1887-1967

Spoken-English Lessons for Spanish-SpeakingMigrant Farm Workers Sarah Hall Goodwin

Contrastive Rhetoric and the Teachingof Composition Robert B. Kaplan

/reaching the Present Perfect Tenses Ralph H. Walker

Testing Foreign-Language Function in Children John A. Upshur

The LCT, Language-Cognition Test (Research Edition)A Test for Educationally DisadvantagedSchool Beginners Anne 0. Stemmler 35

3

4

10

17

31

On Defining the Objectives of a Short-TermTraining Program: Grammar Russell N. Campbell 44

The Miami Experience in English for the ForeignBorn: The Adult Cuban Refugee Program Don E. Williams 50

A Selected Annotated Bibliography of AmericanLiterature for TESOL: Part 11The ShortStory, Drama, Poetry Arna S. Harris and Allan C. Harris 53

Reviews 63

Announcements 69

Publications Received 72

11r 001 167'

rPEPiliIONTO REPRODUCE rid

COPYRIGHTED MATERIALSSEEN 6IANTEDilY

TOERRIC AND 016ANIZADOS OP ftjI

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A6REENINS

FURTHERWITH THE U.S. OFFICE OFUCATION.

Pi:PRODUCTIONOUTSIDETHE ERIC SYSTEM REOUIRFS PEPAISSION OF[THE COPYINNIT

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TESOL QUARTERLYA Journal for Teachers ofEnglish to Speakers of Other Languages

Editor

BETTY WALLACE Rom Err

Ball State UniversityMuncie, Indiana

Editorial Advisool .board

Virginia Frezich AllenTeachers CollegeColumbia University

Marie Esman BarkerEl Paso Public SchoolsEl Paso, Texas

Eugene J. BriereUniversity of CaliforniaLos Angeles, California

J. C. CatfordUniversity of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan

Maurice ImhoofBall State UniversityMuncie, Indiana

A. Iris MulvaneyTucsm Public SchoolsTucson, Arizona

George H. OwenDetroit Public SchoolsDetroit, Michigan .

Hadley ThomasTuba City Public SchoolsTuba City

Membseship in TESOL (56.00) includes st subscription to the journal.

Tr-50L QUARTERLY is published in Max June, September, and December.

tio.:osm correspondence should be addressed to James E. Alatis, Institute of Languages and linguistics,Groegetown University. Washington, D.C.

Copyright C 1068

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages

....

reactiing the Present Perfect Tenser

THE SIMPLE PRESENT PER-FECT and the PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUS are for the non-nativespeaker of English two of the mosttroublesome tenses in the English verbsystem. They are sometimes confusedwith a present tense and sometimeswith a past. .One often hears a non-native speaker of English use a simplepresent where he should use a simplepresent perfect (* I AM HERE FORTHREE DAYS instead of I HAVEBEEN HERE FOR THREE DAYS),a present continuous where he shoulduse a present perfect continuous (* IAM STUDYING ENGLISH FORTHREE YEARS instead of I HAVEBEEN STUDYING ENGLISH FORTHREE YEARS), or a simple presentperfect where he should use a simplepast (* I HAVE ARRIVED FIVEMINUTES AGO instead of I AR-RIVED FIVE MINUTES AGO).Sometimes this is just a careless mis-take, but more often it is a substitutionwhich the speaker regularly makes. Inmaking this substitution, he is in alllikelihood transferring a structure fromhis native language into English, andhe is making this transference becausehe lacks an understanding of the na-ture of the English present perfecttenses. He is not aware that thesetwo tenses are neither wholly present

* An asterisk before a sentence indicatesthat the sentence is not acceptable English.

Mr. Walker, Assistant Professor of En-glish at the University of Tennessee, hashad experience in teaching English as asecond language at the University of Illi-nois, Bucknell University, and the AmericanUniversity, Beirut, Lebanon.

17

Ralph H. Walker

nor wholly past, but are, paradoxically,both present and past. This is a sub-tle but vital point, and no teacher canreally teach these tenses without un-derstanding this fact. It is ehri -saymatter to teach a student how to formthe present perfect tenses, but quiteanother matter to teach him when touse them.

