Skip to main content

IELTS Grammar Review | Present Perfect




English grammar | Present Perfect

The present perfect is used to say what has happened recently and has an effect on the present moment. We often use 'just', 'yet' and 'already' to express the relationship to the present moment.

Examples
Have you seen Mary yet?
They've already had dinner.
She's just been to the dentist's.

The present perfect is also used to express something which has happened up to the present moment of time.

Examples
Have you worked here for a long time?
Peter's lived here since 1987.
She hasn't had much fun this week.

Positive Form
Subject + have + past participle + object(s)

Examples
Peter's lived here since 1987.
We've been very busy today.

Negative Form
Subject + have + not + past participle + object(s)

Examples
I haven't been to class very often this month.
She hasn't had much fun this week.

Question Form
(Wh?) + have + subject + past participle?

Examples
Have you worked here for a long time?
Where have you been?

Present Perfect for Unspecified Past

When speaking about an experience that has happened at an UNSPECIFIED point in time before the present moment use the present perfect.

Examples
I've been to New York three times.
They've lived in many places.
She's studied in London.

NOTE: In this use of the present perfect, we are talking about things that have happened up to the present moment. Whenever you speak about something that has happened up to now without giving a precise point in time, use the present perfect.

Use of 'For', 'Since' and 'How long'

Use 'for' to indicate a duration or period of time.

Examples
He has lived here for seven years.
We have been here for six weeks.
Shirley has played tennis for a long time.

Use 'since' to indicate a specific point in time.

Examples
I've worked here since 2004.
She's gone to dancing lessons since April.
They've been unhappy since they left college.

Use 'How long' in the question form to ask about duration.

Examples
How long have you played the piano?
How long has he worked here?
How long has she been with you?




Popular posts from this blog

Cambridge 11 Test 1 Writing Task 1 | Writing Practice for IELTS

How would you answer this Cambridge 11 Test 1 Writing Task 1 question? Task 1 Question How to Answer Task 1 Questions Sample Answer Cambridge 11 Writing Task 1 IELTS Writing Task 1 (Academic) tests your written communication skills - how well you can report/describe information. Cambridge 11 Writing Task 1 (Test 1) IELTS Writing Test Task 1 You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The charts below show the percentage of water used for different purposes in six areas of the world. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words. International English Language Testing System How would you answer this IELTS 11 Writing Task 1 question about water used for different purposes? Writing Practice for IELTS Task 1: Sample Answer (useful vocabulary is highlighted ) The pie charts illustrates water usage in six different regions around t...
Read more

How To Answer Cambridge IELTS 8 Speaking Test 1 | IELTS Exam

Cambridge 8 Speaking Test 1 How to give your opinion in English Here are some questions from Cambridge IELTS Book 8 Speaking Test 1 . They include the IELTS Cue Card Describe a time when you were asked to give your opinion in a questionnaire . A native English speaker gave these sample answers to show you what someone might say. Remember, you can answer these questions in many different ways. Cambridge IELTS 8 Speaking Test 1 Tips for IELTS Speaking Do NOT try to memorize full answers - this is unnatural and IELTS examiners are trained to identify memorized answers. Cambridge IELTS 8 Test 1 Speaking Questions & Answers Part 1 Topic | Neighbours How well do you know the people who live next door to you? I know them quite well because we’ve lived beside each other for a couple of years now. The people who live to the right of me, well, it’s a family wi...
Read more

Cambridge 11 Test 2 Writing Task 1 | How to Answer This Question

How would you answer this Cambridge 11 Test 2 Writing Task 1 question: The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010? How to answer Cambridge 11 Test 2 Writing Task 1 Question This is a question that many people ask when they are doing IELTS exam prepartion . IELTS Writing Task 1 Structure If you want to do well in IELTS writing, it's important that you know how to answer Task 1 correctly! In this post, we will discuss some of the basics and give advice on how to write your answers for Task 1. IELTS writing Task 1 pie charts are an important part of the IELTS writing task. Pie charts have three main components: a title a description (including what the pie chart is showing) labels for each slice Pie Chart Task 1 Writing Tips Describing pie charts in the IELTS writing test Pie charts have three main parts: a title, desc...
Read more