Present perfect markers. Adverbs with Present Perfect: marker words and their use

It is necessary to learn to recognize and use another tense of the group Perfect - The Present Perfect Tense - present perfect tense. The very name “perfect” speaks for itself - the action has taken place, has ended.

For example: He has passed his exam. He passed the exam. That is WhatWith did you do? - passed, completed ( and not what did you do? - handed over).

Present Perfect Tense is used:

to express an action that has taken place to date and the result of which is known. e.g. I have just talked to my wife. I just talked to my wife.

1. in order to show that an action began in the past and lasted until the present moment e.g. 1) I have had a cold for a week. I've had a cold for a week now. 2) She has been at home for 10 minutes. She's home for 10 minutes. 3) Ann has loved apples since she was a little girl. Anya has loved apples since childhood.

to describe experience e.g. He has been to Spain. He visited Spain.

in order to show changes that have occurred over a period of time e.g. The government has become more interested in higher education. The government has become more interested in higher education.

to describe achievements (without specifying a specific time in the past) e.g. Our daughter has learned how to write. Our daughter learned to write. Doctors have cured many deadly diseases. Doctors have found cures for many deadly diseases.

Marker words For Present Perfect Tense:

ever- ever, in any situation, in any case e.g. Have you ever heard about it?-Have you ever heard of this?

never - never e.g. She's never been to Mexico.— She has never been to Mexico.

recently- recently; the other day, in lately. e.g. He’s been ill quite often recently.— He has been getting sick often lately.

lately- recently, recently e.g. I haven’t received any letters from him lately.

just- just now. more recently e.g. The taxi has just arrived.— The taxi has just arrived. IMPORTANT!!! With an adverb just now just now used e.g. I saw them just now. I just saw them.

alread y - already e.g. We've already told you what happened.- We already told you what happened.

yet- not yet, still (in interrogative and negative sentences) e.g. He hasn’t seen the film yet.— He hasn’t watched this film yet.

for— during, in continuation e.g. We've known each other for half a year.- We've known each other for six months.

since- since then e.g. I have held two jobs since I graduated.- I have changed two jobs since I graduated.

this week- this week, this month- this month, this year- this year, provided that they indicate more unexpired periods of time. e.g. I haven’t seen her today. I haven't seen her today.

To make sentences in Present Perfect Tense, you need to know, namely, their third form (Past Participle)

THE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Present perfect tense

Affirmative form Present Perfect Tense
+

Question form Present Perfect Tense

Structure
	you(you, you) we(We) they(They)	V3/Ved?
	he(He) she(she) it(it)
Examples		Translation
– Has your mother come?		- Has your mother come? (the speaker is interested in the result)
– Have you ever been to China?		– Have you ever been to China?
– Has he done his homework?		- He did homework?

Wh-?
Special questions in Present Perfect Tense

(start with special words)

Structure
		you(you, you) we(We) they(They)
		he(He) she(she) it(it)
Examples		Translation
What have you learned?		What have you learned?
		Where has she been?
How has he found us?		How did he find us?
Important!!! Questions that begin with the adverb When? - when, require the use of the Past Simple rather than the Present Perfect, since such questions imply a past moment or period of time. e.g. When did you leave your country? When did you leave your country?

in Present Perfect Tense

— Who has finished this task? Who completed this task? - We have. We.

— Who has sent you this e-mail? - Who sent you this letter?

Negative form
Present Perfect Tense
—

Interrogative-negative form
Present Perfect Tense
(colloquial speech)
?-

Schematically the structure of the sentence in Present Perfect Tense looks like this:

+
S + have/has + V3/Ved.

?
Have/has + S + V3/Ved?

Wh - ?
Wh + have/has + S + V3/Ved?

–
S + haven’t/hasn’t + V3/Ved.

? –
Haven’t/hasn’t + S + V3/Ved?

Exercise. Watch the video and write down all the example sentences in Present Perfect Tense. Make up your own sentences in Present Perfect Tense using the written perfect forms.

The present perfect tense is a difficult tense for a learner of English to understand. We are not accustomed to the fact that the past tense in English can be represented by a variety of options, which differ in what exactly the author emphasizes in his sentence (the time of the action, its result, duration or lack thereof). The Present Perfect tense is the present perfect tense, but, nevertheless, it is translated into Russian by a verb of the past tense, and even of the perfect form.