The SIMPLE PRESENT PER-FECT describes an action which oc-ccurred within a present time frame,that is, within a period of time whichincludes the present momenta periodof time beginning at some defined orundefined point of time in the pastand continuing up to now. The speakeris not concerned with placing this ac-tion at a specific polo"; of time. If hewere interested .in indicating the pre-cise time when the action of which heis speaking occurred, he would use apast time indicatorlast 'week, lastnight, yesterday, .a few minutes ago,at 8:15, when I was a child, before Icame here, at breakfast, or some otherword or phrase indicating a past timeand the simple past tense.1 Instead of

1 Although the simple past tense is usuallyaccompanied by or is placed in the vicinityof a past time indicator, this is not nec-essarily so: SHAKESPEARE WROTECOMEDIES, HISTORIES, AND TRAG-EDIES. WHO THREW THAT ROCK?WHY DID YOU SAY THAT? I SAIDIT BECAUSE I BELIEVED IT. HE HASHIS LEG IN A CAST BECAUSE HEBROKE HIS ANKLE. COLUMBUS DIS-COVERED AMERICA. The speaker thinksof each of these actions as having occurredat some time in the past, at a time com-pletely separated from the present; but sincelie is not interested in the time and doesnot feel that a time indicator is essential,he does not include one.

18 TESOL QUARTERLY

situating his action at a definite pointof time in the past, the speaker placesit within a period of time which ex-tends from some point in the past upto now and uses the simple presentperfect tense to recount the action.This period of time is often defined bysuch words as today, this morning, thisafternoon, this evening, tonight, thisweek, this month, this semester, thisyear, recently, lately, already, yet,ever, never, so far, up to now, withinthe last or within the past . . . (hour,week, month, year, two minutes, threehours, four days, five weeks, sixmonths, seven years), just,2 for (witha time word or phrase), and since(with a time word, phrase, or clause),out often there is no time indicator atau .s It cannot be given as an absoluterule, however, that each of these timeindicators is found only with one ofthe present perfect tenses. A few of

The word just referring to the immediatepast is sometimes used with the simplepresent perfect and sometimes with thesimple past with no difference in meaning.HE HAS JUST LEFT. HE JUE1..S: LEFT.These are both standard English. Anotherexample of this overlap of the simpits pastand the simple present perfect with nochange of time frame and no change inmeaning is found in the relative clausefollowing a superlative when the word everis present: THAT'S THE MOST BEAU-TIFUL SUNSET I'VE EVER SEEN(present time frame) and THAT'S THEMOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSET I EVERSAW (present time frame). When any othertime indicator in the present time frameis used in this construction, we find onlythe simple present perfect: THIS IS THEBEST BOOK I'VE READ IN YEARS,A sin.ilar structure which is always followedby the simple present perfect is :his' is thePip time: THIS IS THE FMST TIMEI'VE VISITED THIS COUNTRY.

The simple present perfect is very oftenunaccompanied by a time indicator. Thetime, although unspecified, is thought of asbeing in a present time frame. TENNES-SEE WILLIAMS HAS WRITTEN MANY

themlately, so far, yet, within thelast . . . or past . . . , sinceare usedonly with the present perfect tenses,but most of themtoday, this morning,this afternoon, this evening, tonight,this week, this month, this year, thissemester, recently, never, ever, already,forare used with both the presentperfect tenses and the simple past.*The choice of verb tense with the last.group of words depends upon whetherthe action to be described took placewithin a past time framea period oftime before now and completely sepa-rated from nowor witLin a presenttime framea period of time begin-ning before now and including now.

The simple present perfect tense canbe most effectively taught in contrastwith the simple past tense since thiiis the area of greatest confusion, andthe difference between these two tenses

PLAYS. (Tennessee Williams is a livingplaywright Compare this sentence withSHAKESPEARE WROTE COMEDIES,HISTORIES, AND TRAGEDIES.) Thisis especially true of questions when thespeaker is interested only in the action andnot in the time. Into these questions onecould easily insert a time indicator suchas yet, ever, recently. HAVE YOU (ever)BEEN TO EUROPE? YES, I'VE BEENTHERE' SEVERAL TIMES (in my life).HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATESTNEWS (yet)? WHERE HAVE YOUBEEN (for the last few minutes, recently)?HAVE YOU SEEN THE MOVIE AT THERITZ (yet)? HAVE YOU SEEN BILL(today)? YES, I HAVE. I SAW HIMAT BREAKFAST THIS MORNING. Inthe first answer to the last question, thereis no interest in the time; in the last an-swer there is interest in the time as well asin the action.

4 With the exception of recently, ever,and never all the words in the last groupcan also be used with the present continuous.For the difference between the present con-tinuous and the present perfect continuoussee the last paragraph of this discussion.

