present perfect well explained (in english)

PRESENT PERFECTLET’S THINK BEFORE

Think of one event that you never did or could never do in your life.

Think of an event that you started doing in the past (not mentioning

when) and you are still doing it.

I never went to the USA.

I have never been to the USA.

I started working as a teacher in 2002 and I am still

doing it.I have worked as a teacher for 11 years. / since 2002.

I have been working as a teacher for 11 years. / since

2002.

Think of an event that happened in the past and it

brought a result or consequence in the present.

Other examples using present perfect structure:

PRESENT PERFECTLET’S THINK BEFORE

When my daughter was born, my life changed a lot.

My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born.

I am tired because I have worked a lot.

I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years. (since 2005).

I have been married for 7 years. / since 2005.

PRESENT PERFECT

1. This verb tense doesn’t exist in Portuguese tense;

ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:

2. Present Perfect is associated to a past action which has a connection with the present tense:

3. The Present Perfect has also to do with a past action that brings a result to the present moment:

4. Depending on the situation, there’s no need to mention a specific date. Example:

I have worked a lot yesterday! (wrong)

I worked a lot yesterday! (right)

My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born.

My English has improved a lot since I started to practice it at work.

PRESENT PERFECT

6. A comparioson between the Portuguese language when transformed in English using the Present Perfect:

ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:

Eu moro em São Bernardo há 7 anos.

Trabalho na (empresa) desde 2008.

Estou casado há 10 anos.

These actions had a specific beginning in the past, but it wasn’t necessary to mention a specific date.

I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years.

I have worked for/at (company name) since 2008.

I have been married for 10 years.

5. A past expression is mentioned when it’s necessary to know the beginning of an action. Example:

I have worked a lot since this morning!

PRESENT PERFECTASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:

BEEN or GONE????

7. have+been is used to say that a person went somewhere and returned:

I have been to Caldas Novas twice.

8. have+gone is used to say that a person went somewhere and is still there:Sorry, but he has already gone! He won’t come back today!


PRESENT PERFECT WORDS Already = action finished minutes or hours agoI have already finished the exercises (I finished them yesterday) Just = action finished seconds agoI have just done the exercises (I finished the exercises right now) Yet = negative / Can be used in questionsI haven’t done the exercises yet. (I didn’t finish the exercises / I’m still doing them)Have you finished the exercises yet? Ever = for questions (an action that never happened in your life)Have you ever been to Disney? Never = for affirmatives statements (which gives negative ideas)I’ve never been to Disney.

PRESENT PERFECT WORDS

For = for period of timeI’ve talked in English on the phone for 5 times.I’ve worked at FORD for 5 years.I’ve been studying English for 3 years. Since = for months, years, weeks…I’ve been studying English since 2003.Also for actions that started in a specific point in the pastI’ve been working since this morning.We haven’t talked since 3 o’clock. Lately = for recent actionsWhat have you been doing lately? Recently = for recent actionsWhat have you been doing recently?


PRESENT PERFECTOTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

PRESENT PERFECTEXERCISES – since/for

1997 LAST YEAR

AUGUST I WAS BORN

CORINTHIANS WON THE LIBERTADORES

THE DAY I MET YOU

THE CLASS STARTED

I CRASHED MY CAR

20 YEARS

TWO NIGHTS THREE HOURS

TWO WEEKS

10 MINUTES

1 CENTURY

2 DECADES

SINCE

SINCE

FOR

FOR

FOR

SINCE

SINCE

SINCE

SINCE

SINCE

FOR

FOR

FOR

SINCE

FOR

Write:a place you never went to: _______________a place you visited recently:_______________

a book you never read(/red/):_________________a book you read(/red/) recently:_______________

a film you never saw:_________________a film you saw recently:________________

an activity you didn't finish:___________________an activity you finished recently:_________________

a person you don't see for a long time:_________________a person you saw recently:__________________

PRESENT PERFECTTO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!

Speaking wrong English in correct Portuguese:I never went to the USA. (Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos)I already went to Santa Catarina.(Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina) ou (Eu já estive em Santa Catarina) I never read(/red/) "O menino do pijama listrado". (Eu nunca li...)I already read(/red/) the whole Bible.(Eu já li a Bíblia inteira).

I never saw "Twilight". (Eu nunca vi...)I already saw "Titanic". (Eu já vi...) I don't see my cousin Patricia for a long time.(Eu não vejo minha prima Patrícia há anos)I just saw my friend Carlos.(Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos)


In Portuguese we don’t have Present Perfect as a tense, that’s why we use the past

structure.

All the sentences before should be said this way:

Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos = I have never been to the USA.

Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina = I have already been to Santa Catarina.

Eu nunca li ‘O menino do pijama listrado’ = I have never read(/red/) "O menino do

pijama listrado".

Eu já li a Bíblia inteira = I have already read(/red/) the whole Bible.

Eu ainda não assisti “Twilight“ = I haven't seen "Twilight“ yet.

Eu já assisti “Titabnic”. = I have already seen “Titanic”.

Eu não vejo minha prima Patrícia há anos = I haven't seen my cousin for a long time.

Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos = I have just seen my friend Carlos.


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present perfect well explained (in english)

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