Present Perfect

Let’s take a look at these examples:

• Have you been to Rome?

¿Has estado en Roma?

• Has he called you lately?

¿Te ha llamado él últimamente?

• What have you done?

¿Qué has hecho?

Let’s pay attention to the verbs:

have been has called have done

They are examples of the Present Perfect tense. We use this tense to speak about
actions that started in the past but continue in the present. So, you are going to use
them when you want to describe activities in the past time, but that are incomplete, or
continue up to now. These actions are not finished and are in an indefinite time.

We form the Present Perfect with the verb HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE:

HAS / HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE

(*) Regular verbs are the same as in the Past Simple

Affirmative sentences
Person Verb Past Example
To have Participle

SHE HAS WORKED She has worked hard this month.

HE WRITTEN He has written half of his book already.
IT BEEN It has been a busy week.

I HAVE DONE HAD I have done many things since lunch time.
YOU GONE They have had this dog for two years. We
THEY have gone to the beach! No one is in the
WE house.

AFFIRMATIVE
SUBJECT HAVE/HAS PAST PARTICIPLE
I have studied English for 10 years
You have gone to London twice
He has lived in Buenos Aires since 2011
She has seen that movie recently
It has been hot this month
We have won the championship three times
They have finished the homework

PAST PARTICIPLE: It is the third column of the verb.

Examples: go went gone

win won won

see saw seen

If the verb is regular, the second and third column are the same.
Examples: study studied studied

play played played

live lived lived

 NEGATIVE
HAVE NOT HAVEN'T
HAS NOT HASN'T

SUBJECT HAVEN'T/HASN'T PAST PARTICIPLE

I haven't studied English for 10 years
You haven't gone to London twice
He hasn't lived in Buenos Aires since 2011
She hasn't seen that movie recently
It hasn't been hot this month
We haven't won the championship four times
They haven't finished the homework

INTERROGATIVE

HAVE/HAS SUBJECT PAST PARTICIPLE

Have I studied English for 10 years?
Have you gone to London twice?
Has he lived in Buenos Aires since
2011?
Has she seen the movie recently?
Has it been hot this month?
Have we won the championship four
times?
Have they finished the homework?
 USES

1. We use the Present Perfect for an action that started in the past and continues in
the present. We often use SINCE or FOR.
1. Utilizamos el tiempo verbal Present Perfect para referirnos a una acción que comenzó
en el pasado pero continua en el presente. Habitualmente utilizamos SINCE (HASTA) or
FOR (por)
I have lived in this house since 2011.
La acción comenzó en el año 2011, pero continúa en el presente. Sigo viviendo en esta
casa.
She has studied English for 10 years.
La acción comenzó 10 años atrás, pero aún continúa estudiando inglés.

2. We use the Present Perfect when we are talking about our experience up to the
present. We often use UP TO NOW - SO FAR - EVER - NEVER - YET
2. Utilizamos el tiempo verbal Present Perfect cuando relatamos una experiencia que ha
o no ha ocurrido “hasta ahora". Utilizamos UP TO NOW (HASTA AHORA), SO FAR
(HASTA AHORA), EVER (ALGUNA VEZ HASTA AHORA), NEVER (NUNCA HASTA AHORA),
YET (AÚN HASTA AHORA)
I have written three poems so far. (Hasta ahora escribí 3 poemas.)
Have you ever been to Paris? (¿Alguna vez estuviste en Paris?)
She has never visited Rome. (Nunca viajó a Roma (hasta ahora))

3. We use Present Perfect when we are talking about something that happened in
the past, but it has a relationship with the present.
3. Utilizamos el tiempo verbal Present Perfect cuando nos referimos a algo que ocurrió
en el pasado, pero tiene una relación con el presente.
I can't get in my house. I have lost my keys. (No puedo entrar en mi casa. Olvidé mis
llaves)
4. We use the Present Perfect with time adverbials which refer to the recent past.
We often use JUST, RECENTLY, LATELY.
4. Utilizamos el tiempo verbal Present Perfect con expresiones de tiempo que refieren
un pasado reciente. Utilizamos frecuentemente RECENTLY, JUST, LATELY.
She has just finished her homework. (Recién terminó su tarea)

5. We use the Present Perfect for an action that has happened before you expected.
We usually use ALREADY.
5. Utilizamos Present Perfect para relatar una acción que ocurrió antes de lo esperado.
Usualmente utilizamos ALREADY.
I have already finished my homework. (Ya finalicé mi tarea. Antes de lo esperado)

6. We use the Present Perfect when we are talking about an action repeated in a
specified period of time between the past and the present. We use TWICE, THREE
TIMES, MANY TIMES, SEVERAL TIMES, ETC.
6. Utilizamos el Presente Perfecto cuando nos referimos a una acción que se ha
repetido en un período de tiempo no especificado entre el pasado y el presente.
Utilizamos TWICE (DOS VECES), THREE TIMES (TRES VECES), MANY TIMES (MUCHAS
VECES), SEVERAL TIMES (VARIAS VECES)
She has gone to Boston several times. (Ha ido a Boston varias veces.)

IMPORTANT: We never use Present Perfect with time expressions like YESTERDAY,
LAST, AGO.
IMPORTANTE: Nunca utilizamos Present Perfect con expresiones como YESTERDAY,
LAST, AGO.
We use YESTERDAY, LAST AND AGO in the Simple Past.
Utilizamos YESTERDAY, LAST y AGO en el Simple Past.
She went to the movies yesterday. (Fue al cine ayer. (La acción está terminada))
She has gone to the movies yesterday. WRONG - ERROR
 There is, there are
There is and there are mean: “hay”. Look at the chart:

Singular or uncount nouns Plural or count nouns

Is there a bank near here?
• Yes, there is. There’s one
across from the fast food restaurant.
• No, there isn’t any bank here.
¿Hay un banco por aquí cerca?
Sí, hay uno enfrente del restorán de
comidas rápidas.
Np, no hay ningún banco aquí.
Are there any parks around here?
• Yes, there are. There are some nice parks on
Libertador Street.
• No, there aren’t, but there are some on
Rivadavia.
• No, there aren’t any around here.
¿Hay plazas por acá?
Sí, hay algunas lindas plazas en la calle Libertador.
No, no hay; pero hay algunas en Rivadavia.
No, no hay ninguna por acá.

Prepositions of place
Prepositions are word or phrases that express the relation between words.
Prepositions of place indicate where things, people or places are. Here are common
prepositions of place:

Preposition Translation Examples

On sobre On the table, on the PC, on Alem street

Next to al lado de Next to my house there is a grocery store.

Near / close to cerca Rivadavia is near Corrientes street.

Across from / opposite cruzando My neighbor lives across from my house.

In front of enfrente I live in front of my neighbor’s.

In back of / behind detras There is a garden behind the house.

Between entre The bank is between the drugstore and the pharmacy.

On the corner of en la esquina The shop is on the corner of Paso and Uruguay streets.
de