In the last lesson, we introduced Present Perfect while comparing it with Past Simple (see lesson Present Perfect and Past Simple). We learnt that we use this tense to talk about an action that started in the past and continues to the present. The action may or may not be finished. In fact, it doesn't really matter. The context of the sentence makes it very clear if it is finished or not. Present Perfect is typically used to provide further information beyond whether it is finished or not. Here is a little recap of the previous lesson.
I have eaten lunch. (= clearly finished, and may indicate that it was recent or that you are full and can't eat anymore)
She has sent 10 emails today. (= finished action and there's a possibility that she may continue sending more, or she may take a break. Further context is necessary)
They have been living in this area for 3 years. (= they are most likely going to continue living in this area)
Present Perfect can also be used to talk about experiences that have happened in your life (i.e. from the day you were born to today).
I have been to Japan several times.
I have never eaten sushi.
Let's begin by looking at the form.
FORM:
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
FUNCTION:
The difficult part comes when deciding to use Present Perfect Simple or Present Perfect Continuous. This can become overwhelming and sometimes there may be overlap between explanations and rules.
Here is a simple process you can follow to determine whether you need to use the simple or continuous:
1. STATE VERB RULE
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = USE WITH STATE VERBS
I have known Sally for 10 years.
I'm sorry, I have forgotten your name.
If your main verb is a state verb (see lesson Action and State Verbs), you must use present perfect simple. You cannot say 'I have been knowing Sally for 10 years'. This is incorrect.
2. HOW MANY vs HOW LONG?
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = TO DESCRIBE QUANTITY
I have read this book 3 times.
I have sent 10 emails today.
To answer the question 'How many...?' or 'How much...?' , or simply to talk about quantity, use present perfect simple.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = TO DESCRIBE DURATION
I have been reading this book for 3 months.
To answer the question 'How long...?' or to talk about the duration of an event, use present perfect continuous. You can use a 'for' or 'since' time phrase to specify the time. Remember that we use 'for + period of time' (e.g. for 3 hours) and 'since + specific point in time' (e.g. since Monday, since 1954, since I was in high school etc.)
3. FINISHED vs UNFINISHED
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = FINISHED ACTIONS
I have had lunch.
I have sent 10 emails today.
To emphasise that an action is finished (which may be modified with 'just' or 'already'), use present perfect simple.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = UNFINISHED ACTIONS
I have been writing this email for ten minutes.
We have been watching this movie for over 3 hours. Can we just sneak out of the cinema?
To emphasise that an action is unfinished (i.e. still going), we can use present perfect continuous. These are often used with a 'for' or 'since' time phrase.
4. PERMANENT vs TEMPORARY ACTIONS
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = PERMANENT ACTIONS
I have lived in Sydney for fifteen years.
We can use present perfect simple to talk about permanent situations (these may or may not be finished). Permanent situations, like in the example above, show that, in my mind, I consider Sydney to be my true home, and that I am going to live there permanently (i.e. as long as I can imagine).
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = TEMPORARY ACTIONS
My cousin has been living in Sydney for nine months.
We can use present perfect continuous to talk about temporary situations (these are unfinished). In this example, we can say that my cousin is from England, and she is living in Sydney temporarily, and will return to England in the future.
5. PRESENT RESULT vs PAST CAUSE
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = FOCUS ON PRESENT RESULT
A: I have lost my keys. B: Oh, really? How did you do that? A: Somewhere at the gym. I asked around but no one has seen it. B: That's a pain. If you can't get back into your place, you can stay at mine tonight.
In this dialogue, we use the present perfect simple to talk about an action that happened in the past, but has a direct effect on the present. In this case, you lost your keys in the past, and now, this is causing a problem (i.e. I cannot enter my home or I cannot start my car etc.). Naturally, your conversation partner will give a response that focuses on the present or future. In this case, he offers to let you stay at his place tonight, or he may offer to help you look for the keys.
Compare this with a past simple construction:
A: I lost my keys. (past simple) B: Is that why you weren't able to make it to the party? A: Yeah, I spent hours looking for them. I had to call the locksmith to get the locks changed.
The past simple here clearly talks about a completed action in the past that has little to no effect on the present. The speaker may have lost them yesterday or 2 months ago, and the problem of the missing key was also resolved in the past, making it no longer relevant today. For more information on this, see the lesson on Present Perfect and Past Simple.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = FOCUS ON PAST CAUSE
A: Wow! What happened to you? You look terrible? B: I've been playing tennis all afternoon. It's 34 degrees and sunny out there. A: You're crazy. So did you win?
Present perfect continuous is used to explain the past cause of the present result. In other words, why the speaker looks the way he does; sweaty, smelly and exhausted. It is clear from context that the action is finished.
6. REPEATED ACTIONS
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE = NOT USED HERE
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS = NEW REPEATED ACTIONS
I have been going to the gym every day this week. It's part of my new exercise plan.
We use present perfect continuous to talk about actions that started in the past, repeat themselves and continue to the present. The subject may or may not continue the action. In this example, assuming today is Wednesday, it means that I went to the gym on Monday, Tuesday and today (Wednesday). I may or may not go tomorrow. You can see this on the timeline below.
The Present Perfect is a complex tense, despite being a basic and essential tense. There are clearly numerous reasons why we use this tense (more than present simple and continuous), and it can be difficult for learners of English to think of these before producing a sentence.
Fortunately, the Past Perfect and Future Perfect are much simpler. You can check them out in the next lesson.