Present Perfect – Grammar & Verb Tenses

Ellii (formerly ESL Library)

14 Sept 202005:56

Summary

TLDRThis video script from ESL Library explains the present perfect verb tense, highlighting its use for finished past actions without a specified time and for actions that continue from the past to the present, possibly into the future. It demonstrates the construction of the present perfect with the auxiliary 'have' and the past participle of the main verb, differentiating between regular verbs that form their past participle with '-ed' and irregular verbs that change form. Examples are provided for clarity, and viewers are encouraged to practice forming their own present perfect sentences.

Takeaways

🕒 The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that have relevance to the present moment.
🔍 It can indicate a finished past action without specifying when it occurred, as in 'I have been to Australia'.
🔄 The present perfect also shows actions that started in the past and continue to the present, possibly extending into the future, like 'I have lived in Toronto for two years'.
⚙️ The tense is formed by combining the auxiliary verb 'have' with the past participle of the main verb.
📚 'Have' changes its form based on the subject, as seen in 'I have finished' vs 'She has worked'.
📝 Regular verbs form their past participle by adding '-ed', but irregular verbs change to a different form without using '-ed'.
🌰 Examples of irregular verb forms include 'eaten' for 'eat', 'drunk' for 'drink', and 'written' for 'write'.
👂 Listening and repeating are effective ways to practice verb tenses and irregular forms.
🎯 Practice forming present perfect sentences by relating them to personal experiences, such as 'I have lived in Australia all my life'.
📖 The script provides a list of irregular verbs in their base, past, and past participle forms for learning and reference.

Q & A

What are verb tenses used for?
-Verb tenses are used to indicate whether an action takes place in the past, present, or future.
What is the present perfect tense and when is it used?
-The present perfect tense is used to show a finished past action without specifying when it took place, or to indicate a continuing action that started in the past and continues to the present, possibly into the future.
How is the present perfect tense formed?
-The present perfect tense is formed with the auxiliary verb 'have' and the past participle form of the main verb.
How does the auxiliary verb 'have' change with different subjects?
-The auxiliary verb 'have' changes its form depending on the subject: 'I have', 'She has', 'He has', 'It has', 'We have', 'They have'.
What is the past participle of a regular verb?
-For regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the base form of the verb, such as 'walked' for the verb 'walk'.
How do irregular verbs form their past participle?
-Irregular verbs have past participles that change into a different form and do not use the -ed ending. For example, the past participle of 'eat' is 'eaten'.
Can you provide some examples of irregular verbs in their past participle form?
-Yes, some examples include: 'been' for 'be', 'done' for 'do', 'drunk' for 'drink', 'eaten' for 'eat', 'gone' for 'go', 'run' for 'run', 'said' for 'say', 'slept' for 'sleep', and 'written' for 'write'.
What is the difference between 'I have been to Australia' and 'I have lived in Toronto for two years'?
-The first sentence shows a finished past action (visiting Australia), while the second shows a continuing action (living in Toronto) that started in the past and continues to the present.
Can you give an example of how to use the present perfect tense with an irregular verb?
-Yes, 'He has eaten breakfast' uses the present perfect tense with the irregular verb 'eat' in its past participle form 'eaten'.
How can you practice using the present perfect tense?
-You can practice by looking at pictures and forming present perfect sentences, such as 'I have lived in Australia all my life'.
What is the significance of the auxiliary verb 'have' in the present perfect tense?
-The auxiliary verb 'have' is significant as it helps to form the present perfect tense by connecting with the past participle of the main verb to indicate the time relationship of the action.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding Present Perfect Tense

This paragraph introduces the concept of verb tenses, specifically focusing on the present perfect tense. It explains that verb tenses indicate whether an action occurs in the past, present, or future. The present perfect tense is used to denote either a finished past action without specifying when it occurred, such as 'I have been to Australia,' or a continuing action that started in the past and extends to the present, potentially continuing into the future, exemplified by 'I have lived in Toronto for two years.' The formation of the present perfect tense involves the auxiliary verb 'have' and the past participle of the main verb, with 'have' changing according to the subject. Regular verbs form their past participle by adding '-ed,' while irregular verbs have unique past participle forms, such as 'eaten' for 'eat.' The paragraph provides examples of irregular verbs in their base, past, and past participle forms and concludes with exercises for the viewer to practice forming present perfect sentences.