And the whole point is that this time just talks about events that have happened, actions that have been completed. But these actions or events have a direct connection with the present, their result affects this very present. How can one not recall the classic example of the Present Perfect: I have lost my keys. I can't open the door. (I lost my keys and can't open the door). The second is a consequence of the first, and the first, in turn, is the cause of the second. This example clearly illustrates the present perfect tense. But there are times when you wonder how to translate or understand correctly? To make the perception of time even a little easier, you should pay attention to the Present Perfect marker words in a sentence; they are an indicator of this particular time. Such markers exist in all tenses of the English language, and knowing them can be a great help in a situation when you doubt your choice of the necessary grammatical form.

Adverbs of indefinite time are what are usually companion words to the Present Perfect. These time indicators emphasize the connection of an action that began in the past and ended not so long ago with the present time. Here are the adverbs with the Present Perfect that you need to remember when studying the present perfect tense:

• ever – ever, whenever, someday;
• never - never;
• just - just, exactly, barely, just, only, completely, just, only, now;
• already – already, earlier, even;
• not...yet - still not, not yet, not yet, no, not yet;
• before – earlier, before, not yet, already, before;
• lately – long ago, recently, recently, lately;
• of late – recently, lately, recently;
• so far - already, by now, at this hour, so far, until now, up to this moment;
• recently - recently, the other day, recently, just now, not so long ago;
• by now – at the present moment;
• up to now - until now, until now.

Even looking at the meanings of these adverbs with the Present Perfect, one can already understand that they are all closely related to the present tense, although they serve to explain the actions of the past. These adverbs are placed before semantic verb, but some of them have their own usage features that need to be listed:

1. With the adverb never, the verb is used only in the affirmative form, since the sentence already contains one negation:

   I have never seen him. - I've never seen him.

2. Such present marker words Perfect, like yet, already, lately, recently, before, of late can be at the end of a sentence:

He has seen many films lately. – He has watched a lot of films lately.


He has not finished his work yet. - He hasn't finished his work yet.


He has made good progress recently. “He has made significant progress recently.”


I have seen this cartoon before. – I have seen this cartoon before.


I’ve been here for an hour already. - I've been here for an hour already.


We haven’t spoken of late. “We haven’t talked lately.”


Note that the adverb yet is used in negative sentences. By the way, the adverb ever is most often used in interrogative questions:

I haven’t had lunch yet. - I haven't had lunch yet.


Have you ever had a car accident? -Have you ever been in a car accident?


3. Adverbs so far, up to now, by now are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence (sometimes at the end):

So far, he has written ten letters to this company. – By now he has already written ten letters to this company.


Up to now, I haven’t found this book. – I still haven’t found this book.


By now, she has read fourteen novels by Stephen King. – So far, she has read fourteen Stephen King novels.


4. In the Present Perfect, the indicator words lately (lately) and just (meaning just now) are used only in the Present Perfect tense:

   The mail has just come. - The mail has just arrived.

   I've just heard this news. – I just heard the news.

And if we encounter the combination just now, then we must choose the simple past tense Past Simple:

She was here just now. - She was just (this minute) here.


5. When we use such an adverb with the Present Perfect as recently, we mean “recently” (for a short period of time before the present). Here we definitely take the forms of the present perfect tense:

   I haven’t heard from her recently. “I haven’t heard from her lately.”

If we need to use this adverb recently in a sentence meaning “not long ago”, we turn to the tense form of the simple past tense (Past Simple):

I started painting only recently. – I started drawing not so long ago.


We met quite recently. – We met quite recently.

They are divided into 4 groups: simple (Simple/Indefinite), continuous (Continuous/Progressive), perfect (Perfect) and continuous perfect ( Perfect Continuous) times. What will help us choose the right option?

Marker words tenses in English help to correctly determine the tense form, so it is recommended to learn them by heart. With an asterisk* Ambiguous time indicators that may occur in different cases are marked.

Table of satellite words for all tenses of the English language

Used to describe actions in the present that occur regularly, with repetition, and not just at the moment of speech. Used to describe a routine, schedule, habits, etc.