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES

car be easily demonstrated by refer-to the time frames. In order to

illustrate the present, or open, timeframe visually, draw on the black-board a three-sided box open on theright side.

As long.as the action has already oc-curred (thus distinguished from thesimple present, which occurs repeat-edly, and from the present confirm-

lately, so far, up to now, within.the past few days, within the lastcouple of hours, sinceyet

19

ous, which is occurring now) and thetime indicator includes the present,the box stays open, dictating the useof a present perfect tense; but as soonas a past time indicator is used, thebox closes, dictating the use of a sim-ple past tense, for now the time of theaction is completely divorced from thepresent, and we have a past, or closed,time frame.

401

today, this morning, this after- .46

noon, this evening, tonight, thisweek, this month, this year, thissemester, recently, foralready, never, ever

Time Frame IWith these time indicators, the timeframe i3 always open, and we al-ways use a present perfect tense.

Time Frame IIWith these time indicators the time

ic frame is sometimes open and some-times closed. When it is open, weuse a present perfect tense; whenit is closed, we use a simple pasttense.

last week, last night, last year, yesterday, a few minutes ago, early gd

this morning, a while ago, at break- 1.3.5.

fast, when I came in

Compare the following sentenses:

1. today(box is open)

2. today(box is closed)

3. yesterday(box is closed)

4. this morning(box is open)

5. this morning(box is closed)

Time Frame III

With these time indicators the timeframe is always closed, and we al-ways use a simple past tense.

I've seen Bill several times today. (I say this sometimeduring the day.)

I saw Bill several times today. (I say this at night whenI am looking back upon the day as, past.)

I saw Bill several times yesterday.

I've written several letters this morning. (I make thisstatement during the morning.)

I wrote several letters this morning. (I make this state-ment during the afternoon or evening about a periodof time that has ended.)

z.

20

(. this afternoon.(box is open)

7. this afternoon(box is closed)

8. this evening(box is open)

9. this evening(box is dosed)

10. this week, (box is open)11. thcs week

(boy,; is closed)

12. fast week(box is closed)

13. this month(box is open)

14. this month(box is closed)

15. last month(box is closed)

16. this year(box is open)

17. this year'(box is closed)

18. last year(box is closed)

19. recently(box is open)

20. recently(box is closed)

21. lately(box is open)

22. ever(box is open)

23. ever(box is closed)

TESOL QUARTERLY

Bill has called me twice this afternoon. (I say this duringthe -afternoon.)

Bill called me twice this afternoon. (I say this duringthe evening)

I've done a lot of work this evening. (I say this duringthe course of the evening.)

I did a lot of work this evening. (I say this probably justbefore I go to bed when I am thinking of the eveningas finished.)

I've gone to town only once this week. (I say this some-time during the week.)

I went to town only once this week. (I say this at theend of the week about a period of time I am thinkingof as finished.)

I went to town only once last week.

We've done the first six lessons this month.

We did the first six lessons this month.

We did the first six lessons last month.

This has been a good year. I've made a lot of progressthis year. (I make this statement during the year- -likely toward the close of the year---about a period oftime not yet over.)

This was a good year. I made a lot of progress this year.(I make this statement at the end of the year when Iam looking at the year in retrospect.)

Last year was a good year. I made a lot of progress lastyear.

I've seen Paul several times recently. I haven't seen Billrecently. (Recently here means within the last fewdays or weeks and is synonymous with lately, which isalways accompanied by the present perfect.)

I saw P rul recently in Chicago. Mr. Smith died recently.(Here recently means not long ago and is not synony-mous with lately.)

I haven't seen any good movies lately.

Have you ever been to Europe? (Ever here means withinyour lifetime, a period of time which has not ended.)

Was Shakespeare ever in America? (Here ever meansduring Shakespeare's lifetime, a period of time whichhas ended.)

In sentences 9, 11, 14, and 17 one mightjust as readily use the simple present per-fect as the simple past, for although aspeaker might be considering this period

of time in retrospect as he would last week,last year, or last night, he might at thesame time feel that he is still within theperiod of time of which he is speaking.

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES

24. never(box is open)

25. never(box is closed)

26. before(box kg open)

27. before(box is closed)

28. already(box is open)

29. already"(box is closed)

30. for two days(box is open)

81. for two days.(box is closed)

82. since breakfastsince I ate breakfast(box is open)

33. at breakfast(box is closed)

84. within the last tenminutes(1xx is open)

35. ten minutes ago(box is dosed)

36. within the last (orpast) year(box is open)

37. last year(box is closed)

21

I've never visited Europe. (Not in my lifetime, a periodof time which has not ended.)

