The present perfect Flashcards
What is the present perfect?
Even though this tense is called the ‘present’ perfect, it’s a past tense. In verb tenses, the word ‘perfect’ indicates that an action or state has been completed prior to another point in time.
Is the present perfect a present tense or a past tense?
It is a past tense. Don’t get confused with “present” perfect.
Does it work the in the same way as in English?
The present perfect tense exists in both Spanish and English and is used for similar reasons in both languages.
How do I use the present perfect?
Use the present perfect to indicate or send the message that the action of the verb has been done.
For example, I have finished reading the book.
How do I form the present perfect?
To form the present perfect you need to have:
the present tense of haber and a second verb in the past particle.
haber + verb 2 in the past participle
What is the present tense of haber?
yo > he
tú > has
usted, él, ella > ha
nosotros, nosotras > hemos
ustedes, ellos, ellas > han
What is the past participle regular verb?
The past particle is as follows:
for -ar ending verbs > -ado
for -er, -ir ending verbs > -ido
What are some examples for -ar ending verbs?
Here is an example of a regular verb: estudiar
haber + estudiar
yo he estudiado
tú has estudiado
usted, él, ella ha estudiado
nosotros, nosotras hemos estudiado
ustedes, ellos, ellas han estudiado
What is an example for -er, -ir ending regular verbs?
The present perfect for -er, -ir regular verbs:
haber + comer
yo he comido
tú has comido
usted, él, ella ha comido
nosotros, nosotros hemos comido
ustedes, ellos, ellas han comido
Are there any irregular verbs?
Here is a list of irregular verbs:
group 1
ser > sido
ir a > ido a
estar > estado
What about verbs that have double vowels?
These verbs have a written accent mark on the í.
caer > caído
leer > leído
oír > oído
traer > traído
How about verbs with irregular past participles?
decir > dicho
devolver > devuelto
escribir > escrito
hacer > hecho
morir > muerto
poner > puesto
romper > roto
ver > visto
What about using reflexive pronouns
with the present perfect?
Remember, using pronouns (reflexive, indirect object pronouns or direct object pronouns) follow the same rules as with any other tense.
Present Perfect and Reflexive Pronouns.
The easiest way to recognize if a verb needs a reflexive pronoun is to look at the infinitive of the verb. If there is “se” attached to it, you MUST use the reflexive pronoun.
poner (non-reflexive)
ponerse (reflexive)
What are the reflexive pronouns?
yo > me
tú > te
usted, él, ella > se
nosotros, nosotras > nos
ustedes, ellos, ellas > se