Usually- usually
I usually wake up at 7 o’clock. I usually wake up at 7 o'clock.
Always- Always
Alice always gets good marks at school. Alice always gets good grades at school.
Often- often
Terry often drinks tea in the morning. Terry often drinks tea in the morning.
Every day / morning / week – every day/every morning/every week
Every week Rob goes to the gym. Rob goes to the gym every week.
Sometimes / from time to time / occasionally - Sometimes
Sometimes I visit my Granny in the suberbs of Moscow. Sometimes I visit my grandmother in the suburbs of Moscow.
At the weekend / on weekends / on Saturdays / on Friday – On weekends / Saturdays / Fridays
We have a party on Fridays. On Fridays we have a party.
Seldom/rarely- rarely
We rarely go to the swimming pool. We rarely go to the pool.
Never* / hardly ever– never / almost never
Ann never watches horror films. Ann never watches horror films.

2. Companion words Past Simple

Used to describe actions that happened in the past.

Yesterday– yesterday
Yesterday we were at home. Yesterday we were at home.
A week / a year ago– a week/year ago
Alex moved to the USA a week ago. Alex moved to the USA a week ago.
Last month/year– last month/year
Last month Fred sold his car. Last month Fred sold his car.
When*- When
I was in the kitchen, when you came. I was in the kitchen when you came.

3. Future Simple satellite words

Used to describe actions that will occur in the uncertain future.

Tomorrow- Tomorrow
Tomorrow Jared will go to London. Jared is leaving for London tomorrow.
Next month/year– next month/year
Jack will finish school next year. Jack will graduate from school next year.
In…days/years– in … days/years
Ronald will arrive in 2 days. Ronald will arrive in 2 days.

4. Companion words Present Continuous

Used to describe actions that take place in at the moment, at the moment of speech.

Now- Now
Mary is playing the guitar now. Now Mary plays the guitar.
At the moment- at the moment
The refrigerator isn’t working at the moment. The refrigerator is not working at the moment.
Still*– still
John is still washing the dishes. John is still washing the dishes.

5. Companion words Past Continuous

Used to describe actions that occurred at some point or period in the past.

From…till…*- from... to...
Helen was watching a movie at the cinema yesterday from 5 till 7. Helen yesterday watched a movie at the cinema from 5 to 7.
– all day
He was working hard all day long. He worked hard all day.

6. Future Continuous satellite words

Used to describe actions that will occur at a specific moment or period in the future.

from…till…*- from... to...
Tony will be working in the office tomorrow from 9 to 11 o’clock. Tony will work in the office tomorrow from 9 to 11 o'clock.
All day long* / for the whole day* – all day
He will be writing an article all night long. He will write the article all night.

7. Companion words Present Perfect

Used to describe actions that have completed at the time of speech or the present as a whole.

Just- just now
Harry has just made a cake. Harry has just made a cake.
Already- already
I have already done my homework. I've already done my homework.
Yet– still
Liza hasn’t chosen the flowers yet. Lisa still hasn't chosen flowers.
Since- With
I haven’t played football since finishing the university. I haven't played football since graduating from university.
Recently- recently
Sally has recently been at the theater. Sally was recently at the theater.
Never* / ever*– never / ever
I have never been to London. I've never been to London.

8. Companion words Past Perfect

Used to describe an action that was completed at some point in the past.

Before* / after*– before / after
I had brushed my teeth before I went to bed. I brushed my teeth before going to bed.
By*- To
Ann had spoken with her boss at 12 o’clock yesterday. Yesterday at 12 o'clock Ann spoke to her boss.

9. Future Perfect satellite words

Used to describe actions that will last until a specific point or period in the future.

By*- To
I will have been finished my project by the end of the month. I will finish my project by the end of the month.
Before*– up to
Chris will have found a job before Christmas. Chris will find a job before Christmas.

10. Word markers of Perfect Continuous tenses

As the name suggests, the band's Perfect Continuous times are a mixture of Perfect and Continuous. Therefore, their function is a long-term action that led to a result in the past / present / future.

for*– within
I had been reading for 5 hours. I've been reading for 5 hours already.
I have been reading for 5 hours. I've been reading for 5 hours already.
I will have been reading for 5 hours. I'll be reading for 5 hours already.