Shakespeare never visited America. (Not in his lifetime,a period of time which has ended.)

I've seen this movie before. (Before now.)

I saw that movie before Christmas. (Before some pasttime.)

John has already stopped working. (Already here meansbefore now.)

He was already tired .hen he started working. (Herealready means before he began.)

I've been here for two days. (And I Am still -here.)

I was in New York for two days last year.

I've had two cups of coffee since breakfast.I've had two cups of coffee since I ate breakfast.

I had two cups of coffee at breakfast

John has called me twice within the last ten minutes.

John called me ten minutes ago.

I've seen Bill several times within the last year. (Withinthe period of time beginning a year ago and endingnow.)

I saw Bill several times last year.

g In standard English already is used withboth of the present perfect tenses. It isalso used with the simple past of the verbto be (rarely with the past of other verbs)when the accompanying time expressionusually a clauseindicates an action sub-

sequent to, the action in the main clause.MARY WAS ALREADY THERE WHENI ARRIVED. I ALREADY KNEW THATBEFORE YOU TOLD ME. Yet is usedwith the simple present perfect but notwith the past tense in standard English.

22 TESOL QUARTERLY

We sometimes hear such a sentenceas I'LL CALL YOU AS SOON ASI'VE FINISHED, where the speakeris using the simple present perfect todescribe an obviously future action:he has not finished yet, but he willat some future time, and then he willcall. Often when we have two futureactions, one of which is going to hap-pen before the other and there is notime connective such as then, before,or after to indicate the sequence of theactions, we put the first action in themain clause and in the simple futureperfect tense, and the later action ina time clause and in the simple pres-ent tense. I'LL HAVE FINISHED(first action) COLLEGE WHEN IRETURN (second action) HOME.In other words I'LL FINISH COL-LEGE, AND THEN I'LL RETURNHOME or I'LL FINISH COLLEGEBEFORE I RETURN HOME. Inthe sentence I'LL CALL YOU ASSOON AS I'VE FINISHED the se-quence of the actions is reversed: thefirst action is in the time clause andthe subsequent action is in the mainclause. In other words I'LL FINISH,AND THEN I'LL CALL YOU or I'LLCALL YOU AFTER I FINISH. Justas we do not ordinarily use the futuretense in a time clause in English, wedo not use the future perfect in a timeclause. Instead of the future we usethe simple present, and instead of thefuture perfect we use the simple pres-ent perfect.1

'Hero we find another example of overlapof tenses with no change in meaning. In thiscase the overlap is between the simple pres-ent perfect and the simple present in afuture time frame: I'LL GIVE YOU MYDECISION AFTER I'VE DISCUSSEDTHE MATTER WITH MY FAMILY andI'LL GIVE YOU MY DECISION AFTER

The PRESENT PERFECT CON-TINUOUS tense has the present timeframe in common with the simple pres-ent perfect, but whereas the simple pres-ent perfect describes one or more occur-rences of an actioneach occurrencebeing a complete and finished perform-ance8within a period of time includ-ing the present, the present perfectcontinuous usually describes an incom-plete action covering a period, of timethat began at some point in the pastand has continued uninterruptedly

I DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH MYFAMILY.

'Since words of frequency (often, occa-sionally, never) and words of repetition(four times, many times) express repetitionof a complete action, they accompany thesimple present perfect, and not the presentperfect continuous (see the following foot-note), which is an incomplete action. IHAVE (NEVER, OFTEN, FREQUENT-LY) VISITED THAT MUSEUM (TWICE,SEVERAL TIMES, ON MANY OCCA-SIONS). Each of these visits is a separateand complete action.

'Occasionally one hears a sentence thatseems to contradict this statement, but itreally does not. I'VE BEEN GOINGTO THE PARK EVERY DAY FORA WEEK. I'VE BEEN VISITING MYGRANDMOTHER ..EVERY SUNDAYFOR YEARS. I'VE BEEN GOING TOTHE MOVIES TWICE A WEEK FORTHE PAST YEAR. WE'VE BEEN PLAY-ING CHESS FAIRLY OFTEN FOR THEPAST YEAR. Every and twice expressrepetition, and often is an adverb of fre-quency, but notice that they are followedby for a week, for yec--7, for the past year,expressions of time with which one expectsto find a present perfect continuous. Thespeaker of these sentences does not viewhis actions as a series of separate 'actions,but rather as a continuum. A similar exam-ple is I'VE BEEN STUDYING FRENCHOFF AND ON FOR YEARS. The speakerdoes not think of this action as being inter-mittent, but as continuous. His emphasisis not on oft and on but en for years.

