Category: Class

Present  Perfect

FORM :  has/have +  past participle of the verb

Use

• for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They’ve known each other for nearly twelve years.
He has lived in Madrid all his life.

• for something we have done several times in the past and continue to do:

I’ve studied English ever since I was a eight.
He has traveled to different countries and he is traveling again soon.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:
I have worked here since I left school.

• when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

Note: We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:

My last trip was the worst vacation I have ever had.

Note: and we use never for the negative form:

Have you ever met Alice?
Yes, but I’ve never met her husband.

• for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of speaking:

I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.
Peter isn’t at home. I think he has gone shopping.

•  We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and returned:

A: Where have you been?
B: I’ve just been out to the store.

A: Have you ever been to New York?
B: No, but I’ve been to Las Vegas.

• But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Martha? I haven’t seen her for weeks.
B: She’s gone to Spain for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.

1. We often use the present perfect with time adverbials which refer to the recent past:

              just; only just; recently;

Scientists have recently discovered a cure for this type of illness.
My cousins have just gotten back from our trip.

• or adverbials which include the present:

            ever (in questions); so far; until now; up to now; yet (in questions and negatives)

       Have you ever eaten Indian food?
       Where have you been up to now?
       Have you finished your  project yet?
No, so far I’ve only done half of it.

Possessive – ’s

• We use apostrophes (’s), also called possessive – ’s, as a determiner to show that something belongs to someone or something:
  • Is this Maria’s bag?
  • Dubai’s buildings and structures are absolutely amazing.
• We can also use it in complex noun phrases (underlined):
  • Ben is her youngest daughter’s husband.
• We can use two possessive –’s constructions in the same noun phrase:
  • We went to Peter’s father’s farmhouse.
• We also use possessive’s to talk about time and duration:
  • Is that yesterday’s paper?
  • My family and I had two week’s vacation in Europe.

Rules for using possessive – ’s/s’

• We use’s after a singular noun and  ’ after a plural noun.

Compare

• We use ’s with irregular plural nouns (e.g. children, men, people, women):
  • The children’s parents support them well.
  • The government  protects women’s rights.
• The rules for the pronunciation of a noun with’s are the same as the rules for pronunciation of plural forms of nouns.

Compare

• When a first or second name ends in -s, we can either add ’ or ’s. It is more common to use ’ than ’s. When we speak, we usually pronounce the final part of the word as /zɪz/ or /sɪz/:

ex. Is that James’car? (or Is that James’s car?) (both usually pronounced /ˈdʒeɪmzɪz/)

    I love Keats’ poetry.(or I love Keats’s poetry.) (both usually pronounced /ˈki:tsɪz/

• With compound nouns, we add’s to the final noun:

 ex. My brother-in-law’s friend was introduced to us.  Not: My brother’s-in-law friend

• We don’t usually use the possessive’s with things:

        ex. the door handle  Not: the door’s handle

             the shop window  Not: the shop’s window

            the kitchen table  Not:the kitchen’s table

Spoken English:

• When we talk about places which are familiar to the speaker and the listener, we sometimes don’t use the noun after possessive’s:

         the hairdresser’s salon – the hairdresser’s

        the dentist’s clinic – the dentist’s

       We had to take our dog to the vet’s for some vaccines.  (the same as: We had to take our dog to the vet’s clinic for some vaccines.)

      Do you go shopping in Marks and Spencer’s?

      We decided to go to Eric’s after school. ( the same as: We decided to go to Eric’s house after school.)

• In short answers, we can omit the noun if it is not necessary to repeat it:

       A: Is that your car?

       B: No, it’s Sandra’s.

• We use possessive’s with words such as one, anyone, someone, anybody, somebody:

         It’s essential to be aware of  one’s rights.

         Is this  someone’s umbrella?

• When we use  else with these words, the ’s is added to else:

         Why didn’t you come?   Everyone else’s husband was there