1. Has Paco left South Africa?

Icono de iDevice Reflexion

 

Have a look at the sentences in the Present Perfect tense Paco uses in his letter. How has Paco formed this tense?

 

 

 

Icono IDevice Important

Remember that it is very important that you perfectly know how to add suffix -ed to the bare infinitive of regular verbs to form their Past Participle. Otherwise, you will find it really difficult to use this tense, which, by the way, is very frequently used in English, as we already know.

Exactly the same can said about the Past Participle of irregular verbs, which, unfortunately, must be learnt by heart! If you didn't download the list of irregular verbs in unit one, it's time now to click on the picture in order to get it.


Since this is a compound tense (it is neither a Present Simple nor a Past Simple in which we need the verb to do), negative and interrogative sentences are very easy. Have a look at the following chart with examples from Paco's letters.

 

 

Affirmative
Negative Interrogative
I've just arrived in Freetown
I have not (haven't) just arrived in Freetown Have you just arrived in Freetown?
I've left South Africa
I have not (haven't) left South Africa Have you left South Africa?
I've come to another country
I have not (haven't) come to another country
Have you come/gone to another country?

 

Now, imagine a narrator tells what Paco has done! He would say...

 

Affirmative
Negative Interrogative
Paco has just arrived in Freetown
Paco has not (hasn't) just arrived in Freetown Has Paco just arrived in Freetown?
Paco has left South Africa
Paco has not (hasn't) left South Africa Has Paco left South Africa?
Paco has come to another country
Paco has not (hasn't) come to another country
Has Paco come/gone to another country?

  ... in the third person singular!

Icono IDevice Further knowledge

In spite of the fact that it is very easy, below you have two different files to get the information about how to form the Present Perfect tense in English. The one on the left is a presentation. On the right you will be able to watch an excellent video in which the subject is clearly explained.

 


 


Icono de iDevice Self-Assessment

Write correct sentences using the Present Perfect tense.

1. Andrés / be / to / never / Africa.

Andrés .

2. Paco / improve / English / his / quickly / very?

?

3. His parents / phone / just / him.

His .

4. They / interest / be / Anthropology / in / always.

Anthropology.

5. Paco and I / close friends / a long time / be / for.

Paco and .

  

Now we have checked the form of the Present Perfect Tense, it's time to learn to use it! Go on to next section to improve it!