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES 23

up to now." (The action may, ofcourse, centinue on into the future,but this is irrelevant, f r we are con-cerned only with the time up to now.)On a time frame a dot can representa complete action, and a wavy line

this week

this month

today

period of time since noon

the past three hours

period of time since myarrival in Beirut

can illustrate an incomplete actionan unbroken measurement of time ex-tending from the past into now.

Very often the time frame of thepresent perfect continuous is definedby the word for with a time word or

I've gone to the inovies once this week.

08(One complete past action in a presenttime frame.)

*We think of the present perfect con-tinuous tense as describing an action con-tinuing up to the present moment, and thisis usually true, but not necessarily so.Although an activity may have ceased beforea speaker speaks of it, he may think of itas a continuous action in a present timeframe. I might be home sitting in a com-fortable armchair when I say, "FM EX-HAUSTED. I'VE BEEN WALKING ALLDAY." Clearly I am not walking when Isay this. When I look outside early in the

I've gone to the movies several times thismonth. (Several repetitions of the sameaction in a present time frame.)

I've been studying all day. (An actionwhich began this morning and is stillgoing on.)

I've been studying ever since noon. (Anactivity which began at noon and is stillgoing on.)

I've been studying for the past threehours. (An activity which began threehours ago and is still going on.)

I've been living in this apartment eversince my arrival in Beirut. (A situationwhich began when I arrived in Beirutand has continued up to now.)

morning and find the streets wet, I willprobably say, "IT'S BEEN RAINING"even though the rain has ceased and thesun is now shining. In the story "TheThree each of the bears on his re-turn how" cries, "SOMEONE HAS BEENEATING MY PORRIDGE" and then,"SOMEONE HAS BEEN SITTING INMY 'CHAIR," although Goldilocks had triedboth the porridge and the chairs and thengone upstairs to sleep sometime before thebears came home.

24 TESOL QUARTERLY

phrase expressing duration (a periodof time), a time expression withoutfor but also expressing duration (allday, all afternoon), or since with atime word, phrase, or clause indicat-ing a point at which the activity be-gan. In the case of since we are con-cerned not with the point of time atwhich the action started but with theperiod of time that has elapsed be-tween that point of time and now.ilIn addition to these time indicators,lately and occasionally so far and upto now from Time Frame I, and allof those words in Tim,: Frame II ex-cept ever and never can be used withthe present perfect continuous:

I've been working for two hours.We've been waiting two hours for you.I've been working on this problem all

afternoon.I've been waiting for you since two

o'clock.I've been studying English ever since

I was a child.I've been studying English ever since

I've been in high school.'You've been doing very well in English

lately.You've been doing very well in English

so far.We've been spending most of our time

on verbs recently.

"Since with a time word or clause isused only with the present perfect tenses,but for with a time word or phrase is foundwith other tenses. Although fc- with a timeexpression is used with both the simplepresent ant` the present continuous tensesI TRAVEL FOR THREE MONTHSEVERY YEAR and MY MOTHER ISVISITING ME FOR TWO WEEKSAND THEN GOING ON TO SEE MYBROTHERit is never used with thesetwo tenses to describe an action which be-gan in the past and is still going on. Onlythe present perfect continuous can do this:I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE FORTHREE MONTHS.

John's been working very hard today.I've been concentrating on my physics

course this semester.I've been expecting my sister to call

this evening.I've been eating in the cafeteri this

year.I've already been studying for two

hours, and I haven't finished yet.

