In Russian grammar, for example, such opposition does not exist. Using Present Perfect instead of Past Simple conversely, students make mistakes due to the fact that both tenses express a past action that ended before the present moment. In Russian, in such situations, the past tense of the verb is used perfect form. For example:
Vasya was born in 1990.
Vasya was born in a local hospital.
Vasya went to school in 1996.
Vasya went to school.
Yesterday Vasya ate the whole cake.
Vasya ate the whole cake.
For our brother, all verbs are in the past tense. After all, in the Russian language the emphasis is on the fact that the action has already happened!
In English, it is very important to indicate the completion or incompleteness of an action, as well as the relation of the action to the present moment (whether the result of the action exists or not).
Let's look again at our examples from the point of view of an English-speaking interlocutor:
Vasya was born in 1990. = Completed action in the past, indicating exactly when the action took place (1990).
Vasya was born in a local hospital. = Result: maybe Vasya is only 2 days old and is being taken home today.
Vasya went to school in 1996.= A completed action in the past, indicating exactly when the action occurred (1996).
Vasya went to school.= Result: Vasya is a schoolboy.
Yesterday Vasya ate the whole cake. = Completed action in the past, where exactly when the action occurred (yesterday) is indicated.
Vasya ate the whole cake. = Result: No cake!
Or another example:
What do we get in such cases?
The result is important in the present: We use the Present Perfect.
The action is cut off from the present by indicating a moment in the past: Past Simple or Past Indefinite is used.
The Present Perfect indicates an action from the past that is connected to the present through a result that exists in the present.
Past Simple expresses an action that took place in the past, and also states the fact that an event occurred in the past. Past Simple is widely used when describing events that took place in the past, or in conversations about past events.
Signal words:
Here is a cheat sheet and a reminder at the same time:
1) Present Perfect is never used with such designations of past moments as yesterday, last week, an hour ago, at five o’clock, etc. The Past Simple is used with them.
2) If these adverbs are present, then they are used rather with the Present Perfect:
Ever (ever)
- already (already)
- before (before)
- never (never)
- yet (yet)
- not yet (not yet)
- since (since)
- for (during)
- just (just now)
- recently (recently)
- rarely (rarely)
- lately (in lately)
- so far (for now)
3) If the question begins with when, use the Past Simple rather than the Present Perfect. When indicates that the question is about a past moment.
Now let's pay attention to the formation of these two times:
At the end of the story, we offer you a translation of examples from Vasya:
Vasya was born in 1990.
Vasya has been born at a local hospital.
Vasya started school in 1996.
Vasya has started school.
Vasya ate the whole cake yesterday.
Vasya has eaten the whole cake.
Present Perfect and Past Perfect belong to the group of perfect tenses (perfect tenses) of the English language. They express the perfection of action, but one refers to the present time, the other to the past. In this article we will look at a simple one, since people studying English language, are often confused with Past Simple and
Features of the perception of perfect tense
Can be compared with the Russian perfect form (wrote, learned, came, did). Russian speakers can understand it from this point of view. Americans and British perceive the concept of time differently.
According to the norms of standard Russian grammar, an action in the present tense cannot end, because it is present. If the event is completed (finished), then the time is obviously past.
The essence of the English perfect tense
The English language has its own opinion: according to its norms, an action in the present tense can be completed, and this tense is the present perfect. Thus, in Russian the perfect form is only in the past, unlike in English. The perfect tense emphasizes that an action or event occurred and had an impact at the present moment in time. Present Perfect and Past Perfect are essentially twins, only one refers to the past, while the other speaks of the present moment.
Present Perfect: usage and examples
Let's look at the formula for forming the Present Perfect.
Subject + Auxiliary for the third person) + main verb in the third form.
When should this time be used? The Present Perfect is used when it is necessary to express the result of an action that has been performed. With the help of the Present Perfect, there is an emphasis on the result of the perfect situation. Thus, you can understand that the action has been completed. An equivalent for understanding this tense can be the Russian verbs: do and do.
