Page 64 - New Grammar with a Smile 5
P. 64

Uses

              We use the present perfect tense
              1.   to talk about an action, state or situation that started in the past and continues in the
                  present. This is usually used with ‘for’ and ‘since’ and is used to talk about people’s
                  lives. For example,

                      y They have lived in London since 2001.
                      y Mr Sahu has worked in this school for seventeen years.

                                Note

                                We use since to show a fixed time in the past. For example,
                                • I have known Pavitra since 2007.

                                • I have liked chocolate since I was a child.
                                We use for to show a period or a duration of time. For example,

                                • I have known Mahima for ten years.
                                • She has been sleeping for eight hours.


              2.  to talk about an action when time is not important. For example,
                      y I have been to England.

                      y She has read all the Harry Potter novels.

              3.   to talk about an incident or an action           Note
                  that was completed in the recent past,            To talk about the recent past, we add just or yet.
                  with words like ‘just’/‘yet’ to suggest           • The best was yet to come.
                  that the action is being discussed at the
                  time of speaking. For example,                    • We may yet succeed - you never know.

                      y The train from Surat has just arrived.      •  Of all the songs I have heard, that is the
                                                                       best yet.
                      y The meeting has not yet begun.
                                                                      • They have yet to make a decision.
              Structure                                               • I’m sorry to bother you yet again.

              The structure of the present perfect tense is given.

              Ø   For declarative sentences

                              Subject                       Helping verb                       Main verb

                     I                                have                             sung.

                     You                              have                             sung.
                     He/She/It                        has                              sung.

                     We                               have                             sung.
                     You                              have                             sung.

                     They                             have                             sung.

            64
   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69