Although one o casionally finds anoverlap betwv -; 72'. simple presentperfect and the dent perfect con-tinuous (I'VE STUDIED ALL AF-TERNOON and I'VE BEEN STUDY-ING ALL AFTERNOON), there isa distinct difference between these twotenses just as there is between thesimple present and the present con-tinuous or between the simple pastand the past continuous, and a nativespeaker of English will nearly alwaysobserve this distinction. Each verbtense in the English verb system hasits own use, and despite an occasionaloverlap, it is rare that a change inverb tense does not signal a change intime and thereby alter the meaning

"Although the verb of the since clauseis usually a simple past tense, we use apresent perfect continuous, or in the caseof a few verbs (see footnote 18) a simplepresent perfect in this clause if the verbdescribes an existing or continuing situationin a present time frame. This occurs pri-marily with such verbs as stay, live, stand,sit, lie. Compare the following pairs ofsentences: HE HAS SPOKEN TO MESEVERAL TIMES SINCE I SAT DOWNHERE (past time frame) and HE HASSPOKEN TO ME SEVERAL TIMESSINCE I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE(present time frame); I'VE BEEN VERYHAPPY EVER SINCE I MOVED TOTHIS TOWN (past time frame) and I'VEBEEN VERY HAPPY EVER SINCE I'VEBEEN LIVING IN THIS TOWN (presenttime frame); WE'VE BEEN FRIENDSEVER SINCE WE MET (past time frame)and WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS EVERSINCE WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER(present time framesee footnote 18) .

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES 25

of the sentence. The simple presentperfect like the other simple tensesexpresses a complete, a whole action."The present perfect continuous tenselike the other continuous tenses ex-presses an incomplete action, an actionin process. Compare the following pairsof sentences: I'VE READ THISBOOK, BUT I DON'T REMEMBERA THING ABOUT IT (a complete,finished action) and I'VE BEENREADING THIS BOOK FOR THEPAST FEW DAYS (incomplete, inprocess); I'VE STUDIED SEVERALLANGUAGES, BUT I'VE FORGOT-TEN THEM ALL (complete action)and I'VE BEEN STUDYING EN-GLISH FOR THE PAST THREEYEARS (incomplete, in process) ; I'VELIVED IN MANY COUNTRIES,BUT I'VE NEVER LIVED VERYLONG IN ANY ONE (complete ac-tion) and I'VE BEEN LIVING INTHIS COUNTRY FOR SEVERALYEARS (incomplete, in process).

One problem that learners of En-glish frequently encounter involves achoice between the present continu-ous and the present perfect continu-ous; yet there is a clear distinction be-tween these two continuous tenses.Each has a different point of concern,and the choice that a speaker makesdepends upon the focus of his interest.He chooses the present continuouswhen he is concerned only with the

"Certain verbs which by their meaningimply continuousness are usually used inthe simple present perfect rather than inthe present perfect continuous. I'VE BEENHERE FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I'VEOWNED THIS HOUSE FOR YEARS.I'VE ALWAYS PREFERRED COFFEETO TEA. WE'VE KNOWN EACHOTHER SINCE WE WERE CHILDREN.THEY'VE DISLIKED EACH OTHEREVER SINCE THEY MET.

present. The activity certainly beganin the past and may continue into thefuture, but this is completely irrele-vant. The speaker's focus is on now.He is interested only in stating thatan activity is in progress now; he isnot interested in how long it has beengoing on. I'M WAITING FOR MYBROTHER. I'M STUDYING AG-RICULTURE. I'M ATTENDINGCOLLEGE THIS YEAR. I'M LIV-ING IN A DORMITORY THISSEMESTER. When the speaker fo-cuses his interest on the duration ofthe activity, he chooses the presentperfect continuous." I'VE BEENWAITING TWO HOURS FOR MYBROTHER. I'VE BEEN STUDY-ING AGRICULTURE EVER SINCEI STARTED COLLEGE. I'VE BEENATTENDING COLLEGE FOR TWOYEARS. I'VE BEEN LIVING INA DORMITORY SINCE SEPTEM-BER. I'VE BEEN LIVING IN ADORMITORY ALL YEAR.

SAMPLE EXERCISESA mastery of the present perfect tenses

like that of any other grammatical con-struction requires intensive and varieddrill. The following suggestions mayprove useful in making exercises for class-room drill.I. EXERCISES ON THE SIMPLE PRESENT

PERFECT

A. Ask yes-no questions using thesimple present perfect tense. In-clude the word ever. Have yourstudents give complete sentenceanswers with the word never.Point out that in a perfect tensethe adverb of frequency goes ..a.-fore the past participle.Examples:

I. teacher: Have you ever goneto Damascus?

"See footnote 11.

t

1

r .

t

26 TESOL QUARTERLY

student: No, I've never goneto Damascus.

2. teacher: Have you ever seenthe Nile?

student: No, I've never seenthe Nile.

3. teacher : Have you evercrossed a desert?

student: No, I've nevercrossed a desert,.