- We have already sent you a letter. - Mu has already sent you a letter.
- He has won a lottery. - He has already won the lottery.
Please note that this tense is usually translated into Russian in the past tense. All these actions influence the present by their the final result, that is, there is a direct connection with the present moment.
The second case of using the present perfect is to describe one’s past life experiences:
- I have lived here for 15 years. - I lived here for fifteen years.
- He has eaten in the restaurant Red Dragon three times. - He ate at the Red Dragon restaurant three times.
This tense is often used when talking about the number of actions performed. The perfect is also used when an action occurred in a period of time that has not yet ended. Indicators of an unfinished period are time markers: today - today, this morning - this morning, this year, month, etc.
There is already some result, but the time period has not yet ended (this week or year). Thus, it is possible to perform the action or repeat it again during this period.
Past Perfect: the essence of time
Now let's talk about the Past Perfect. It is always interconnected with another action in the past. Past Perfect expresses an action that happened before another or a specific period in the past.
Present Perfect and Past Perfect, as stated above, both are perfect forms, but the latter refers to the past tense. The second action, which happened later, is most often used in the Past Simple; markers can also be used. These are the words:
- by - (to any period);
- after - (after);
- before - (before);
- when - (when);
- earlier - (earlier);
- first - (first).
Present Perfect and Past Perfect often have the same indicators, but they differ in tense meaning. Past Perfect almost always comes as an additional one. It always depends on the underlying simple past tense.
- You arrived at the airport at 8.20, however the plane had left. - We arrived at the station at 7:30, but the train had already left.
By the way, common factors Present and Past Perfect - time markers:
- just - (just now);
- already - (already);
- yet - (already, not yet).
We can say that these are the main indicators of perfect tenses.
Present Perfect vs Past Simple
The most common difficulty among English language learners is choosing between Past Simple and Present Perfect. The problem is caused by the fact that they are translated into Russian in the same way, but they carry different semantic loads. The main thing is to understand what needs to be expressed and where to emphasize it.
The main differences between Present Perfect and Past:
1. In the Present Perfect (present perfect tense), an action committed in the past has a direct connection with the present period.
2. Past Simple talks about a moment that ended a long time ago and has no connection with the real present. That is, something that remains forever in the past.
Let's compare two sentences:
- He always loved swimming. - He always loved to swim.
This sentence implies that the person will never be able to swim again, perhaps he has died.
- He always loved swimming.
The translation here is the same. It just means that he still loved and still loves to swim.
It's the turn of the Present Perfect Tense - the Present Perfect Tense.
Formation of the Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect Tense is formed using the auxiliary verb have + (third column in the table of irregular verbs)Google shortcode
Pay attention to the formula for the formation of R.R.T. indicated in the table. As you can see, the Present Perfect Tense is formed with the help of a verb and a past participle, and the participle is a fixed, unchanging part of the formula, and the verb have changes depending on the person and number of the subject and acts as an auxiliary verb in a given tense.
When forming the interrogative form, the auxiliary verb have (has) is placed before the subject. When translating interrogative sentences, follow the established word order of the interrogative sentence: 1 – question word (for example, who? when? what?), 2 – auxiliary verb (have or has), 3 – subject, 4 – predicate (in this case, participle)
- Have you ordered pizza? -Have you ordered pizza? (there is no question word, so the question begins with have)
- Where has he put my glasses? – where did he put my glasses?
A question to the subject begins with the word Who?
- Who has painted this picture? – who painted this picture?
When is Present Perfect Tense used?
The present perfect tense, although it belongs to the group of present tenses, denotes an action that has already happened and has completed by now. This time is used when oneself is important fact of action.
- I have already bought bread - the action has already taken place, it does not matter when it happened - I have bought some bread
The action expressed by the Present Perfect is translated into Russian perfect past tense verb (what did you do?)
