When should we use the Present Perfect Simple?

Unfinished actions
Неприключили действие или незавършени действия

1. We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states
or habits that started in the past and continue to the present.
Действията, състояния, навици, които са започнали в миналото и до ден-
днешен са валидни.

Usually we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'.

Типични думи за изразяване на това време са *колко дълго, от, за
толкова дълго време*
We often use stative verbs.
Типично е да се използва и със статични глаголи.
• I've known Karen since 1994.
Познавам я от 1994.
• She's lived in London for three years.
Тя живее в Лондон от 3 години.
• I've worked here for six months.
Тук работя от 6 месеца.

'Since' and 'for'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year).
*ОТ* за начало на периода
The fixed time can be another action, which is in the past simple (since I was
at school, since I arrived). We use with a point in time.
• I've known Sam since 1992. Познавам го от 1992.
• I've liked chocolate since I was a child. Обичам шоколад от дете.
• She's been here since 2 pm. Тя е тук от 2 часа.

We use 'for' with a period of time (two hours, three years, six months).
We use it with a combination of time.
*ОТ* но за общото време, за което се е случвало събитието
• I've known Julie for ten years. Познавам я от 10г.
• I've been hungry for hours. Гладен съм от часове.
• She's had a cold for a week. Тя е болна от една седмица.
Finished actions

2. Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime

during a person's life. We don't say when the experience happened and the
person needs to be alive now.
Използваме за приключили действия, от гледна точка на човешките
преживявания. Фокусираме се върху факти, а не върху конкретно време
на случване. Питаме ДАЛИ, а не КОГА.
We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.
Типични думи: някога, никога, въобще…
• I have been to Tokyo.
Бил съм в Токио.
• They have visited Paris three times.
Те са посещавали Париж три пъти.
• We have never seen that film.
Никога не сме гледали този филм.

3. With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of
time is still continuing.
Може да се използва и за действие, което все още е в развитие. Но пак
не конкретизираме.
• I haven't seen her this month.
Не съм виждал този месец.
• She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
Днес е пила три чаши кафе.
• I've already moved house twice this year!
Вече два пъти съм се местил тази година.
We CAN'T use the present perfect with a finished time word
Не се използва с ключовите думи на PAST SIMPLE /yesterday, 2 hours
ago, last month, in September/
I've seen him yesterday. INCORRECT

4. A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result).

Фокусираме се върху резултата.
We often use the present perfect to talk about something that happened in the
recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the
past simple here, especially in US English.
• I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house). Загубих си ключовете.
• She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today). Тя си нарани крака.
• They've missed the bus (so they will be late). Те изпуснаха автобуса.
5. We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened
recently, even if there isn't a clear result in the present. This is common when
we want to introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet / already /
recently'.
Когато не е ясно ТОЧНО В КОЙ МОМЕНТ се е случило действието
имаме още четири ключови думи: ТЪКМО, ВСЕ ОЩЕ, ВЕЧЕ, НАСКОРО
*However, the past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US
English.
• The Queen has just given a speech. Кралицата тъкмо приключи своята
реч.
• I've just seen Lucy. Тъкмо видях Луси.
• The mayor has already announced a new plan for the railways. Кметът le’e
съобщи новия план за железницата.

'Been' and 'gone'

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in
slightly different circumstances.

We use 'been' (often when we talk about life experience) to mean that the
person we're talking about visited the place and came back.
BEEN означава ОТИВАМ И СЕ ВРЪЩАМ
• I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
• She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
• They have never been to California.

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the
present) to mean that the person went to the place and is at the place now.
GONE означава ОТИВАМ И СЪМ ОЩЕ ТАМ
• A: Where's John? B: He's gone to the shops. (He's at the shops now.)
• Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
• They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan)
 The Present Perfect Simple Structure

To make the positive present perfect tense:

• Use 'have' / 'has' + the past participle form of the MAIN VERB.
• Make the past participle by adding 'ed' to regular verbs (for example, 'play'
becomes 'played').
There are a few verbs that change their spelling when you add 'ed' (for
example, 'study' becomes 'studied'). We also have some completely irregular
verbs.

The negative is really simple too. Just put 'not' after 'have' or 'has':
To make a question, put 'have' or 'has' in front of the subject:

As you can imagine, for 'wh' questions, we just put the question word before
'have' or 'has':
Present Perfect Mixed Exercise
Make the present perfect: positive, negative or question.