B. Have one student ask a questionwith the simple present perfect andthe word ever. In order to makethe exercise go more quickly, youmight give him the cue for hisquestion. Have another studentgive a short answer (the subjectwith only the auxiliary verb) withthe word never. Point out that ina short answer the adverb of fre-quency precedes the auxiliary verb.

Examples:1. teacher: play chess

1st student: Have you everplayed chess?No, I neverhave.write a poemHave you everwritten a poem?No, I neverhave.read this bookHave you everread this book?No, I neverhave.

C. Ask questions using time wordswith the simple present perfect.Have your students give affirma-tive answers using the same timeword if possible and including theexpression of repetition you sug-gest. Point out that a word of rep-etition precedes a time expression.

Examples:1. teacher: Have you been to

town recently? sev-eral times

student: Yes, I've been totown several timesrecently.

2nd student:

2. teacher:let student:

2nd student:

3. teacher:let student:

2nd student:

2. teacher: Has it rained thisweek? three or fourtimes

student: Yes, it's rained threeor four times thisweek

3. teacher : Have you been tothe beach this sum-mer? almost everyday

student: Yes, rve been to thebeach almost everyday this summer.

IL EXERCISES TO CONTRAST THE Sae=PAST AND THE SIMPLE PRESENT PER-

FECT

A. Ask a yes-no question in the sim-ple past tense with a past timeindicator. Have your students an-swer with a two part sentence:the first part should be negativewith a verb in the simple past ad-companied by the same past timeindicator as in your question, andthe second part should be affirma-tive with the verb in the simplepresent perfect accompanied by atime indicator in the present timeframe.

Examples:1. teacher:

student:

2. teacher:

student:

3. teacher:

student:

Did you see mybrother yesterday?No, I didn't see himyesterday, but I'veseen him twice to-day.Did you write anyletters last night?No, I didn't writeany letters lastnight, but I've writ-ten several tonight.Did you take a triplast year?No, I didn't take atrip last year, butI've taken three thisyear.

B. Give your students a sentence inthe simple past tense with a pasttime indicator. Have them repeatyour sentence and then add 'one,

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES

either affirmative or negative, withthe verb in the simple present per-fect and with an appropriate timeindicator.Examples:

1. teacher : I saw Bill once yes-terday.

student: I saw Bill once yes-terday, and I'veseen him twice to-day.

or I saw Bill once yes-terday, but I have-n't seen him today.

2. teacher : We did two prob-. lems last night.

student: We did two prob-lems last night, andwe've done threetonight.

or We did two prob-lems last night, butwe haven't doneany tonight.

3. teacher: Tom called me sev-eral months ago.

student: Tom called me sev-eral months ago,and he has calledme several times re-cently.

or Tom called me sev-eral months ago,but he hasn't calledme recently.

C. Ask a yes-no question with theverb in the simple present perfect.Have your students give first anaffirmative short answer, and thenadd a sentence in which they givea specific time for the action.Examples:

1. teacher : Have you been inMexico?

student: Yes, I have. I wasthere last year.

2. teacher: Have you read thisbook?

student: Yes, I have. I readit last summer.

3. teacher: Has Tom left yet?student: Yes, he has. He

left thirty minutesago.

27

In all these exercises that involvequestions and answers the teachercan, of course, have a student askthe questions by providing the cue.

1. teacher: be in Mexico1st student: Have you been

in Mexico?2nd student:. Yes, I have. I

was there lastyear.

D. When you feel that your studentshave mastered this pattern, assigna written paragraph of about sevenor eight sentences. Choose a sub-ject which will elicit only the sim-ple present perfect tense. Yourdirections might be as follows:

Write a paragraph of abouteight sentences in which youtell some of the things you havedone this week (this month,this year, since you got up thismorning). Do not use any pasttime expressions in your para-graph.Write a paragraph of about eightsentences in which you tell someof the places you have visitedand some of the things you haveseen since you came to thiscountry. Do not use any pasttime expressions in your para-graph.

M. EXERCISES ON THE PRESENT PERFECTCONTINUOUSA. Ask an information question with

when in which you use the simplepast tense. Have a student an-swer with two sentences: thefirst with the verb in the simplepast and a when clause, the sec-ond with the verb in the presentperfect continuous and a forphrase.

Examples:1. teacher: When did you

start wearingglasses?

student: I started wearingglasses when Iwas ten years old.

