Welcome to today's ESL Help Desk
podcast. Since our last podcast, we've been busy filling the
shelves of our
Library
with audio stories and grammar
lessons for learners of English and speakers of English who want to
have a little bit of fun with the English language. We
recently received a request to discuss the present perfect tense, so
today we are going to
present the first in a perfect
mini-series.
ASKING
THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
First, I'd like to ask a
question. What's so perfect about the present perfect tense?
Secondly, the name present perfect really confuses
me. I think that with the name present perfect,
the action should all refer to the present. However, I have
noticed that many times we use this tense when we are referring to
events that occurred in the past.
You notice
correctly. For example, perhaps the last time I saw you was
six months ago, and today I meet you on the street and I would like
to ask you about all the time since then. I want to know not
only about how you are now, but also all of the time leading up to
now, from the last time I saw you up to and including now. I
ask you, "How've you been?"
So I am confused because we call this the present
perfect
tense, but we use it when referring to the past, also. THE STRUCTURE AND VERB FORM OF THE PRESENT
PERFECT TENSE
Let's begin by
discussing the structure and verb form of the present perfect verb
tense. Let's use the verb be as our
main verb.
Notice that the verb form have been,
which represents the
present perfect tense, and the
verb form had been, which represents the
past perfect
verb tense, are structurally similar.
Each one
consists of two parts:
1) Each uses a form of the verb have
as the helping verb,
and
2) each uses the past participle of the
main verbbe, been.
The only difference between the two is that the
helping verb for present
perfect is in the present tense, as in have been
and
has been, and the
helping verb for past perfect is in the simple past
tense, as in had been.
Thus, when the helping verb
is in the present tense, as in have been orhas been, we have formed the present perfect tense.
When the helping verb is in the simple past tense,
as in
had been, we have formed the past perfect
tense.
Try this with any
main verb and the results will
be the same.
to talk: (present
perfect) have/has talked (past perfect) had
talked
to write: (present perfect) have/has written (past
perfect) had written to go: (present
perfect) have/has gone
(past perfect) had gone
to walk: (present perfect) have/has walked
(past perfect) had walked to have: (present perfect)
have/has had
(past perfect) had had
Notice that the present (has
or have) part of the name
present perfect refers ONLY to the structure of the
verb
form: The helping verb (has or have)
is in the simple present tense.
Similarly, the past (had)
part of the name of past perfect refers ONLY to the
structure of the verb form: The helping verb had is in the simple past tense.
REVIEW
The present perfect tense consists of
two parts. To form it, use -
1.
… the proper form of the verb have, and
2.
… the past participle(also known as the
3rd part)
of the main
verb.
EXAMPLES
Over the years, I have learned that love
remains only if the husband and wife help and understand
each other.
Since my father decided to move to America, he has
changed and my parents' lives have gone in
different directions.
HOMEWORK
Complete this chart below, focusing only on correct verb
forms. Remember to change the verb form to account for
subject/verb agreement. The main verbs below are all irregular
verbs. Use your dictionary if necessary to obtain the proper
past participle form of the main verb.
main verb
I
He
They
break
give
see
Check your answers in our
next episode, when we discuss the uses of the present perfect
verb tense.
So from the ESL Help
Desk, thanks for listening to us this week, and remember to send us
your questions about English grammar via
our blog.
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