PRESENT PERFECT/PERFECTIVE

Present Perfect/Perfective Form

S + HAVE / HAS + V-en (past participle) I have received the parcel He has heard the news

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
1) Perfect/Perfective indicates, first of all, ANTERIOR TIME; - the time of the event is anterior to some time or reference / orientation

ET RT

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
I have already met your sister The flight was cancelled after we had paid for the tickets If you had listened to me, we would have avoided mistakes By next week, they will have completed their contract I may have left the key at the office (last night) I am sorry to have missed the plan She regrets having abandoned the plan

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
The time of orientation / of reference, RT, is signalled by - tense - other elements of the sentence (adverbials expressing time) - context

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
The common factor of meaning brought by PERFECT/PERFECTIVE to all these examples is ANTERIORITY to a RT I have already met your sister RT = ST (now) Axis of present have met (the meeting happened before now)

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
The flight was cancelled after we had paid for the tickets ST (now) Axis of present

RT = then (RT ST) Axis of past had paid (then = the moment of cancelling)

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
If you had listened to me, you would have avoided the mistakes

RT = ST (now) Axis of the present if had listened (hypothetical event) ( = If you had listened to me before now)

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
By next week, they will have completed their contract ST (now) Axis of present

RT = then Axis of future will have completed RT ST ; next week)

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
I may have left the key at the office RT = ST = now Axis of present may have left may has a present time orientation

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
I am sorry to have missed the concert Axis of present RT = ST = now (am) to have missed

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
I was sorry to have missed the train ST (now) Axis of present

Axis of past RT = then (= was) (RT ST) to have missed

Perfect/Perfective Meaning
She regrets having abandoned the plan RT = ST = now Axis of present (regrets) having abandoned

The Present Perfect/Perfective Meaning

Present perfect/perfective and past tense share the same time territory Present perfect/perfective differs from the simple past in relating a PAST event to a PRESENT reference time: RT = ST Where did you put my purse? (1) Where have you put my purse? (2)

The Present Perfect/Perfective Meaning

Both utterances may have the purpose to find the purse, but: (1)The speaker SEEMS to ask the addressee to remember a past action (RT ST), whereas in (2) (2)He SEEMS to concentrate on the purses present whereabouts (RT = ST)

Present Perfect / Perfective -USES 1. STATE leading up to the present

That house has been empty for ages Have you known my sister for long? The state continues at least up to the present moment - the house is still empty. Compare That house was empty for ages - you still know (meet/date) my sister

PP- USES 2. Indefinite EVENTS leading up to the present Have you (ever) been to Florence? All our children have had measles.

PP- USES 3. Habit in a period leading up to the present

Mr Terry has sung in this choir ever since he was a boy The province has suffered from disastrous floods throughout its history

Representation of meanings
ST (now) (a) state meaning (b) (indefinite) event meaning (c) habitual meaning

Connotations of a single event in an indefinite past (meaning 2)

There are three implications/connotations, particularly in BrE, in reference to a single event that happened in an indefinite past: 1) The relevant time zone leads up to the present 2) The event is recent 3) The result of the action still obtains at ST

Connotations of a single event in an indefinite past (meaning 2)

1) The speakers chooses present perfect / perfective (not past tense) if he has in mind an implicit time zone which has not yet finished

Have you seen the Javanese Art Exhibition? [yet] (the exhibition is still open) Did you see the Javanese Art Exhibition? [when it was there now, at ST, the exhibition is finished]

Connotations of a single event in an indefinite past (meaning 2)

2) (recent events) PP is often used to report a piece of news Have you heard the news? / Did you hear the news? The president has resigned.

The connotation of recency makes Bs response absurd in

A: Has the postman left any letters? B: Yes, he did six months ago

Connotations of a single event in an indefinite past (meaning 2)

3) The results of a past action still obtains at ST in the case of dynamic conclusive verbs (whose meaning implies the accomplishment of a change of state) The apples have all been eaten There are no apple left] My mother has recovered from her the illness [She is better now]

Connotations of a single event in an indefinite past (meaning 2)

Have any of the visitors arrived? [Are any of the visitors here?]

These connotations are closely connected to each other (e.g. result with recency)

Some other uses of Present Perfect/Perfective

1) In conditional sentences type I John will go home [if his wife has cooked dinner] 2) In an adverbial clause of time Well ring you as soon as he has come back from work Usual mistake *Well ring you as soon as he will come back

Some other uses of Present Perfect/Perfective

3) the verb be can be used in the present tense form with a present perfect meaning when it expresses time Its ages since I last went dancing Its five years now since they moved out of the old house 4) When we ask about the origins of things we use past tense Who wrote this song?

Adverbials associated with Present Perfect/Perfective

just recently already yet since for up to now so far etc.

American English
In AE, for these variants of indefinite past (these connotations), past tense is often preferred Did the children come home yet? I just came back You told me already Im tired. I had a long day.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

FORM HAVE/HAS BEEN + V-ing

have been reading has been crying

1) Limited duration of a happening leading up to the present Weve been living here for five years The difference between

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE USES

Weve been living here for five years and Weve lived here for five years is not felt at all by some speakers Some other verbs: stand, lie, sit

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE USES

2) the continuation of a happening to the ST or recent past (it is the context that disambiguates the interpretation) Its been snowing for a couple of days What have you been doing all day?

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE USES

3) to express a past recent happening which does not necessarily have a present result (it is not finished) Ive been cleaning the windows, but they are not finished yet However, this is no possible with present perfect *Ive cleaned the windows, but I havent finished them yet.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE USES

4) a past recent happening which has visible effects at ST Youve been fighting again [I can tell that from your black eye] Its been snowing [I can see the white ground] Have you been crying? [your eyes are red]

1) Present Perfect (Simple) Emphasis on completion (at ST, the action it is completed) I have done my homework. (Meaning: My homework is completed now.) Present perfect Progressive Emphasis on duration (how somebody has spent his time) I have been doing my homework. (Meaning: That's how I have spent my time. It does not matter whether the homework is completed now.)

Some comparative uses of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

Some comparative uses of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

2)

Present Perfect (Simple) : desired result I have washed the car. (Result: The car is clean now.) Present Perfect Progressive: unwanted side effects A: Why are you so wet? B : I have been washing the car. (side effect: I became wet when I was washing the car. It does not matter whether the car is clean now.)

Some comparative uses of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

3)

Present Perfect (Simple): since the last time I haven't played that game for years (Meaning: It's years ago that I last played that game.) Present Perfect Progr: since the beginning I haven't been playing that game for an hour, only for 10 minutes. (Meaning: It's not even an hour ago that I started to play that game. / I have been playing the game only for ten minutes / I began playing ten minutes ago)

Some comparative uses of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

4) Present perfect (Simple): permanent James has lived in this town for 10 years (Meaning: He is a permanent resident of this town.) Present Perfect Progr: temporary James has been living here for a year. (Meaning: This situation is only temporary. Maybe he is an exchange student and only here for one or two years.)

Some comparative uses of Present Perfect and Present Perfect Progressive

Signal words: 1) Present Perfect (Simple) how often how many (times) 2) Present Perfect Progressive how long since for