05:42

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Mindmap

Keywords

💡Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are grammatical categories that indicate the time at which an action takes place, whether it be in the past, present, or future. In the context of the video, verb tenses are essential for understanding how actions are expressed in different times. The video script discusses the present perfect tense, which is one of the verb tenses used to describe actions that have relevance to the present moment.

💡Present Perfect

The present perfect is a specific verb tense that is used to describe actions that have been completed at an unspecified time before now or actions that started in the past and continue up to the present. The video emphasizes its use for two main reasons: to show a finished past action without specifying when it happened, as in 'I have been to Australia,' or to indicate a continuing action that started in the past and is still relevant, such as 'I have lived in Toronto for two years.'

💡Past Participle

The past participle is a form of a verb that is used with an auxiliary verb to form the perfect tenses. In the video, the past participle is mentioned as a critical component in forming the present perfect tense. For regular verbs, it is typically formed by adding '-ed' to the base form, but for irregular verbs, it takes a different form, as exemplified by 'eaten' for the verb 'eat'.

💡Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb, also known as a helping verb, is used to provide additional information about the main verb, such as tense, voice, or mood. In the video, 'have' is identified as the auxiliary verb used to form the present perfect tense, changing its form depending on the subject, as shown in the examples 'I have finished my homework' and 'She has worked at this office for 12 years.'

💡Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not follow the standard pattern of conjugation, particularly in their past tense and past participle forms. The video script provides examples of irregular verbs and their past participle forms, such as 'eaten' for 'eat' and 'gone' for 'go,' highlighting the importance of memorizing these forms for accurate language use.

💡Continuing Action

A continuing action refers to an activity that began in the past and is still ongoing. The video uses the present perfect tense to illustrate this concept, as in the example 'I have lived in Toronto for two years,' which implies that the action of living there started in the past and continues to the present, and possibly into the future.

💡Finished Past Action

A finished past action is an event that has been completed at an unspecified time before now. The video explains that the present perfect tense can be used to describe such actions without focusing on the exact timing, as in 'I have been to Australia,' which conveys the experience of visiting Australia at some point in the past.

💡Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are verbs that form their past tense and past participle by adding '-ed' to the base form. The video contrasts regular verbs with irregular verbs, using 'walked' as the past participle of 'walk' to demonstrate the typical formation for regular verbs.

💡Base Form

The base form of a verb is the dictionary form, used as the starting point for conjugation into other tenses. The video mentions the base form in relation to irregular verbs, showing the original form before it changes into the past or past participle, such as 'be' changing to 'been' in the past participle.

💡Contextual Example

A contextual example is a sentence that demonstrates the use of a grammatical structure in a real-life scenario. The video provides examples like 'He has eaten breakfast' and 'We have had a dog for eight years' to illustrate how the present perfect tense is used in context, helping viewers understand its application.

Highlights

Verb tenses show if an action takes place in the past, present, or future.

The present perfect is a verb tense.

We use the present perfect tense for two reasons.

The present perfect can show a finished past action without specifying when it took place.

The present perfect can also show a continuing action that started in the past and continues to the present.

The present perfect is formed with the auxiliary verb 'have' and the past participle form of the main verb.

The form of 'have' changes depending on the subject.

With regular verbs, we use the verb + -ed to form the past participle.

With irregular verbs, the past participle changes into a different form and does not use -ed.

Examples of irregular verbs in their base form, past form, and past participle form are provided.

The past participle of the verb 'walk' is 'walked'.

The past participle of the verb 'eat' is 'eaten'.

Examples of sentences using the present perfect tense are given.

The sentence 'I have been to Australia' illustrates a finished past action.

The sentence 'I have lived in Toronto for two years' shows a continuing action.

The sentence 'I have finished my homework' demonstrates the use of 'have' with the past participle.

The sentence 'She has worked at this office for 12 years' shows the use of 'have' with a duration of time.

The sentence 'My friends have seen that movie' uses 'have' with a plural subject.

The activity of creating a present perfect sentence based on a picture is suggested.

The example sentence 'I have lived in Australia all my life' is provided for reference.