Present Perfect: ‘unfinished past’

 

We can use the Present Perfect to talk about situations which started in the past and continue into the present.

• I’m a teacher.
• I started teaching ten year ago.
• I’ve been a teacher for ten years.

(NOT: I am a teacher for ten years.)

(NOT: I’ve been a teacher ten years ago.)

 

• My best friend’s name is Gary.
• I met him three years ago.
• I’ve known him for three years.

(NOT: I know him for three years.)

(NOT: I’ve known him three years ago.)

 

• I have a car.
• My Dad gave it to me a long time ago.
• I’ve had it for ages.

(NOT: I have it for ages.)

(NOT: I’ve had a long time ago.)

 

Note: ‘Be’, ‘know’ and ‘have’ are state verbs so we don’t usually use them in their continuous forms.   be → been know → known   With actions, we can use the Present Perfect Simple or the Present Perfect Continuous: I’ve learned English for five years.  – I’ve been learning English for five years. He has worked here since 2015. – He has been working here since 2015. This structure will be covered in more detail in the Upper-intermediate course.

 

We use:

for +	ages / ten years / six months / two weeks / fifteen minutes
	a period of time

 

since +	2015 / March / last summer / yesterday / this morning / 10.00
	a point in time

 

Present Perfect & Past Simple

 

We use the Present Perfect to talk about a situation or action which is not finished.

 

We use the Past Simple when we talk about completed past actions.

 

Compare:

• Tom lives in New York. He has lived there for two years. (Present Perfect)
• Before that, he lived in San Francisco for a year.  (Past Simple)