28

2. teacher :

student:

3. teacher:

student:

TESOL QUARTERLY

I've been wearingthem for eightyears.When did you startstudying English?I started studyingEnglish when Iwas twelve. I'vebeen studying itfor six years.When did you startattending thisschool?I started attendingthis school when Iwas fourteen. I'vebeen attending thisschool for twoyears.

It is not necessary, of course,that you use the verb star:. Itmakes the drill move a littlefaster because the student cantake the following verb and makethat the verb in his second sen-tence. He does not have to searchfor one, but can concentrate onthe pattern. After you haveworked on this drill for a while,you might then begin to use otherverbs in your questions.Examples:

1. teacher : When did youmove to Beirut?

student: I moved to Beirutwhen I was eight.I've been livinghere for eightyears.

2. teacher : When did youlearn to swim?

student: I learned to swimwhen I was ten.I've been swim-ming for sevenyears.

B. Ask questions with how long.Have your students answer theseqtiestions using a since clause.Examples:

1. teacher: How long have youbeen wearingglasses?

IV.

t. If

student:

2. teacher:

student:

3. teacher :

student:

I've been wearingglasses since I wasten years old.How long have youbeen studying En-glish?I've been studyingEnglish since I'was twelve.How long have youbeen living in Bei-rut?I've been living' inBeirut since I waseight.

C. You might have your studentspractice the following ellipticalpattern, which is very commonin colloquial speech.Examples:

1. teacher: When did you startwearing glasses?

student: I started wearingglasses when I wasten years old, andI've been wearingthem ever since.

2. teacher: When did yourfamily move toBhamdoun?

student: My family movedto Bharadounwhen I was sixyears old, andthey've been liv-ing there eversince.

In this pattern be sure to include. the word ever.

EXERCISES TO CONTRAST THE PRES-ENT CONTINUOUS AND THE PRESENT

PERFECT CONTINUOUSA. Make a sentence in which you

tell what someone is doing (thepresent continuous) . Have astudent make of your sentencea statement in which he focuseshis interest on the duration ofthe action (the present perfectcontinuous) .

Examples:1. teacher : I'm studying En-

glish.

TEACHING THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSES

student: I've been studyingEnglish for threeyears.

2. teacher : Bill's attendingAmerican Univer-sity.

student: Bill's been attend-ing American Uni-versity for twoyears.

You might vary this exercise bygiving your students a cue fora since phrase or a for phrase.

B. Make a statement in which youtell what someone did. Includea past time expression. Have onestudent ask .a question with howlong followed by the present per-fect continuous. Have anotherstudent answer the question witha sentence including a for phraseif you used the word ago in yourstatement or a since phrase ifyou used a date or a time ex-pression without the word ago.

Examples:1. teacher: John began

studying En-glish in 1963.

1st student: How long hasJohn beenstudying En-glish?

2nd student: He's beenstudying En-glish since1963.

2. teacher: Bob beganworking on hismath assign-ment thirtyminutes ago.

1st student: How long hasBob beenworking on hismath assign-ment?

. 2nd student: He's beenworking on hismath assign-ment for thirtyminutes.

3. teacher:

29

John beganworking on hiscompositionearly thismorning.

1st student: How long hasJohn beenworking on hiscomposition?

2nd student: John has beenworking on hiscompositionsince early thismorning.

C. You might vary this exercise byhaving a student ask a questionwith how long ago with the sim-ple past if you used the word agoIn your statement or how longwith the present perfect continu-ous if you used any other timeexpression. Have another studentgive an appropriate answer.Examples:

1. teacher: John beganstudying En-glish in 1963.How long hasJohn beenstudying En-glish?He's beenstudying En-glish since1963 (or forfour years).Bill moved tothis town twomonths ago.How long agodid Bill moveto this town?He moved tothis town twomonths ago.I became in-terested in as-tronomy sev-eral years ago.How long agodid you be-come inter-ested in as-tronomy?

1st student:

2nd student:

2. teacher:

1st stud:Int:

2nd student:

8. teacher:

1st student:

1

tt

A

30 TESOL QUARTERLY

2nd student: I became in-terestedin as-tronomy sev-eral years ago.

To each of the answers with ago,the student might add a state-ment with a for phrase, usingthen a present-perfect continuous

. 9 . . .-- or a simple present perfect. You

ip

would then have the followinganswers to questions 2 and 3:

He moved to this town twomonths ago. He has been herefor two months.I became interested in astron-omy several years ago. I'vebeen interested in astronomyfor several years.