PRESENT PERFECT TENSE and ITS USES
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| TENSES AND THEIR USES |
BY
KULESH CH DEKA
The Present Perfect Tense is used to describe something that happend in the past, the exact time it happened is not important. It has relationship with the present. 'I have done my homework' mrans finished my homework in the past. It is not important at what exact time it is done; the speaker's focus is only that it is done now.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB 'to do'
i) AFFIRMATIVE SENTENCE
(Subject+have/has+Past Participle form of the verb, V3)
1st Person(singular):-I have done.
1st Person(Plural):- We have done.
2nd Person (Singular):- You have done.
2nd Person (Plural):- You have done.
3rd Person (Singular):- He/she has done.
Nitish has done
3rd Person (Plural):- They have done./ Nitish and Jibesh has done.
NEGATIVE SENTENCE
(Sub+ have/has+ not+ Past Participle form of the verb( V3)
1st Person (Singular):- I have not done.
1st Person (Plural):- We have not done.
2nd Person (Singular):- You have not done.
2nd Person (Plural):- You have not done.
3rd Person (Singular):- He/She/Prashanta/ Bidisha has not done
3rd Person (Plural):- They have not done./Prashanta and Parismita have not done.
INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE
(Has/Have+Sub+ Past Participle form of the verb?)
1st Person (Singular):-
Have I done?
1st Person (Plural) Have we done?
2nd Person ( Singular):- Have you done?
2nd Person (Plural):- Have you done?
3rd Person (Singular):- Has he done?/ Has she done? Has Nisha done?
3rd Person (plural):- Have they done? Have Nisha and Prerana done?
USES:-
1) TO EXPRESS AN UNFINISHED ACTION
We use the Present Perfect Tense when we want to describe an unfinished action or event or to express a state or a habit that started in the past and continue to the present time. Usually when we want to say how long an action is happening, we use this tense.
Examples:-
We have known each other for a long time.
They have lived in this house for nine years.
(We began to live in this house nine years ago and are living there still.)
She has worked here for six months now.
She has been here since morning.
(He came here in the morning and he is still here now.)
The boy has suffered for three months.
('Since' and 'For' with the present perfect:-
We use the present perfect with 'for' and 'since'. We use 'for' to say how long the period is (for an hour, for three days etc.)
and we use 'since' to say when the period began (since morning, since Friday, since 2001 etc.).
2)TO EXPRESS A FINISHED ACTION
i)To express a life experience, we use this tense. This type of action or event happened sometime in the personal life of the speaker. It does not require to mention when the action took place or when he received the experience.
EXAMPLES:-
I have seen it before.
She has visited Delhi many times.
They have never read such a good book.
ii) Present Perfect is used with an unfinished time word like 'this week', 'this month', 'this year' etc. This period of time is still continuing.
I have seen your friend this morning.
It has rained everyday this week.
It has been very hot this summer.
iii) We use this tense to express a finished action with a result in the present. In such sentences the focus of the speaker is result or consequence.
EXAMPLES:-
She has washed the clothes. (So they are clean now.)
The children have eaten all the mangoes. (There are not any left.)
I have lost my money purse, so I can't buy the medicine.
(The consequece of losing purse=> I can't buy the medicine.)
I can't eat anything now as I have eaten rice.
(The result of eating rice=> I can't eat anything)
He can't play in the match because he has injured his thumb.
Father is not at home. He has gone to market.
(The result of going to market=> Father is not at home now.)
iv) To express an action which has just been completed. Generally we use 'just', 'already' 'yet' , 'so far' etc in these type of expressions.
EXAMPLES:-
The President has given a long speech just now.
I have just finished my homework.
They have already arrived home.
They have not arrived home yet.
Has your examination started yet?
I have solved three questions so far.
(We can use the present perfect with 'just', 'already' and 'yet'. 'Just' means 'a short time ago',already means 'sooner than expected'. We use 'yet' when we are expecting something to happen'. 'Just' and 'already' comes before the past particple and 'yet' is used comes at the end of a question and a negative sentence.)
Note:-
a)The Present Perfect Tense, since it denotes the present time, cannot be qualified by an adverb or adverb phrase denoting past time. This would be a contradiction in terms.
(Nesfield- English Grammar, Composition and Usage)
Incorrect:- He has returned home yesterday.
Correct:- He returned home yesterday.
Incorrect:- I have sent my resignation letter last evening.
Correct:- I sent my resignation letter last evening.
b) The following sentence is wrong -
Babar has founded the Mughal Empire.
It is wrong because the state of thing arising out of the foundation of the empire by Babar has entirely passed away.
(Nesfield)
