1. PRESENT PERFECT
LET’S THINK BEFORE
Think of one event that you never did or could never do in your life.
I never went to the USA.
I have never been to the USA.
Think of an event that you started doing in the past (not mentioning
when) and you are still doing it.
I started working as a teacher in 2002 and I am still
doing it.
I have worked as a teacher for 11 years. / since 2002.
I have been working as a teacher for 11 years. / since
2002.

2. PRESENT PERFECT
LET’S THINK BEFORE
Think of an event that happened in the past and it
brought a result or consequence in the present.
When my daughter was born, my life changed a lot.
My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born.
Other examples using present perfect structure:
I am tired because I have worked a lot.
I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years. (since 2005).
I have been married for 7 years. / since 2005.

3. PRESENT PERFECT
ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
1. This verb tense doesn’t exist in Portuguese tense;
2. Present Perfect is associated to a past action which has
a connection with the present tense:
My life has changed a lot since my daughter was born.
3. The Present Perfect has also to do with a past action
that brings a result to the present moment:
My English has improved a lot since I started to practice it at work.
4. Depending on the situation, there’s no need to mention
a specific date. Example:
I have worked a lot yesterday! (wrong)
I worked a lot yesterday! (right)

4. PRESENT PERFECT
ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
5. A past expression is mentioned when it’s necessary to
know the beginning of an action. Example:
I have worked a lot since this morning!
6. A comparioson between the Portuguese language when
transformed in English using the Present Perfect:
Eu moro em São Bernardo há 7 anos.
I have lived in São Bernardo for 7 years.
Trabalho na (empresa) desde 2008.
I have worked for/at (company name) since 2008.
Estou casado há 10 anos.
I have been married for 10 years.
These actions had a specific beginning in the past, but it wasn’t
necessary to mention a specific date.

5. PRESENT PERFECT
ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
BEEN or GONE????
7. have+been is used to say that a person went
somewhere and returned:
I have been to Caldas Novas twice.
8. have+gone is used to say that a person went
somewhere and is still there:
Sorry, but he has already gone! He won’t come back today!

6. PRESENT PERFECT
ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
PRESENT PERFECT WORDS
Already = action finished minutes or hours ago
I have already finished the exercises (I finished them yesterday)
Just = action finished seconds ago
I have just done the exercises (I finished the exercises right now)
Yet = negative / Can be used in questions
I haven’t done the exercises yet. (I didn’t finish the exercises / I’m still doing them)
Have you finished the exercises yet?
Ever = for questions (an action that never happened in your life)
Have you ever been to Disney?
Never = for affirmatives statements (which gives negative ideas)
I’ve never been to Disney.

7. PRESENT PERFECT
ASPECTS TO BE CONSIDERED:
PRESENT PERFECT WORDS
For = for period of time
I’ve talked in English on the phone for 5 times.
I’ve worked at FORD for 5 years.
I’ve been studying English for 3 years.
Since = for months, years, weeks…
I’ve been studying English since 2003.
Also for actions that started in a specific point in the past
I’ve been working since this morning.
We haven’t talked since 3 o’clock.
Lately = for recent actions
What have you been doing lately?
Recently = for recent actions
What have you been doing recently?

8. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

9. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

10. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

11. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

12. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

13. PRESENT PERFECT
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:

14. PRESENT PERFECT
EXERCISES – since/for
SINCE I CRASHED MY CAR SINCE THE DAY I MET YOU
SINCE 1997 SINCE LAST YEAR
FOR TWO NIGHTS FOR THREE HOURS
FOR 1 CENTURY FOR 20 YEARS
FOR 2 DECADES FOR 10 MINUTES
SINCE I WAS BORN SINCE AUGUST
SINCE THE CLASS STARTED FOR TWO WEEKS
SINCE CORINTHIANS WON THE LIBERTADORES

15. PRESENT PERFECT
TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!
Write:
a place you never went to: _______________
a place you visited recently:_______________
a book you never read(/red/):_________________
a book you read(/red/) recently:_______________
a film you never saw:_________________
a film you saw recently:________________
an activity you didn't finish:___________________
an activity you finished recently:_________________
a person you don't see for a long time:_________________
a person you saw recently:__________________

16. PRESENT PERFECT
TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!
Speaking wrong English in correct Portuguese:
I never went to the USA. (Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos)
I already went to Santa Catarina.(Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina) ou
(Eu já estive em Santa Catarina)
I never read(/red/) "O menino do pijama listrado". (Eu nunca li...)
I already read(/red/) the whole Bible.(Eu já li a Bíblia inteira).
I never saw "Twilight". (Eu nunca vi...)
I already saw "Titanic". (Eu já vi...)
I don't see my cousin Patricia for a long time.(Eu não vejo minha
prima Patrícia há anos)
I just saw my friend Carlos.(Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos)

17. PRESENT PERFECT
TO MAKE IT CLEARER!!!
In Portuguese we don’t have Present Perfect as a tense, that’s why we use the past
structure.
All the sentences before should be said this way:
Eu nunca fui pros Estados Unidos = I have never been to the USA.
Eu já fui pra Santa Catarina = I have already been to Santa Catarina.
Eu nunca li ‘O menino do pijama listrado’ = I have never read(/red/) "O menino do
pijama listrado".
Eu já li a Bíblia inteira = I have already read(/red/) the whole Bible.
Eu ainda não assisti “Twilight“ = I haven't seen "Twilight“ yet.
Eu já assisti “Titabnic”. = I have already seen “Titanic”.
Eu não vejo minha prima Patrícia há anos = I haven't seen my cousin for a long time.
Acabei de ver meu colega Carlos = I have just seen my friend Carlos.
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