1V - grammar unit 7

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 1

Grammar Focus:
the Present Perfect

1V

What grammar do you need to know?

• Present Perfect with ever/never
• Present Perfect with just/already/yet

Comparison between the forms

Present simple: to talk about regular activities, states and permanent situations, and preferences: I have breakfast at 7 o’clock. 

Present continuous: to talk about activities and events taking place at the moment of speaking, and temporary situations: The manager is talking to the customer.

Past simple: to talk about activities and events that started and ended in the past: Yesterday we played tennis in the garden.

Present perfect: to talk about actions and events which ended in the past but we don’t know or it’s not important when exactly they happened: I have never swum there.

When do we use the Present Perfect?

• We use the Present Perfect to talk about actions and events which ended in the past but we don’t know or it’s not important when exactly they happened.

- Kate has swum in the ocean.

- Have you ever travelled by plane?

Present Perfect: how do I make it?

• We form the Present Perfect with the auxiliary verb (hulpwerkwoord) have/has and the past participle (voltooid deelwoord) form of the main verb.

- Example in Dutch: Ze zijn naar huis gegaan.

- Example in English: They have gone home.

Present Perfect: spelling rules

• Regular verbs: you use the past form of the verb with -ed, just like we practised with the past simple. (she has walk-ed)

• Irregular verbs: here you need to look at the irregular verbs list. The last row is the past participle (swim-swam-swum): She has never swum to the other island.

1. What is the past participle of the verb to buy?

1. buyed
2. buying
3. buied
4. bought

2. What is the past participle of the verb to work?

1. working
2. work
3. worked
4. workeed

Present Perfect: never and ever

• Lastly, we often use ever and never in the Present Perfect.
   

• We use ever in questions: Have you ever been camping?

• We use never in negatives: Our teacher has never taken us on a school trip.

When do we use ever?

When do we use never?

questions

negatives

Comparison between the forms

Present simple: to talk about regular activities, states and permanent situations, and preferences: I have breakfast at 7 o’clock. 

Present continuous: to talk about activities and events taking place at the moment of speaking, and temporary situations: The manager is talking to the customer.

Past simple: to talk about activities and events that started and ended in the past: Yesterday we played tennis in the garden.

Present perfect: to talk about actions and events which ended in the past but we don’t know or it’s not important when exactly they happened: I have never swum there.

3. What form is used here: I have been walking home.

1. past simple
2. present perfect
3. present continuous
4. present simple

4. What form is used here: I had a dog when I was younger.

1. past simple
2. present perfect
3. present continuous
4. present simple

5. What form is used here: I have never sung a song by Queen.

1. past simple
2. present perfect
3. present continuous
4. present simple

Let's practice now!

Use the words in the box to make the present perfect form!

Don't forget to use a dot (.) at the end of the sentence.

1. (I / study / French)

2. (She / eat / octopus)

3. (They / never/ go / to Scotland)

4. (She / not / meet / my mother)

Let's make exercises together!

Please go to page 117 of your Focus book
and make exercises 1-3.