WARNING: marker words are not a panacea! As we see, some of them occur in several times at once. Often this can be explained like this: take the phrase “from ... till …” and see that it is a sign of the duration of an action, and duration can be in the past, present and future tenses. However, the presence of a companion word is a very good sign of the correct tense form.

Time markers in Present Simple
Present Simple tense indicators

When we speak in the present tense, we often say words such as today, often, every day, morning, etc. These words indicate exactly when the action is performed and with what regularity. We will call such words temporary indicators or temporary markers. They appear very often in speech and it is simply necessary to remember them. Sometimes they may be accompanied by various prepositions and articles, which must also always be taken into account.

Our work on this topic will consist of separately considering various temporary indicators and giving examples of sentences with them. The task is to learn how to use them independently in speech.

1) Today - Today

Today I"m very busy - Today I am very busy
We have a party today - Today we have a holiday
What do you want to eat today?- What do you want to eat today?

Pay attention to where the word today is, because it cannot be placed in any part of the sentence. Basically, in affirmative and negative sentences, this tense indicator is placed at the beginning or at the end. In an interrogative sentence - at the end. The word order in English and Russian is different.

Try saying it yourself:

We have a lot of work today
Today Mark is not very tired
Do you want to go to the concert today?

2) Every day- every day

I go to school every day - I go to school every day
We do our homework every day - We do homework every day
She doesn't work every day - She doesn't work every day
Do you play tennis every day? - Do you play tennis every day?

The expression every day often appears at the end of a sentence, but can sometimes appear at the beginning.

Say it yourself:

Every day I eat meat
Do you cook every day?
My friends watch TV every day

Of course, instead of the word day in this expression, you can substitute words such as month, year, Monday, summer, etc., and we will get new temporary values.

Every week - Every week
Every month - Every month
Every year - Every year
Every Saturday - Every Saturday
Every spring - Every spring

Say in English:

Every year I go to the village
We buy food every week
The trees are yellow every autumn

3) Always- Always

She always speaks very loudly - She always speaks very loudly
I always buy cheap flights - I always buy cheap plane tickets
You are always so beautiful - You are always so beautiful
I"m always glad to see you - I'm always glad to see you
Do you always go to school by bus?- Do you always go to school by bus?

Always is placed before the verb in all cases, with the exception of the verb to be. If the verb to be is used, then always comes after it.

I always watch news- I always watch the news
I am always tired after work- I'm always tired after work

She always reads novels - She always reads novels
She is always very friendly - She is always very friendly

In interrogative and negative sentences, always always comes after the auxiliary verb don"t or doesn"t and before the semantic verb. In cases with the verb to be - after the subject and predicate.

Do you always understand Americans?- Do you always understand Americans?
Is he always at home?- Is he always at home?
We don't always go by car- We don’t always travel by car

Say it yourself:

We always work hard
Your friend is always late
Mary always sings in the bathroom
Do you always eat at a restaurant?

4) Often- often

Most often, the word often is pronounced the same way it is written. However, sometimes the [t] sound may be dropped.

I often sing songs in English - I often sing songs in English
Often my friend and I do our homework together- Me and my friend often do homework together
Sandra goes to the church very often- Sandra goes to church very often
Winters in Moscow are often very cold- Winters in Moscow are often very cold

Usually the word often comes before a verb unless the verb is to be. If this is a verb to be, then often is placed after it. However, sometimes often can also come at the beginning of a sentence. Often appears at the end of a sentence if it is preceded by the word very.

The baby cries very often - The baby cries very often

Say it yourself:

Children often eat ice cream
Mary and I often go to the cinema together

The word order in interrogative and negative sentences is the same as always.

Do you often write with errors?- Do you often write with mistakes?
He doesn´t often play computer games- He doesn’t often play computer games
Are these lessons often so boring?- Are these lessons often so boring?

5) Usually- usually

We usually eat popcorn when we watch films- We usually eat popcorn when we watch movies.
Patrick is usually very busy, but today he is free- Patrick is usually very busy, but today he is free
Does she usually read books in the original?- Does she usually read books in the original?

