USO DEL PRESENT PERFECT TENSE 1: Azioni che sono cominciate nel passato e che continuano ancora Il Present Perfect viene spesso usato per un'azione che è cominciata in qualche momento nel passato e che sta ancora continuando ora. Spesso si usano le preposizioni for (con un periodo di tempo) e since (con un momento preciso nel tempo) assieme al Present Perfect. He has lived in Canada for five years. Ha cominciato a vivere in Canada 5 anni fa e ci vive ancora oggi She has worked at the University since 1994. Ha cominciato a lavorare all'università nel 94 e ci lavora ancora oggi 2: Azioni che sono avvenute nel passato in un periodo imprecisato Talvolta è importante dire che qualcosa è avvenuta o meno, ma non è altrettanto importante, o non si sa, quando è avvenuta. Anche in questo caso si può usare il Present Perfect usando avverbi come already, yet, ever o never. Questi avverbi vanno di solito prima del participio passato all'interno della frase. I've already seen that film. I don't want to see it again. Non importa quando l' ho visto Have you ever been to Germany? Non importa quando sei stato in Germania, voglio solo sapere se ci sei stato o no 3: Azione che sono accadute nel passato, ma hanno un effetto nel presente Quest'uso è un po' più raro rispetto agli altri due. In questo caso l'azione avviene in qualche periodo nel passato, ma il suo effetto si fa ancora sentire al presente. E' più facile comprendere quest'uso se paragoniamo le frasi con il Present Perfect a quelle con il Simple Past. TEMPO FRASE SIGNIFICATO Present perfect I've lost my keys. Non ho ancora trovato le chiavi Simple past I lost my keys yesterday. Probabilmente le ho già ritrovate.
Present perfect She's broken her arm. Il braccio è ancora ferito Simple past She broke her arm. Il braccio è probabilmente già guarito Ecco una breve rivisitazione della costruzione e dell'uso del Present Perfect Il present perfect si usa quando il periodo di tempo non è ancora concluso I have seen three movies this week. (Questa settimana non è ancora finita) Il present perfect si usa spesso quando il periodo di tempo non viene menzionato Gerry has failed his exam again. Il present perfect si usa spesso quando il periodo di tempo è recente Mary has just arrived in Rome. Il present perfect viene spesso usato con for e since. Greg has lived here for 20 years. Greg has lived here since 1978. Il present perfect si forma così: have + past participle Ecco le differenze tra il Present Perfect Tense e il Simple Past Tense. 1 Il present perfect viene usato quando il periodo di tempo non è finito Il simple past viene usato quando il periodo di tempo è finito I have seen three movies this week. (Questa settimana non è ancora finita.) I saw three movies last week. (La scorsa settimana è finita) 2 Il present perfect viene spesso usato quando si danno notizie recenti Il simple past viene spesso usato quando si da' un'informazione più datata Martin has crashed his car again. (Questa è una nuova informazione) Martin crashed his car last year. (Questa è una vecchia notizia.) 3 Il present perfect viene usato quando il tempo non è specificato Il simple past viene usato quando il tempo è specificato I have seen that movie already. (Non sappiamo quando) I saw that movie on Thursday. (Sappiamo esattamente quando) 4 Il present perfect viene usato con for e since, quando le azioni non sono ancora finite Il simple past viene usato con for e since, quando le azioni sono già finite I have lived in London for five years. (Vivo ancora a Londra) I lived in London for five years. (Non vivo a Londra oggi)
Simple Past / Present Perfect 1. A: Did you like the movie "Star Wars"? B: I don't know. I (see, never) that movie. 2. Sam (arrive) in San Diego a week ago. 3. My best friend and I (know) each other for over fifteen years. We still get together once a week. 4. Stinson is a fantastic writer. He (write) ten very creative short stories in the last year. One day, he'll be as famous as Hemingway. 5. I (have, not) this much fun since I (be) a kid. 6. Things (change) a great deal at Coltech, Inc. When we first (start) working here three years ago, the company (have, only) six employees. Since then, we (expand) to include more than 2000 full-time workers. 7. I (tell) him to stay on the path while he was hiking, but he (wander) off into the forest and (be) bitten by a snake. 8. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) the bus this morning. You (be) late to work too many times. You are fired! 9. Sam is from Colorado, which is hundreds of miles from the coast, so he (see, never) the ocean. He should come with us to Miami. 10. How sad! George (dream) of going to California before he died, but he didn't make it. He (see, never) the ocean. 11. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) much easier and very comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) two or three months to cross North America by covered wagon. The trip (be) very rough and often dangerous. Things (change) a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours. 12. Jonny, I can't believe how much you (change) since the last time I (see) you. You (grow) at least a foot! 13. This tree (be) planted by the settlers who (found) our city over four hundred years ago.
14. This mountain (be, never) climbed by anyone. Several mountaineers (try) to reach the top, but nobody (succeed, ever). The climb is extremely difficult and many people (die) trying to reach the summit. 15. I (visit, never) Africa, but I (travel) to South America several times. The last time I (go) to South America, I (visit) Brazil and Peru. I (spend) two weeks in the Amazon, (hike) for a week near Machu Picchu, and (fly) over the Nazca Lines. Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change) a great deal. The first computers (be) simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not) much memory and they (be, not) very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do) very little. Most computers (be) separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games. Times (change). Computers (become) powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create) a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become) faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also) on the Internet and (begin) communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start) to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve) into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.
Complete the memo with the past simple or present perfect forms of the verbs in brackets. MEMO TO: Peter Schofield FROM: Jaqueline Delacroix DATE: 5th July RE.: COUNTERFEITING I'm worried about the sales of the range of fragrances we launched (launch) two years ago. In the first year, sales...(increase) steadily. However, since the beginning of this year, sales, (fall) by almost 10%. The reason for this is clear. Several firms in SE Asia.(copy) our designs and are now flooding the French Market with them. This.(become) a serious problem. Last month, I..(Organise) a team of investigators. Up to now, they.(find) many counterfeit goods, which the police (seize)and impounded. Yesterday, I.(contact) several firms who.(inform)me that they.(have) similar problems. They all (lose) sales because of counterfeiting. J.D. WORK IN PAIRS. ROLE PLAY EITHER THE FASHION DESIGNER OR THE GENERAL MANAGER. Fashion Designer Your are a self-employed young fashion designer at the start of your career. A large store is selling T-shirts which look Exactly the same as some of your new designs team which you haven't sold yet. student You meet the general manager of the store to make your complaint and ask for financial compensation. General Manager You are going to meet a young Designer who thinks you have stolen their designs. It is quite common for the store's design to get ideas for products from fashion shows and art school exhibitions. Be sympathetic, but admit nothing.