42 Triggers for PRESENT PERFECT -- "HAVE" Tense Flashcards
The PRESENT PERFECT:
For example, if you went to the bank this morning, then this action has happened in this day (today). Since today isn’t over yet, you need to use the present perfect tense.
Started recently and continues into the present moment.
There are a lot of nuances and questions that can arise around this topic. For instance, you may think that you are now in the afternoon and the morning is over so this would call for the preterite. But, this isn’t the case. The key is to notice the word “this”.
If something happened yesterday morning, then the word “yesterday” would call for the preterite.
But the event happened “this” morning which means you need to use the present perfect.
Since the present perfect requires an event to start (often recently) and continue into the present moment,
then all phrases that trigger the present perfect will imply this timeline for the events of the sentence.
Whenever you want to talk about something that has happened today, you should use the present perfect.
- Today – Hoy
Today, I went to the gym.
Hoy, he ido al gimnasio.
We finished our last exam today.
Hemos terminado nuestro último examen hoy. –el examen
Even if something happened this morning and you are currently in the middle of the afternoon you still need to use the present perfect.
- This morning, this afternoon, this evening
Esta mañana, esta tarde, esta noche
This morning I woke up at six.
Esta mañana me he levantado a las seis.
This afternoon we ate in the park.
Esta tarde hemos comido en el parque.
- This week, this month, this year –
- Esta semana, este mes, este año
This month I have been very busy.
Este mes he estado muy ocupado.
My parents returned from vacation this week.
Mis padres han vuelto de sus vacaciones esta semana.
- Lately, recently –
Últimamente, recientemente
I recently met an amazing girl.
Recientemente, he conocido a una chica increíble.
I recently realised what I have to do to solve this problem.
Últimamente he dado cuenta de lo que tengo que hacer para resolver este problema.
- Never, ever –
Nunca, jamás
The next three phrases extend to timeframes that expand across your whole life and, again, continue into the present moment.
If you have “never” tried something, this is as true in the present moment as it was when you were born.
I have never tried octopus.
Nunca he probado el pulpo.
He has never written anything like that.
Él jamás ha escrito nada así.
- Already, still –
Ya, todavía
If you “still” haven’t done something or it is “already” done, then the action continues into the present moment.
Ya Todavía
You still haven’t gone to the doctor?
¿Todavía no has ido al médico?
I have already done exercise.
Ya he hecho el ejercicio
If you aren’t talking about the event itself (the point in time) when you did exercise, you are just simply stating the fact that it has “already been done” by you, then you need to use the present perfect.
This is because the “already been done” continues into the present even though the exercise finished sometime ago.
- All my life, in my life –
Similar to the “never” and “already” triggers, “all my life” triggers the present perfect.
Toda mi vida, en la vida.
I haven’t heard something so strange in my life.
No he oído algo tan extraño en mi vida.
All my life I haven’t left the country.
Toda mi vida no he salido del país.
- Sometime, a few times, several times, # times –
If you are counting the number of times you have done something, you should use the present perfect.
Alguna vez, algunas veces, varias veces, # veces
I have tried to stop smoking several times.
He intentado dejar de fumar varias veces.
In real life
en la vida real (Not Present Perfect)
in daily life
en la vida cotidiana (Not Present Perfect)
en la vida diaria