PRESENT PERFECT

1. DEFINITION
The form of the verb used for actions or events that have been completed or have
happened in a period of time up to now

2. STRUCTURE

Contraction
(I, you, we, they) + have: ’ve
(He, she, it) + has: ’s

Past participle
Regular verb - same as the simple past
Irregular verb - list of irregular verbs
 3. USES

I. INDEFINITE PAST TIME

Quando O Período Exato Da Ação É Irrelevante Ou Desconhecido INCORRECT STRUCTURES:
• Someone has eaten my
▪ Someone has eaten my soup!
▪ Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'? soup yesterday
▪ She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English. • Have you seen 'Gone
with the Wind' last year?

Ações Repetidas Em Um Período Não Específico Entre O Passado E O Presente

▪ They have seen that film six times
▪ It has happened several times already.
▪ She has visited them frequently.
▪ We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
 EVER AND NEVER REFER TO INDEFINITE TIME BEFORE THE PRESENT.
THEY ARE ADDED BEFORE THE MAIN VERB (PAST PARTICIPLE).

EVER
Used in negative sentences, to express a doubt, or to ask a question. It is the opposite of always:
Don't ever talk to me like that! (Never talk to me like that!)
If you ever see him, tell him he still owes me money. (If you see him at any time, tell him he still owes me money)
Have you ever heard of Flint Westwood? (Do you know who Flint Westwood is?)

▪ Questions ▪ Expression "The First Time"

Have you ever been to England?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?
▪ Negative Questions
Haven't they ever been to Europe?
Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?
▪ Negative clouse: "Nothing+Ever" or
"Nobody+Ever"
Nobody has ever said that to me before.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.
It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.
▪ After Superlatives or Restrictive Adjectives
like Only and First:
Harold Warbuckle is the most demanding client I have
ever met. (I have never met a more demanding client
than Harold Warbuckle)
The first job I ever had was in a toothpaste
factory. (The job in the toothpaste factory was the
very first one I had in my life)

NEVER
"Never" significa nunca antes de agora e equivale a "not ..... ever": (I have never visited Berlin).
TOME CUIDADO! Nunca utilize never e not juntos.
I haven't never been to Italy.
I have never been to Italy.

Never and ever share similar meanings but are used differently. Never means 'at no time' and is a negative term, used in
affirmative constructions (to avoid double negatives). Ever means 'at any time' and can't be used in affirmative sentences.
I never want to see this boy in your bedroom again.
I don't ever want to see this boy in your bedroom again.
(I do not want to see this boy in your bedroom in the future)
He has never seen a nose so big.
He hasn't ever seen a nose so big.
(At no time in his life has he seen a nose so big)

ANSWERS

When you answer the question, a yes answer will

use have/has + past participle.
Have you ever seen a whale?
Yes, I have seen a whale. or Yes, I have.

If you answer the question with a no, you will

need to use
haven't /hasn't + ever + past participle or
have /has + never + past participle
(both of these have the same meaning)
Have you ever seen a whale?
No, I haven't ever seen a whale. or
No, I've never seen a whale. or
No, I haven't.
 ALREADY STILL YET
In affirmative sentences to
In negative sentences and
talk about things we have
questions. To talk about
done. To say that something
In negative sentences to talk something which is
has happened early, sooner
about things we haven’t expected do happen. It
than expected. Usually
done means at any time up now.
comes before the auxiliary
Comes ate the end of the
verb (has/have) and the
sentence.
verb (participle)
HAVEN’T/HASN’T +
PAST PARTICIPLE + YET
HAVE/HAS + STILL +
ALREADY + PAST HAVEN’T/HASN’T + HAVE/HAS +
PARTICIPLE PAST PARTICIPLE PAST PARTICIPLE + YET?

I have already done the

They haven’t been in Paris
homework
I still haven’t finished my yet
She has already watched
housework Have you bought the car
Avatar twice
yet?
I have already seen it

II. RECENT PAST

Ações Concluídas No Passado Muito Recente (+Just, Recently, Lately)

▪ Have you just finished work?

▪ I have just eaten.
▪ Has he just left?
▪ Recently, the work has changed a lot.
▪ We haven’t seen her lately.
III. CONTINUING TIME UP TO NOW

Ações Iniciadas No Passado E Em Andamento No Presente

▪ They haven't lived here for years.

▪ She has worked in the bank for five years.
▪ We have had the same car for ten years.
▪ Have you played the piano since you were a child?

Quando Se Faz Referência A Um Período De Tempo não concluído

▪ I have worked hard this week.

▪ It has rained a lot this year.
▪ We haven't seen her today.
 4. CONTRASTING THE PRESENT PERFECT AND THE SIMPLE PAST
Você sempre deve utilizar o "present perfect" quando o período de uma ação for irrelevante ou não estiver
especificado. Alternativamente, utilize sempre o "simple past" quando forem fornecidos ou solicitados os detalhes sobre
o período ou lugar de uma ação.

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE PAST

I have lived in Lyon. I lived in Lyon in 1989.

They have eaten Thai food. They ate Thai food last night.

Have you seen 'Othello'?. Where did you see 'Othello'?

We have been to Ireland. When did you go to Ireland?

▪ EXISTE AINDA UMA DIFERENÇA DE ATITUDE ENTRE ESSES DOIS TEMPOS VERBAIS, QUE
FREQUENTEMENTE CONSISTE EM UM FATOR IMPORTANTE NA ESCOLHA UTILIZADA:

Simple past: What did you do at school today?

Utilizamos o "simple past" porque a pergunta se refere às atividades, e o período escolar do dia está sendo considerado
como encerrado.
Present perfect: What have you done at school today?
Utilizamos o "present perfect" porque a pergunta se refere aos resultados: « mostre-os para mim». O momento em que a
pergunta foi feita é considerado como uma continuação do período escolar.

Simple past: I did so many things today!

Você usa o simple past se quiser dizer que fez muito hoje e não vai fazer mais nada. O foco aqui é no fato de o dia estar
encerrado. Você coloca a ação completamente no passado. Provavelmente, vai chegar em casa e dormir.
Present perfect: I have done so many things today!
Aqui, o foco é no resultado, no fato de seu dia ter sido cheio. Você pode querer enfatizar o cansaço que isso causou (um
passado que ainda tem efeito no presente) ou pode ser que ainda tenha tarefas a fazer e o dia ainda não tenha encerrado.