The time of the action is either not indicated at all, or covers a period of time that has not yet expired (that is, the period has not yet ended, but the action has already occurred ): Today ( today), this morning, afternoon or evening ( this morning/ afternoon/ evening), this week ( this week), this month ( this month), this year ( this year)
- Peter has washed his car today - Peter washed the car today (still today, but the car has already been washed)
- I have met her twice this week - This week I met her twice (the week is still going on, and I have already met her twice)
Often adverbs are used with the Present Perfect:
- I have already finished reading this newspaper.- I have already finished reading the newspaper
- Have you posted the letter yet? -Have you already sent the letter?
- The adverb already in questions conveys surprise and means not “already”, but “really... already.” Compare:
Has your brother arrived yet? “Has your brother arrived yet?” And
Has your brother arrived already? “Has your brother already arrived?” - Please note that the adverb yet always comes at the end of the sentence.
The verb to be is used in the present perfect tense to mean “to visit, go, visit” and is accompanied by the preposition of direction to:
- Have you ever been to London? -Have you ever traveled to London?
- I have been to Japan twice - I visited Japan twice
For and Since
Verbs in the Present Perfect Tense can also denote actions that began long before the moment of speech, but have not yet ended. In this case, verbs are used with such tense adverbs as for - during and since - since (since)
In this case, the verb is translated into Russian in the present tense:
- She has known my brother for five years - She has known my brother for five years
- I’ve known her sister since 1992 - I’ve known her sister since 1992
Present Perfect or Past Simple?
In Russian, verbs in both the Past Simple and Present Perfect are translated into past tense verbs, so it is sometimes difficult for English learners to determine which tense to use in a given situation. The following table will help you understand the difference between these two English tenses more clearly:
In all the variety of tenses in the English language, Perfect tenses (perfect or complete) are notable for the fact that you will not find their analogues in Russian grammar. Perhaps for this reason, many people have difficulty mastering perfect tenses. Let's learn to understand and use these useful and interesting English times verbs.
Strictly speaking, in English there are only two tenses (tense), where only the semantic verb is present: present (We walk) And past (He left).
All other tenses of verbs in English, and there are about thirty of them, use auxiliary verbs.
There are six main tenses, which, once understood, will help you understand the entire temporal structure of English verbs.
- Present Simple (Present Indefinite): We play. - We're playing.
- Present Perfect: We have played. - We played.
- Past Simple (Past Indefinite): We played. - We played.
- Past Perfect: We had played. - We played (before a certain event in the past).
- Future Simple (Future Indefinite): We will play. - We will play.
- Future Perfect: We will have played. - We'll play (until a certain event in the future).
Students learning English as a foreign language most often experience problems with Perfect at times. This is due to the fact that they are formed a little more complex than their “simple” counterparts: with the help of an auxiliary verb and the past participle (III form of the verb).
- Run (run)- run - run
- Play (play)- played - played
Auxiliary verbs are usually forms of the verbs be, can, do, may, must, ought, shall, will, have, has, had. It is these verbs and their forms that should be given attention.
Present Perfect Tense (present perfect tense)
Tom will repair his car on Monday. (Future Simple) - Tom will be repairing his car on Monday.
She hopes that Tom will have repaired his car by Monday evening. (Future Perfect) - She hopes Tom will have his car repaired by Monday evening.
Sooner or later, any person who has reached the intermediate level is faced with one of the most difficult grammatical topics - “”. What is the main difficulty? The fact is that both tenses are perfect, both emphasize the connection with the present moment and it is very important to “feel” the situation in order to make right choice for a specific offer.
The difference between the present perfect and the present perfect continuous
Judging by the names of the times, the main thing is difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous the fact that the first time is more focused on the result, and the second on the process. Let's look at a few examples.
|
Present Perfect |
Present Perfect Continuous |
|
1.Tom has written a novel. |
1.Tom has been writing a novel since early morning. |
|
2. I have interviewed three people today. |
2. Why is your boss so irritated? – He has been interviewing the candidates for 5 hours but nobody is quite good for this position. |
|
3. Where is your brother-in-law? – He has just left. |
3. Oh, here you are! I have been looking for you! |
|
4.Have have you ever been to Africa? |
4. How long have you been living here? |
Now it’s time to analyze our proposals in more detail in order to remember once and for all difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous.
