CEL 122 Present Perfect Tense

CEL 122

Grammar for Reading and Teaching.

• R. Elanthiraiyan. – 08/SL/008. • Devaka Rajamuni.– 08/SL/032.A.M.S. Attanayake– 08/SL/039.

Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka. Faculty of Social Sciences and Languages.

Content.

From the students exercise books. Rationale for selection. How to make PPT.

Examples. How do we use PPT. PPT for experience. PPT for change. PPT for continuing situation. For and since with PPT. Exercises. Quiz.

From the students exercise books.

From the students exercise books.

From the students exercise books.

Rationale for the selection

The Present Perfect Tense in an important grammar element in English but mainly due to lack of understanding of this tense the second language learner makes grammatically unacceptable mistakes.

Rationale for the Selection.

1. Present Perfect Tense (PPT), is an important tense in English, but it puts the second language learner into a complexity.

2. It is because the PPT employs concepts or ideas that are not existing in the First Language (L1).

Rationale for the Selection…

3. The structure of this tense is very simple but problem arises in using this tense.

4. Second Language ( L2), learner always tries to acquire the language through translation method. Hence, they always try to form PPT with the influence of the L1.

Rationale for the selection

1. The first reason for this is that the second language learner compare the sentence structures with the mother tongue equivalents. As a result of this comparative approach they make mistakes.

Eg. He written a letter.

For

He has written a letter.

Rationale for the selection3. Difficulties in using the past participle form of the verb in

Present Perfect Tense. This is mainly due to the lack of understanding about the

structure of this tense and overgeneralization.

• Eg- They have clean the garden. For They have cleaned the garden.

He has breaked the chair. For He has broken the chair.

Rationale for the selection

4. In making questions in Present Perfect Tense, the second language learner get it confused with the past tense question forms.

Eg. Did you washed your clothes?

For

Have you washed your clothes?

Rationale for the selection2. Some students confuse the present perfect

tense with the sentences that express the possession.

• They have a preconception that the verbs has and have is used to express the idea of possession.

• Therefore, they try to understand the Present Perfect Tense as a way of expressing possession.

Rationale for the selection

The concept of Present Perfect Tense does not exist in Sinhala or Tamil Languages, and it is not easy for a non-native learner to master this tense, mainly because the difference between Present Perfect and Past Simple is confusing for the second language learner.

How do we make PPT?

• The structure of the present perfect tense is:

Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

has/have  past participle

Here are some examples of the Present Perfect Tense:

Subject Auxiliary verb

Main verb

+ I have seen Dunhinda

+ You have eaten a mango

- She Has not been to Jaffna

- We have not played football

? Have you finished?

? Have they done it?

How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?

• This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with the present. There are basically three uses for the present perfect tense:

1.Experience

2.Change

3.Continuing situation

1. Present perfect tense for experience

• We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past.

• We are not interested in when you did something.

• We only want to know if you did it.

I have seen Dunhinda .He has lived in Jaffna.Have you been there?

We have never eaten pork.

Past Present Future

!!!

The action or state was in the past.

In my head, I have a memory now.

Connection with past: the event was in the past.Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I know something about the event; I have experience of it.

1. Present perfect tense for experience

We also use the present perfect tense to talk about a change or new information:

2. Present perfect tense for change

2. Present perfect tense for changeI have bought a car

Past Present Future

- +Last week I didn’t

have a car.Now I have a car.

Ravi has broken his leg.

Past Present Future

+ -Yesterday Ravi had a

good leg.Now Ravi has a bad

leg.

Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present.Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past.

Has the price gone up?

Past Present Future

+ -Was the price 150 Rupees yesterday?

Is the price 170 rupees today?

The police have arrested the killer.

Past Present Future

- +Yesterday the killer was

free.Now he is in prison.

Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present.Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past.

2. Present perfect tense for change

3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation

• We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation.

• This is a state that started in the past and continues in the present (and will probably continue into the future).

• This is a state (not an action). We usually use for or since with this structure.

I have worked here since June.He has been ill for 2 days.

How long have you known Ravi?

Past Present Future

…………………

The situation started in the past

It continues up to now ( it probably will continue into

future)

Connection with past: the situation started in the past.Connection with present: the situation continues in the present.

For & Since with Present Perfect Tense

• We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

• We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

• We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

For Since

A period of time A point in past time

X------------

20 minutes 6.15 pm

3 days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994

2 centuries 1800

A long time ago I left school

Ever The beginning of a time

Etc.. Etc..

Here are some examples:

•I have been here for 20 minutes.•I have been here since 9 o'clock.

•Saman hasn't called for 6 months.•Saman hasn't called since February.

•He has worked in Colombo for a long time.•He has worked in Colombo since he left school

Exercises in P.P.T.

Positive Negative Question

He has washed clothes. ________________ ________________

________________ She has not slept. ________________

________________ ________________ Has she got a pencil?

Mala has missed the bus.

________________ ________________

________________ They have not helped us.

________________

Present Perfect Tense Quizclick on the correct answer.

1. Ravi not been to France.

2. you finished your home work?

3. They gone to a party.

4. you been to India?

5. We never eaten Chinese food.

hashas havehave isis

hashas havehave isis

hashas havehave isis

hashas havehave isis

havehave hashas areare

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