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One common use for the present
perfect tense is in
showing
actions or situations
that began in the past and
continued
until now. Another is
in showing repeated
actions or situations that happened
before now and that
may be repeated. Another important
use for present
perfect is in showing actions or situations
that happened
at an unspecified time in the past
and that are important
or somehow connected (topically) to
now.
Examples:
I've seen
that movie.
He's visited
Egypt.
She's bought
a new car.
They've gone
for the day.
We've had
some very hot weather.
In all of the sentences above,
the action or situation
is not continuing and it was not (necessarily) repeated.
Instead, the
action was sometime in the past--but we
don't know
when because there is no time phrase.
If there is a past time phrase
in sentences such as the
above, present perfect tense cannot be used:
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not this:
but this:
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*I've seen
that movie last week.
I saw that movie last week. OR
I've seen that movie.
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not this:
but this:
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*He's visited
Egypt in 1997.
He visited Egypt in 1997. OR
He's visited Egypt.
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not this:
but this:
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*She's bought
a new car last Monday.
She bought a new car last Monday.
OR She's bought a new car.
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not this:
but
this:
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*They've left for the day about
an hour ago.
They left for the day about
an hour ago.
OR
They've
left for the
day.
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not this:
but this:
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*We've had
some hot weather in 1998.
We had some hot weather in 1998.
OR We've had some hot weather.
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Important: In all the correct present perfect
sentences
above, the action or situation is
past and not continuing
or repeated,
but it is either relevant to now or it might
be repeated. Also, the sentences do
not have a time
phrase to tell when the action / situation happened.
More detail:
| 1. |
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The action or situation might
"connect"
(be related
to) the topic of a present
conversation.
In
"I've seen that movie,"
for example, maybe
the conversation
is about going to the
movies
and a particular
movie is mentioned. Someone
saw the movie in the past and doesn't want to
see it again--or maybe someone saw the movie
in the past and can add information that the
others don't know. The past action or situation
is relevant to now.
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| 2. |
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Use of the present perfect
can suggest that
the action or situation may be repeated.
In "He's visited Egypt,"
for example, maybe
he enjoyed the trip to Egypt and would
like
to repeat it--to go there again. The
past action
or situation may be repeated; the speaker
does
not
consider it finished.
(Use of past tense
would indicate the the speaker considers
the
action / situation finished--that
he or she is
not likely to do it again.)
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