1.Tom has written a novel. - Tom wrote a novel.
What does this phrase mean? Firstly, we do not know exactly when the young man wrote the novel. We only know the result of his actions - there is a finished product. Secondly, we see a connection with the present moment, and it has nothing to do with the process. In other words, a certain Tom once wrote (it is unclear when) a novel and now he can tell something about it or even show the finished work. Here you can imagine a satisfied writer with a finished book under his arm.
Tom has been writing a novel since early morning. Tom has been writing a novel since early morning.
Now imagine another situation: you know a certain Tom, come to his house. But it is not he who opens the door for you, but, say, his wife. You are escorted to the office young man, and during this action the phrase is heard (perhaps as an answer to the question “how is old Tom?”) “Tom has been writing a novel since early morning.” Do you feel the difference? Here we are no longer sharing the results of some actions, but pointing out that a person has been engaged in a certain process for a certain time. “What about the usual present continuous?” - you ask. This time will not work here for one simple reason - it does not have the function of indicating that the process continues from some point, including the “now” point.
2. I have interviewed 3 people today. – I interviewed 3 people today.
In this case, the speaker again focuses on the result. Moreover, we understand that the day is not yet over and, perhaps, in a couple of hours he will have not three, but six interviews. One of the very useful functions present perfect – share results in the current period of time.
Why is your boss so irritated? – He has been interviewing the candidates for 5 hours but nobody is quite good for this position. – Why is your boss so angry? – He interviews candidates for 5 hours, but no one is good enough for the position.
We are definitely talking about process here and FOR 5 HOURS tells us about this. If you dig deeper, it turns out that the boss started talking to candidates 5 hours ago and is still doing so. That is, again we have a process that began some time ago and is currently ongoing. In addition, we even see in this situation a clear connection with the present moment - the boss is annoyed.
3. Where is your brother-in-law? – He has just left. -Where is your brother-in-law? - He just left.
Let's see if there is some process here. Of course he's not here. We have before us a typical sentence that says that some action took place literally before the moment of speech. There is definitely a connection to the present here, since we are wondering where a certain brother-in-law is right now. But this connection cannot be expressed in any way through process. The result is obvious - the person is not in the room, he left somewhere literally until the moment we asked about him.
Oh, here you are! I have been looking for you! - Oh, there you are! I was looking for you!
Now, if it were “I found you!”, we would use the present perfect, but the situation suggests a process. We were looking for someone for an indefinite amount of time literally until the moment we said “oh, here you are!” Again we have a process that began in the past, but is connected with the present.
Are you ready for the latest situation?
Have you ever been to Africa? – Have you ever been to Africa?
What are we interested in here? Right! - The result. It doesn’t matter to us when or how long the listener spent in Africa. Perhaps we will ask him about this a little later, but in order to do this, we first need to decide what the result is - was he in Africa or not?
How long have you been living here? – How long have you lived here?
It is worth noting (or better yet, remembering) that the present perfect continuous is very often used with “how long...?” Of course, this refers to situations where a person is still associated with some process. In this sentence, using the present perfect continuous, we emphasize that the person still lives in a specific place and we want to know how long this has been happening.
Present perfect continuous and since
What else do you need to know about present perfect continuous? We considered proposals from since, but it is important to be very careful here, since sometimes this tense indicator is used with the simple present perfect. This happens because there are verbs that cannot be used in for long periods of time. Surely, you have already met them when you studied the present and past continuous. Here are examples of such cases in the present perfect.
1.I haven’t seen you since my childhood. – I haven’t seen you since childhood.
2. Anna has known this man since 1991. – Anna has known this man since 1991.
3. They haven’t been there since they left school. “They haven’t been there since they left school.”
So we sorted it out difference between present perfect and present perfect continuous. If in the process of studying the article you realized that it would be nice to improve your education present perfect continuous, and perhaps also the present perfect – then we advise you to take several English lessons via Skype. You can sign up for a trial lesson using this link. Waiting for you!
