Present Perfectintroduction

Present Perfect

I have done …She has done …

Present Perfect

I have done …She has done …

CONSTRUCTION:‘to have’ is conjugated in the ‘Present Tense’

Present Perfect

I have done …She has done …

MEANING:is before present time

before now

Present Perfect

I have done …She has done …

CONSTRUCTION:‘to have’ (AUX) + Past Participle (MAIN VERB)

Present Perfect

I have done …She has done …

MEANING:is before present time

before now

tense gymnastics

!

convertpast simple to present perfect

andpresent perfect to past simple

past simple present perfect

She made a phone call.

They haven’t finished.

We didn’t do the homework.

Have you seen John?

Did you wear the jacket?

She has taken her exams.

I sang the words.

He has shown us how.

You didn’t drive to work.

We have met before.

Did they give you a present?

past simple present perfect

She made a phone call. She has made a phone call.

They didn’t finish. They haven’t finished.

We didn’t do the homework. We haven’t done the homework.

Did you see John? Have you seen John?

Did you wear the jacket? Have you worn the jacket?

She took her exams. She has taken her exams.

I sang the words. I’ve sung the words.

He showed us how. He has shown us how.

You didn’t drive to work. You haven’t driven to work.

We met before. We have met before.

Did they give you a present? Have they given you a present?

Definition of the problem

1.

inside the Present Perfect there are three different grammatical concepts

so you can’t take one idea and apply it universally

2.

It’s tempting to think that:

io ho fatto = I have done

io feci = I did

tempting, but wrong!

Sometimes

io ho fatto …=

I have done …

but other times

io ho fatto …=

I did …

or, sometimes

I have done …=

io faccio …

in other words, sometimes the Italian and English constructions correspond, and

sometimes they don’t

So, if you can’t1. apply a simple rule, or

2. translate,how should you learn the Present Perfect?

ANSWER: you have to learn the three different functions of the Present Perfect

and if you want you can learn to translate inside each function

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