1. (you / keep a pet for three years)

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2. (you / come here before?)
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3. (it / rain all day?)
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4. (who / we / forget to invite?)
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5. (we / not / hear that song already)
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6. (he / not / forget his books)
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7. (she / steal all the chocolate!)
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8. (I / explain it well?)
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9. (who / he / meet recently?)
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10. (how / we / finish already?)
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11. (he / study Latin)
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12. (I / know him for three months)
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13. (where / you / study Arabic?)
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14. (what countries / they / visit in Europe?)
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15. (he / hurt his leg)
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16. (she / leave her phone in a taxi)
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17. (we / not / lose our tickets)
______________________________________________________________
18. (she / call her mother?)
______________________________________________________________
19. (he / take a taxi?)
______________________________________________________________
20. (she / go / to the library)
______________________________________________________________

Answers 1. You have kept a pet for three years. 2. Have you come here before? 3.
Has it rained all day? 4. Who have we forgotten to invite? 5. We haven't heard that
song already. 6. He hasn't forgotten his books 7. She has stolen all the chocolate! 8.
Have I explained it well? 9. Who has he met recently? 10. How have we finished
already? 11. He has studied Latin. 12. I have known him for three months. 13.
Where have you studied Arabic? 14. What countries have they visited in Europe?
15. He has hurt his leg. 16. She has left her phone in a taxi. 17. We haven't lost our
tickets. 18. Has she called her mother? 19. Has he taken a taxi? 20. She has gone
to the library.

Present Perfect Mixed Exercise

Make the present perfect simple: positive, negative or question.

1. (she / pass the exam?)

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2. (you / eat lunch yet?)
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3. (he / read the newspaper today?)
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4. (you / not / study French for ten years)
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5. (they / be in London for six months)
___________________________________________________________________
6. (where / you / be?)
___________________________________________________________________
7. (we / not / go to Paris)
___________________________________________________________________
8. (she / not / see The Lord of the Rings)
___________________________________________________________________
9. (he / not / meet my mother)
___________________________________________________________________
10. (they / not / visit St. Paul's Cathedral yet)
___________________________________________________________________
11. (what / she / eat today?)
___________________________________________________________________
12. (why / you / do your homework already?)
___________________________________________________________________
13. (how / she / make this fantastic cake?)
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14. (why / I / miss the plane?)
___________________________________________________________________
15. (they / not / go to bed)
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16. (it / rain a lot this week)
___________________________________________________________________
17. (they / use a credit card before?)
___________________________________________________________________
18. (we / have enough to eat?)
___________________________________________________________________
19. (she / not / play basketball before)
___________________________________________________________________
20. (I / wear a kimono)
___________________________________________________________________

Answers 1. Has she passed the exam? 2. Have you eaten lunch yet? 3. Has he read
the newspaper today? 4. You haven't studied French for ten years. 5. They have
been in London for six months. 6. Where have you been? 7. We haven't gone / been
to Paris. 8. She hasn't seen The Lord of the Rings. 9. He hasn't met my mother. 10.
They haven't visited St. Paul's Cathedral yet. 11. What has she eaten today? 12.
Why have you done your homework already? 13. How has she made this fantastic
cake? 14. Why have I missed the plane? 15. They haven't gone to bed. 16. It has
rained a lot this week. 17. Have they used a credit card before? 18. Have we had
enough to eat? 19. She hasn't played basketball before. 20. I have worn a kimono.
Answers 1. Last night I lost my keys – I had to call my flatmate to let me in. 2. I've
lost my keys – can you help me look for them? 3. I've visited Paris three times. 4.
Last year I visited Paris. 5. I knew my great grandmother for a few years – she died
when I was eight. 6. I've known Julie for three years – we still meet once a month. 7.
I've played hockey since I was a child – I'm pretty good! 8. She played hockey at
school, but she didn't like it. 9. Sorry, I've missed the bus, so I'm going to be late. 10.
I missed the bus, and then I missed the aeroplane as well! 11. Last month I went to
Scotland. 12. I'm sorry, John isn't here now. He's gone to the shops. 13. We finished
this room last week. 14. I've finished my exams finally – I'm so happy! 15. Yesterday,
I saw all my friends. It was great! 16. I've seen Julie three times this week! 17. She's
lived in London since 1994. 18. She lived in London when she was a child. 19. I've
drunk three cups of coffee this morning. 20. I drank seven cups of coffee yesterday.