The Present Perfect Tense

1. Формы образования.

 

		I, You, We, They	have	looked through	the paper.
		He, She	has
		I, You, We, They	have not	looked through	the paper
		He, She	has not
	Have	I, you, we, they		looked through	the paper?	Yes, I have. No, I haven’t.
	Has	he, she		Yes, he has.
When	have	I, you, we, they		looked through	the paper?
has	he, she
		I, You, We, They	have	looked through	the paper,	have not I?
		He, She	has	hasn’t he?

2. Present Perfect употребляется:

a) когда действие завершилось к настоящему моменту или связанно с настоящим своим результатом:

We have never seen this man before.

b) если говорящего интересует не время действия, а факт совершения или результат (хотя само действие имело место в прошлом):

Who has taken my book?

c) факт или действие не завершено к настоящему, а продолжается:

They have been married for 10 years.

d) с обстоятельствами времени ever, never, just, long, for a long time, recently, lately, since that time, this year (month, week):

You have made good progress in English lately.

3. Сравнение прошедшего времени группы Indefiniteс настоящим временем группы Perfect.Обе временные формы обозначают действие, имевшее место в прошлом. Однако форма Past Indefiniteпросто называет факт, имевший место в прошлом, безотносительно к настоящему моменту, факт, никаким образом не связанный с настоящим, тогда как форма Present Perfectобозначает действие, совершившееся в прошлом, но имеющее результат в настоящем.

I have brokenmy pen. – Я сломал(имею сломанной) свою ручку (т.е. вот результат этого действия – сломаннаяручка, и мне надо чинить ее или покупать новую).

Сравните:

Настоящее время группы Perfect 1. Отдыхали ли вы когда-нибудь зимой? Have you ever hadyour holiday in winter? 2. Мы еще не читаликниг этого писа­теля.   We have not yet readany books by this writer. 3. Были ли вы когда-нибудь в Англии? Have you ever been to England?

Прошедшее время группы Indefinite Вы отдыхалина юге этим летом? Didyou have your holiday in the South in the summer? В прошлом году мы не умели читать по-английски и не читалианглийских книг. Last year we could not read English and did not readEnglish books. Когда вы были в Англии?   When were you in England?

 

 

 

Как видно из примеров, настоящее время группы Perfect часто употребляется с наречиями неопределенного времени: ever когда-либо, neverникогда, often часто,already уже, yet еще, just только что, lately недавно, за последнее время.

Однако это не значит, что с наречиями неопределенного времени не могут употребляться и другие временные формы, например, времена группы Indefinite.

Сравните:

I have never seen him. I never came late to the lessons last year. I often see him in our club.

Я никогда не видел его. В прошлом году я никогда не опаздывал на уроки. Я часто вижуего в нашем клубе.

 

Примечание. Наречие неопределенного времени yet еще употребляется в отрицательных предложениях, причем может ставиться либо после вспо­могательного глагола с отрицанием, либо в конце предложения:

 

Не hasn't yet passed his examination in English. We haven't moved into our new flat yet.

Он не сдал еще экзамена по- английскому языку. Мы еще не переехали на свою новую квартиру.

 

Exercise 1.

Translate into Russian and comment on the use of the Present Perfect Tense.

1. I haven’t seen him for several days.

2. Have you bought anything interesting lately?

3. I’ve never seen her in my life.

4. Who hasn’t eaten his/her breakfast yet?

5. He has come here this morning, I think ... But he has already gone.

6. I haven’t seen him since the evening at Mr. Brown’s.

7. She hasn’t visited me since she was nine. But she hasn’t forgotten me, no.

8. I’ve just mentioned it. Please be more attentive.

9. ‘Sorry, I’ve left my book at home.’

‘OK. Who else has left his or her books?

10. They’ve just finished whitewashing the attic, haven’t they?

11. She hasn’t written to her mother for two months.

12. She hasn’t been the same since he walked out on her.

 

Exercise 2.

Make the following sentences: - negative;

- interrogative.

1. I’ve already posted the letter.

2. She has already started her new job.

3. He’s gone to America.

4. They have visited India twice.

5. He has smoked five cigarettes today.

6. My mother has always worked hard.

7. I’ve seen a lot of my former classmates recently.

8. Tom has lost all his money.

9. Oh, I have forgotten about my Dad’s birthday!

10. Mr. Jenkins has just retired from his job.

11. They’ve always been too strict with their children.

12. I have written ten postcards(and he has never answered).

Exercise3.

