Present Perfect

Starting point
Discuss the following statements. Provide examples:

 the present perfect is a present tense (RT=ST)

 the present perfect has one single core value
 the contextual value of a Present Perfect sentence depends on the semantic properties of
the predicate
 the present perfect is incompatible with a definite ET
 the present perfect cannot advance narration
 the present perfect implies that ET has an initial boundary which is located before ST

1.Group the following sentences into three groups, according to the contextual value of the
present perfect: CONTINUATIVE and OF EXPERIENCE/RESULTATIVE:
1.We have lived here for the last ten years. 2. I have known him all my life. 3. She hasn’t left her
bed for a week. 4. I have called her my dear auntie ever since I was a little boy. 5. I have read
this book 5 times. 6. A saner and more practical man I’ve never seen. 7. I have never felt like this
before. 8. Where have I seen you before? 9. I’ve seen you on TV too. 10. For all that you’ve
suffered I beg your pardon most humbly. 11. It has left a little mark, but I expect that’ll fade
soon. 12. I hope I have made enough tomato salad. 13. You’ve woken him up. 14. I have
repaired the fence twice in the last 2 days. 15. I have repaired the fence. 16. Have you seen my
glasses?

2. Explain the difference between the present perfect simple and the present perfect
continuous in the following sentences:
1.I’ll tell you what I have longed to tell you for some time//… what I have been longing to tell
you for some time. 2. Everybody has worked bloody hard this morning.//… has been working
bloody hard this morning. 3. …what has trembled on the tip of my tongue for the last ten
days//…what has been trembling on the tip of my tongue for the last ten days. 4. My parents
have lived here ever since they got married.//We have been living here for six days. 5. Who has
eaten my porridge? ?Who has been eating my porridge? 6. She’s been lying in bed all day. //For
centuries the village has lain undisturbed beneath the shadow of Black Hills. 7. Sorry about the
mess, I have been painting the house. //I have painted two rooms since lunchtime.

3. Explain why the present perfect continuous has been used in the following sentences:
1.I have been studying English for ten years. 2. They have been building a house for two years.
3. I’ve been waiting for three days now. 4. I’ve been working in the garden, that’s why I am so
tired. 5. The patient has been eating well since his operation. 6. We’ve been getting up early this
week.
4. Explain the ungrammaticality of the starred sentences:

1.I’ve been thinking for several minutes now. // *I’ve thought for several minutes now. 2. Have
you been sitting in all day? //*Have you sat in all day? 3. I’ve been lying here for hours. // *I
have lain here for hours. 4. You’ve both been hiding this all along. //*You’ve both hidden this all
along. 5. I’ve just been passing the time. //*I’ve just passed the time. 6. I have been building this
house for the last five years. //*I have built this house for the last five years. 7. I haven’t seen
him recently./ I didn’t see him recently. / I haven’t seen him lately. / *I didn’t see him lately. 8. I
haven’t understood that so far. / *I didn’t understand that so far. 9. I certainly have had my share
of happiness during these five years past. / * I certainly had my happiness during these five years
past. 10. The play has been broadcast twice so far. /*The play was broadcast twice so far. 11. It
was a cathedral once./ *It has been a cathedral once. / I have seen it once./ I saw it once.

5. Discuss the use of the present perfect and of the past tense in the sentences below. Discuss
the role of the time adverbial.
1.She has been a teacher for five years and for two years she also attended the Art School in her
hometown. 2. She has known him only a fortnight. She danced four dances with him at M.; she
saw him one morning at his own house, and has since dined in his company four times. 3. I have
worked hard today./ I saw him today. 4. I never saw such an important person before I met him. /
I have never seen her before. 5. I never learned how to swim in my youth. 6. I always said he
would end up in jail and he did. 7. For years, after it occurred, I dreamt of it often. 8. Did you
want to see me now? . 9. Joan has received a proposal of marriage. It took us completely by
surprise. 10. London is not what it was.

6. Discuss the use of the present/past prefect versus the use of the simple present/past tense:

1.Come over and see us when our children leave./Come over and see us when our guests have
left. 2. You‘ll feel a lot better when/after you’ve had a rest/ *You’ll feel a lot better when/after
you have a rest. 3. We can go as soon as we’ve had dinner/ *We can go as soon as we have
dinner. 4. When he came/had come back from India, he was made a member of Parliament./
When he had read the letter he burned it /*When he read the letter he burned it. 5.As soon as he
discovered/had discovered them he ran away. /After she had listened to the radio she turned it
off./*After she listened to the radio she turned it off.