The word order with usually is the same as with always and often.

Say it yourself:

My mom usually prefers tea
I usually write short messages
Do you usually drink juice or milk?

6) Sometimes- Sometimes

Sometimes I go to the river - Sometimes I go to the river
Sometimes we play basketball near school- Sometimes we play basketball near school

This tense marker is usually placed at the beginning of a sentence.

Sometimes Sam goes to an expensive supermarket
I sometimes wash dishes in cold water

7) Seldom- rarely

Cindy rarely goes to the gym - Cindy rarely goes to the gym
David flies to Miami very rarely- David flies to Miami very rarely

Seldom also has the same word order as always, often and usually. Along with the adverb often, rarely is also placed at the end of a sentence if it is preceded by very.

Say it yourself in English:

I rarely drive a car
We rarely watch films in English
Frank very rarely eats in a restaurant

8) on Monday , on Tuesday , on Wednesday- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

If we want to say that we are doing something on a certain day of the week, we must put the preposition on before each day.

On Sunday we stay at home - On Sunday we stay at home
I don"t work on Saturday - I don’t work on Sunday
She has many classes on Tuesday- She has a lot of lessons on Tuesday
Do you sleep well on Saturday?- Do you sleep well on Saturday?
Alex doesn't go to the gym on Thursday- Alex doesn't go to the gym on Thursday

These tense markers are placed at the beginning or end of an affirmative sentence and at the end of interrogative and negative sentences.

Say it yourself in English:

On Tuesday I work nine hours
Sarah learns Spanish on Monday
On Friday they play tennis
What are you doing on Thursday?

To say in the plural on Mondays, on Tuesdays, etc., you just need to add the plural ending -s to the day of the week.

on Monday s- on Mondays
on Sundays - on Sundays

The weekend expression can often come in handy. However, British English and American English use different prepositions

British English:
at the weekend - on the weekend
at weekends - on weekends

American English:
on the weekend - on the weekend
on weekends - on weekends

9) in January, in February- in January, in February

The preposition in is used with months.

In June I finish my studies - In June I finish my studies
Travis wants to buy a new house in September- Travis wants to buy a new house in September
Do you study in August? -Are you studying in August?
We don't have holidays in April- We don’t have holidays in April

The word order here is the same as in the case of days of the week - in affirmative sentences, the month is either at the beginning or at the end. In negatives and interrogatives - at the end.

Say it yourself:

We are going to Italy in July
Peter doesn't study in October
What are you doing in December?

10) in the summer , in the spring- summer, spring

The matter with the seasons is just as simple. We use the preposition in and the definite article.

in the winter - in winter
in the spring - in the spring
in the summer - in the summer
in the autumn - in the fall

Although the definite article in these constructions is an optional element. Many native English speakers do without it and say:

in winter
in spring
in summer
in autumn

Both options are correct, and the choice of how to speak is up to you. Our advice is to get used to both forms.

In the summer we swim in the river- In the summer we swim in the river
In winter we play snowballs - In winter we play snowballs

The word order for seasons is the same as for months.

In American English there is a word that is often said instead of autumn. This is the word fall.

In fall I wear a coat - in the fall I wear a coat

Say it yourself:

In winter my friends and I play hockey
In the summer my parents live in the village
Lots of yellow leaves in autumn
His birthday is not in February

11) in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening - morning, afternoon, evening

Let us now consider expressions related to the time of day.

in the morning - in the morning
in the afternoon - during the day (after noon)
in the evening - in the evening
at night - at night

Almost all of these expressions come with the preposition in and the definite article. At night stands out. This moment must be remembered.

In the morning I clean my teeth- In the morning I brush my teeth
My family and I watch TV in the evening- In the evening, my family and I watch TV.
We don"t sleep a lot at night - We don’t sleep very much at night
What do you usually do in the afternoon?- What do you usually do during the day?

As can be seen from the examples, the word order remains the same as in the cases with seasons, months and days of the week.

Say it yourself in English:

I sleep well at night
In the evening she washes the dishes
During the day they are in kindergarten

12) at 7 o"clock- at 7 o'clock

In the last section, we touched on the topic of time in English and learned to say what time it is. However, to say It's seven o'clock now And I get up at seven o'clock- two slightly different proposals.

