| While all languages have their positive attributes, be it | | | | other person's experience. Perhaps by asking if Spain |
| structure, rhythm, sound or lexis, English has one of | | | | is hot. When the best time to travel is. What the |
| the most unique tenses. It is one that we tend to | | | | food is like. I've eaten ants, have you? In this |
| forget all about when we are writing. In some | | | | example it expresses an experience again and looks |
| manner it does exist in some other languages, but | | | | to promote a discourse from that basis. |
| not to the extent that it can be used in English. | | | | The second example is not really about books. It is |
| What is it? It is the present perfect. More correctly it | | | | saying that the person is in fact not dead. With the |
| should be called an aspect rather than a tense, but I | | | | present perfect, the ability to add to a list of |
| won't quibble about its grammatical name. In my view | | | | achievements indicates that the person, or object, is |
| it should be renamed the experience tense, the | | | | alive. Contrast these two sentences. 1. Dan Brown |
| tense of the living or even the tense that can affect | | | | has written many books. 2. Shakespeare wrote many |
| now. These descriptions are much more accurate and | | | | plays. We now know who can add to their |
| informative in my mind. | | | | achievements and who is alive and who is dead. |
| When teaching learners of English, it is the one | | | | Lastly, the effect on now example. Although the |
| structure that needs to be taught as a concept. A | | | | action of losing the keys is definitely in the past, it |
| way of thinking. With other tenses such as the past | | | | has a present effect. Such as, I can't open the door |
| simple, present continuous or future simple, time is of | | | | now. Or I can't start my car now. I've eaten too |
| the essence and is therefore not a concept but an | | | | many slices of cake would indicate that the person |
| event that is defined by a clock or calendar. | | | | now feels quite ill after they ate too much cake. |
| I will take three examples of the present perfect to | | | | In combination with adverbs and prepositions such as |
| demonstrate its remarkable properties. | | | | yet, already, for, since, ever, never and just the |
| Example 1. Have you ever been to Spain? | | | | present perfect can be used to describe a multitude |
| Example 2. I've written three books. | | | | of situations in absolute minute detail. One last use |
| Example 3. Oh dear! I've lost my keys! | | | | worth mentioning is that of currency. The media are |
| Although there are other uses, these three examples | | | | the ultimate artists in this use. Imagine this headline. |
| demonstrate the three main functions. | | | | The economy has gone into total meltdown. Think |
| In the first example, the question is searching for an | | | | about this phrase. When did it happen? Today or |
| experience that someone has had. If the answer is | | | | months ago. It doesn't matter. It sounds like it |
| yes, the questioner can then proceed to use the | | | | happened just a few minutes ago doesn't it? |