PRESENT
PERFECT TENSE
(I
have done)
| FORM | have or has and past participle (I have laughed, he has written) |
| USE | For an action which began in the past and reaches up to the present. |
| I have lost my pen. I am unable to do my exercises. | |
| For a past action with a present result. | |
| Father has repaired the chair. (So the chair is all right now.) | |
| SIGNAL WORDS | since, for (= seit); already, now, today, this week/month/year etc., up to now (= bisher, bis jetzt), up to the present, so far (= bisher, bis jetzt), not yet (= noch nicht); recently/lately (= neulich, in der letzten Zeit). |
| Compare | I have written
two letters this morning (said during the morning). |
SINCE and FOR with the Present Perfect Tense
SINCE means 'from some
definite POINT in the past till NOW'. It is used with the beginning
of an action (since two o'clock, since 1989, since my last birthday)
FOR means 'length of time up to NOW'. It is used for a period of time (for two weeks)
Examples:
1. Peter has been in England for
three weeks. (and he is still there)
2. John has known his friend since 1985. (and he still knows him)
3. It has rained. (the streets
are wet)
4. She has not slept well therefore (she looks tired)
All
these actions reach up to the present.