The Present Perfect Tense | English Grammar Lesson

Summary

In this lesson, Emma from mmmEnglish teaches the present perfect tense, explaining its structure, usage, and common pitfalls. She highlights the key components: subject + 'have/has' + past participle. The lesson covers regular and irregular verbs, focusing on their past participle forms. Emma also clarifies the difference between the present perfect and past simple tenses, emphasizing time references. Learners are shown how to form positive, negative, and question sentences, with examples for each. The video is aimed at helping learners build confidence in using the present perfect tense in everyday English.

Takeaways

• 😀 The present perfect tense connects the past and the present, used when something started in the past and continues in the present.
• 😀 The structure of the present perfect tense is: Subject + 'have/has' + past participle verb.
• 😀 The auxiliary verb 'have' or 'has' is contracted in spoken English (e.g., 'I've' for 'I have', 'she's' for 'she has').
• 😀 Regular verbs form the past participle by adding '-ed' (e.g., 'watch' becomes 'watched').
• 😀 Irregular verbs have unique past participle forms, which must be memorized (e.g., 'go' becomes 'been' or 'gone').
• 😀 The present perfect tense is used when an action has been repeated over time, e.g., 'She has read many books.'
• 😀 The present perfect is used to talk about life experiences, e.g., 'He hasn't traveled overseas before.'
• 😀 Use the past simple for actions in finished time periods (e.g., 'Last week, I visited my brother').
• 😀 Use the present perfect for unfinished time periods (e.g., 'This week I have visited my brother twice').
• 😀 Negative sentences in the present perfect are formed by adding 'not' after 'have/has' (e.g., 'I haven't visited him').
• 😀 Questions in the present perfect follow the structure: 'Have/Has' + Subject + past participle verb (e.g., 'Have you eaten enough?').

Q & A

What is the grammatical structure of the present perfect tense?

The structure of the present perfect tense is: Subject + have/has + past participle of the verb. For example, 'I have asked' or 'She has forgotten.'

Why is the verb 'have' called an auxiliary verb in the present perfect tense?

The verb 'have' is an auxiliary verb because it is not the main verb in the sentence but helps form the present perfect tense by working with the past participle.

How is the verb 'have' contracted in spoken English?

In spoken English, the verb 'have' is often contracted to 'I've,' 'you've,' 'he's,' 'she's,' or 'they've,' depending on the subject.

How do regular verbs form the past participle in the present perfect tense?

For regular verbs, the past participle is the same as the simple past tense, typically formed by adding '-ed' to the base verb. For example, 'watch' becomes 'watched,' and 'call' becomes 'called.'

What is the challenge with irregular verbs in the present perfect tense?

The challenge with irregular verbs is that their past participle form differs from both the present and past simple forms, and there is no consistent pattern to follow. These verbs must be memorized individually.

Can you give an example of an irregular verb in the present perfect tense?

An example of an irregular verb is 'go.' In the present perfect, 'go' becomes 'gone.' For instance, 'She has gone to the store.'

When should you use the present perfect tense instead of the past simple tense?

You should use the present perfect when referring to unfinished time (e.g., this week, today, this year). For finished time (e.g., last year, yesterday), the past simple tense is more appropriate.

What is the difference between 'I visited my brother last month' and 'I have visited my brother this month'?

'I visited my brother last month' uses the past simple tense because last month is finished time. 'I have visited my brother this month' uses the present perfect because the month is unfinished, and the action may continue.

How do you form a negative sentence in the present perfect tense?

To form a negative sentence in the present perfect tense, add 'not' after 'have' or 'has.' For example, 'I have not visited him' or 'She hasn't finished her work.'

How do you form questions in the present perfect tense?

In the present perfect tense, to form a question, invert the auxiliary verb 'have' or 'has' with the subject. For example, 'Have you eaten?' or 'Has she finished her homework?'