Imagine you are writing a letter to a friend giving news about people you both know. Make up sentences using the words given below.

Pattern:Mark/go to Canada.

Mark has gone to Canada.

1. Ann/pass her exams.

2. Mary/take up jogging

3. Larry and Monica/decide/to get divorced

4. Barry/go to England

5. Dinny/lose her job/find a new one

6. Margie/buy a new car

7. Antony/break his arm

8. Milly/fall in love

9. Tony/give up smoking

10. Lucy and Cavin/decide to get married.

Imagine that you are writing a letter to a friend. What news would you tell him/her about?

Exercise 4.

Paraphrase the following sentences using the Present Perfect with FOR or SINCE.

Pattern:a) I saw Tom last on wedding day.

I haven’t seen Tom since his wedding day.

b) It’s three years since I wrote her a letter.

I haven’t written her a letter for three years.

1. It’s ten years since I last was in Paris.

2. I last smoked three years ago.

3. It’s years since I wrote any poetry.

4. He last drank wine at his wife’s birthday.

5. He last ate caviar when he was in Russia.

6. It’s years since Tony last spoke Chinese .

7. It’s ages since I last had a good night’s sleep.

8. They last paid me six month ago.

9. I was last abroad in winter 1983.

10. My father last took photographs in summer.

11. It’s a year since I had my last holiday.

12. We had a family reunion five years ago.

 

Exercise 5.

Ask questions to the underlined parts of the following sentences.

1. I have read that book twice.

2. I have known himfor three years.

3. I have only received two lettersfrom him since September.

4. He has finished his breakfast already.

5. She’s typed two letters since morning.

6. I haven’t heard from him since 1992.

7. He has gone to the USA.

8. He has been in the USAsince spring.

9. She hasn’t written to him for years.

10. I’ve been late several times this month, I think.

 

Exercise 6.

Use the Present Perfect or the Past Simple tense instead of the infinitives in brackets.

1. ‘Where you (to be) since you (to come) to Britain?’

‘I (to be) to London, Oxford and Brighton.’

‘When you (to go) to Brighton?’

‘Yesterday.’

2. ‘How long you (to know) Jack?’

‘I (to know) him for two years.’

‘Where you (to see) him first?’

‘At his sister’s wedding.’

3. ‘I just (to have) my first French lesson.’

‘How it (to go)? You (to enjoy) it?’

‘Yes, I ...’

4. ‘Father (to come) back yet?’

‘Yes. He (to go) straight to his room.’

‘Oh, I (not to hear) him.’

5. I (to buy) a new car last summer, but I (not to sell) my old car yet, so now I’ve got two cars.

6. ‘I (not to see) your brother for some time.’

‘He (to be) ill. He (to collapse) a week ago. He (not to come) back to work yet, but he (to recover) already.’

7. ‘I just (to buy) a copy of The Dangerous Corner. You (to read) it?’

‘Oh no, I even (not to see) the film.’

8. ‘I can’t find my pen. You (to see) it?’

‘Yes, you (to leave) it in the study. I (to put) it back on your table.’

 

Exercise 7.

Translate into English using the Present Perfect or the Past Simple Tense.

1. Мы познакомились месяц назад, но с тех пор я ничего о нём не слышал.

2. Я не смотрела этот фильм, как окончила школу.

3. Я ещё не говорил с ним об этом. Я не видел его с утра.

4. Мы только что познакомились.

5. – Вы когда-нибудь были в Австралии?

– Нет, но я всегда мечтала там побывать.

6. Вы опаздываете уже третий раз за эту неделю.

7. Том ещё никогда не бывал в Нью-Йорке.

8. – Кто разбил эту чашку?

– Не знаю, я с утра не был на кухне.

9. Вы уже попробовали этот пирог?

10. Она уже сообщила родителям о своём отъезде?

11. – Сколько Ваш племянник пробыл в Англии?

– Он пробыл там два года.

12. – Сколько лет они женаты?

– Десять или одиннадцать, не помню точно.

13. – Концерт уже начался?

– Да, десять минут назад.

14. – Ты уже дал им наш новый номер телефона?

– Да, неделю назад.

– Почему же они нам ещё не позвонили?

15. – Статья уже готова?

– Да. Она была готова ещё вчера, но я забыл отдать её вам.