PRESENT PERFECT
FORMACIÓN DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"
El "present perfect" de cualquier verbo está compuesto por dos elementos: la forma apropiada del verbo auxiliar to have (en presente) y el "past participle" del verbo principal. La forma del "past participle" de un verbo regular es raíz+ed, e.g. played, arrived, looked. En cuanto a los verbos irregulares, consulta la Tabla de verbos irregulares de la sección 'Verbos'.
| Afirmativa | ||
| Sujeto | to have | past participle |
| She | has | visited. |
| Negativa | ||
| Sujeto | to have + not | past participle |
| She | has not (hasn't) | visited. |
| Interrogativa | ||
| to have | sujeto | past participle |
| Has | she | visited? |
| Interrogativa negativa | ||
| to have + not | sujeto | past participle |
| Hasn't | she | visited? |
TO WALK, "PRESENT PERFECT"
| Afirmativa | Negativa | Interrogativa |
|---|---|---|
| I have walked | I haven't walked | Have I walked? |
| You have walked | You haven't walked. | Have you walked? |
| He, she, it has walked | He, she, hasn't walked | Has he, she, it walked? |
| We have walked | We haven't walked | Have we walked? |
| You have walked | You haven't walked | Have you walked? |
| They have walked | They haven't walked | Have they walked? |
FUNCIONES DEL "PRESENT PERFECT"
El "present perfect" se emplea para señalar un vínculo entre el presente y el pasado. El tiempo en que transcurre la acción es anterior al presente pero inespecífico y, a menudo, recae un mayor interés sobre el resultado que sobre la propia acción.
¡CUIDADO! Puede que, en tu idioma, exista un tiempo verbal con una estructura similar pero es probable que su significado NO sea el mismo.
EL "PRESENT PERFECT" SE UTILIZA PARA DESCRIBIR
- Una acción o situación iniciada en el pasado y que continúa en el presente. I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= todavía vivo allí.)
- Una acción realizada durante un periodo de tiempo aún no concluido. Shehas beento the cinema twice this week (= la semana todavía no ha terminado.)
- Una acción repetida en un periodo temporal inespecífico situado entre el pasado y el presente. We have visited Portugal several times.
- Una acción que ha concluido en un pasado muy reciente, lo que se indica mediante 'just'. I have just finished my work.
- Una acción para la cual no es importante el momento preciso en que aconteció. He has read 'War and Peace'. (= lo relevante es el resultado de la acción)
Nota: Cuando queremos dar o pedir información sobre cuándo, dónde o quién, empleamos el "simple past". Consulta cómo elegir entre el "simple past" y el "present perfect".
ACCIONES INICIADAS EN EL PASADO Y QUE CONTINÚAN EN EL PRESENTE
- They haven't lived here for years.
- She has worked in the bank for five years.
- We have had the same car for ten years.
- Have you played the piano since you were a child?
CUANDO SE HACE REFERENCIA A UN PERIODO TEMPORAL INACABADO
- I have worked hard this week.
- It has rained a lot this year.
- We haven't seen her today.
ACCIONES REITERADAS EN UN PERIODO INESPECÍFICO, ENTRE EL PASADO Y EL PRESENTE.
- They have seen that film six times
- It has happened several times already.
- She has visited them frequently.
- We have eaten at that restaurant many times.
ACCIONES CONCLUIDAS EN UN PASADO MUY RECIENTE (+JUST)
- Have you just finished work?
- I have just eaten.
- We have just seen her.
- Has he just left?
CUANDO LA DIMENSIÓN TEMPORAL NO ES RELEVANTE O CONOCIDA
- Someone has eaten my soup!
- Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
- She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.
PRESENT PERFECT + EVER, NEVER, ALREADY, YET
EVER
Los adverbios "ever" y "never" se refieren a un tiempo no identificado, anterior al presente (Have you ever visited Berlin?). "Ever" y "never" siempre se colocan antes del verbo principal (en "past participle"). "Ever" se utiliza:
EN PREGUNTAS
EJEMPLOS
Have you ever been to England?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?
Has she ever met the Prime Minister?
EN PREGUNTAS NEGATIVAS
EJEMPLOS
Haven't they ever been to Europe?
Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?
Haven't you ever eaten Chinese food?
EN ORACIONES NEGATIVAS CON "NOTHING+EVER" O "NOBODY+EVER"
EJEMPLOS
Nobody has ever said that to me before.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.
Nothing like this has ever happened to us.
CON "THE FIRST TIME"
EJEMPLOS
It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.
This is the first time I've ever been to England.
NEVER
"Never" significa nunca antes de ahora y equivale a "not (...) ever": (I have never visited Berlin)
¡CUIDADO!: "Never" y "not" no deben usarse juntos.
I have never been to Italy.
ALREADY
"Already" se refiere a una acción que ha ocurrido en un tiempo anterior al presente pero no especificado. Sugiere que no es necesario repetir la acción.
EJEMPLOS
I've already drunk three coffees this morning. (= ¡y me estás ofreciendo otro!)
Don't write to John, I've already done it.
Don't write to John, I've already done it.
También se utiliza para preguntar:
Have you already written to John?
Has she finished her homework already?
Has she finished her homework already?
"Already" puede colocarse antes del verbo principal (en "past participle") o al final de la frase:
I have already been to Tokyo.
I have been to Tokyo already.
I have been to Tokyo already.
YET
"Yet" se utiliza en oraciones negativas e interrogativas, con el significado de (no) en el periodo temporal entre el pasado y el ahora, (no) hasta el momento presente, incluido éste. Suele colocarse al final de la frase.
EJEMPLOS
Have you met Judy yet?
I haven't visited the Tate Gallery yet
Has he arrived yet?
They haven't eaten yet
I haven't visited the Tate Gallery yet
Has he arrived yet?
They haven't eaten yet
PRESENT PERFECT: FOR, SINCE
Empleando el "present perfect" podemos definir un periodo de tiempo anterior al momento presente, considerando bien su duración, caso en el que utilizamos "for" + periodo temporal,, o bien su inicio o punto de partida, caso en el que utilizamos "since" + momento concreto. "For" y "since" pueden asimismo emplearse con el "past perfect". "Since" admite únicamente tiempos verbales perfectos. "For" puede también emplearse con el "simple past".
"FOR" + PERIODO DE TIEMPO
for six years, for a week, for a month, for hours, for two hours
I have worked here for five years.
I have worked here for five years.
"SINCE" + MOMENTO CONCRETO
since this morning, since last week, since yesterday
since I was a child, since Wednesday, since 2 o'clock
I have worked here since 1990.
since I was a child, since Wednesday, since 2 o'clock
I have worked here since 1990.
"PRESENT PERFECT" CON "FOR"
She has lived here for twenty years.
We have taught at this school for a long time.
Alice has been married forthree months.
They have been at the hotel for a week.
We have taught at this school for a long time.
Alice has been married forthree months.
They have been at the hotel for a week.
"PRESENT PERFECT" CON "SINCE"
She has lived here since 1980.
We have taught at this school since 1965.
Alice has been married since March 2nd.
They have been at the hotel since last Tuesday.
We have taught at this school since 1965.
Alice has been married since March 2nd.
They have been at the hotel since last Tuesday.
