A.
Study this example situation:
Tom is
looking for his key. He can't find it.
He has
lost his key. (present perfect)
This
means that he doesn't have his key now.
Ten
minutes later:
Now Tom
has found his key. He has it now.
Has he
lost his key? (present perfect)
No, he
hasn't. He has found it.
Did he
lose his key? (past simple)
Yes, he
did.
He lost
his key (past simple)
but now
he has found it. (present perfect)
The
present perfect is a present tense. It always tells us something about now.
'Tom has lost his key' = he doesn't have his key now (see Unit 7).
The past
simple tells us only about the past. If somebody says 'Tom lost his key', we
don't know whether he has it now or not. We only know that he lost it at some
time in the past.
Two more
examples:
* Jack
grew a beard but now he has shaved it off. (so he doesn't have a beard now)
* They
went out after lunch and they've just come back. (so they are back now)
B.
Do not use the present perfect if there is no connection with the present (for
example, things that happened a long time ago):
* The
Chinese invented printing. (not 'have invented')
* How
many plays did Shakespeare write? (not 'has Shakespeare written')
*
Beethoven was a great composer. (not 'has been')
Compare:
*
Shakespeare wrote many plays.
* My
sister is a writer. She has written many books. (she still writes books)
C.
We use the present perfect to give new information (see Unit 7). But if we
continue to talk about it, we normally use the past simple:
* A: Ow!
I've burnt myself.
B: How
did you do that? (not 'have you done')
A: I
picked up a hot dish. (not 'have picked')
* A:
Look! Somebody has spilt milk on the carpet.
B: Well,
it wasn't me. I didn't do it. (not 'hasn't been ... haven't done')
A: I
wonder who it was then. (not 'who it has been')
EXERCISES
13.1
What has happened in these situations?
1. Jack
had a beard. Now he hasn't got a beard. He has shaved off his beard.
2. Linda
was here five minutes ago. Mow she's in bed. She ---
3. The
temperature was 25 degrees. Now it is only 17. The temperature ---
4. The
light was off. Now it is on. Somebody ---
5. The
tree was only three metres high. Now it is four. The tree ---
6. The
plane was on the runway a few minutes ago. Now it is in the air.
The
plane ---
13.2
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form, present perfect or past simple.
1.
'Where's your key?' 'I don't know. I've lost it.' (lose)
2. I was
very tired, so I lay down on the bed and went to sleep. (be)
3. Mary
--- to Australia for a while but she's back again now. (go)
4.
'Where's Ken?' 'He --- out. He'll be back in about an hour.' (go)
5. I did
German at school but I --- most of it. (forget)
6. I
meant to phone Diane last night but I --- (forget)
7. I ---
a headache earlier but I feel fine now. (have)
8. Look!
There's an ambulance over there. There --- an accident. (be)
9.
They're still building the new road. They --- it. (not/finish)
10. 'Is
Helen still here?' 'No, she --- out.' (just/go)
11. The
police --- three people but later they let them go. (arrest)
12. Ann
--- me her address but I'm afraid I --- it. (give, lose)
13.
Where's my bike? It --- outside the house. It --- (be, disappear)
14. What
do you think of my English? Do you think I ---? (improve)
13.3
Are the underlined parts of these sentences right or wrong? Correct the ones
that are wrong.
1. Do
you know about Sue? _She's given up_ her job. RIGHT
2. The
Chinese _have invented_ printing. WRONG: The Chinese invented
3. How
many plays _has Shakespeare written?_ ---
4. _Have
you read_ any of Shakespeare's plays? ---
5.
Aristotle _has been_ a Greek philosopher. ---
6. Ow!
_I've cut_ my finger. It's bleeding. ---
7. My
grandparents _have got_ married in London. ---
8. Where
_have you been born?_ ---
9. Mary
isn't at home. _She's gone shopping._ ---
10.
Albert Einstein has been the scientist who _has developed_ the theory of
relativity. ---
13.4
(Section C) Put the verb into the most suitable form, present perfect or past
simple.
1. A:
Look! Somebody has split (spill) coffee on the carpet.
B: Well,
it wasn't (not/be) me. I didn't do (not/do) it.
2. A:
Ben --- (break) his leg.
B:
Really? How --- (that/happen)?
A: He
--- (fall) off a ladder.
3. A:
Your hair looks nice. --- (you/have) a haircut?
B: Yes.
A: Who
--- (cut) it? --- (you/go) to the hairdresser?
B: No, a
friend of mine --- (do) it for me.