It "s seven (o" clock) - It's seven (o'clock)
I wake up at seven (o"clock) - I get up at seven (o'clock)

In the second case, the preposition at is placed before the numeral. Don't forget this and don't mix up the prepositions. Don't say: I wake up at seven o'clock.

Let's look at example sentences:

My work begins at nine o'clock- Work starts at nine o'clock
The children come home at five- The children come home at five

Most often, this tense indicator is placed at the end of the sentence.

To ask a question What time does your work start? we need to use the interrogative combination What time? (At what time?)

What time does your work begin?- What time does your work start?
What time do the children come home?- What time do the children come home?

If we want to clarify the time of day when the action takes place, then we can remember the previous point and say:

I wake up at seven o"clock in the morning- I get up at seven o'clock in the morning
The class finishes at six o"clock in the evening- The lesson ends at six o'clock in the evening

You can also refer to the generally accepted Latin abbreviations a.m. and p.m.

The English language is “rich” in its tenses. It is quite difficult to remember all the cases of their use, but time indicators come to the rescue. Today the focus is on present perfect indicator words.

Present Perfect tense

Present Perfect or Present Perfect is one of the confusing tenses for those learning English. The reason is understandable - there is no such time in the Russian language, so draw a parallel and understand what it’s about we're talking about impossible.

The Present Perfect tense is formed using two verbs: auxiliary have/has and main in 3rd form. Auxiliary verbs are not translated and changed:

has for he (he), she (she), it (it), and have - for I (I), you (you), we (we), they (they).

The main verb is translated on the contrary and does not change. The only thing is that the 3rd form for regular verbs is verb + ending -ed (to watch - watched, to use - used, to smile - smiled), and for irregular ones - the 3rd column from the table of irregular verbs (to be - been, to hear - heard, to bring - brought):

It is a pity, but I have never been to Paris - It’s a pity, but I’ve never been to Paris.

He has brought beautiful flowers today - He brought beautiful flowers today.

Meaning

As can be seen from the examples, this tense form is translated into Russian using verbs in the past tense. It turns out that in meaning the Past Simple is very close to the Present Perfect. And yet there is a difference between them. Unlike the Past Simple (Simple Past), which describes ordinary, repeated actions in the past, the Present Perfect tense (Present Perfect) invites you to “plunge” into past events, the result of which affects the present:

TOP 4 articleswho are reading along with this

She has already cooked her dinner. It smells tasty - She has already prepared lunch. Smells delicious.

From this example it is clear that the first action (has cooked) became the cause of the second (smells - smells), and the second was a consequence of the first. It seems that everything is simple and clear. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. More complex cases and rules are hidden under the “dark water”, and it is not always possible to detect them. It's time to take advantage of the tips that the English language itself offers free of charge - in words Present markers Perfect.

Words-satellites of time

Present Perfect Time Markers refer to adverbs of time that answer the question “When?”, indicate that an event occurred in an unspecified period, and emphasize the connection of the past with the present. These include time indicators:

The tense indicators yet (yet) and before (before) are used only at the end of the sentence.

• Already- already (The teacher has already explained a difficult grammar rule - The teacher has already explained a difficult grammar rule);
• Just– just now, just right (My son has just finished drawing his first picture - My son just finished drawing his first picture);
• Ever- ever (Have you ever seen the ocean? - Have you ever seen the ocean?);
• Never- never (She has never mentioned his name - She never mentioned his name);
• Before- before, before (This artist has painted only women before - This artist painted only women before);
• Recently- recently, recently (He has helped many immigrants recently - Recently he helped many immigrants);
• Not...yet- not yet, still not (The police has not arrested him yet - The police have not arrested him yet);
• Lately- recently, a long time ago, recently (My father has lately made much for me - My father has recently done a lot for me);
• So far- at this hour, by now, up to this moment, already (His progress in studies has so far been slow - His progress in studies up to this point was slow);
• By now- by now (My son has read much by now - By now, my son has read a lot);
• Up to now- until now, until now (She has not known his name up to now - Until now she did not know his name);