7.Translate into English:

A. Si-a tot vopsit părul în ultima vreme. Acum îl are roz de vreo două zile. Am tot sperat că o
să-i treacă, dar m-am înşelat. O cunosc de mulţi ani şi nu-mi amintesc să mai fi făcut chestii de
genul ăsta.Cine mi-a mîncat din plăcintă? Doar v-am rugat să nu vă atingeţi de ea. Ah! Si
borcanul de gem e gol. Cine mi-a mîncat gemul?Cine a muşcat dim para mea? Cine mi-a mîncat
din budincă?Ion mi-a mîncat toate merele. Stii cumva unde e? Ei, e la el in cameră, doarme de
vreo 3 ore. Probabil că i s-a făcut rău de la atîtea mere.Ia te uită. A stat cineva pe scaunul meu!
Şi mie mi-a băut cineva din pahar! Şi cineva mi-a folosit furculiţa!Cum de eşti aşa murdar pe
mîini? Imi pare rău, dar am vopsit uşa de la intrare. Mi-e tare rău, am băut prea mult ness.E a
treia oară că mă aflu la Londra. E oraşul meu favorit.Imi stă pe limbă de ceva vreme să o întreb
de ce ascultă pe la uşi, dar am tot amînat, de teamă să nu facă scandal. Acum ştiu sigur că se uită
pe gaura cheii de vreun sfert de oră, mă mir că n-o doare spatele.

B. – Pe unde ai fost ? il intreba tatal iar.

- Prin Rateasca. Am fost cu al lui Teican
- Treci si mananca, n-ai mancat nimic de dimineata, ii mai spuse omul. Flacaul intra in tinda si
se aseza pe prag. Apoi, deodata se scula si trecu in casa, lungindu-se repede pe pat.
- Nu mananci, Dugule ? auzi glasul mamei din tinda
-Nu , mama, nu mi-e foame , raspunse el dinlauntru. Se insera. Intr-un tarziu, dupa ce se insera
de tot, in timp ce statea la masa, Dugu auzi la poarta fluieratul lui, al lui Teican. Apoi glasul :
-Ba, Dugule ! Dugu se scula, isi lua de dupa usa un ciomag si iesi in intuneric. La poarta, celalalt
spuse incet : -Ba, l-am vazut pe Achim. Se ducea la ea. Tu i-ai spus sa nu mai iasa la el ?[…]
- I-am spus, zise Dugu, ca ne intalnim la nunta maine , la Lisandru Voicului. – Dar nu i-ai spus
ca vii acuma in seara asta la ea ! – Pai d-aia. S-o vad ce face, raspunse Dugu incet ; sa vedem….
Ia spune o fi vorbind de mult cu alde Achim Achim ? – N-avea de cand, zise al lui Teican.
Achim Achim abia s-a intors luna trecuta din armata. Dar de cand te cunoaste ea ? – Parca mi-
aduc aminte ca am jucat o data langa ea. Dar nu mai stiu. (Marin Preda-Intalnirea din
pamanturi)

8. Translate into Romanian

The Inspector raised his fingers respectfully to his peaked cap and entered the study. John saw
him go in with a strange sensation.
‘Well’ he said to Somes. ‘I suppose we must wait and see what he wants. Your uncle’s been here
about the house !’ He returned with Soames into the diningroom, but could not rest. ‘Now , what
does he want ?’ he murmured again . ‘Who ?’ replied Soames ; ‘the Inspector ? They sent him
round from Stanhope Gate, that’s all I know. That ‘nonconformist’ of Uncle Jolyon’s has been
pilfering, I shouldn’t wonder !’ But in spite of his calmness, he too was ill at ease. At the end of
ten minutes old Jolyon came in. He walked up to the table, and stood there perfectly silent
pulling st his long white moustaches. James gazed up at him with opening mouth ; he had never
seen his brother look like this.
Old Jolyon raised his hand and said slowly : ‘Young Bosinney has been run over in the fog and
killed.’ Then standing above his brother and his nephew, and looking down at them with his deep
eyes : ‘There’s some talk of suicide,’ he said. James’ jaw dropped.’Suicide ! What should he do
that for ?!’